# OrCAD PCB Designer Reviews **Vendor:** OrCAD **Category:** [PCB Design Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/pcb-design) **Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 15 ## About OrCAD PCB Designer OrCAD PCB Designer is a comprehensive, constraint-driven PCB design solution that integrates schematic capture, PCB layout, and in-design analysis within a unified environment. It is engineered to address the complexities of modern electronic designs, from simple circuits to high-density, multi-layer PCBs, ensuring efficiency and accuracy throughout the design process. Key Features and Functionality: - Schematic Capture: OrCAD Capture provides an intuitive interface for creating and managing complex schematics, facilitating seamless integration with PCB layout and simulation tools. - PCB Layout: The PCB Editor offers interactive placement and routing capabilities, including real-time constraint-driven feedback, dynamic shape management, and support for rigid-flex designs. - In-Design Analysis: Integrated tools for signal integrity analysis, design rule checks, and manufacturability assessments help identify and resolve potential issues early in the design cycle. - Automation and Productivity Tools: Features like auto-assisted BGA fanouts, via creation, and placement replication streamline repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity. - Scalability: Built on a common database architecture, OrCAD PCB Designer scales with evolving design challenges, offering a path to more advanced capabilities within the Cadence Allegro series. Primary Value and User Solutions: OrCAD PCB Designer empowers engineers and designers to efficiently create reliable and manufacturable PCB designs by providing a cohesive environment that integrates all aspects of the design process. Its constraint-driven approach ensures design accuracy, while automation and in-design analysis tools reduce the likelihood of errors and the need for costly revisions. The solution's scalability and integration with the broader Cadence ecosystem make it suitable for a wide range of applications, from consumer electronics to complex, high-speed systems, enabling faster time-to-market and improved product quality. ## OrCAD PCB Designer Reviews ### 1. user friendly PCB designing Software **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Amit G. | Senior Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 25, 2025 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Constraint manager Real time DRC can be compatible with the tools like PsPice **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** 3D view is not that good user interface is not ok **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** Managing Designing Rules and constraints ### 2. very good product for the price **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Steve W. | MANUFACTURING ENGINEER, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 03, 2024 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Not overly complicated and file exporting is very easy **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Doesn't seem to have all the bells and whistles of Altium. But for the price it is a very good deal **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use it frequently to export ASCII CAD files. I also do simple layouts and review customers design files. ### 3. Best beginner tool for the designers who are opting PCB design **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Yathisha T. | Senior design engg, Defense & Space, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** August 19, 2023 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** User friendly tool for a unknown designer and easily look onto the options and get the things done without wiating to someone to guide **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** 3D platform and performance issue while designing the complex boards includes multiple components and Max no of layers. **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** Easy flows and UI of the tool itself good and it will easily solve the problems comparing to the other tools available in industries. ### 4. OrCAD is the Key PCB Design Solution for my career startup **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mahesh S. | Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 18, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** ORCAD is transform the our electronics knowledge into product specification with CADENCE simulator.I like One of main key feature of the ORCAD Tool is Multi threading capabilities which is grove the speed of performance.Its features are very helpful for learning the PCB Designing for Mid level PCB Designer for Multilayer Schematic capturing technology. **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Least helpful in my professional level is ORCAD is not open source platform.Lot of Libraries are not supported. ORCAD Pspice Simulator in latest version its module libraries are not much helpful for complex designing for IOT domain circuits. **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** ORCAD PCB Design software has huge amount of libraries and supports for fresher level as well as mid experience level professional designer.It is also helpful for firmware or embedded engineer to design Microcontroller board with developing software. **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** It is solved my designing requirement for RF based circuit with multi-layer functionality.As a professional level board design Tactics of ORCAD is very useful for microcontroller based schematic design. ### 5. OrCAD PCB Designer the Perfect one **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kashif A. | Engineering Intern, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 05, 2021 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Careful and current gathering for sketchers to orchestrated schematics, impressions, and designs. its UI gives able highlights to coordinate Project information. Making libraries are clear with pleasant parts of the heads. The reenactment gives critical specific data to modify the wellspring of the issue. Furthermore, online support like videos and document encourages me to opt OrCad. **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** I found straightforwardness and better organization in Altium. **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** Extraordinary compared to other PCB creator apparatus I can allude to my friends **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am doing an endeavor synchronized with the CAD gathering and its less complex to imagine 3D drawings ### 6. Easy to work with **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Naveesh B. | Electrical engineer , Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 13, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** The ease of access and the toolkit on the sidebar and integration with Ultrabom **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** It would be great if I could drag and drop the part from my part library **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use ORCAD PCb designer for creating new boards across different industries. The main benefit is the easy intergration of data between capture and pcb editor which saves lot of time and effort ### 7. User Friendly **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sohail R. | Technical Operation Engineer , Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 23, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Orcad Pcb designer is best tool for Pcb Designing, very user Friendly software that helps advance level of PCB Designing and also simulation. **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** I think there is no any thing of disliking in orCad but I personally recommend one thing that orCad needs to update there components library at advance level. **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** I'll definitely recommend orCad PCB Designing tool to others **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I realized that, I can design PCB more faster in orCad with respect to other designing tools. ### 8. OrCad :My first Choice for Development **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** M.Owais K. | Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 14, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Comprehensive and modern package for engineers to designed schematics, foot print and layouts. it's user interface provides efficient features to manage Project data. Creating libraries are easy with nice part management. Simulation gives a deep technical insight to rectify source of problem. Furthermore, online support like videos and document encourages me to opt OrCad. **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** i found ease and better management in Altium. **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** complete package to design, simulate and develop electronics products. **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** Mostly ,it helps me a lot to simulate my design. ### 9. I have done couple of projects using OrCAD and it was good but i prefer Altium **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Yousaf M. | Design Engineer (Embedded Systems), Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 13, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Ease in routing of the tracks makes it good and useable and thats why its considered for the design **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Component placement is using library is little complex and makes it harder to design **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** If someone wanted to have a product design in collaboration with Mechanical team then OrCAD should be the choice **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I am doing a project synchronized with the CAD team and its easier to visuslize 3D drawings ### 10. Orcad tool review **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Gopi Krishna R. | Robotics and Embedded Systems Engineer, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 15, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** GUI was good and quick to understand. Placement and routing options are easy to remember. High sped constraints are easy to set and use. **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Should have an option for curve routing. **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** One of the best PCB designer tool I can refer to my peers **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** Stack up setting and constraints setup was easy and useful in resolving signal integrity issues. ### 11. Orcad pcb designer is quite user friendly and great for multi layered pcb's **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Shivam D. | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 15, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Designs made can be rendered easily..... **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Auto routing feature can be improved.... **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** Design issues like DRC error check etc. Are easily solved. ### 12. Complete future **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Consumer Electronics | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 14, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Complete fiture and components. Easy to trace and designing **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Please make it simple and easy to use for user interface for beginners. **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I can make own home control and simple machinery ### 13. Great for electronic circuit lovers **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Education Management | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 14, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** I like the simplicity of circuit design tools. **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** Sometimes it’s difficult to differentiate between the components models **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** Problem based on circuit analysis , input and output waveforms. ### 14. Best tool for capturing big schematics. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rahul S. | PCB layout Engineer , Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 08, 2019 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** I did my own workshop on this tool for those who want to learn PCB designing because this software is easy to use and it is user friendly with lots of features. For mixed signals like analog and digital it could be quiet easy to route the signals clearly. capturing the schematic and simulating is also good in this software **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** more of the tools provide wide range of default libraries at free of cost while Orcad has limited libraries at free version. 3D modeling is not available in this software. The older version GUI is quite disappointing. **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** I would recommend this tool for simulating the circuit which is the best thing of this software **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I mostly used for circuit simulation when I used to work with my product and also taught the students to simulate the circuits. ### 15. University project **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 22, 2020 **What do you like best about OrCAD PCB Designer?** It is really worth for capturing big schematics and it it easy to route analogic and digital signals easy **What do you dislike about OrCAD PCB Designer?** 3D modelling software is not currenltly available **Recommendations to others considering OrCAD PCB Designer:** I would recommend this tool for simulating circuits **What problems is OrCAD PCB Designer solving and how is that benefiting you?** I solved a lot of circuits problem simulations. It is a really intuitive software ## OrCAD PCB Designer Discussions - [Importing mentor graphics pads logic to orcad](https://www.g2.com/discussions/35841-importing-mentor-graphics-pads-logic-to-orcad) - [View OrCAD PCB Designer pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/orcad-pcb-designer/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-05-14+05%3A26%3A27+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=9b9064cf-582e-47e0-8a61-cbe651c7b31b&secure%5Btoken%5D=7f93b5e180052466b6bcab2bfab3711848cd215c803cc7fbf34a6428cc765918&format=llm_user) ## OrCAD PCB Designer Integrations - [Altium Develop](https://www.g2.com/products/altium-develop/reviews) ## OrCAD PCB Designer Features **Design** - PCB layout editing - Schematic editor **Tools** - 3D modeling tools - Component placement **Library** - Component libraries **Platform** - Board size - Layers **Customization** - Custom commands - Custom interface ## Top OrCAD PCB Designer Alternatives - [Altium Develop](https://www.g2.com/products/altium-develop/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (974 reviews) - [Autodesk Fusion](https://www.g2.com/products/autodesk-fusion/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (507 reviews) - [SOLIDWORKS](https://www.g2.com/products/solidworks/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (628 reviews)