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Compare Altium Develop and Designcenter Solid Edge 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.3% of reviews)
Small-Business (54.1% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Starting at $90.47 Per Month
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(978)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.3% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopDesigncenter Solid Edge
Star Rating
(569)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (54.1% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $90.47 Per Month
Free Trial is available
Browse all 4 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- G2 reviewers report that Designcenter Solid Edge excels in user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher overall score compared to Altium Develop. Users appreciate its intuitive interface, noting that it is "extremely easy for a beginner to pick up and start working," making it a great choice for those new to CAD.
- According to verified reviews, Designcenter Solid Edge has a robust implementation process, with many users highlighting its straightforward onboarding experience. Reviewers mention that the software allows for quick part reuse, enhancing workflow efficiency and saving time on repeat projects.
- Users say that Altium Develop shines in collaboration features, promoting a streamlined workflow among team members. Reviewers commend its ability to facilitate real-time collaboration and cloud access, which is particularly beneficial for teams working on complex electronic designs.
- Reviewers mention that while Designcenter Solid Edge has a strong focus on mechanical design, it also offers impressive modeling capabilities, with users praising its "fast 'find and drop' reuse" feature that enhances productivity without disrupting the design flow.
- G2 reviewers highlight that Altium Develop is favored for its advanced schematic drawing and PCB layout tools, which users find essential for their daily projects. However, some users feel that it may not be as beginner-friendly as Designcenter Solid Edge, which could pose a challenge for new users.
- According to recent user feedback, both products have their strengths in support and documentation, but Designcenter Solid Edge edges out slightly with a more user-friendly approach. Users appreciate its clear documentation and support quality, which helps them navigate the software more effectively.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Altium Develop
Altium Develop Pricing
Starting at $995.00
Per Year
The annual Workspace subscription activates the shared Altium Develop workspace and provides access for both Authors and Collaborators, making it the essential starting point for using the platform. The subscription is priced at $995 per year. Altium Designer Authors are supported with up to five concurrent Author seats, which correspond to the number of paid licenses; each seat covers one Author at a time and can be shared across the team. Author seats are priced at $995 per Author per year. Collaborators, who cannot edit within Altium Designer but can fully participate in requirements, reviews, BOMs, comments, and task management, are included at no additional cost.
- 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).
Designcenter Solid Edge
Solid Edge Design and Drafting XaaS
Starting at $90.47
Per Month
Get started quickly with part & assembly design, automated drawings, basic animation and rendering.
- 2D drafting
- Data import and reuse
- Basic 3D part design
Free Trial
Altium Develop
Free Trial is available
Designcenter Solid Edge
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.9
802
8.4
417
Ease of Use
8.1
820
8.3
456
Ease of Setup
8.3
357
8.2
241
Ease of Admin
8.3
135
8.4
90
Quality of Support
8.3
721
8.2
388
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.5
129
8.8
88
Product Direction (% positive)
8.8
785
8.4
405
Features by Category
CAD to CAM
Not enough data
8.6
99
Not enough data
8.4
93
Not enough data
8.4
94
CNC Programming
Not enough data
7.9
84
Not enough data
8.0
82
Not enough data
8.1
81
Machining
Not enough data
8.2
92
Not enough data
8.1
92
Not enough data
8.4
91
Design
8.6
74
8.9
175
8.3
72
9.0
176
8.6
72
8.7
172
8.2
71
8.2
167
Edit
8.0
71
8.5
170
8.1
65
8.3
162
8.8
69
8.5
171
8.0
63
8.4
163
Collaboration
8.7
67
8.5
166
8.5
68
8.7
168
8.2
64
8.2
166
File Support - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
8.7
84
Not enough data
8.2
66
Not enough data
8.2
74
File Editing - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
7.7
74
Not enough data
8.5
78
Software Integrations - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
7.6
64
Not enough data
8.6
81
Software Type - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
8.4
72
Generative AI - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
6.0
26
Not enough data
6.0
26
Building Preparation - Additive Manufacturing
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Metadata
8.3
38
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Data Management
8.5
42
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Generative AI
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Design
9.1
675
Not enough data
9.2
671
Not enough data
Tools
7.6
627
Not enough data
8.9
662
Not enough data
Library
8.3
671
Not enough data
Platform
9.1
663
Not enough data
9.2
665
Not enough data
Customization
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.8
580
Not enough data
Design
Not enough data
8.6
95
Not enough data
8.6
96
Not enough data
8.5
94
Not enough data
7.9
94
Tools
Not enough data
7.6
80
Not enough data
8.0
86
Not enough data
7.7
82
Work
Not enough data
7.8
83
Not enough data
7.7
83
Not enough data
7.8
83
Not enough data
7.7
77
Not enough data
8.0
82
Environment
Not enough data
8.1
89
Not enough data
8.0
90
Not enough data
7.9
85
Not enough data
8.5
91
Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
19
8.5
98
8.0
18
7.7
93
8.6
16
8.4
94
8.3
17
8.3
92
7.7
17
7.4
90
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.3
17
8.1
94
8.2
17
8.2
93
8.0
17
7.8
93
8.5
17
7.4
90
9.2
16
7.5
94
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Feature Not Available
7.9
90
7.2
15
7.4
88
7.4
16
7.6
90
7.6
16
7.5
95
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
16
7.8
93
8.2
15
7.9
90
8.2
16
7.6
90
8.8
16
8.0
97
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Altium Develop and Designcenter Solid Edge are categorized as General-Purpose CAD and Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Unique Categories
Altium Develop is categorized as PCB Design and Product Data Management (PDM)
Designcenter Solid Edge is categorized as Additive Manufacturing, Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), and Simulation & CAE
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Altium Develop
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Designcenter Solid Edge
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
Small-Business
(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market
(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise
(> 1000 emp.)
Reviewers' Industry
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
21.9%
Automotive
10.7%
Consumer Electronics
10.3%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.5%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
44.3%
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
21.4%
Automotive
12.6%
Design
8.9%
Machinery
5.9%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
3.9%
Other
47.2%
Discussions
Is there a way to modelize in 3D the Pcb designs?
3 Comments
SQ
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...Read more
Who uses Altium?
3 Comments
JL
Electrical engineers, specifically embedded hardware design engineers. Read more
Is Solidworks or Solid Edge better?
4 Comments
HJ
Solidworks is far better in terms of productivity and user friendly mostly for repetitive models or library parts. Read more
How can solid edge be improved? Making it available for the higher version of the OS.
2 Comments
EK
Hello Mahalakshmi,
The most recent version, Solid Edge 2021, has been certified to run on the Windows 10 Enterprise or Professional (64-bit only) version...Read more
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