Compare Altium Develop and PADS Professional 
Featured Products
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.2% of reviews)
Small-Business (57.1% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year
Starting at $249.00 Per Month
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(988)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.2% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $1,990.00 Per Year
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopPADS Professional
Star Rating
(64)4.1 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (57.1% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $249.00 Per Month
Browse all 2 pricing plansSummary
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, along with real-time collaboration and version control, significantly enhances team efficiency during the design process.
- Users say that PADS Professional offers advanced routing automation and rigid-flex design capabilities, which are particularly beneficial for complex hardware development. The inclusion of AI features has also been highlighted as a time-saver, making it easier for users to streamline their workflows.
- Reviewers mention that Altium Develop's intuitive onboarding process and user-friendly interface contribute to a smoother setup experience. Many users appreciate the ease with which they can start building projects, thanks to the extensive built-in libraries and modules available within the platform.
- According to verified reviews, PADS Professional is praised for its robust simulation and constraint-driven design capabilities, which help catch potential issues early in the design process. This proactive approach improves overall design accuracy and reduces errors, making it a reliable choice for users focused on precision.
- G2 reviewers highlight that Altium Develop's collaborative features, such as the Altium 365 web portal, facilitate easy sharing and collaboration on designs. This ensures that teams are always working with the most up-to-date versions, eliminating confusion and enhancing project management.
- Users report that while PADS Professional has a solid reputation for its analysis and simulation tools, it may not match the overall satisfaction and user experience that Altium Develop provides, as reflected in their higher G2 Score and more recent positive feedback.
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).
PADS Professional
PADS Professional Term-Based
Starting at $249.00
Per Month
- Additional features and license options may affect price.
Free Trial
Altium Develop
Free Trial is available
PADS Professional
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.9
814
8.3
59
Ease of Use
8.1
832
7.9
63
Ease of Setup
8.3
369
7.7
29
Ease of Admin
8.3
137
8.2
15
Quality of Support
8.3
732
8.7
59
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.5
131
9.1
15
Product Direction (% positive)
8.9
796
8.6
58
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
682
8.3
56
9.2
676
8.2
55
Tools
7.6
630
Feature Not Available
8.9
662
8.5
55
Library
8.3
675
8.1
56
Platform
9.1
663
8.3
56
9.2
665
8.6
56
Customization
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
7.8
580
7.5
55
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 PADS Professional 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)
PADS Professional has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Altium Develop
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
PADS Professional
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
10.3%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.4%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
44.0%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
17.5%
Automotive
7.9%
Design
7.9%
Computer Software
7.9%
Consumer Electronics
6.3%
Other
52.4%
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
What is PADS PROFESSIONAL used for?
2 Comments
Official Response from PADS Professional
PADS Professional is the ideal choice for individual engineers working on the design of complex hardware-based electronic products. It is a fully integrated...Read more
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