Introducing G2.ai, the future of software buying.Try now
Share your insights with Altium Develop

Thousands of people like you come to G2 to find out whether solutions like Altium Develop are the right fit for them. Share your real experiences with Altium Develop and the G2 community and help someone make the right decision about their software.

Altium Develop Pros and Cons: Top Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users value the ease of use in Altium Develop, highlighting its intuitive interface and integrated features. (270 mentions)
Users value the integration of schematic and PCB design, enabling efficient FPGA and high-speed line projects with ease. (215 mentions)
Users appreciate the user-friendly PCB design of Altium Designer, especially for its seamless schematic integration and customization. (142 mentions)
Users value the real-time collaboration features of Altium Develop, enhancing teamwork and efficiency in design processes. (132 mentions)
Users commend Altium Develop for its efficiency, enhancing productivity and streamlining the electronic design process significantly. (96 mentions)
Users find Altium Develop to be incredibly intuitive, facilitating faster PCB design with helpful features and shortcuts. (81 mentions)
Users highlight the steep learning curve of Altium Designer, requiring significant time and effort to master. (90 mentions)
Users find Altium Develop to be expensive, especially when only a fraction of its features is utilized. (89 mentions)
Users express concern over the missing features in Altium Develop, particularly around limited libraries and clunky configurations. (62 mentions)
Users find the complex interface of Altium Designer challenging, contributing to a steep learning curve and confusion. (57 mentions)
Users find the slow performance of Altium Develop frustrating, especially when loading from the web and encountering bugs. (49 mentions)
Users report performance issues with Altium Develop, including bugs, crashes, and slowdowns on large projects. (44 mentions)

Top Pros or Advantages of Altium Develop

1. Ease of Use
Users value the ease of use in Altium Develop, highlighting its intuitive interface and integrated features.
See 270 mentions

See Related User Reviews

RM

Roger M.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Very powerful program but steep learning curve"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

Many features integrated between schematic and PCB layout. Powerful tools for creating BOMS. Easy to learn for drawing and routing traces

HAIMING G.
HG

HAIMING G.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"an electronic engineer"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

ease of use, frequency of use, customer support

2. Features
Users value the integration of schematic and PCB design, enabling efficient FPGA and high-speed line projects with ease.
See 215 mentions

See Related User Reviews

AZ

Andrea Z.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"An all-in-one powerful software for PCB design"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

Me and my team use AD on a daily basis to design FPGA based complex design with DDR memories and up to 10Gbps high speed lines with little effort.

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Smooth and professional"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

It has every tool needed to design efficiently and provides a very satisfying user experience. I expecially like all the compatibility features it has

3. PCB Design
Users appreciate the user-friendly PCB design of Altium Designer, especially for its seamless schematic integration and customization.
See 142 mentions

See Related User Reviews

RM

Roger M.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Very powerful program but steep learning curve"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

Many features integrated between schematic and PCB layout. Powerful tools for creating BOMS. Easy to learn for drawing and routing traces

MS

Mohammad S.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Senior Power Electronics Engineer"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

It is very user friend for creating a customized library. It is easier to make schematic and therefore a PCB project.

4. Collaboration
Users value the real-time collaboration features of Altium Develop, enhancing teamwork and efficiency in design processes.
See 132 mentions

See Related User Reviews

AS

Aaditya s.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Review for Altium Designer"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

It offers an excellent combination of powerful features, a user-friendly interface, and an extensive library of components. Its real-time collaboratio

Verified User
U

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Altium Designer and Altium365 are the best things for collaboration."

What do you like about Altium Develop?

The combination of Altium Designer and Altium 365 allows me and my team to work together a lot more effectivelty during the design stage and also when

5. Efficiency
Users commend Altium Develop for its efficiency, enhancing productivity and streamlining the electronic design process significantly.
See 96 mentions

See Related User Reviews

AS

Aaditya s.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Review for Altium Designer"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

It offers an excellent combination of powerful features, a user-friendly interface, and an extensive library of components. Its real-time collaboratio

MS

Mohammad S.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Senior Power Electronics Engineer"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

It is very user friend for creating a customized library. It is easier to make schematic and therefore a PCB project.

6. Intuitive
Users find Altium Develop to be incredibly intuitive, facilitating faster PCB design with helpful features and shortcuts.
See 81 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Altium Designer and Altium365 are the best things for collaboration."

What do you like about Altium Develop?

The combination of Altium Designer and Altium 365 allows me and my team to work together a lot more effectivelty during the design stage and also when

Verified User
U

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"It's super friendly & Powerful tool for Electrical Engineers"

What do you like about Altium Develop?

Altium Designer is a user-friendly tool. It has a schematic Editor & PCB design software working in sync. Both the schematic & PCB files are s

Top Cons or Disadvantages of Altium Develop

1. Learning Curve
Users highlight the steep learning curve of Altium Designer, requiring significant time and effort to master.
See 90 mentions

See Related User Reviews

RM

Roger M.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Very powerful program but steep learning curve"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Project open should be under the project menu and not under file menu. Schematic drawing experience is different than other tools and takes some get

AS

Aaditya s.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Review for Altium Designer"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Altium Designer has many benefits but some users may find certain aspects of low appealing One common disadvantage is the software's steep learning cu

2. Expensive
Users find Altium Develop to be expensive, especially when only a fraction of its features is utilized.
See 89 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
I

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.0/5

"Excellent tool for the dedicated circuit designer"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

- If you don't use it everyday, it takes time to relearn some of integrated tools (b/c of total toolset scope) - Expensive

MY

mouayid y.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"I had a great experience using altium to design a nice FM transmitter PCB for my class project."

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Nothing to think of but maybe the subscription cost.

3. Missing Features
Users express concern over the missing features in Altium Develop, particularly around limited libraries and clunky configurations.
See 62 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Prithvi R.
PR

Prithvi R.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"PCB Design using Altium 365"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

I disliked the lack of a native library loader for Altium. I used the extension script library loader, but would love to have that feature in built so

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"The best PCB design software I have used!"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Steeper learning curve due to the configurability and feature set of the software. Creating the board layout can take a long time due to the limite

4. Complex Interface
Users find the complex interface of Altium Designer challenging, contributing to a steep learning curve and confusion.
See 57 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Speed up the time to market timeline providing a great user experience"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

Configuration is convoluted, not intuitive

Farhad P.
FP

Farhad P.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Designing the Future: Altium Designer at Your Fingertips"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

The learning curve is steep: Altium Designer is a complex software with a lot of features. This can make it difficult to learn, especially for beginne

5. Slow Performance
Users find the slow performance of Altium Develop frustrating, especially when loading from the web and encountering bugs.
See 49 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"I am a student with moderate PCB design experience, and I'm loving Altium."

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

My customer support experience has not been the best, especially the live chat AI support. I had issues renewing my student license, and it took some

BA

Bob A.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Awesome Shared Design Platform"

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

It is somewhat slow to load from the web.

6. Performance Issues
Users report performance issues with Altium Develop, including bugs, crashes, and slowdowns on large projects.
See 44 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.0/5

"It is easy for most things. Things mostly just work. But not the most flexible experience."

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

The severs had few maintainence periods during my use which rendered the service completly useless. It was impossible for me to transfer the owners

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"A robust tool with real tradeoffs."

What do you dislike about Altium Develop?

What I dislike about Altium 365 is its steep learning curve making it hard for beginners the high cost which can be a barrier for small teams and hobb

Altium Develop Reviews (954)

View 2 Video Reviews
Reviews

Altium Develop Reviews (954)

View 2 Video Reviews
4.5
954 reviews
Search reviews
Filter Reviews
Clear Results
G2 reviews are authentic and verified.
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.

Product Avatar Image
Product Avatar Image