Altium Designer
Altium Designer: A broad PCB design environment for teams that need connected electrical and mechanical workflows. Ranked #6 of 41 in Electrical Design Software by our editors (8.4/10); pricing: 30-day trial; best for end-to-end PCB electrical design.
At a glance
- Editor score8.4 / 10
- Pricing30-day trial
- Best forEnd-to-end PCB electrical design
- Free planNo
- Schematic captureYes
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
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
Our verdict on Altium Designer
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, component libraries, native 3D visualization, BOM workflows, manufacturing outputs, and release processes into one product. Web access supports cloud workspace functions for project, library, review, and component-data management, while the listed deployment model is hybrid.
Its strongest fit is for organizations that need electrical and mechanical design to stay connected. ECAD-MCAD bidirectional synchronization works with SOLIDWORKS, PTC Creo, PTC Onshape, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Fusion, and Siemens NX. Electrical design workflows can also connect with OrCAD, LTspice, and KiCad. The combination of constraints, 3D mechanical validation, shared workspaces, integrated libraries, and manufacturing releases gives teams a broad path from schematic through production documentation.
The published plans show Altium Develop with one Altium Designer Author, one Workspace for shared projects, libraries, and collaboration, unlimited Workspace Users for review, commenting, task management, and BOM access, and ECAD-MCAD CoDesign. An Additional Altium Designer Author plan adds another author seat to an Altium Develop team. Access is paid, with a 30-day trial rather than a permanent free plan. Choose Altium Designer when an end-to-end PCB environment and broad CAD integration matter more than a lightweight or free tool. Teams seeking a permanent free plan or more advanced electrical simulation may prefer an alternative.
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Altium Designer pricing
All 2 Altium Designer plans and prices →
Altium Designer fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Schematic capture | Yes |
| Panel design | Not verified |
| Electrical simulation | Basic |
| Standards libraries | Yes |
| MCAD integration | Yes |
| Deployment | Hybrid |
| Free trial | 30 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Cloud, Desktop |
| Platforms | Web, Windows |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, GDPR, 2FA |
| Support | Live chat, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 9 integrations: SOLIDWORKS, PTC Creo, PTC Onshape, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Fusion, Siemens NX … See all → |
| Pricing | 30-day trial (source) |
| Website | altium.com |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Altium Designer integrations
Altium Designer lists 9 integrations on its own site.
- SOLIDWORKS
- PTC Creo
- PTC Onshape
- Autodesk Inventor
- Autodesk Fusion
- Siemens NX
- OrCAD
- LTspice
- KiCad
See all Altium Designer integrations →
Alternatives to Altium Designer
- ETAPA broad electrical engineering platform for modeling, analysis, field workflows, and automation.8.9
- Trimble Electrical DesignerA standards-focused suite for calculating, validating and reporting electrical system designs.8.8
- EPLAN Electric P8A broad ECAD tool for structured electrical documentation and production workflows.8.7
See all Altium Designer alternatives →
Altium Designer vs the competition
- Altium Designer vs ETAP
- Altium Designer vs Trimble Electrical Designer
- Altium Designer vs EPLAN Electric P8
- Altium Designer vs KiCad
- Altium Designer vs OrCAD X
- Altium Designer vs CYME
Compare Altium Designer with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Altium Designer is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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