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Compare Altium Develop and DraftSight 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.4% of reviews)
Small-Business (62.1% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Starting at $299.00 1 Seat Per Year
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(982)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.4% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopDraftSight
Star Rating
(206)4.2 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (62.1% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $299.00 1 Seat Per Year
Browse all 4 pricing plansSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- G2 reviewers report that DraftSight excels in ease of use, with many users highlighting its user-friendly interface and helpful features that enhance speed and accuracy. One user mentioned, "It’s easy to use and custom friendly," making it a solid choice for those who prioritize straightforward functionality.
- Users say that Altium Develop stands out for its collaboration capabilities, allowing team members to work on the same design in real-time. Reviewers appreciate its integration with other tools, which facilitates a streamlined workflow and enhances productivity, as noted by one user who praised its "great collaboration among team members."
- According to verified reviews, DraftSight is particularly beneficial for small businesses, with a significant portion of its user base coming from this segment. Users appreciate its compatibility with AutoCAD files, which is a major plus for those transitioning from other CAD software.
- Reviewers mention that Altium Develop offers advanced features for PCB design, including easy schematics drawing and footprint uploads. One user, an electronic engineer, stated, "Altium is the best software I had used in my 10 years of experience," highlighting its effectiveness in complex design tasks.
- G2 reviewers indicate that DraftSight has a higher overall satisfaction score compared to Altium Develop, reflecting a more favorable user experience. However, Altium's recent reviews suggest it is gaining traction, particularly for its innovative features and user support.
- Users report that while DraftSight has a strong performance in drawing capabilities, Altium Develop outperforms it in areas like modeling and visualization, with users noting its ability to provide real-time 3D visualization, which is crucial for modern design workflows.
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).
DraftSight
DraftSight Professional
Starting at $299.00
1 Seat Per Year
Advanced 2D CAD drafting solution with powerful, time-saving functionalities and an API to help bring your designs to life quickly and easily. Ideal for companies, individuals and designers.
- Dynamic Blocks, PowerTrim, Mechanical Toolbox, DrawCompare, API Access
Free Trial
Altium Develop
Free Trial is available
DraftSight
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.9
809
8.4
189
Ease of Use
8.1
827
8.3
194
Ease of Setup
8.3
364
8.7
101
Ease of Admin
8.3
137
8.2
27
Quality of Support
8.3
727
7.2
144
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.5
131
8.3
27
Product Direction (% positive)
8.9
792
7.5
194
Features by Category
Design
8.6
74
9.3
132
8.3
72
6.4
105
8.6
72
6.6
107
8.2
71
5.8
102
Edit
8.0
71
8.3
128
8.1
65
7.1
104
8.8
69
7.6
116
8.0
63
8.0
121
Collaboration
8.7
67
8.3
128
8.5
68
7.8
115
8.2
64
7.4
113
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
File Options
Not enough data
8.6
50
Not enough data
8.9
51
Not enough data
9.2
53
Not enough data
7.2
42
Not enough data
7.9
40
Not enough data
8.3
51
Tools
Not enough data
8.7
50
Not enough data
8.5
50
Not enough data
7.0
36
Design
Not enough data
9.2
52
Design
9.1
677
Not enough data
9.2
673
Not enough data
Tools
7.6
630
Not enough data
8.9
662
Not enough data
Library
8.3
675
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
Not enough data
8.0
18
Not enough data
8.6
16
Not enough data
8.3
17
Not enough data
7.7
17
Not enough data
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.3
17
Not enough data
8.2
17
Not enough data
8.0
17
Not enough data
8.5
17
Not enough data
9.2
16
Not enough data
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.2
15
Not enough data
7.4
16
Not enough data
7.6
16
Not enough data
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
16
Not enough data
8.2
15
Not enough data
8.2
16
Not enough data
8.8
16
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Altium Develop and DraftSight are categorized as General-Purpose CAD
Unique Categories
Altium Develop is categorized as PCB Design, Product Data Management (PDM), and Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
DraftSight is categorized as CAD Viewers
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Altium Develop
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
DraftSight
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
22.1%
Automotive
10.7%
Consumer Electronics
10.2%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.5%
Medical Devices
6.4%
Other
44.2%
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
17.2%
Manufacturing
10.3%
Construction
7.9%
Design
5.9%
Architecture & Planning
5.9%
Other
52.7%
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
what operating systems does this program run on, is it microsoft freindly?
1 Comment
FF
Yes, runs on Windows with no problem.Read more
what operating systems does this program run on, is it microsoft freindly?
1 Comment
BB
I'm looking to find a cad / MDT
Read more
Could you have any application for this system for free?
1 Comment
PH
It used to be free to use, but now it has a small price tag for the standard version. Well worth it if you want to use it for your business, less so if you...Read more
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