# Altium Develop vs Octave BricsCAD Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Octave BricsCAD excels in **ease of use** , with many users appreciating its intuitive interface and seamless transition from other CAD software. One user noted that it felt very natural to draft technical drawings after switching, highlighting its compatibility with DWG files.
- **Users say** that Altium Develop shines in **collaboration features** , particularly with its unified design environment that integrates schematic capture and PCB layout. Reviewers have praised the real-time collaboration and version control, making teamwork more efficient and reducing confusion during the design process.
- **According to verified reviews** , Octave BricsCAD offers a **cost-effective solution** for small businesses, with a significantly lower entry-level price compared to Altium Develop. Users have mentioned that it is cheaper and lighter than AutoCAD, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious teams.
- **Reviewers mention** that Altium Develop provides a robust **library and module system** , which helps users build projects faster and with less confusion. This comprehensive support throughout the project lifecycle has been highlighted as a key benefit by recent users.
- **G2 reviewers report** that Octave BricsCAD has received high marks for its **quality of support** , with users noting that the assistance provided is responsive and effective. This has contributed to a positive experience, especially for teams needing quick resolutions to technical issues.
- **Users say** that while both products have strong features, Altium Develop's **higher G2 Score** reflects a broader market presence and user satisfaction, particularly among larger teams that benefit from its advanced collaboration tools and integrated design capabilities.



| | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 1,016 | 135 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (58.4% of reviews) | Small-Business (72.1% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year | €314.00 1 User Per Year | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Altium Develop

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

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

### Octave BricsCAD

Pros:
- 3D Modeling (2 reviews)
- CAD Compatibility (2 reviews)

Cons:
- 3D Modeling (1 reviews)
- Difficult Configuration (1 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.9 (834 reviews) | 9.0 (105 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.1 (852 reviews) | 8.8 (107 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.3 (391 reviews) | 8.9 (34 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.3 (137 reviews) | 8.8 (27 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.3 (745 reviews) | 9.0 (87 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.5 (131 reviews) | 9.0 (25 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.8 (813 reviews) | 8.8 (99 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Altium Develop

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Altium Develop Pricing

Price: Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year

Description: Altium Develop offers subscription-based pricing starting at $1,990 per year per workspace, which includes one ECAD Design Author seat and a shared collaboration workspace for projects, libraries, and design data. Additional ECAD Design Author seats can be added for $995 per user per year, with support for up to four additional authors per workspace. The platform also includes unlimited free collaborator access for review, commenting, task management, and BOM visibility at no extra cost. This pricing model is designed to help teams scale design capacity through a per-seat subscription while enabling broad cross-functional collaboration without increasing overall costs.

Key Features:
- Unified Workspace & Collaboration: Cloud-based platform (Altium 365) for PCB design, schematics, MCAD models, and BOMs with real-time collaboration across teams
- Component & Library Management: Centralized component libraries with traceability, lifecycle management, and part request workflows
- Advanced PCB Design: Support for high-speed PCB design, HDI, rigid-flex, and 3D-MID using Altium Designer

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

#### Free Trial

Yes

### Octave BricsCAD

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: BricsCAD® Lite

Price: €314.00 1 User Per Year

Description: Familiar CAD drafting functionality

Key Features:
- All familiar CAD functions in .dwg
- Full LISP support (vl, vlr, vla and vlax)
- 2D Constraint Management

[Browse all 5 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/octave-bricscad/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### General-Purpose CAD

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.4/10 | 83 |
| **Octave BricsCAD** | 8.6/10 | 86 |

#### Design

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Drawing** | 8.5 (76 reviews) | 9.3 (78 reviews) | 
| **Modeling** | 8.3 (72 reviews) | 8.8 (55 reviews) | 
| **Visualize ** | 8.6 (74 reviews) | 8.8 (55 reviews) | 
| **Rendering** | 8.2 (71 reviews) | 7.8 (38 reviews) | 

#### Edit

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **File Import ** | 8.0 (72 reviews) | 8.5 (75 reviews) | 
| **Push/Pull** | 8.1 (66 reviews) | 8.6 (53 reviews) | 
| **Views** | 8.8 (69 reviews) | 8.6 (66 reviews) | 
| **Grips ** | 8.0 (64 reviews) | 8.5 (67 reviews) | 

#### Collaboration

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Annotate** | 8.7 (67 reviews) | 8.8 (61 reviews) | 
| **Documentation ** | 8.5 (69 reviews) | 8.3 (53 reviews) | 
| **Data Extract** | 8.2 (64 reviews) | 8.2 (44 reviews) | 

### Product Data Management (PDM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.5/10 | 46 |
| **Octave BricsCAD** | N/A | N/A |

#### Metadata

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Repository** | 8.4 (39 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Taxonomy** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Types** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

#### Data Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Version Control** | 8.5 (44 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Alignment** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Workflows** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Lifecycle** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **AI Image-to-Text** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 

### PCB Design

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.6/10 | 740 |
| **Octave BricsCAD** | N/A | N/A |

#### Design

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **PCB layout editing** | 9.1 (692 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Schematic editor** | 9.2 (684 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Tools

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D modeling tools** | 7.6 (633 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Component placement** | 8.9 (665 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Library

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Component libraries** | 8.3 (686 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Board size** | 9.1 (665 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Layers** | 9.2 (669 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Customization

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Custom commands** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Custom interface** | 7.8 (587 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.2/10 | 25 |
| **Octave BricsCAD** | N/A | N/A |

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D/solid modeling Tools** | 8.4 (21 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Rendering Tools** | 8.2 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Drawing Tools** | 8.9 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Editing Tools** | 8.6 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Text Editing Tools** | 7.9 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Export Files** | 8.6 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Import Files** | 8.2 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **File Interoperability** | 8.1 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Backwards compatibility** | 8.6 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **File size** | 9.2 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Custom Commands** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Scripts** | 7.4 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Menus** | 7.5 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Interface** | 7.7 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Hardware support** | 8.4 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Task-based interfaces** | 8.3 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Manage Multiple Profiles** | 8.3 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Command Clarity** | 8.8 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Requirements Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 7.5/10 | 33 |
| **Octave BricsCAD** | N/A | N/A |

#### Requirements Authoring and Structure - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Structured Requirements Authoring** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Hierarchical Requirements Organization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Compliance and Governance - Requirement Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Regulated Industry Standards Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Requirements Listing** | 8.8 (30 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Centralized Information** | 8.4 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Traceability** | 8.0 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Collaboration and Review - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Review and Approval Workflows** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Role-Based Access Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Communication

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Stakeholder Communication** | 6.4 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Internal Communication Enablement** | 7.1 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Role-Based Access Co - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Baselining** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Procedural

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Automated Creation & Testing** | 5.8 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Traceability - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Bidirectional Traceability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Impact Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Traceability Matrix Generation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### AI Traceability - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Suspect Link Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Integration - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **ALM and Project Management Tool Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Change Management and Version Control - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Complete Audit Trail** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [General-Purpose CAD Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/general-purpose-cad)

**Unique to Altium Develop (4):** [PCB Design Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/pcb-design), [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), [Requirements Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/requirements-management)



---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Altium Develop | Octave BricsCAD | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 58.4% | 72.1% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 29.2% | 24.8% | 
| **Enterprise** | 12.4% | 3.1% | 

### By Industry

#### Altium Develop

- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 21.9%
- **Automotive:** 10.9%
- **Consumer Electronics:** 10.1%
- **Medical Devices:** 6.6%
- **Aviation & Aerospace:** 6.3%
- **Industrial Automation:** 4.1%
- **Research:** 3.4%
- **Higher Education:** 3.1%
- **Computer Hardware:** 2.8%
- **Defense & Space:** 2.5%
- **Other:** 28.3%

#### Octave BricsCAD

- **Construction:** 20.0%
- **Architecture & Planning:** 16.2%
- **Civil Engineering:** 16.2%
- **Design:** 6.9%
- **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 6.9%
- **Oil & Energy:** 3.1%
- **Machinery:** 3.1%
- **Building Materials:** 2.3%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 2.3%
- **Industrial Automation:** 2.3%
- **Other:** 20.8%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Altium Develop

- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (520 reviews)
- [AutoCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/autocad/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1937 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (696 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (643 reviews)
- [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-solid-edge/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (613 reviews)
- [Designcenter](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (628 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 (1327 reviews)
- [ZWCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/zwcad/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (350 reviews)
- [Teamcenter](https://www.g2.com/products/teamcenter/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1311 reviews)

### Alternatives to Octave BricsCAD

- [AutoCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/autocad/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1937 reviews)
- [SketchUp](https://www.g2.com/products/sketchup/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1327 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (643 reviews)
- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (520 reviews)
- [Inventor](https://www.g2.com/products/inventor/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (440 reviews)
- [ZWCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/zwcad/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (350 reviews)
- [AutoCAD LT](https://www.g2.com/products/autocad-lt/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (285 reviews)
- [DraftSight](https://www.g2.com/products/draftsight/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (209 reviews)
- [CMS IntelliCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/cms-intellicad/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (97 reviews)
- [TurboCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/turbocad/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (31 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### 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"

### Octave BricsCAD

- Title: [Is BricsCAD free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-bricscad-free) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "for the working version it is better to use a licensed version"
- Title: [What is BricsCAD used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-bricscad-used-for) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Mechanical design, Piping, P&ID's, Machines, food processing"
- Title: [Are there any courses](https://www.g2.com/discussions/are-there-any-courses) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Hi Pedro, at the moment we have the BIM academy on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc7lZG3eA1E&list=PLONdQc9bizsfzuES9MrwxUEH9M4PPfyRm. We are also..."
- Title: [BricsCAD seems to loose edges when taking flat shots. Is there a setting that needs to be adjusted to clean up the flat shot block?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/27852-bricscad-seems-to-loose-edges-when-taking-flat-shots-is-there-a-setting-that-needs-to-be-adjusted-to-clean-up-the-flat-shot-block) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Hi there, 

Thank you for your question!

We would advise creating a ticket on this matter. Be sure to add a scenario and sample file in order for our..."
- Title: [Is it possible to do simulation and animation using BricsCAD ?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/24249-is-it-possible-to-do-simulation-and-animation-using-bricscad) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "You can indeed animate objects in BricsCAD. There is a dedicated animation panel.
There is also an anipath command to control camera movement."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/altium-develop-vs-octave-bricscad)