Altium Designer vs PADS PCB Design

Struggling to choose between Altium Designer and PADS PCB Design? 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, PADS PCB Design is a Development product tagged with schematic-capture, pcb-layout, component-libraries, design-rule-checking, manufacturing-output.

Its standout features include Schematic capture, PCB layout and routing, Design rule checking, 3D modeling and visualization, Component library with over 500,000 parts, Imports netlists from various EDA tools, Generates manufacturing and assembly files, and it shines with pros like Powerful design features and capabilities, Extensive component libraries, Easy to learn and use, Great for complex, high-speed designs, Seamless ECAD/MCAD collaboration, Good technical support.

Feature	Altium Designer	PADS PCB Design
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

Altium Designer

Description: 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.

PADS PCB Design

Description: PADS PCB Design is printed circuit board (PCB) design software used for schematic capture and PCB layout. It offers extensive component libraries, design rule checking, and supports various output formats for manufacturing.

Key Features Comparison

Altium Designer Features

• 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

PADS PCB Design Features

• Schematic capture
• PCB layout and routing
• Design rule checking
• 3D modeling and visualization
• Component library with over 500,000 parts
• Imports netlists from various EDA tools
• Generates manufacturing and assembly files

Pros & Cons Analysis

Altium Designer

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

PADS PCB Design

Pros

• Powerful design features and capabilities
• Extensive component libraries
• Easy to learn and use
• Great for complex, high-speed designs
• Seamless ECAD/MCAD collaboration
• Good technical support

Cons

• Expensive licensing model
• Steep learning curve for advanced features
• Limited customization options
• Frequent updates can introduce bugs
• Weak simulation features compared to other tools

Pricing Comparison

Altium Designer

• Subscription-Based
• Custom Pricing

PADS PCB Design

• Subscription
• Perpetual License