Altium Develop Reviews & Product Details

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Altium is the best software I had used in my 10 years of experience as an electronic engineer. I use it daily in my projects due to its easy schematics drawing, footprint upload and pcb layout and routing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think the circuit simulator could be improved. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

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.

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.