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At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.2% of reviews)
Small-Business (56.3% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Starting at $249.00 Per Month
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(954)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.2% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopPADS Professional
Star Rating
(65)4.1 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (56.3% 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.
- Users report that Altium Designer excels in PCB layout editing with a score of 9.2, while PADS Professional trails slightly behind at 8.4. Reviewers mention that Altium's intuitive interface and powerful editing tools make it easier to create complex designs efficiently.
- Reviewers mention that Altium Designer's visualization capabilities are impressive, scoring 8.6, which enhances the design review process. In contrast, PADS Professional's rendering tools received a lower score of 7.6, indicating that users find Altium's visual output more appealing and useful for presentations.
- G2 users highlight the quality of support for PADS Professional, which scored 8.8, as a significant advantage. Users say that the responsive customer service and extensive documentation help them resolve issues quickly, whereas Altium Designer's support, while good at 8.3, does not match the level of satisfaction reported for PADS.
- Users on G2 report that Altium Designer's component placement tools are highly rated at 8.9, making it easier to manage complex layouts. In comparison, PADS Professional's component placement tools scored 8.6, indicating that while both are effective, Altium offers a slight edge in usability.
- Reviewers mention that Altium Designer's file import capabilities scored 8.0, which facilitates smoother transitions between different design environments. PADS Professional, however, received a lower score of 6.3 for import files, suggesting that users may face challenges when integrating designs from other software.
- Users say that Altium Designer's board size flexibility scored 9.1, allowing for a wider range of design possibilities. PADS Professional's score of 8.5 indicates that while it is capable, it may not offer the same level of adaptability for larger or more complex projects.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Altium Develop
No pricing availablePADS 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
783
8.3
60
Ease of Use
8.1
800
7.9
64
Ease of Setup
8.4
336
7.7
28
Ease of Admin
8.3
134
8.2
15
Quality of Support
8.3
702
8.7
60
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.6
128
9.1
15
Product Direction (% positive)
8.9
766
8.6
59
Features by Category
Design
8.6
74
Not enough data
8.3
71
Not enough data
8.6
71
Not enough data
8.2
71
Not enough data
Edit
8.0
70
Not enough data
8.1
65
Not enough data
8.8
68
Not enough data
7.9
62
Not enough data
Collaboration
8.7
67
Not enough data
8.5
67
Not enough data
8.2
64
Not enough data
Metadata
8.3
37
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
Data Management
8.5
39
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
663
8.3
56
9.2
662
8.2
55
Tools
7.6
626
Feature Not Available
8.9
655
8.5
55
Library
8.3
662
8.1
56
Platform
9.1
657
8.3
56
9.2
659
8.6
56
Customization
Feature Not Available
Feature Not Available
7.8
576
7.5
55
Tools - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
20
Not enough data
8.0
19
Not enough data
8.6
17
Not enough data
8.3
18
Not enough data
7.7
18
Not enough data
File Options - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
17
Not enough data
8.1
17
Not enough data
8.0
18
Not enough data
8.3
17
Not enough data
9.1
17
Not enough data
Customization - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
Feature Not Available
Not enough data
7.2
16
Not enough data
7.4
17
Not enough data
7.6
17
Not enough data
Environment - Mechanical Computer-aided Design (MCAD)
8.2
17
Not enough data
8.2
16
Not enough data
8.1
17
Not enough data
8.7
17
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
21.9%
Automotive
10.7%
Consumer Electronics
10.0%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.5%
Medical Devices
6.4%
Other
44.4%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
17.2%
Design
7.8%
Computer Software
7.8%
Automotive
7.8%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
53.1%
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 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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