CircuitStudio purchase - BIG license issue(s) and warning

Your License definitely does expire and you can no longer use circuit studio at all after 1 year. I wont be renewing ever. I will move to a more honest PCB software company.

Hi John,

CircuitStudio licenses are perpetual so they keep working. There's been quite some confusion with this, especially with a competitor (EAGLE) switching to a "Subscription" model that differs from ours. CircuitStudio Subscription is more synonymous with "Maintenance", i.e. it allows updates of the software up to any version released within the subscription period. When you purchase CircuitStudio software you will receive 12 months Subscription and you'll be able to update it to new versions within that 12 months. Even after the 12 months you'll be able to install any of those releases that occurred prior to your subscription expiry.

FYI: We've just created a special campaign for EAGLE users wanting to switch to CircuitStudio before 31-Mar-2017. David Jones on EEVBlog even just excitedly posted it (http://www.eevblog.com/forum/circuit-studio/half-price-circuit-studio/) but you can link directly to the offer here: Switch from Eagle PCB and I'll post this again on this forum soon.

I've written some new FAQ's about the CircuitStudio licensing to make it super clear, and will update the FAQ's on CircuitStudio Support | CircuitStudio once the USA team return from the public holiday.

1.

Can CircuitStudio run with no Internet access?

Initial installation and license activation requires Internet access to complete the setup. Once setup is complete with the Standalone ALF license file activated, the software does not "phone home" and does not have any timers to prevent it from working. Online features such as vault libraries and Supplier Links won't work while there is no Internet access.

2.

Is CircuitStudio licensing time based or perpetual?

CircuitStudio licenses are Standalone perpetual licenses so will continue working with the current software version forever. The software may be updated to newer versions within the Subscription (maintenance) period.

The software may also be reinstalled, for example on a new machine, after Subscription has expired, provided the version of the software installed was released prior to the Subscription expiry date.

3.

Does subscription mean time limited?

No! CircuitStudio Subscription provides entitlement to updates so that when newer software is released you may stay up to date during the Subscription period. This is often referred to as Maintenance, but in Altium terminogy this is named Subsription. The software keeps working even after Subcription is expired because the CircuitStudio licenses are perpetual.

Best regards,

James Harriman

Altium

Thanks for clarifying the posts above James.  I noticed even Hack A Day got the licensing scheme for CircuitStudio wrong in their article discussing Eagle (they said the $1k price got you a year's subscription, implying it was the same as Eagle.)  Given the readership of HaD it's quite likely some may have taken their guidance from them as an "authority".

I will pick up on one point though in your post:

James Harriman wrote:

...

the software does not "phone home"

...

 

Whilst it may not "phone home" for the purposes of licence checking, it most certainly does "phone home" to talk to Altium's servers for some reason, I guess update checking and usage data?

Hi harvie256,

Thank you for the head's up about Hackaday!

The "Home" page within all Altium products hits the website and pulls a web page and displays it within the product, using standard HTLM, without using any user-specific transaction or SOAP transport. It won't know who you are and if you block it or are offline, then the page simply doesn't load.

If you Sign in and use the vault components or use Supplier Links then it will verify your sign in and will use web services to communicate with our servers and it will know who you are but it won't challenge your license and certainly won't push any licensing changes back to your machine. The license used in CircuitStudio is downloaded as a physical ALF file that sits on your drive and is only updated when signed in and using the Activation functions (e.g. if you right click the license and Reactivate or if you Delete. Delete also works when you're not signed in).

Best regards,

James Harriman

Altium

Hi harvie256,

Thank you for the head's up about Hackaday!

The "Home" page within all Altium products hits the website and pulls a web page and displays it within the product, using standard HTLM, without using any user-specific transaction or SOAP transport. It won't know who you are and if you block it or are offline, then the page simply doesn't load.

If you Sign in and use the vault components or use Supplier Links then it will verify your sign in and will use web services to communicate with our servers and it will know who you are but it won't challenge your license and certainly won't push any licensing changes back to your machine. The license used in CircuitStudio is downloaded as a physical ALF file that sits on your drive and is only updated when signed in and using the Activation functions (e.g. if you right click the license and Reactivate or if you Delete. Delete also works when you're not signed in).

Best regards,

James Harriman

Altium