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Altium Develop Reviews & Product Details

Value at a Glance

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

2 months

Altium Develop Integrations

(5)
Verified by Altium Develop

Altium Develop Media

Altium Develop Demo - 3D View
3D View Editor in Altium Develop transforms the standard 2D PCB workspace into a fully interactive, three‑dimensional design environment. Users can toggle between 2D and 3D modes, then zoom, pan, and rotate the board freely using tools like a directional sphere for precise pivot control and adjus...
Altium Develop Demo - Project History
Project History in Altium Develop provides a browser-based, visually chronological timeline of a project's key events such as: creation, commits, releases, clones, and MCAD exchanges offering version control transparency directly within workspace.
Altium Develop Demo - PCB View
With Altium Develop, you can leave behind the inefficiencies of disjointed tools and embrace a unified design environment built on a single data model. From schematic capture to PCB layout, routing, and assembly preparation, every step flows seamlessly in one platform. Smart placement and routing...
Altium Develop Demo - BOM View
ActiveBOM is a dynamic, table-based Bill of Materials (BOM) editor integrated into Altium Develop that elevates component management to a real-time, design-aware process. It automatically aggregates supply chain data such as pricing, stock, lifecycle status, and lead times - from sources like Oct...
Altium Develop Demo - BOM Portal
BOM Portal is a cloud-native, procurement-focused tool within Altium Develop that transforms traditional Excel-like Bill of Materials (BOM) workflows by integrating live supply chain, compliance, and pricing data. It enables seamless collaboration between engineering and procurement, helps identi...
Altium Develop Demo - Altium 365 Platform
Workspace Projects provide a cloud-native, version-controlled hub within Altium Develop that simplifies electronic project management with centralized storage, collaboration, and built-in Git-based version control. This interface enables real-time design navigation (including schematic, 2D/3D PCB...
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Altium Develop Reviews (954)

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Reviews

Altium Develop Reviews (954)

View 2 Video Reviews
4.5
954 reviews

Pros & Cons

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KV
HR Manager
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Feature-Rich Platform That Delivers Exceptional Value"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

It allows advanced real-time collaboration which allows team members to work on the same design and also allows users to access designs from the cloud making a highly sufficient tool.

It integrate well with other tools those promoting a well streamlined workflow that results to high productivity. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

New uswrs finds it hard to use and to implement since it is very fearure rich. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

GR
QC Specialist
Building Materials
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Excellent Collaboration and Seamless 3D Integration"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

This tool promotes great collaboration among team members which helps ensures great and streamlined workflow leading to high productivity.

It integrates well with other tools hence allows 3D visualization in real-time which helps us concentrate on the most important issues.

It also very easy to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

The tool has been efficient for us. I do not have any dislikes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Andy M.
AM
Chief Engineer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Altium has a steep learning curve but very capable for mechanical design integration."
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

The MCAD CoDesigner functionality has been very useful for integrating PCB designs into our mechanical 3D models in AutoDesk Inventor, and was a big reason we moved to Altium. The 3D views are very useful within Altium and creating PCB footprints and adding existing STEP files available from many component manufacturers is easy. The OutJob functionality is useful in exporting files.

The Draftsman documents are very powerful and have saved a significant amount of time in creating and updating production documentation. The layout capability works very well with a lot of configurability.

The ActiveBOM functionality is useful is checking part status and availability and for rolling up BOM cost.

Overall, Altium was an enormous leap from Mentor Graphics PADS (which I used for the previous 15 years), although now there are a number of other alternatives, including at least one open-source alternative that also has impressive capability (I have not explored these in detail).

Electronic design (schematic capture and layout) only makes up 10% of my working hours according to my time logging (among mechanical design, project planning, as well as customer, sales, and production support), but I am quite productive in Altium compared to my previous workflow. If this was my primary job function, I would be even more comfortable in the software as it is certainly designed with the "power user" in mind, but there are many things I don't remember or haven't needed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

The file management and revision control is complex and difficult for a simple file-based guy like me to understand (I only dabble in software so I am not very familiar with digital version control systems) so I'm probably doing it wrong. It's nice to have the online project viewing functionality to be able to share with coworkers who don't have a seat of Altium.

I haven't figured out how to show manufacturer and MPN on a schematic, outside of the MPN assigned in the "Comment" field of a library component. It seems like this should be easy to pull from the part already set up in the "Part Choices" area.

PCB Outline editing capability is awkward. I usually end up importing from a 3D model but it's not intuitive (I end up needing to look up the process each time I do it).

Draftsman, while powerful, has limited flexibility in some ways (for instance, I'd like to have control of opacity for hatched shapes so I can show a conformal coat masking area). It would be nice to be able to do some parametric drawing, but it is adequate for what I need.

Import of files made in PADS (what we transitioned from) is quite difficult, mostly from a component library standpoint. I ended up starting over from scratch in some cases.

We recently added another seat for a new hire, and it was a chore to get him set up and the license assigned (I was confused between roles in the 365 project environment and Altium itself). Support was able to get this sorted out quickly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Gianni F.
GF
CEO and Lead Designer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"A well rounded and complete software solution even to get started with no experience"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

Started using Altium when it was called DXP (Design Explorer) to complete a project at School. It was mostly self learned and did not received formal training and within a couple of weeks I was successfully capturing schematics and making PCB layouts. Altium is very intuitive and easy to use, but at the same time very powerful. The power and complexity doesn't get in the way of the interface and the ease of use. The library tools, to create schematic symbols and footprints is excellent, very easy to use. It gives me all the flexibility to design the footprint based on the application and manufacturing requirements. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

I can't think of any negative on the software itself. I would like to see a more seamless integration for footprint providers like Ultra-librarian or SnapEDA. The import of models can be a bit of a hassle sometimes. Overall, it's a great software. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

AG
Robotics & Autonomous Systems Engineer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful Cloud‑Based PCB Collaboration with a Steep Learning Curve"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

Real‑Time Collaboration: The cloud platform lets multiple designers and stakeholders review and comment on schematics and PCB layouts simultaneously, eliminating version‑mismatch headaches.

Centralized Data Management: All design data—including libraries, version history, and supply‑chain information—is stored in one place. I never have to hunt down the latest file.

Built‑In Supply‑Chain: Part availability, lead times, and cost tracking live right alongside the design, so I can catch procurement issues early. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Limited Offline Access: When I’m traveling without reliable internet, I can’t review or comment on designs unless I remember to export them beforehand.

Initial Setup Complexity: Getting my team’s permissions and folder structure dialed in took longer than expected; the admin UI can feel overwhelming at first.

Pricing: Some advanced collaboration features (e.g., enterprise analytics, fine‑grained user roles) are only available in higher‑cost plans. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Mark A.
MA
Embedded System Engineer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Starting with Altium"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

At first glance, Altium Designer can feel intimidating due to the sheer number of features packed into it. However, once you start exploring its capabilities, you quickly realize how powerful and indispensable it becomes in your workflow. From schematic capture to advanced PCB layout, Altium offers a level of integration and precision that significantly boosts productivity and design quality.

I use it almost every day, which makes it easier and more intuitive to pick up and work with. The interface becomes second nature with regular use, and the workflow feels streamlined once you're familiar with it.

The ease of integration was also a big plus—adding the component library plugin was both helpful and straightforward. Altium makes it easy to incorporate external libraries and resources into your designs, which speeds up development and keeps everything organized.

In terms of ease of use, once you understand the structure, navigating the environment and accessing the tools you need becomes fluid and efficient. And when it comes to implementation, setting up projects and getting started—whether it's a quick prototype or a complex multilayer board—is faster than you’d expect for such a feature-rich platform.

I highly recommend it to anyone serious about taking their PCB design career to the next level. Once you get past the initial learning curve, it becomes an essential part of your engineering toolkit.

I’d also like to highlight the excellent customer support I’ve received. I’ve worked with the Altium support team in Italy, and they’ve consistently responded quickly and professionally. Their assistance has truly made a difference and reflects well on Altium’s commitment to supporting its users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

That said, there are some drawbacks—particularly from the perspective of a freelancer. My projects tend to be complex but very focused, and I often only use a small subset of Altium’s full capabilities. Despite this, I still pay a premium for the entire suite, most of which goes unused. A more flexible, modular pricing model would be a huge improvement, especially for independent engineers who don't need every enterprise feature. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

lavit s.
LS
Firmware design engineer
Information Technology and Services
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Altium 365 importance in my work."
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

Altium 365 plays very important role in my work as i use this software to learn and implement my skills of how to make PCB, FOOTPRINTS, SCHEMATICS ,ETC and implement also its have many features like footprint wizard, 3D mode , etc . This software makes my work easy and helps me a lot . It is easy to use and reliable . and customer support is also good they provided me student license to use and learn . Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Sometimes i get stuck in many place like in footprint makjng because in Altium some footprints are not available so i have to make them by myself Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Akash A.
AA
Assembly Engineer and cam engineer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"BEST software for PCB layout design"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

Altium is the best software for PCB layout. It supports most off all PCB layout software file conversion that will really helpful to switch to Altium software. the most likely 3D view of 3D components that will use to make enclosers and we can analyze the design. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

The software provides signal integrity but that is still some problem so please develop that part. still the cost is too high for purchase. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Automotive
UA
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Altium designer"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

I’ve been using Altium Designer for a while now, and honestly, it’s one of the most powerful PCB design tools I’ve worked with. The all-in-one workflow—from schematic to layout to generating manufacturing files—makes it really efficient once you get the hang of it.

What I really like is the intuitive routing tools and the 3D preview, which is super helpful for spotting mechanical issues before prototyping. The component libraries and integration with part suppliers also save a lot of time.

That said, it’s not perfect. The learning curve is steep—especially if you’re new to PCB design—and the software can be a bit heavy on system resources. Also, the price is definitely on the higher side, which might make it hard to justify for smaller projects or hobby use.

Overall, I think Altium is amazing if you’re working on serious or complex designs. It’s professional-grade, but it takes some time (and budget) to fully appreciate. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Beginners may find the interface overwhelming at first. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

RR
Electronics Engineer
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Great designer tool"
What do you like best about Altium Develop?

Altium Designer is the best designer tool I have used so far. It has an easy-to-use interface which makes PCB design a fun activity. The varied shortcuts Altium Designer has makes designing in Altium much more simpler and fast. I really love the interactive routing tool where the net selected is highlighted and optimized routing patterns and strategies are suggested. I adore that the new Altium Designer 25 comes with replicating PCB layout, more of git integration, advanced version control and MCAD integration. The customer support is really awesome and I love all the Altium webinars especially the ones with Zachariah Peterson. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

I think Altium 365 could have more improvements. I really love working in my local machine but would also want to have the same experience working online (Altium 365). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Pricing Insights

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

2 months

Return on Investment

18 months

Average Discount

16%

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Altium Develop Features
Drawing
Modeling
Visualize
File Import
Views
Annotate
3D modeling tools
Component placement
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