PCB design editors / #2
Altium Designer
The professional standard for complex boards, if you can pay for it and work on Windows.
26/35Ranked #2 in pcb design editors
Last reviewed
- Who it is for
- Professional hardware teams and consultancies whose clients or employers already standardise on Altium, and anyone designing dense high-speed boards.
- Made by
- Altium (part of Renesas)
- Runs on
- Windows
- Cost
- Paid subscription. Check current prices and plans on altium.com; prices depend on plan and region.
- Poor fit for
- Hobbyists, students on their own, macOS and Linux users, and anyone who wants to own an open copy of their design files.
Strengths
- Deep constraint management, high-speed routing and rigid-flex support.
- Mature libraries and part data with supplier information.
- Altium 365 adds cloud sharing, comments and review for Altium projects.
- Common in industry, so files and skills transfer between employers and clients.
Limits
- Windows only.
- Subscription cost is high for hobbyists and students.
- Native files are tied to Altium; other tools import them with varying fidelity.
Scores and the reasons for them
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and licensing | 1/5 | Paid subscription; check altium.com for current plans and prices. |
| Learning curve | 2/5 | Very capable but large; formal training is common for new users. |
| Library and part support | 5/5 | Extensive managed component libraries with supplier data. |
| Board complexity | 5/5 | Built for dense multilayer, high-speed and rigid-flex boards. |
| Output for fabrication | 5/5 | Full fabrication and assembly outputs, including IPC-2581 and ODB++. |
| File portability | 3/5 | Widely imported by other tools, including KiCad, but the native format is Altium's own. |
| Collaboration | 5/5 | Altium 365 gives cloud sharing, version history, comments and review for Altium projects. |
Where it is our pick
Real boards made with Altium Designer
- Precursor (Betrusted hardware) by Betrusted project (CERN OHL v1.2)