KiCad vs Altium Designer

KiCad8.6Visit Altium Designer8.4Visit

Higher score KiCad #4 in Electrical Design Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit KiCad

vs

Altium Designer #6 in Electrical Design Software 8.4/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Altium

• KiCad fits best

  Budget-conscious PCB designers

• Altium Designer fits best

  End-to-end PCB electrical design

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Side by side

Feature	KiCad 8.6/10 Visit ↗	Altium Designer 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.4
Ranking	#4 in Electrical Design Software	#6 in Electrical Design Software
Best for	Budget-conscious PCB designers	End-to-end PCB electrical design
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	30 days
Deployment	Desktop	Cloud, Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, Windows
Support	Community, Docs	Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations	2 integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features KiCad 3/4 · Altium Designer 3/4
Schematic capture	✓	✓
Panel design	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Standards libraries	✓	✓
MCAD integration	✓	✓
Specs
Electrical simulation	Advanced	Basic
Deployment	Desktop	Hybrid
Our review
Pros	Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux Combines schematics, simulation, PCB routing, and fabrication exports Includes libraries, rules checking, scripting, and 3D visualization	Combines schematic capture, PCB layout, SPICE simulation, and 3D validation Supports ECAD-MCAD synchronization with major CAD platforms Covers libraries, constraints, BOMs, and manufacturing releases
Cons	Integration options center on ngspice and FreeCAD Desktop deployment does not provide a browser-based workflow Broad functionality may be more than simple schematic projects require	Paid product with no permanent free plan The listed desktop platform is Windows Electrical simulation is categorized as basic
Our verdict	KiCad is a free, open-source electronics design automation suite for hobbyists, educators, and professional electronics designers. Its desktop tools cover hierarchical schematic capture, electrical rules checking, PCB layout with… Read the review →	Altium Designer is a Windows-based electronic and PCB design environment for engineers and hardware teams. It brings hierarchical and multi-channel schematic capture, interactive PCB routing, SPICE simulation, design-rule management,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• KiCad — where it wins

  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Combines schematics, simulation, PCB routing, and fabrication exports
  • Includes libraries, rules checking, scripting, and 3D visualization

  Where it doesn't

  • Integration options center on ngspice and FreeCAD
  • Desktop deployment does not provide a browser-based workflow
  • Broad functionality may be more than simple schematic projects require

• Altium Designer — where it wins

  • Combines schematic capture, PCB layout, SPICE simulation, and 3D validation
  • Supports ECAD-MCAD synchronization with major CAD platforms
  • Covers libraries, constraints, BOMs, and manufacturing releases

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid product with no permanent free plan
  • The listed desktop platform is Windows
  • Electrical simulation is categorized as basic

• KiCad8.6/10 · Free plan

  A capable free PCB suite for designers who value control over broad integrations.

  Visit KiCadFull verdict →
• Altium Designer8.4/10 · 30-day trial

  A broad PCB design environment for teams that need connected electrical and mechanical workflows.

  Visit AltiumFull verdict →