# Altium Develop Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Altium Develop the right Engineering CAD solution for you? Explore 181 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/reviews --- Altium Develop 4.6 (181) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Altium Develop Ease of use 4.3 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews DM Derese M Electronics Design EngineerElectrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “What I like the most is its interactive cloud based design showing feature, which avoids opening Altium Designer every time I want to open my designs.“ May 14, 2025 KA Karl A PCB Designer, Embedded Hardware EngineerComputer Hardware, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The fact that some readily available extensions, like PDN and SI Analyzer by Keysight, are NOT available to standard (perpetual license) customers like me.“ December 18, 2024 SI Stefano I Electronics engineerTransportation/Trucking/Railroad, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It allows projects and component management, mechanical CAD integration and has useful sharing features, so that all designers in my company can access all projects and components.“ June 5, 2024 PM Petros M Junior Technical EngineerTelecommunications, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “What I liked the least about Altium 365 is the learning curve, which is a little difficult for beginner designers“ June 25, 2025 AA Ashenafi A Technical Supervisor and Hardware EngineerElectrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It allows me to access my designs anytime through web based interactive interface.“ June 6, 2025 KA Kamal A Sales and Technical coordinatorAutomotive, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The BOM files aren't updated according to the schematic, for instance by updating the BOM doc, you will face some troubles.“ December 18, 2024 BH Binyam H Electromechanical EngineerElectrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “It allowed me to collaborate with my team in a single workspace while doing projects.“ May 20, 2025 Abel A Electrical and Computer EngineerElectrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Its subscription pricing is somehow unaffordable, so beginner designers and academicians might not be able to use this incredible tool.“ July 21, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 181 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Abdi M. Hardware Designer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Altium 365, a must to use tool " July 21, 2024 4.0 I am happy about my overall experience using Altium 365.It made my academic and professional journey quite easy. It helped me a lot and I recommend everyone in the field of electronics to use Altium 365. Pros I like its cloud based collaboration and its support for import and export of documents in various formats. Its automatic generation of Bill of Material is also a great feature of Altium 365. Cons For beginners some of its features might not be user friendly, it is hard to start with as there are not much online resources to learn the tool. It would be great if more documentations and online videos made available. Review Source FN Fatih N. Embedded hardware engineer Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Altium 365: A tool every hardware designer should know" June 5, 2025 5.0 Overall Altium 365 is a great tool and everyone in the field of hardware design should use it. It helped me starting from my academics projects and now for professional projects. Pros What I liked the most is that its feature of being able to share design files instantly with team members, view changes live, and comment on specific parts of the PCB layout saved us a lot of time and eliminated version control issues. It brought true cloud-based hardware design to our workflow. Cons What I liked the least about Altium 365 is that it is hard to learn the full functionalities. While the platform is powerful, setting up permissions and navigating between design, BOM, and documentation tools could feel overwhelming at first without proper training. Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) Since Altium 365 has a great web based collaboration feature, I shifted from KiCad EDA to Altium 365 for my designs. Review Source DM Doug M. Director of Engineering Industrial Automation Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "If they can solve tech support responsiveness issues, this is a great tool" December 10, 2024 3.0 All good except tech support is slower than I've ever experienced. Pros Industry acceptance, good integration, active BOM feature Cons Tech support responsiveness has been abysmal Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) Hoping to get something more industry-accepted, more capability for complex boards. Review Source MÇ Mahmut Ç. Senior electronic hardware design engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "What a great design tool: Altium 365" June 15, 2025 5.0 Overall Altium 365 is a greate cloud based collaborative design platform and it helped me throughout my career. I love this tool. Pros The thing I liked the most about Altium 365 is that its feature of online accessibility of designs and design collaboration features. Cons The thing I liked the least is that availability of free resources to learn the tool is not abundant Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) Because Altium 365 provides all in one features that are critical for designers Review Source BD Bethlehem D. Electronic Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Design together with Altium 365" May 29, 2025 5.0 Overall I'm good using Altium 365, starting from day one it helped me a lot through my professional projects. Pros I like its seamless cloud-based collaboration. Unlike traditional design environments that rely on file-based sharing and manual version control, Altium 365 allows real-time access and editing of PCB projects from anywhere. Cons The thing I don't like about Altium 365 is that the pricing for subscription is a little expensive. It could make it unaffordable to beginner designers. Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) To use Altium 365's feature of collaborative design. Review Source KA Karl A. PCB Designer, Embedded Hardware Engineer Computer Hardware Used the software for: 2+ years ### "KKR75's review" December 18, 2024 5.0 Using it every day, and would never consider any other alternative Pros The GUI ease of use, the software depth, breadth, and features Cons The fact that some readily available extensions, like PDN and SI Analyzer by Keysight, are NOT available to standard (perpetual license) customers like me. This should be DEFAULT !!!!! Alternatives considered [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/)[OrCAD X](https://www.capterra.com/p/10015795/OrCAD-X/) Reason for choosing Altium Develop Altium looked MUCH more polished than any other design software out there, from free to commercial. I tried OrCad and absolutely hated their GUI and installation Review Source MB Maya B. Design and Engineering Renewables & Environment Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "After my first six months of AD" December 10, 2024 4.0 Once over the learning curve, it's not bad. Everyone will have their opinions but at the end of the schematic and PCB tools are straightforward (usually) and nothing out of the ordinary from other tools out there. Pros Variants and document generators. They just save so much headache of different versions and the documentation that goes with it. To have it all spit out at the click of a button is great. Cons Lack of generic symbol libraries and having to build up your own libraries before you actually can get down to your design. For projects that don't have strict validation and supply chains, this forces a lot of up front decisions that aren't really necessary, like choosing which of 15 (or more) completely suitable capacitors you're going to commit to, and hope doesn't have supply issues or you get to choose again. The inconsistent mouse and keyboard shortcuts between the application and the Altium 365 web interface are occasionally infuriating. Make it the same please. Alternatives considered [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) Reason for choosing Altium Develop I was a project requirement from new client. Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) New client wanted to keep using Altium so AD it was. Review Source LT LIDYA T. Lead Electrical and Computer Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Altium 365 and its great features" March 13, 2025 5.0 I'm quite happy using it and hope it would be like this in the future too Pros The features are really great. Its collaboration feature along with being cloud based, it makes the tool very useful. Cons I like everything about this great tool , and there's nothing I could hate Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) This Altium 365 has all in one features that makes a project management easier Review Source BH Binyam H. Electromechanical Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Altium 365 and its use" May 20, 2025 5.0 I am good using it, I mean it helped me a lot since day one. It allowed me to collaborate with my team in a single workspace while doing projects. Pros I like Altium 365 feature of automatic Bill of Materials (BOM) generation, I also liked the interactive web based design viewing and storage capability of Altium 365 Cons Some of the features are hard to learn at first glance since there aren't plenty of free resourses to learn about it. So it might be hard to understand for beginners Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) Since Altium has great features to manage my projects well Review Source GG Greg G. Sr. EE Aviation & Aerospace Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Greenwood, G" December 13, 2024 4.0 Learning curve is steep due so many features but the support is very good. I hope Altium continues to invest in the quality support. Pros Cloud availability. Feature rich. Flexibility. Support. Cons Learning curve. There is a lot to know about the layout of the tool, where things are, and how to find and use. Many items are not intuitively placed. The paid training is a ripoff. After, going through the courses I later found much of the same videos online. Altium should just make the training freely available to compensate for lack of intuitiveness. In a sense, the tutorials and training should be an investment Altium makes in its products. Also the tutorials need to be brought up to date. Alternatives considered [OrCAD X](https://www.capterra.com/p/10015795/OrCAD-X/) Reason for choosing Altium Develop Support, Flexibility, Features, Library Management Could not find the other products in your drop down Mentor Graphics Switched from [CADENCE](https://www.capterra.com/p/119044/CADENCE/)[Allegro X AI](https://www.capterra.com/p/10015860/Allegro-X-AI/) Lack of connectivity between work flow items and use of central library The drop down for finding our particular solution sucks. We were using Orcad / PADS. Review Source NE Natnael E. Electrical and Electronics Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "A great cooperative workspace, Altium 365" June 26, 2024 5.0 I am very happy with its features, as a student I found it greate when my professors could review my projects Pros I like the most its feature of cooperative workspace, where coworkers can engage in. Cons Its price of subscription, as it may not be affordable for some users Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) Due to the greate features Altium and Altium 365 provides Review Source NA Nawaf A. RADAR Engineer Military Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "What an Experience! " July 2, 2024 5.0 Pros Very helpful yet simple interface! Also, will add value to my experience. Cons Everything is fantastic and professional! Switched from [KiCad EDA](https://www.capterra.com/p/10006638/KiCad-EDA/) I needed a more professional setup for my hardware designs. Review Source NB Nathan B. Electrical Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Altium 365 - Fantastic accessory to the Altium package" October 13, 2023 5.0 With the ability to request parts, review designs and share project information and only require an account and invite to the organisation is a great bonus. Data can be shared with internal and external parties who wouldn't normally have access to the design software but then can view and data very easily. The option to live track components costs and availability is also a huge time saver. Pros The ability to log on and view project data from any location via a browser. If I'm working from home, in the office or in the lab I can view and analyse project data without needing to open the project in the application taking a licence from my colleagues who may need it to design. Cons I have encountered issues with some tools. The Assembly function is great but misses some components off on occasion. The Assembly View is in Beta. Alternatives considered [CR-8000 Design Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/175726/CR-8000-Design-Force/) Reason for choosing Altium Develop Cost and Ease of compatibility for current design data Review Source ES Ed S. Electrical Engineer Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Altium Designer Review" December 21, 2023 5.0 Overall I have had a good experience with Altium Designer. It was relatively easy to migrate from another major schematic capture/PCB layout package. Both packages had their pluses and minuses which pretty much balanced out, but Altium's lower cost tends to make it stand out. Pros The ability to work from one software program is nice and seamless. The ability to view show others the assembled PCB in 3D is also quite nice, as well as easily being able to create unique instances for multiple board versions. Cons Other PCB design packages easily allow displaying components and nets in user selectable colors by selecting the components or nets to be colored from the schematic which is great when grouping parts for placement and for verifying specific nets do not stray from where they are supposed to be. Reason for choosing Altium Develop I chose to stay with Altium because it was already in place at my new place of work, and it was very capable of producing quality work. Not only was it more cost effective per seat, but the initial seat was already paid for. It did so well that we later invested in a second license. Switched from [Cadence](https://www.capterra.com/p/215564/Cadence/) Altium was in use at my latest job. I could have switched to Cadence OrCAD/Cadence Allegro which I was more familiar with, but Altium Designer was more than capable to produce equivalent work, so it made sense to stick with it which prevented having to deal with legacy files including viewing and maintenance, and the need for the additional software to do so. Review Source KA Kamal A. Sales and Technical coordinator Automotive Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Experienced Altium Designer " December 18, 2024 4.0 Very useful and practical, design and contribute in the Altium community, Q/A without limits. Pros Easy to implement, it is possible to check all connections and get notes for being an expert designer. Cons The BOM files aren't updated according to the schematic, for instance by updating the BOM doc, you will face some troubles. Review Source sM saravanakumar M. ENGINEERING MANAGER Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Engineering manager review for Altium for PCB Design" December 20, 2024 5.0 Simple tool easy to learn and use ,we are using for PCB design its helping a lot Pros E CAD Connectivity is good and integration with other software is good. Cons it will take lot of time to understand some of the features. Review Source TM Tigist M. Electrical engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "The Game Changer real time collaboration tool, Altium 365" July 21, 2024 5.0 Overall I am having a great experience using Altium 365. It's helping me in my academic projects and also in some industry level projects I do for my clients. It's making my professional journey as an electronics engineer really great. Pros What I like the most about Altium 365 is its real time collaboration features. As I am an electronics engineering student, I could make my projects in collaboration with my colleagues and then my professor could give me a real time feedbacks. And this makes my designs more efficient. Cons What makes me disappointed about Altium 365 is that its pricing isn't fair for beginner designers and academicians. So it would be great if it has some subscription plans with reduced pricing. Review Source AH Alazar H. Electronics Design Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "A tool for everyone, Altium 360" March 13, 2025 5.0 I am good overall. It helped me a lot with both academic projects and projects from clients. Pros I liked the most its feature of cloud based interactive design showing and storage feature. Cons The thing that appoints me is that the subscription fee might not be affordable for beginner designers. Review Source ML Mickael L. Emmbedded hardware engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "the best Electronic design tool i ever used" May 29, 2024 5.0 I use Altium every day on very simple PCB and also very complicated ones, and for me it is really the best CAD tool. Pros Altium is a must have regarding electronic design. Easy to search parts and create BOM from them. Simulation tools are really good and natural to use. Altium also have a big community and lots of online resources to solve all issues that you could have. Cons A little bit hard to understand how to create component library, but once you get used to it, it works really fine. Some difference in the component drawings and foot print when you search component directly on the manufacturers database, but this is due to the fact that all manufacturers do not use the same standards to draw schematics symbols and foot prints. Review Source VR Valentina R. Electronic Engineer Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "a little review" July 4, 2024 5.0 Pros I can design not only on my workstation, but on every computer Cons Nothing yet. It's a bit complicated because I'm still learning how to use Altium, but everything is going well Review Source OS Owen S. Electrical Engineer Defense & Space Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Better than competetors" June 27, 2024 4.0 Pros Ease of use and versatility with designs, including being able to work anywhere due to the online-nature. Cons Cost and sometimes performance issues with very large assemblies and models. Review Source SM Stuart M. PCB Designer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Good product if you need the features" May 30, 2024 4.0 Pros Sharing files with non-users, giving them the ability to review them without loading project files. Cons The interface when files are accessed by multiple users is clumsy and requires a specific sequence to insure files are not stepped on by another user. Review Source H S Younes B. engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Discover the Power of Altium Designer: A Comprehensive PCB Design Solution " January 31, 2023 4.0 Pros The best quality of Altium Designer software is its comprehensive and integrated approach to PCB design. It offers a range of advanced features and capabilities, including:User-friendly interface and intuitive design flowAdvanced schematic capture and component managementHigh-performance, multi-layer PCB layoutRobust design verification and analysis toolsSeamless data management and collaboration with team membersExtensive libraries and components databasesIntegration with popular industry tools and standards.These features and capabilities make Altium Designer a highly effective and efficient solution for PCB design, delivering exceptional quality and reliability. Cons The worst thing about Altium Designer software is its high cost compared to some other similar products in the market. It is a premium solution and the pricing may not be attractive for organizations with limited budgets or for hobbyists and makers who are just starting with PCB design. Additionally, the software may have a steep learning curve for some users, especially those who are new to PCB design or electronics. Some users may also find the software to be resource-intensive, requiring a high-performance computer with ample memory and storage. Finally, some users may experience technical issues or compatibility problems with certain hardware or software platforms. Review Source SC Stephen C. Electrical Engineer Medical Devices Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to get into for new users, but with many powerful features to get into as needed" April 19, 2023 4.0 It used to be that Protel/AD was not very well established, so recruitment of experienced people wasn't easy. Now it's pretty much the industry standard, which is great. I look forward to using AD, and actively enjoy using it. Pros Integration between schematic and PCB, MCAD integration and 3D, library management and online component data. Cons The price! Apart from that there is little that I don't like. Reason for choosing Altium Develop More powerful, easier to use, 'prettier'! Review Source Patrick R. Component & Sustaining Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Simply the Best." September 27, 2023 5.0 Pros I have used about a half a dozen design platform during my career and Altium 365 seems to have adopted the best features of all of them and combined them into one easy to use platform. Cons When you have multiple windows and projects open the panels tab is only active for one screen at a time which is a bit annoying and slows things down significantly. Review Source Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.