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Compare Altium Develop and PADS Professional 
At a Glance
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.5% of reviews)
Small-Business (56.3% of reviews)
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Starting at $249.00 Per Month
Altium Develop
Star Rating
(974)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (58.5% of reviews)
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Starting at $995.00 Per Year
Free Trial is available
Learn more about Altium DevelopPADS Professional
Star Rating
(64)4.1 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (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.
- G2 reviewers report that Altium Develop excels in overall user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher G2 Score compared to PADS Professional. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and advanced features, such as easy schematics drawing and real-time collaboration capabilities, which enhance productivity.
- According to verified reviews, Altium Develop has a much larger pool of feedback, with 935 reviews compared to PADS Professional's 64. This suggests that Altium's performance and user experience are more consistently validated by a broader user base.
- Users say that Altium Develop's implementation process is smooth and user-friendly, with many highlighting its ability to integrate well with other tools for 3D visualization. In contrast, PADS Professional, while praised for its powerful features, may not offer the same level of seamless onboarding.
- Reviewers mention that Altium Develop provides superior ease of use, with a score reflecting its intuitive design tools. Users specifically note the software's effective PCB layout and routing capabilities, which streamline their workflow, whereas PADS Professional, while functional, has a slightly lower ease of use rating.
- Users highlight that Altium Develop's collaborative features allow team members to work on designs simultaneously, enhancing teamwork and efficiency. PADS Professional, while recognized for its comprehensive design tools, does not emphasize collaboration to the same extent, which may limit its effectiveness for larger teams.
- According to recent feedback, Altium Develop is seen as a strong partner in business, with users appreciating its consistent performance and support. In comparison, while PADS Professional has a higher score for quality of support, it may not match the overall satisfaction and collaborative benefits that Altium offers.
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).
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
801
8.3
60
Ease of Use
8.1
818
7.9
64
Ease of Setup
8.3
355
7.7
28
Ease of Admin
8.3
135
8.2
15
Quality of Support
8.3
720
8.7
60
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.5
129
9.1
15
Product Direction (% positive)
8.8
783
8.6
59
Features by Category
Design
8.6
74
Not enough data
8.3
72
Not enough data
8.6
72
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
675
8.3
56
9.2
671
8.2
55
Tools
7.6
627
Feature Not Available
8.9
662
8.5
55
Library
8.3
671
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
22.0%
Automotive
10.6%
Consumer Electronics
10.3%
Aviation & Aerospace
6.5%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
44.3%
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
17.2%
Design
7.8%
Computer Software
7.8%
Automotive
7.8%
Medical Devices
6.3%
Other
53.1%
Alternatives
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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