Compare software

Altium Designer vs DipTrace: catalog facts
Altium Designer	DipTrace
Best for: Professional PCB design suite covering schematics, layout, and simulation	Best for: Electronics engineers designing circuit boards on a perpetual license
Paid Commercial license; no free tier.	Paid Perpetual licenses, with a trial version available to download.
Windows	Windows
Covers the full workflow from schematic and simulation to layout and manufacturing files Widely used in professional electronics teams, so training and library resources are plentiful	Real-time design rule checking with detailed constraints Push-and-shove routing that keeps traces attached when parts move All 4 strengths for DipTrace Real-time design rule checking with detailed constraints Push-and-shove routing that keeps traces attached when parts move Differential pair routing with length and phase rules Perpetual licensing instead of a subscription
Expensive commercial licensing aimed at professional teams, not hobbyists Windows-only, with a steep learning curve for newcomers to PCB design	Commercial software beyond the trial Only a Windows installer is shown on the site
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Altium Designer altium.com/altium-designer Catalog checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for DipTrace diptrace.com Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.