Schematics vs Altium Designer

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

Schematics is a Development solution with tags like schematics, circuit-design, pcb-design, eda, electronics.

It boasts features such as Intuitive graphical user interface, Custom symbol creation, Schematic capture, Printed circuit board (PCB) layout design, Gerber file export, Bill of materials (BOM) generation and pros including Free and open source, Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), Active community support, Extensive component libraries, Powerful editing tools.

On the other hand, Altium Designer is a Development product tagged with pcb-design, schematic-capture, layout, manufacturing.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like 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.

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.

Schematics

Schematics

Schematics is a free, open-source EDA software tool used for drawing schematic diagrams and designing printed circuit boards. It has an intuitive user interface and supports custom symbol creation.

Categories:
Development Electronics Design
schematics circuit-design pcb-design eda electronics

Schematics Features

  1. Intuitive graphical user interface
  2. Custom symbol creation
  3. Schematic capture
  4. Printed circuit board (PCB) layout design
  5. Gerber file export
  6. Bill of materials (BOM) generation

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)

Active community support

Extensive component libraries

Powerful editing tools

Cons

Limited 3D visualization

Steep learning curve

Lacks some advanced features of paid EDA tools

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