Compare Altium Develop and OrCAD Capture 
Featured Products
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.1% of reviews)
Small-Business (42.4% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year
No pricing available
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(989)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.1% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopOrCAD Capture
Star Rating
(34)4.2 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (42.4% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about OrCAD CaptureSummary
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
- G2 reviewers report that Altium Develop excels in providing a unified design environment, allowing users to seamlessly transition from schematic capture to PCB layout. This integration is enhanced by features like real-time collaboration and version control, which users find invaluable for team projects.
- Users say that OrCAD Capture is very user-friendly, with many shortcuts available for circuit design. Reviewers appreciate its intuitive interface and the ability to easily perform Design Rule Checks (DRC), making it a solid choice for those new to PCB design.
- According to verified reviews, Altium Develop's extensive built-in libraries and modules significantly speed up project development. Users highlight that this feature helps them build projects faster and with less confusion, streamlining the entire design process from planning to final documentation.
- Reviewers mention that while OrCAD Capture offers a comprehensive design environment, some users find the installation process tedious, particularly due to the requirement for dongle installation. This can be a hurdle for those looking for a quick setup.
- G2 reviewers highlight that Altium Develop's 365 web portal is a standout feature for collaboration, allowing teams to share and work on designs that are always up to date. This eliminates the hassle of managing multiple versions of files, which is a common pain point in collaborative projects.
- Users report that while OrCAD Capture has strong capabilities in PCB layout editing and schematic design, it faces challenges in areas like product direction and support, with some reviewers expressing a desire for more proactive updates and enhancements from the developers.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Altium Develop
Altium Develop Pricing
Starting at $1,990.00
Per Year
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.
- 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).
OrCAD Capture
No pricing availableFree Trial
Altium Develop
Free Trial is available
OrCAD Capture
No trial information availableRatings
Meets Requirements
8.9
815
8.6
29
Ease of Use
8.1
833
7.8
29
Ease of Setup
8.3
370
Not enough data
Ease of Admin
8.3
137
Not enough data
Quality of Support
8.3
733
7.9
26
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.5
131
Not enough data
Product Direction (% positive)
8.9
797
6.3
28
Features by Category
Design
8.5
75
Not enough data
8.3
72
Not enough data
8.6
73
Not enough data
8.2
71
Not enough data
Edit
8.0
71
Not enough data
8.1
65
Not enough data
8.8
69
Not enough data
8.0
63
Not enough data
Collaboration
8.7
67
Not enough data
8.5
68
Not enough data
8.2
64
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
683
8.8
18
9.2
677
9.3
21
Tools
7.6
630
8.1
9
8.9
662
8.3
18
Library
8.3
676
8.8
20
Platform
9.1
663
8.8
19
9.2
665
8.4
18
Customization
Feature Not Available
7.8
10
7.8
580
7.9
13
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 OrCAD Capture are categorized as PCB Design
Unique Categories
Altium Develop is categorized as General-Purpose CAD, Product Data Management (PDM), and Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
OrCAD Capture has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Altium Develop
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
OrCAD Capture
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
22.2%
Automotive
10.8%
Consumer Electronics
10.2%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.4%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
44.1%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
21.2%
Semiconductors
9.1%
Research
9.1%
Education Management
9.1%
Design
9.1%
Other
42.4%
Alternatives
Discussions
Who uses Altium?
3 Comments
Official Response from Altium Develop
Altium Designer is used mainly by those who create and work with printed circuit boards or PCBs. All electrical products, computers, toasters, remotes, and...Read more
Is Altium Designer free?
3 Comments
RO
No, Altium Designer is not free but there is a free viewer that can be downloaded. Read more
What is Altium Designer used for?
3 Comments
DR
Altium Desinger is a complete PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design software package, which includes Schematic Capture, PCB Layout, Libraries, Manufacturing...Read more
How do you simulate in OrCAD capture?
1 Comment
NK
This software is not a simulation tool. This software creates Schematics.Read more
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