Altium Develop Reviews and Ratings

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Score

9.1 out of 10

Community insights

TrustRadius Insights for Altium Develop are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.

Pros

Integration Between Teams: Users appreciate the seamless integration Altium 365 offers, allowing for easy collaboration on designs among team members. The platform facilitates smooth communication and sharing of design files, fostering efficient teamwork.

Convenient Project Switching: Some users find it beneficial that Altium Designer enables them to switch between different projects without any downtime, enhancing productivity. This feature streamlines workflow transitions and helps users stay focused on their tasks.

Powerful Feature Set: Users consider Altium Designer a powerful tool with a wide range of features suitable for complex PCB designs, making it valuable for their projects. From advanced editing capabilities to comprehensive libraries, the software equips users with the necessary tools to tackle intricate design challenges effectively.

Reviews

75 Reviews

Robust Software would recommend.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

March 31, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Altium Designer for hardware PCB design for automation and security systems. Altium is a much more complex and robust software compared to other CAD tools and creates a much more thorough and professional result.

Pros

Detailed Design Rule Check
Automated Outjob files
Drastically greater options for customization than any other competitor
Extensive 2D and 3D PCB design tools

Cons

Part Library integration
Creating new component footprints could be streamlined
It crashed sometimes and needs to be restarted for weird glitched more frequently than I would like

Likelihood to Recommend

Altium is the only software I would use in a professional setting. It is industry standard for a reason. With the integration of cloud workspaces, it is unparalleled for working with a large team and offers far more options for designing exactly what you need than any other software.

Verified User

Engineer in Research & Development (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

Powerful software with hefty overhead for single user.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

March 31, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use this software to draft schematics, convert them into PCB layouts, and export data for mechanical CAD and production.

Pros

flex PCB bending simulation.
Layer stack up definition.
Footprint wizard.

Cons

Streamline change order execution (too many windows/button clicks).
More flexible component import.
One-click ordering (altimade is abandoned?)
Just better UI overall.
Account DRM (same computer with the same license on a different network has connection issues).

Likelihood to Recommend

Great for production data and locking down revisions, a bit heavy on overhead for early, quick-turn prototyping. Probably a couple of weeks of work to get this program set up correctly for an organization.

Verified User

Engineer in Research & Development (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

Altium Develop Review.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Incentivized

March 31, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Altium as a general CAD package for PCB Design and layout. We use it to manage Data, including life cycle, version control, and history. Ensure part consistency and visual coherence of schematics, and generate Fabrication and assembly documentation and design artifacts. Altium provides a reasonably mature eCAD package that can be considered "professional" grade.

Pros

Library management.
Version control.
Design Rule validation.

Cons

The move to constraint management vs. design rules is half-baked. requiring saving separate constraints to schematics vs. PCBs results in constraints being overwritten constantly when pushing updates.
Forcing subscriptions - removing the option for perpetual licenses.
Integrated simulation is still un-intuitive and difficult to use.
Requirements management feels completely separate, and I forget it's even part of Altium.
No easy way to manage or layout schematics with "generic components" - every item is forced to be a manufacturer part at design time, slowing down initial schematic capture.

Likelihood to Recommend

It's the most approachable "professional" package for small to medium-sized businesses, given the price point. It's fairly mature feature-wise and has improved stability enough over the last 5 years that it no longer constantly crashes. But it feels like there's a push to constantly increase prices until it's no longer an obvious choice. That, coupled with the insistence on subscription models and the terrible user experience when on poorly connected mobile data plans, means it's still my CAD package of choice, but I'm now a reluctant user rather than a fan.

Verified User

Engineer in Engineering (1-10 employees)

Vetted Review

10 years of experience

Altium Develop Over 8 Years and 3 Companies

Rating: 7 out of 10

Incentivized

March 31, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Altium Develop to create custom PCB designs for many types of customers. It is a core part of our business allowing us to provide custom electronics designs, protypes, and test fixtures to customers. Modern features like cloud integration and revision control also make things much easier when managing many different designs across many customers. Cloud features also make it easier to view and share designs with customers without being tied to an individual PC.

Pros

Fully Integrated Design Environment
3D Rendering and Modeling
Library Management
Good Import/Export Options
Efficient Manual Routing with Online DRC

Cons

New Platform Transition seemed Very Chaotic
Part Explorer/Library Management has Always Been Sluggish
Component Templates Should be Part of Develop Package
Provide a Comparison of What is Actually Included in the Various Platforms
API Could be Very Powerful - If There were Any Documentation
Improvements Could be Made on Core Functionality for 90% of Users Making 2-4 Layer PCBs over Advanced Simulation, AutoRouter, and Other More Cutting-Edge Features

Likelihood to Recommend

I chose Altium Develop 10 years ago and deployed it at 3 companies now based on its modern, cohesive feel compared to the competition. Working within one platform that clearly started that way stood out from the competition. Library and Constraint Management were also much more intuitive and efficient than others I have tried. I was also floored when its import function for legacy Mentor Graphics projects actually worked (mostly). The manual routing functions were also solid, which felt like something other vendors were ignoring in favor of Auto-Routers etc, despite the fact that they are rarely worth using on 90% of boards 2-4 layers. I was excited to see the continuation of straightforward pricing and even more affordable options with the Altium Develop transition, however I was quickly disheartened by the lack of information available on the new platforms, despite the fact that Altium was actively selling it. Somehow, there was no feature list or comparison between platforms even months after transitioning - online or via sales reps. This made me particularly nervous about purchasing considering the elimination of permanent licenses means paying for the entire life of your product line, perhaps company, after tying many thousands to millions of dollars of IP to Altium Develop. I took the leap based on past experience, so here's hoping...

Mike Chrisco

Owner in Engineering at MACH Engineering LLC. (1-10 employees)

Vetted Review

8 years of experience

Low volume user of Altium Develop

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 30, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

PCB design for downhole oil and gas tools. Altium Develop allows for complete documentation generation from a single software source, easily updated when changes are made. Having access to real-time component availability is a great help. A common library of verified parts is also of benefit, as we have multiple people using the software on an occasional basis.

Pros

Fabrication and Assembly documentation using Draftsmen
Search of manufacturer parts database
Bom generation using customer templates

Cons

I find changing layers while manually routing a bit cumbersome.
Templates for component creation would be great at lower level subscriptions.
Board outline creation and manipulation is difficult within Altium Develop and is often easier in another tool than imported. Getting scaling correct can be a challenge on importing.

Likelihood to Recommend

I have used Altium Designer over the past few years and my biggest complaint was the annual subscription cost. Altium Develop has addressed this issue, especially for a low use environment.

Verified User

Consultant in Engineering (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

First Steps with Altium Develop.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 29, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We recently started using Altium for the first time. Our previous ECAD solution made it impossible to find existing components for reuse in new designs, this is the main reason we decided to switch to Altium, however we are also now using it to develop 3D models of the PCBs as well, which is a much better process to do in the ECAD platform than to have it done in a MCAD platform with 'representative' objects. The BOM tools and live part data will also be a huge improvement as well. All of this will help streamline internal processes and ultimately result in a better product for our customers.

Pros

Searching for components in a central library.
3D modeling of the components and entire PCB assembly.
Live part data (price, stock availability, LifeCycle data).

Cons

It is difficult to create new components while reusing existing footprints/symbols. For example, reuse a 1206 package footprint, create a variant for resistors with an appropriate 3D model, and then a variant for capacitors with an appropriate 3D model.
The software's overall responsiveness seems slow, and it does not update properly in all instances. For example, clicking a component in the schematic will not always show its properties; it usually shows the properties of the last selected component. Clicking the blank space in the schematic first, then selecting the component, seems to load some of the correct data. But the 3D model in the properties view would still show the last EDITED part.
Saving components to the server would not always register correctly, requiring the component editor to be closed 'without saving' to close the part out, even though no changes were made since the last save to the server.
It is unclear where a list of footprints/symbols can be managed. For example, deleting a deprecated footprint so that it does not appear as a valid option in the future.
BOM part choice data has an NRFND component selected as in use, causing the status to be yellow. There is no apparent way to select a different manufacturer part as the 'in use' part to resolve the warning.
Updating from the library does not pull the most up-to-date symbol/footprint data for a given component. So far, there does not appear to be a way to do this, even though the component itself has been updated to use the correct references. This may be related to the general delays and consistency/reliability issues with the online link.

Likelihood to Recommend

Porting libraries and designs over to Altium is difficult and cumbersome. But once the libraries are sorted, it will be way better for schematic capture and BOM management. However, layouts are still more efficient on our previous ECAD platform. 3D modeling of the layouts is much better in Altium, though.

Verified User

Engineer in Engineering (51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

Altium Develop Experience at a Dutch Scale Up.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 28, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Altium Designer to design PCBs and Cable Drawings for our products. The key features we use are cloud-based, distributed hardware design and development. It allows us to develop our electronics and collaborate with other engineers and production technicians. We also use it for version control and tracking.

Pros

Version control.
Cloud based sharing of designs.
Schematic capture and PCB design.
Integrated requirements portal.

Cons

License management and Access rights.
Cable harness design and Multi board design.
Better Integration with MCAD software.

Likelihood to Recommend

It is well-suited for a small to medium-sized company. It excels as version control and cloud-based access for digital designs. It has room for improvement in license management, which is often buggy. There is also room for improvement in cable and harness design, which can be non-intuitive and difficult to implement.

Verified User

Team Lead in Engineering (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

World Class Electronic Development Environment for Teams.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

March 28, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use it in all electronic device development, combined with either SolidWorks or Fusion, and integrated using Altium Co-Designer. Previously integrated with Arena at a previous job. I find that many reference designs are now being created in Altium, and that it accelerates the design process. Also, the large part library that minimizes PCB footprints saves significant effort. A new user of Altium Develop will have some start-up issues; however, the eventual goal is to use managed components. The existing parts in Altium libraries are not generally set up for this, as symbols like caps and resistors vary greatly, and models seem to come from many sources. The goal is to harmonize all the components, but the tools to do this are somewhat tedious. Another issue I have had is the new browser-based login. As sometimes the internet disappears for a few minutes, the login goes away, and you are locked until you can re-login when it comes back. This needs a better solution. Used to be that when you grabbed a license, you kept it until you logged out or forced a license disconnect. This would be a much better method. I miss some of the flexibility of the enterprise version, but I'm sure Altium Develop will improve. I also use it for simulating real components, PCB impedance, and timing analysis. It's a great tool overall, and I look forward to its continued use.

Pros

Schematic PCB integration.
Component Libraries.
PCB trace analysis and rule base layout including impedance.
Mechanical Co-Designer.
Web sharing with team.

Cons

Component library harmonized symbols and parameters including layers
License control under varying internet conditions
For develop more flexibility in sharing control for outside team members

Likelihood to Recommend

For teams or clients to share progress its perfect. Harmonizing components can be overly complex. The final schematic output needed in a format other than Altium requires additional exports.

Jim Wolf

Owner in Engineering at Ingenium Tek (1-10 employees)

Vetted Review

6 years of experience

Verified on LinkedIn

Altium develop user

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 27, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Altium Designer for schematic capture, PCB layout, and generating fabrication outputs. It solves library management, design rule enforcement

Pros

library management
version control

Cons

support
generic libary

Likelihood to Recommend

PCB design collaboration

Verified User

Engineer in Research & Development (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

Altium the tool to move faster

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 25, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Altium to design schematics and PCBs. I use the CAD codesigner to ensure the PCBs fit the mechanical enclosures and will integrate with the rest of the system. I also use altium 365 to track part inventory and get an estimate on part cost.

Pros

Schematic design
PCB layout
Impedance matching
BOM management

Cons

layout replication can be difficult with more advanced designs where the core is the same but then the upper level has different connections. If I need to do replication changes late in a design I usually have to cut all nets to have a chance at successful replication with the tool.
Would be nice if there was an easier way to select like a template for common parts like resistors and capacitors when creating new parts. As we reuse the same symbol and layout across parts, but right now have to search for both each time.
Would be great if you could supply templates for rules to get new users started with a basic set of standard rules, setting up rules has a major learning curve.

Likelihood to Recommend

Altium does a great job at allowing the user to make a complex schematic and layout for a design. However, there is a real learning curve when setting up rules.

Myles Scott

Principle Electrical Engineer in Research & Development at Willowview Consulting (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

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First Steps with Altium Develop.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 29, 2026

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Pros

Searching for components in a central library.
3D modeling of the components and entire PCB assembly.
Live part data (price, stock availability, LifeCycle data).

Cons

It is difficult to create new components while reusing existing footprints/symbols. For example, reuse a 1206 package footprint, create a variant for resistors with an appropriate 3D model, and then a variant for capacitors with an appropriate 3D model.
The software's overall responsiveness seems slow, and it does not update properly in all instances. For example, clicking a component in the schematic will not always show its properties; it usually shows the properties of the last selected component. Clicking the blank space in the schematic first, then selecting the component, seems to load some of the correct data. But the 3D model in the properties view would still show the last EDITED part.
Saving components to the server would not always register correctly, requiring the component editor to be closed 'without saving' to close the part out, even though no changes were made since the last save to the server.
It is unclear where a list of footprints/symbols can be managed. For example, deleting a deprecated footprint so that it does not appear as a valid option in the future.
BOM part choice data has an NRFND component selected as in use, causing the status to be yellow. There is no apparent way to select a different manufacturer part as the 'in use' part to resolve the warning.
Updating from the library does not pull the most up-to-date symbol/footprint data for a given component. So far, there does not appear to be a way to do this, even though the component itself has been updated to use the correct references. This may be related to the general delays and consistency/reliability issues with the online link.

Likelihood to Recommend

Verified User

Engineer in Engineering (51-200 employees)

Vetted Review