Strictly speaking, is not open source. It was proprietary software. When Protel (now Altium) discontinued it, they did not explicitly release it to the public domain. However, abandonware communities operate on the principle that since the software is no longer sold or supported, and the copyright holder does not enforce rights, downloading it for educational, archival, or personal use is low-risk.
Because the software is no longer sold, official download links from Altium.com do not exist. Any Circuit Maker 2000 download will come from third-party archival sites (e.g., OldVersion.com, Archive.org, or veteran electronics forums).
: It utilized the industry-standard SPICE engine, providing accurate analog and digital modeling that held up even in professional contexts. TraxMaker Integration
While modern free tools like KiCad or the new CircuitMaker offer more features and active support, CircuitMaker 2000 remains a nostalgic icon — proof that software doesn’t need to be expensive to spark innovation.
, which carries the legacy into the community-driven design era.
