# Altium Develop vs OrCAD Capture Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **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.



| | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 1,008 | 34 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (58.3% of reviews) | Small-Business (42.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Altium Develop

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

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

### OrCAD Capture

Pros:
- Intuitive (1 reviews)


---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.9 (828 reviews) | 8.6 (29 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.1 (846 reviews) | 7.8 (29 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.3 (384 reviews) | Not enough data | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.3 (137 reviews) | Not enough data | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.3 (739 reviews) | 7.9 (26 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.5 (131 reviews) | Not enough data | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.8 (807 reviews) | 6.3 (28 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

### OrCAD Capture

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### General-Purpose CAD

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.4/10 | 82 |
| **OrCAD Capture** | N/A | N/A |

#### Design

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Drawing** | 8.5 (75 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Modeling** | 8.3 (72 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Visualize ** | 8.6 (73 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Rendering** | 8.2 (71 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Edit

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **File Import ** | 8.0 (71 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Push/Pull** | 8.1 (65 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Views** | 8.8 (69 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Grips ** | 8.0 (63 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Collaboration

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Annotate** | 8.7 (67 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Documentation ** | 8.5 (68 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Extract** | 8.2 (64 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Product Data Management (PDM)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.5/10 | 44 |
| **OrCAD Capture** | N/A | N/A |

#### Metadata

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Version Control** | 8.5 (43 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 | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | 735 |
| **OrCAD Capture** | 8.5/10 | 21 |

#### Design

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **PCB layout editing** | 9.1 (688 reviews) | 8.8 (18 reviews) | 
| **Schematic editor** | 9.2 (682 reviews) | 9.3 (21 reviews) | 

#### Tools

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D modeling tools** | 7.6 (633 reviews) | 8.1 (9 reviews) | 
| **Component placement** | 8.9 (664 reviews) | 8.3 (18 reviews) | 

#### Library

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Component libraries** | 8.3 (685 reviews) | 8.8 (20 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Board size** | 9.1 (664 reviews) | 8.8 (19 reviews) | 
| **Layers** | 9.2 (668 reviews) | 8.4 (18 reviews) | 

#### Customization

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Custom commands** | Feature Not Available | 7.8 (10 reviews) | 
| **Custom interface** | 7.8 (585 reviews) | 7.9 (13 reviews) | 

### Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 8.0/10 | 23 |
| **OrCAD Capture** | N/A | N/A |

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **3D/solid modeling Tools** | 8.3 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Rendering Tools** | 8.1 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Drawing Tools** | 8.7 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Editing Tools** | 8.4 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Text Editing Tools** | 7.7 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Export Files** | 8.4 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Import Files** | 8.2 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **File Interoperability** | 8.0 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Backwards compatibility** | 8.5 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **File size** | 9.2 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Custom Commands** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Scripts** | 7.2 (15 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Menus** | 7.4 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Custom Interface** | 7.6 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Hardware support** | 8.3 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Task-based interfaces** | 8.2 (15 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Manage Multiple Profiles** | 8.2 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Command Clarity** | 8.8 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Requirements Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Altium Develop** | 7.4/10 | 30 |
| **OrCAD Capture** | N/A | N/A |

#### Requirements Authoring and Structure - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Regulated Industry Standards Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Requirements Listing** | 8.7 (29 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Centralized Information** | 8.4 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Traceability** | 8.0 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Collaboration and Review - Requirements Management

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

#### Communication

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Stakeholder Communication** | 6.3 (28 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Internal Communication Enablement** | 7.0 (27 reviews) | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Baselining** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Procedural

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Automated Creation & Testing** | 5.6 (23 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Traceability - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Suspect Link Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Integration - Requirements Management

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **ALM and Project Management Tool Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

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

| Feature | Altium Develop | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Complete Audit Trail** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [PCB Design Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/pcb-design)

**Unique to Altium Develop (4):** [General-Purpose CAD Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/general-purpose-cad), [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 | OrCAD Capture | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 58.3% | 42.4% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 29.4% | 36.4% | 
| **Enterprise** | 12.3% | 21.2% | 

### By Industry

#### Altium Develop

- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 22.0%
- **Automotive:** 10.9%
- **Consumer Electronics:** 10.1%
- **Medical Devices:** 6.3%
- **Aviation & Aerospace:** 6.3%
- **Industrial Automation:** 4.1%
- **Research:** 3.4%
- **Higher Education:** 3.2%
- **Computer Hardware:** 3.0%
- **Design:** 2.5%
- **Other:** 28.3%

#### OrCAD Capture

- **Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing:** 21.2%
- **Semiconductors:** 9.1%
- **Research:** 9.1%
- **Education Management:** 9.1%
- **Design:** 9.1%
- **Medical Devices:** 6.1%
- **Mechanical or Industrial Engineering:** 6.1%
- **Higher Education:** 6.1%
- **Industrial Automation:** 3.0%
- **E-Learning:** 3.0%
- **Other:** 18.2%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Altium Develop

- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [AutoCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/autocad/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1936 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (695 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (644 reviews)
- [Designcenter Solid Edge](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter-solid-edge/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (606 reviews)
- [Designcenter](https://www.g2.com/products/designcenter/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (600 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 (1326 reviews)
- [ZWCAD](https://www.g2.com/products/zwcad/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (350 reviews)
- [MicroStation](https://www.g2.com/products/microstation/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (416 reviews)

### Alternatives to OrCAD Capture

- [Autodesk EAGLE](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-eagle/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (77 reviews)
- [KiCad EDA](https://www.g2.com/products/kicad-eda/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (68 reviews)
- [NI Multisim](https://www.g2.com/products/ni-multisim/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (42 reviews)
- [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (519 reviews)
- [DipTrace](https://www.g2.com/products/diptrace/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (45 reviews)
- [SolidWorks PCB](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks-pcb/reviews) — 3.8/5 stars (14 reviews)
- [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (644 reviews)
- [Onshape](https://www.g2.com/products/onshape/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (695 reviews)
- [SolidWorks Electrical Schematics](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks-electrical-schematics/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (11 reviews)
- [PADS Professional](https://www.g2.com/products/pads-professional/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (65 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"

### OrCAD Capture

- Title: [What is OrCAD Capture used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-orcad-capture-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Orcad capture using  Create circuit desgin"
- Title: [How do you simulate in OrCAD capture?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-you-simulate-in-orcad-capture) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "This software is not a simulation tool. This software creates Schematics."
- Title: [How long does OrCAD free trial last?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-long-does-orcad-free-trial-last) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "1 month"
- Title: [What is the difference between OrCAD and pspice?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-difference-between-orcad-and-pspice) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Orcad software creates Schematics & PCB design. Pspice software simulation tool/sofware."
- Title: [How much does OrCAD capture cost?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-does-orcad-capture-cost) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Orcad capture are two types standard & professional.
standard cost almost 2 lakh
professional almost 5 lakh"

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