Altium Designer vs FreePCB

Struggling to choose between Altium Designer and FreePCB? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Altium Designer is a Development solution with tags like pcb-design, schematic-capture, layout, manufacturing.

It boasts features such as PCB Layout and Routing, 3D PCB Visualization, FPGA Design, MCAD Co-Design, BOM Generation and Supply Chain Management, Simulation and Signal Integrity Analysis, Version Control and Design Data Management and pros including Powerful routing and layout tools, Intuitive 3D visualization, Tight integration between schematic and PCB, Support for complex designs like high-speed or RF, Extensive component libraries.

On the other hand, FreePCB is a Development product tagged with pcb-design, schematics, layouts, autorouting, design-rule-checking.

Its standout features include Schematic capture, PCB layout, Auto-routing, Design Rule Checking, Library editors, 3D view, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), Good for hobbyists and students, Active community support.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Altium Designer

Altium Designer

Altium Designer is professional printed circuit board (PCB) design software used for schematic capture, PCB layout, and file output for manufacturing. It helps engineers design and prototype complex electronic hardware products.

Categories:
Development Electronic Design Automation
pcb-design schematic-capture layout manufacturing

Altium Designer Features

  1. PCB Layout and Routing
  2. 3D PCB Visualization
  3. FPGA Design
  4. MCAD Co-Design
  5. BOM Generation and Supply Chain Management
  6. Simulation and Signal Integrity Analysis
  7. Version Control and Design Data Management

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based
  • Custom Pricing

Pros

Powerful routing and layout tools

Intuitive 3D visualization

Tight integration between schematic and PCB

Support for complex designs like high-speed or RF

Extensive component libraries

Cons

Steep learning curve

Expensive licensing model

Limited free version capabilities

Resource intensive

FreePCB

FreePCB

FreePCB is an open-source printed circuit board design software. It allows designers to create schematics and layouts for printed circuit boards. FreePCB has features like auto-routing, Design Rule Checking, and library editors.

Categories:
Development Electronics Design
pcb-design schematics layouts autorouting design-rule-checking

FreePCB Features

  1. Schematic capture
  2. PCB layout
  3. Auto-routing
  4. Design Rule Checking
  5. Library editors
  6. 3D view

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Good for hobbyists and students

Active community support

Cons

Limited features compared to paid options

Steep learning curve

Lacks some advanced/professional features