---
title: PADS Professional Reviews
meta_title: 'PADS Professional Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2'
meta_description: Filter 64 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to
  find out how PADS Professional works for a business like yours.
aggregate_rating:
  rating_value: 4.1
  review_count: 64
  scale: '5'
date_modified: '2026-08-05'
parent_category:
  name: CAD
  url: https://www.g2.com/categories/cad
---

# PADS Professional Reviews
**Vendor:** Siemens Digital Industries Software  
**Category:** [PCB Design Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/pcb-design)  
**Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0  
**Total Reviews:** 64
## About PADS Professional
PADS Professional PCB software is a comprehensive electronic design automation (EDA) software suite developed by Siemens Digital Industries Software, formerly Mentor Graphics. It provides advanced tools for designing, simulating, verifying, and manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic systems.



## PADS Professional Pros & Cons
**What users like:**

- Users value the **advanced automation and simulation features** of PADS Professional, enhancing design accuracy and efficiency. (6 reviews)
- Users value the **advanced simulation tools** of PADS Professional, enhancing design accuracy and streamlining hardware development. (5 reviews)
- Users value the **comprehensive PCB design tools** of PADS Professional, enhancing efficiency and collaboration in engineering projects. (4 reviews)
- Users value the **high accuracy** in design achieved with PADS Professional's simulation and advanced layout tools. (3 reviews)
- Users recognize PADS Professional for its **comprehensive PCB design tools** , making it ideal for high-speed and complex layouts. (2 reviews)
- Collaboration (2 reviews)
- Users find PADS Professional to be **user-friendly** , with an intuitive GUI that enhances their design experience. (2 reviews)
- 3D Visualization (1 reviews)
- Automation (1 reviews)
- Cloud Storage (1 reviews)

**What users dislike:**

- Users struggle with the **complex interface** of PADS Professional, making navigation and learning time-consuming and frustrating. (2 reviews)
- Users find the **difficult learning process** of PADS Professional overwhelming, particularly for beginners navigating its extensive features. (2 reviews)
- Users find the **steep learning curve** of PADS Professional challenging, requiring significant time to master its features. (2 reviews)
- Users find the **complex design process** of PADS Professional slow and lacking essential features for advanced PCB projects. (1 reviews)
- Users emphasize the need for improvements in **component management** , particularly regarding back-annotation and errors in the Decal Editor. (1 reviews)
- Error Messages (1 reviews)
- Users find PADS Professional to be **too expensive** , especially considering its outdated interface and prevalent bugs. (1 reviews)
- Not Intuitive (1 reviews)
- Outdated Software (1 reviews)
- Poor Navigation (1 reviews)


## PADS Professional Discussions
  - [What is PADS PROFESSIONAL used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-pads-professional-used-for) - 2 comments
  - [Who makes PADS PCB?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/who-makes-pads-pcb) - 1 comment
  - [Which software is best for PCB design?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/pads-professional-which-software-is-best-for-pcb-design) - 1 comment

- [View PADS Professional pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/pads-professional/reviews?page=5&section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-07+01%3A32%3A06+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=14ba1083-5771-4a6d-ae40-a26b68cd7bb1&secure%5Btoken%5D=6047f0c013c7021f73e9b302e219270f61d28000fc3e3b1e1cd070412a960f5b&format=llm_user)

## PADS Professional Features
**Design**
- PCB layout editing
- Schematic editor

**Tools**
- Component placement

**Library**
- Component libraries

**Platform**
- Board size
- Layers

**Customization**
- Custom interface

## Top PADS Professional Alternatives
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  - [KiCad EDA](https://www.g2.com/products/kicad-eda/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (64 reviews)
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