# Allegro X PCB Designer, Altium Develop vs Altium CircuitMaker Comparison

| | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 30 | 997 | 110 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (51.7% of reviews) | Small-Business (58.2% of reviews) | Small-Business (68.2% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year | Free | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Allegro X PCB Designer

Pros:
- Ease of Use (4 reviews)
- PCB Design (3 reviews)

Cons:
- Poor Customer Support (2 reviews)
- Software Bugs (2 reviews)

### Altium Develop

Pros:
- Ease of Use (272 reviews)
- Features (218 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (93 reviews)
- Expensive (91 reviews)

### Altium CircuitMaker

Pros:
- PCB Design (9 reviews)
- Features (7 reviews)

Cons:
- Slow Rendering (4 reviews)
- Complex Interface (3 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.1 (25 reviews) | 8.9 (819 reviews) | 8.5 (93 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (25 reviews) | 8.1 (837 reviews) | 8.2 (95 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.9 (6 reviews) | 8.3 (374 reviews) | 8.9 (34 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | Not enough data | 8.3 (137 reviews) | 8.1 (8 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 9.1 (23 reviews) | 8.3 (734 reviews) | 7.7 (74 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | Not enough data | 8.5 (131 reviews) | 8.1 (7 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.0 (24 reviews) | 8.9 (800 reviews) | 7.8 (97 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Allegro X PCB Designer

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Altium Develop

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Altium Develop Pricing

Price: Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year

Description: Altium Develop is offered as an annual subscription starting at $1,990 per year, which includes one Altium Designer ECAD Design Author and a shared workspace for projects, libraries, and collaboration. The subscription provides unlimited workspace users at no additional cost, enabling broad participation in reviews, commenting, task management, BOM access, and change workflows.

Teams can add up to four additional Altium Designer ECAD Design Authors for $995 per Author per year, allowing organizations to scale active design capacity while keeping contributors and collaborators included at no extra charge.

Key Features:
- Unified Workspace & Collaboration: A secure, cloud-based platform (Altium 365) that hosts all design data, including schematics, PCB layouts, MCAD models, and BOMs, allowing for real-time co-creation between electrical, mechanical, and software teams.
- Component & Library Management: Transformation of file-based libraries into managed, traceable components, supporting, audit checks, and, part request workflows.
- Advanced PCB Design Tools: Access to Altium Designer for high-density interconnect (HDI) design, rigid-flex design, and 3D-MID (Three-Dimensional Molded Interconnect Devices).

[Learn more about Altium Develop](https://www.g2.com/products/altium-develop/reviews)

#### Free Trial

Yes

### Altium CircuitMaker

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: CircuitMaker

Price: Free

Description: CircuitMaker is the best free-to-use schematic and PCB design tool for the Open Source Hardware community.

Key Features:
- Unlimited Access and Free to Use
- Comprehensive Component Library
- Sharing and Collaboration Made Easy with Altium 365

[Learn more about Altium CircuitMaker](https://www.g2.com/products/altium-circuitmaker/reviews)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### General-Purpose CAD

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Allegro X PCB Designer** | N/A | N/A |
| **Altium Develop** | 8.4/10 | 82 |
| **Altium CircuitMaker** | N/A | N/A |

#### Design

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Drawing** | Not enough data | 8.5 (75 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Modeling** | Not enough data | 8.3 (72 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Visualize ** | Not enough data | 8.6 (73 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Rendering** | Not enough data | 8.2 (71 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Edit

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **File Import ** | Not enough data | 8.0 (71 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Push/Pull** | Not enough data | 8.1 (65 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Views** | Not enough data | 8.8 (69 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Grips ** | Not enough data | 8.0 (63 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Collaboration

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Annotate** | Not enough data | 8.7 (67 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Documentation ** | Not enough data | 8.5 (68 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Extract** | Not enough data | 8.2 (64 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Product Data Management (PDM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Allegro X PCB Designer** | N/A | N/A |
| **Altium Develop** | 8.5/10 | 44 |
| **Altium CircuitMaker** | N/A | N/A |

#### Metadata

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Repository** | Not enough data | 8.4 (39 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Taxonomy** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Types** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

#### Data Management

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Version Control** | Not enough data | 8.5 (43 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Alignment** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Workflows** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Lifecycle** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **AI Image-to-Text** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

### PCB Design

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Allegro X PCB Designer** | 8.8/10 | 26 |
| **Altium Develop** | 8.6/10 | 727 |
| **Altium CircuitMaker** | 8.3/10 | 91 |

#### Design

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **PCB layout editing** | 9.3 (23 reviews) | 9.1 (686 reviews) | 8.8 (84 reviews) | 
| **Schematic editor** | 9.3 (23 reviews) | 9.2 (679 reviews) | 8.8 (83 reviews) | 

#### Tools

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **3D modeling tools** | 7.9 (23 reviews) | 7.6 (631 reviews) | 7.5 (68 reviews) | 
| **Component placement** | 8.9 (23 reviews) | 8.9 (663 reviews) | 8.6 (84 reviews) | 

#### Library

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Component libraries** | 8.8 (23 reviews) | 8.3 (678 reviews) | 7.6 (82 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Board size** | 9.3 (23 reviews) | 9.1 (663 reviews) | 8.5 (80 reviews) | 
| **Layers** | 9.3 (23 reviews) | 9.2 (666 reviews) | 8.5 (80 reviews) | 

#### Customization

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Custom commands** | 8.4 (23 reviews) | Feature Not Available | Feature Not Available | 
| **Custom interface** | 8.4 (23 reviews) | 7.8 (583 reviews) | Feature Not Available | 

### Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Allegro X PCB Designer** | N/A | N/A |
| **Altium Develop** | 8.0/10 | 22 |
| **Altium CircuitMaker** | N/A | N/A |

#### Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **3D/solid modeling Tools** | Not enough data | 8.2 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Rendering Tools** | Not enough data | 8.0 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Drawing Tools** | Not enough data | 8.6 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Editing Tools** | Not enough data | 8.3 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Text Editing Tools** | Not enough data | 7.7 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Export Files** | Not enough data | 8.3 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Import Files** | Not enough data | 8.2 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **File Interoperability** | Not enough data | 8.0 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Backwards compatibility** | Not enough data | 8.5 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **File size** | Not enough data | 9.2 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Custom Commands** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Scripts** | Not enough data | 7.2 (15 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Menus** | Not enough data | 7.4 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Interface** | Not enough data | 7.6 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Feature | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Hardware support** | Not enough data | 8.2 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Task-based interfaces** | Not enough data | 8.2 (15 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Manage Multiple Profiles** | Not enough data | 8.2 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Command Clarity** | Not enough data | 8.8 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [PCB Design Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/pcb-design)


**Unique to Altium Develop (3):** [General-Purpose CAD Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/general-purpose-cad), [Product Data Management (PDM) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/product-data-management-pdm), [Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/mechanical-computer-aided-design-mcad)



---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Allegro X PCB Designer | Altium Develop | Altium CircuitMaker | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 51.7% | 58.2% | 68.2% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 48.3% | 29.7% | 15.5% | 
| **Enterprise** | 0% | 12.1% | 16.4% | 

### By Industry

#### Allegro X PCB Designer

- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 27.6%
- **Defense & Space:** 10.3%
- **Semiconductors:** 6.9%
- **Design:** 6.9%
- **Consumer Services:** 6.9%
- **Consumer Electronics:** 6.9%
- **Computer Hardware:** 6.9%
- **Manufacturing:** 3.4%
- **Telecommunications:** 3.4%
- **Professional Training & Coaching:** 3.4%
- **Other:** 17.2%

#### Altium Develop

- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 22.2%
- **Automotive:** 10.9%
- **Consumer Electronics:** 10.2%
- **Aviation & Aerospace:** 6.4%
- **Medical Devices:** 6.3%
- **Industrial Automation:** 4.0%
- **Research:** 3.4%
- **Higher Education:** 3.2%
- **Computer Hardware:** 3.0%
- **Design:** 2.5%
- **Other:** 27.9%

#### Altium CircuitMaker

- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 27.3%
- **Consumer Electronics:** 14.5%
- **Higher Education:** 5.5%
- **Aviation & Aerospace:** 4.5%
- **Computer Hardware:** 4.5%
- **Automotive:** 3.6%
- **Medical Devices:** 3.6%
- **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 3.6%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 3.6%
- **Education Management:** 2.7%
- **Other:** 26.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Allegro X PCB Designer

- [KiCad EDA](https://www.g2.com/products/kicad-eda/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (67 reviews)
- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [PADS Professional](https://www.g2.com/products/pads-professional/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (64 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (644 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (695 reviews)
- [Autodesk EAGLE](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-eagle/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (76 reviews)
- [OrCAD PCB Designer](https://www.g2.com/products/orcad-pcb-designer/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (15 reviews)
- [OrCAD Capture](https://www.g2.com/products/orcad-capture/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (34 reviews)
- [DipTrace](https://www.g2.com/products/diptrace/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (45 reviews)
- [SolidWorks PCB](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks-pcb/reviews) — 3.8/5 stars (14 reviews)

### Alternatives to Altium Develop

- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [AutoCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/autocad/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1930 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (695 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (644 reviews)
- [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-solid-edge/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (599 reviews)
- [Designcenter NX](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-nx/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (526 reviews)
- [Inventor](https://www.g2.com/products/inventor/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (440 reviews)
- [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1324 reviews)
- [Autodesk EAGLE](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-eagle/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (76 reviews)
- [KiCad EDA](https://www.g2.com/products/kicad-eda/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (67 reviews)

### Alternatives to Altium CircuitMaker

- [KiCad EDA](https://www.g2.com/products/kicad-eda/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (67 reviews)
- [EasyEDA](https://www.g2.com/products/easyeda/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (20 reviews)
- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [Autodesk EAGLE](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-eagle/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (76 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (644 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (695 reviews)
- [DipTrace](https://www.g2.com/products/diptrace/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (45 reviews)
- [Cadence PSpice](https://www.g2.com/products/cadence-pspice/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (11 reviews)
- [SolidWorks PCB](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks-pcb/reviews) — 3.8/5 stars (14 reviews)
- [PADS Professional](https://www.g2.com/products/pads-professional/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (64 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Allegro X PCB Designer

- Title: [How I can use this software at my home because I used this in my company network only.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-i-can-use-this-software-at-my-home-because-i-used-this-in-my-company-network-only) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Depending upon where you live, you can contact a local Cadence Channel Partner and he may be able to grant you a WFH License for a short duration. Also check..."

### Altium Develop

- Title: [Who uses Altium?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/who-uses-altium) — 3 comments *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Altium Designer is used mainly by those who create and work with printed circuit boards or PCBs. All electrical products, computers, toasters, remotes, and..."
- Title: [Is Altium Designer free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-altium-designer-free) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "No, Altium Designer is not free but there is a free viewer that can be downloaded. "
- Title: [What is Altium Designer used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-altium-designer-used-for) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Altium Desinger is a complete PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design software package, which includes Schematic Capture, PCB Layout, Libraries, Manufacturing..."
- Title: [Is there a way to modelize in 3D the Pcb designs?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/36429-is-there-a-way-to-modelize-in-3d-the-pcb-designs) — 3 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "No or Yes, you can only place 3D bodies for components in PCB and get 3D view of your design. I think by placing components are your will. yes you can..."
- Title: [What is Altium 365 used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-altium-365-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Create circuit design & PCB Design"

### Altium CircuitMaker

- Title: [What does Altium software do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/altium-circuitmaker-what-does-altium-software-do) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Hi there, Altium makes software for PCB designers and engineers to create printed circuit boards (PCBs). Altium's flagship product is Altium Designer,..."
- Title: [What does Altium software do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-does-altium-software-do) — 1 comment *(includes official response)*
  > **Top comment:** "Comment deleted by user."
- Title: [Is Altium CircuitMaker good?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-altium-circuitmaker-good) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It's the best solution out there for small hobbyist or designers.  I've seen other and they do not come close to Altium CM"

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/allegro-x-pcb-designer-vs-altium-develop-vs-altium-circuitmaker)