TinyCAD vs Altium Designer

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

TinyCAD is a Development solution with tags like 2d-drawings, cad, diagrams, free, lightweight, open-source, schematics, tinycad.

It boasts features such as 2D CAD drawing, Basic shape tools, Layers, Dimensioning, Export to common formats like PNG, JPG, PDF, Lightweight and good for simple diagrams and schematics and pros including Free and open source, Simple and easy to use, Cross-platform, Active community support.

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.

Feature	TinyCAD	Altium Designer
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

TinyCAD

Description: TinyCAD is a free and open source computer aided design application for 2D drawings. It has basic CAD features like layers, dimensioning, shape tools, and can export to common formats. TinyCAD is lightweight and good for simple diagrams and schematics.

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.

Key Features Comparison

TinyCAD Features

• 2D CAD drawing
• Basic shape tools
• Layers
• Dimensioning
• Export to common formats like PNG, JPG, PDF
• Lightweight and good for simple diagrams and schematics

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

Pros & Cons Analysis

TinyCAD

Pros

• Free and open source
• Simple and easy to use
• Cross-platform
• Active community support

Cons

• Limited features compared to full CAD suites
• No 3D modeling
• Lacks advanced tools like parametric modeling
• Basic user interface

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

Pricing Comparison

TinyCAD

• Free
• Open Source

Altium Designer

• Subscription-Based
• Custom Pricing