Altium Designer
A single electronics design environment - from schematics to a 3D model of the finished product
Brief description
Altium is a world-renowned software company for the automated design of electronic devices and printed circuit boards. Altium develops a platform approach to electronics design: collaborative work of teams, a single context for requirements, components, manufacturing and project management - without unnecessary "exports/imports" and disparate tools. The main product is Altium Designer - a modern automated design environment for engineers in the field of electronics and circuit engineering.
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A single electronics design environment - from schematics to a 3D model of the finished product
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Yes, you can download Altium Designer from the official website as an installer or a trial version. The trial version is suitable for familiarising yourself with the interface, testing imports and evaluating PCB functions. A licence is required for ongoing commercial use. Unofficial builds may not receive updates and pose a risk to your design data. GEO-MENTOR can help you request a trial and select a legal configuration.
Altium Designer is generally suitable for a small team requiring schematics, PCBs, 3D models and manufacturing files. If two or more specialists are working on a project, it is worth adding Altium 365 Workspace or selecting Altium Develop. This will provide version control, browser-based review and managed releases. The exact Altium Designer licence depends on the number of users, the access method and cloud requirements.
Yes, Altium supports rigid-flex, multiple layers, bend zones, microvias and HDI rules. Engineers can visualise the board’s bend in 3D and check components relative to the enclosure. Gerber, ODB++ and IPC-2581 formats are available for manufacturing. Before routing, ask the manufacturer for acceptable bend radii, materials, thicknesses, via types and clearances. This reduces the risk of rework after the project has been handed over to the manufacturer.
Yes, Altium Designer can be integrated into ECAD–MCAD and PLM workflows. STEP is suitable for transferring board and enclosure geometry. Altium CoDesigner makes data exchange with supported MCAD systems more manageable. Altium 365 integrates with a range of PLM systems, including Windchill, Oracle Agile, Aras Innovator and Siemens Teamcenter. Before implementation, define data owners, revision rules and the direction of BOM synchronisation.
Altium recommends 32 GB of RAM for the latest versions. You will also need 64-bit Windows 11, a modern processor, an SSD and a graphics card with DirectX 11. A more modest configuration may suffice for a simple two-layer board. Multilayer projects, large libraries and 3D assemblies increase the system load, particularly when working on several projects simultaneously. Before upgrading your workstations, test a typical project on a single configuration.
Altium is an Australian electronics software developer that has been in operation since 1985. Its flagship ECAD platform covers the entire design cycle: schematic design, PCB layout, verification, 3D visualisation and documentation generation. The solution is used by over 100,000 engineers worldwide.
| ECAD system | Design approach | 3D and collaboration | Component Data |
| Altium Designer | Schematic, PCB, checks and file output in a single environment | Built-in 3D and the 365 cloud platform | Octopart with data on over 95 million components |
| KiCad | Free open-source system for schematics and PCBs | Built-in 3D viewer, external command-line tools | Official symbol and footprint libraries |
| OrCAD X | Tools for schematics, simulation and PCB design | 3D, browser-based viewing and enterprise features | Live BOM and procurement data |
| Autodesk EAGLE | Autodesk’s previous-generation PCB product | Work has been transferred to Fusion Electronics | Support will end on 7 June 2026 |
The key difference with Altium Designer is its unified project model, which links the schematic, PCB, components and manufacturing files. Engineers can update the PCB, check for 3D collisions and generate Gerber or ODB++ files without having to manually compile the data. Cloud-based tools add version control, comments and collaborative review, whilst Octopart helps to check component availability and lifecycle.
The Altium range is suitable for both individual engineers and large companies. Designer is used to create schematics, PCBs and manufacturing files; Altium 365 is used for collaboration; and Altium NEXUS is used for revision control, approvals and integration with PLM.
Altium Designer combines the creation of multi-page schematics, PCB design and the preparation of files for manufacturing within a single ECAD environment. The system’s tools cover the main stages of an engineer’s work:
The STEP model can be transferred to SOLIDWORKS – a 3D design solution – to check the board’s fit within the enclosure, connector placement and potential collisions. When routing an 8-layer board, interactive routing allows you to apply rules and adjust the trace immediately; however, the actual time saved compared to OrCAD depends on the project and the engineer’s experience.
Altium 365 stores projects, manages versions and simplifies collaborative review of schematics and PCBs. Engineers can leave comments, assign tasks and manage releases, whilst the free Altium 365 Viewer allows you to view PCBs and Gerber files directly in your browser. Integration with PLM and ERP systems makes the platform ideal for teams of two or more specialists.
Altium NEXUS combines the capabilities of Altium Designer with BOM, revision and component lifecycle management. The solution is suitable for companies with a team of 20 or more electronics engineers who need to manage approvals, procurement and data exchange with SAP or Oracle.
Altium Designer combines schematic design, PCB layout, rule checking, 3D visualisation and the preparation of manufacturing data within a single environment. A comparison of the key features of popular ECAD systems will help you understand which solution best suits your team’s needs.
| Parameter | Altium Designer | KiCad | OrCAD X | Autodesk EAGLE |
| Layer support | Up to 32 signal layers | Up to 32 copper layers | Depends on the edition | Up to 16 layers |
| 3D visualisation | Built-in 3D environment | Built-in 3D Viewer | Built-in 3D canvas | Basic features |
| Cloud-based working | Altium 365 | External Tools | OrCAD X OnCloud | Autodesk Fusion |
| Cost | Paid licence | Free open-source system | Paid licence | Sales and support have been discontinued |
| Libraries | Octopart with data on over 95 million components | Official KiCad libraries | Centralised library management | Standard and custom libraries |
| Main use case | Professional team-based development | Training, prototyping and personal projects | Corporate PCB design | Support for legacy projects |
This solution is suitable for professional teams requiring a unified environment, version control and integration of PCB designs with a cloud platform. Before downloading Altium Designer, it is worth assessing your requirements for collaboration and 3D verification, whilst KiCad is more commonly chosen for learning, hobby projects and projects with a limited budget.
GEO-MENTOR is an authorised partner that supports your project from product selection right through to the launch of your working environment. A request for an “licence Altium Designer” begins with an analysis of the number of users, the team’s tasks and collaboration requirements. Here’s exactly how it helps:
GEO-MENTOR integrates Altium, SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE, enabling it to establish an end-to-end ECAD – MCAD – PLM workflow and select CAD/PLM solutions tailored to your industry.