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Compare Altium Develop and AutoCAD 
Featured Products
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.5% of reviews)
Small-Business (46.7% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
$2940/2 years
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(974)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.5% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopAutoCAD
Star Rating
(1,898)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (46.7% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$2940/2 years
Free Trial is available
Browse all 4 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- G2 reviewers report that AutoCAD excels in precision and reliability, particularly for 2D and 3D drafting. Users appreciate its parametric constraints and automation features, which significantly enhance efficiency during design iterations.
- Users say that Altium Develop shines in its ability to integrate schematics with PCB layouts seamlessly. This synchronization allows for quicker design changes and minimizes errors, making it a favorite among electronic engineers for its real-time collaboration capabilities.
- According to verified reviews, AutoCAD's extensive user base contributes to its strong collaborative features, as many professionals in design and engineering are familiar with its file formats. This familiarity facilitates easy collaboration on projects, especially during last-minute revisions.
- Reviewers mention that while Altium Develop has a slightly higher star rating, its recent review activity is significantly lower than AutoCAD's. This disparity suggests that AutoCAD's user satisfaction is more consistently reflected in recent feedback, indicating a more reliable choice for ongoing support and updates.
- G2 reviewers highlight that AutoCAD's ease of use is a strong point, with many users finding it intuitive for generating drawings. In contrast, Altium Develop, while praised for its features, is noted to have a steeper learning curve for new users, which may impact day-to-day usability.
- Users report that both products offer solid support, but Altium Develop edges out slightly in quality. However, AutoCAD's long-standing reputation and extensive resources provide a robust support network that many users find invaluable, especially when tackling complex projects.
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).
AutoCAD
2 Year Subscription
$2940
/2 years
Ideal for businesses that want consistent long-term pricing.
- Access to the latest software releases
- 1-on-1 online support
- Includes AutoCAD Mobile App
Free Trial
Altium Develop
Free Trial is available
AutoCAD
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.9
801
8.8
1,544
Ease of Use
8.1
818
8.3
1,552
Ease of Setup
8.3
355
8.2
312
Ease of Admin
8.3
135
8.0
203
Quality of Support
8.3
720
8.2
1,390
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.5
129
8.5
202
Product Direction (% positive)
8.8
783
8.0
1,520
Features by Category
Building Design and Building Information Modeling (BIM)Hide 28 FeaturesShow 28 Features
Not enough data
8.1
481
Design
Not enough data
8.4
411
Not enough data
7.4
378
Not enough data
9.2
421
Not enough data
8.8
409
Not enough data
8.2
372
Not enough data
8.3
198
Collaboration
Not enough data
7.9
366
Not enough data
8.9
419
Not enough data
8.7
412
Not enough data
8.7
396
Construction
Not enough data
8.4
366
Not enough data
8.2
358
Not enough data
7.5
336
Not enough data
8.1
187
Not enough data
7.8
181
Generative AI
Not enough data
7.2
48
Not enough data
7.1
46
Not enough data
6.2
48
Common Data Environment (CDE) - Building Design and Building Information Modeling
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Cost Estimation - Building Design and Building Information Modeling
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Electrical & Circuit Design - Building Design and Building Information Modeling
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Design
8.6
74
9.5
507
8.3
72
8.1
480
8.6
72
8.2
477
8.2
71
7.4
424
Edit
8.0
71
8.7
486
8.1
65
8.2
438
8.8
69
8.5
480
8.0
63
8.4
456
Collaboration
8.7
67
8.6
473
8.5
68
8.6
466
8.2
64
8.4
441
Data Management
Not enough data
8.6
38
Not enough data
8.8
39
Not enough data
8.6
37
Not enough data
8.9
38
Map Creation
Not enough data
8.4
38
Not enough data
8.0
33
Not enough data
8.7
37
Not enough data
8.7
35
Analysis
Not enough data
8.5
35
Not enough data
8.0
35
Not enough data
8.0
29
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
Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
19
8.1
12
8.0
18
7.2
12
8.6
16
9.1
13
8.3
17
9.2
12
7.7
17
8.8
12
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.3
17
8.5
12
8.2
17
8.8
12
8.0
17
8.2
13
8.5
17
8.2
12
9.2
16
8.1
13
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Feature Not Available
8.5
12
7.2
15
8.6
12
7.4
16
8.2
11
7.6
16
8.1
13
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
16
8.1
12
8.2
15
8.3
11
8.2
16
8.3
11
8.8
16
8.8
12
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Altium Develop and AutoCAD 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)
AutoCAD is categorized as GIS and Building Design and Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Altium Develop
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
AutoCAD
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
22.0%
Automotive
10.6%
Consumer Electronics
10.3%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.5%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
44.3%
Architecture & Planning
22.3%
Civil Engineering
10.5%
Construction
9.3%
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
8.8%
Design
8.4%
Other
40.7%
Alternatives
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
Can we add simulation?
4 Comments
SY
you can get your answer with AWS Classes in Pune.
https://www.sevenmentor.com/amazon-web-services-training-institute-in-pune.php
Read more
Which of the features might be useful for CAD software?
3 Comments
ZM
Photorealistic rendering techniques in AutoCAD are a way to create realistic images of 3D models. These techniques use lighting, material, and rendering...Read more
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