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DesignSpark PCB vs OrCAD X: catalog facts
DesignSpark PCB	OrCAD X
Best for: Hobbyists and engineers designing circuit boards on a budget	Best for: Electrical engineers and small teams designing professional printed circuit boards
Free + paid options Free plan available, with paid Creator and Engineer plans that add advanced features.	Paid Paid licences in three editions, with a free trial.
Windows	Windows
Free plan without limits on layers, connections or schematic size Schematic capture and PCB layout in one program All 3 strengths for DesignSpark PCB Free plan without limits on layers, connections or schematic size Schematic capture and PCB layout in one program Interactive HTML BOM export and length-matching routing in higher plans	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
Several newer features are limited to paid plans Not open source	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 DesignSpark PCB rs-online.com/designspark/pcb-software Catalog checked September 24, 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.