Compare software

Altium Designer vs OrCAD X: catalog facts
Altium Designer	OrCAD X
Best for: Professional PCB design suite covering schematics, layout, and simulation	Best for: Electrical engineers and small teams designing professional printed circuit boards
Paid Commercial license; no free tier.	Paid Paid licences in three editions, with a free trial.
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	Schematic, simulation and PCB layout in one suite SPICE and mixed-signal analysis in higher editions All 3 strengths for OrCAD X Schematic, simulation and PCB layout in one suite SPICE and mixed-signal analysis in higher editions Free trial and a viewer available
Expensive commercial licensing aimed at professional teams, not hobbyists Windows-only, with a steep learning curve for newcomers to PCB design	Commercial licences, with advanced features in higher editions More than hobby projects usually need
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	Not stated if it works offline
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 OrCAD X orcad.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026

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