Altium Designer Reviews & Product Details

The company has upgraded from PADS to Altium and this feels like buying a Ferrari.

Differential pair routing and multi-layer board design using layer stack managet has helped us get through EMC testing.

ActiveBOM is a fantastic feature in assisting with REACH/RoHS requirements.

Tool is very esay to use and is intuitive, great integration with manufacturer part seach and schematic design.

There are lots of guide videos with good commentary.

I now use Altium pretty much every day and happy to continue doing so.

I like that there are frequent software updates. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

So far we have not seen any issues with Altium. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

My favorite things about Altium designer is its intuitive platform and relatively easy to use features. From my experience of Altium, I would say that it has a relatively steep learning curve (compared to other software I have used). The curve is very rewarding however. If someone learning Altium takes the time to learn all of the keyboard shortcuts and hidden (but necassary) features, the time and effort that goes into PCB design can be cut in half.

I especially like the Altium 365 environment. It has enabled me and my team to work colaboratively together on many projects. My superiors are able to view and comment on my work remotely. This is very helpful for a team scenario.

I also really like the "Manufacturer Part Search" feature. With previous softwares I have used, every component needs to be loaded separately which creates a whole file management nightmare and takes a lot of time. The ability to have many common components already on altium is very refreshing and saves a bunch of time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One thing I would say that can be improved is adding more components to the "Manufacturer Part Search." Another thing, which may be a little niche for my scenario, is making the software somewhat easier to navigate without a mouse. I work a lot from my laptop and do not always have a mouse with me. Right clicking and dragging on a mouse pad is incredibly obnoxious (mostly the laptop designers fault not altium). My only other suggestion comes when defining board size. Recently I needed a board that was exactly 50mm x 50mm. It can be really hard to draw lines that are exactly a certain size. My solution was to set the grid size to 1mm and just figure it out. It could be cool to have a display of how long your line drawings are or the dimensions of the figure you have drawn. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

For me, the more valuable characteristic of Altium Designer is its user friendly interface. It makes complex PCB designs much more manageable and efficient. I’ve been using this software since my university days, back when it was called Protel 98. The integration of schematic capture, layout design, and simulation is another big plus. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The main downside is the high cost of the license, which might not be affordable for small businesses or individual users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Altium Designer comes with everything you need to get a design entered and laid out in one tool. You don't have to pay for additional functions - it's all there. Schematic integration with large part databases with pricing and availability and powerful manufacturing BOM generation is very slick. SPICE is there for analog simulation. Layout with Altium is great with support for matched length routing, controlled-impedance, differential pairs, guided manual and auto routing. It's a real time-saver once you learn how to use it. The way 3D mechanical models are integrated into the design and output for use in mechanical design is very helpful. Altium Designer is by far the best electronic design tool I've ever used. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The price can be high, but there are some attractive options to make it more affordable. When you consider what you would pay for other tools with similar features it's not unreasonable. The CAD world has been moving toward a subscription model for some time now and that can help to manage budgets. Customer support is not as fast as some others, but their staff is very knowledgable and helpful and there is a hugh user base to draw on for support. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Learning Altium designer is such a nice experience, I feel that many of the features that you feel like its nice to have, are already imlemented and getting to use them is also very easy with a couple of online searches, Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Only time I felt that Altium is missing something is schematic and erber compare integreated, But that has been done in the last two years and I can seemlessly compare designs from altium web view. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Altium provides all the tools needed to design complex PCBAs all in one package. I like how centralized all the features are and the interface. You can do part/library creation, schematic capture, and PCB layout all in one tool, which facilitates both design as well as other tasks, like board review or debugging a boad/bringup. I have used it for 10+ years and it is now my tool of choice. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Some of the licensing options are very complicated to understand. For example, Altium Nexus licenses can be very complicated, so much so that even the reps sometimes get confused! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It offers a wide range of tools for PCB design, simulation, and verification in a single platform. Also, it has an user-friendly interface with customizable workspaces that streamline the design process. Personally I like that it has an excellent integration with mechanical CAD tools, particularly SolidWorks, for ECAD-MCAD collaboration. Lastly, it is used in a wide variety of industries, which gives its users a high value in multiple industry domains. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Being a specialized software, Altium Designer can be complex and feature-rich, which may overwhelm beginners. Additionally, more complex designs require significant system resources, potentially leading to performance issues on less powerful machines. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I found it easy to migrate from Cadence. Customer support was good when I needed it on one occasion. I use it most days and when I need to find out about a new feature tehre is plenty od on line help. It works well with my CAD package as it can import DXF and step files. I was up and running in a few days from cold. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

So far it has all been positive experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Altium Designer is hands down one of the best tools out there for PCB design. The way it keeps adding new features and tools just makes life so much easier. The whole design experience is smooth, and the ERC (Electrical Rule Check) is like having a buddy who catches your mistakes before they turn into big problems. I really love using harnesses—they make connecting everything so much cleaner and more straightforward.

One of my favorite things is how you can create libraries straight from existing schematics. It saves so much time and hassle, cutting out a lot of repetitive work. The multilayer interface is also super easy to work with, letting you manage complex designs without losing your mind. Altium Designer just gives you that feeling of control, making it easier to get your projects right the first time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

As much as I love Altium Designer, it's not all sunshine and roses. The learning curve can be pretty brutal, especially when you're just starting out. The massive UI, while packed with tools, can feel overwhelming at first. I think having more informative tooltips as a default would be a huge help for new users. It would make navigating the software a lot easier and save people from constantly hunting for what they need.

Another thing that could be improved is the design check process. It’s powerful, but it’s not the most user-friendly. For someone new to ECAD, it can be tough to figure out all the tools at your disposal, and that can lead to wasted time and a lot of frustration. Making this process more intuitive would go a long way in keeping users sane as they get up to speed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about Altium Designer is its unified design environment, which integrates schematic capture, PCB layout, and component management seamlessly. The software's advanced tools for high-speed design and 3D visualization are incredibly powerful. Collaboration features like Altium 365 facilitate real-time sharing and teamwork. Customizability and automation options streamline workflows, while the comprehensive component libraries save time. Overall, its intuitive interface enhances productivity and design accuracy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The thing that frustrates me about Altium designer is that the subscription fee is too high and beginner designers like me find it hard to afford it. Also as the features are many and hard to understand it would be great if there are more free online courses on the tool. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.