Sure, you can do 2.4GHz on a 2 layer board with even the simplest programs, or even Inkscape really. The hard part is arguably knowing the write math involved t

Sure, you can do 2.4GHz on a 2 layer board with even the simplest programs, or even Inkscape really. The hard part is arguably knowing the write math involved to design with signal integrity in mind. When you start working with very high speed things like DDR4/DDR5 on 14 layer boards you could do it with simpler software, but I don't see why you would. The time saved with the design tools and signal integrity simulations would likely be worth much more than the licensing cost, especially if you're bigger than a small hobby shop. Not to mention the money saved on having software that can identify mistakes early on when the PCBs alone can cost thousands. And then there's all the other bits like conforming to standards, providing deliverables in a format that the next place down the line deems "acceptable" (or they're just picky), as interoperability with other teams, because sometimes you're just one small part of the design process.