Altium Designer vs KiCad

Struggling to choose between Altium Designer and KiCad? 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, KiCad is a Development product tagged with open-source, electronics, design, schematic, pcb.

Its standout features include Schematic capture, PCB layout, SPICE simulation, 3D visualization, Gerber file generation, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), Large component library, Active development community, Flexible customization.

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

KiCad

KiCad

KiCad is an open source electronics design automation software suite used for schematic capture, printed circuit board design, and more. It is cross-platform and licensed under GNU GPL v3.

Categories:
Development Electronics Design
open-source electronics design schematic pcb

KiCad Features

  1. Schematic capture
  2. PCB layout
  3. SPICE simulation
  4. 3D visualization
  5. Gerber file generation

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Large component library

Active development community

Flexible customization

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited documentation

Less intuitive UI than some paid options