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OrCAD X vs Horizon EDA: catalog facts
OrCAD X	Horizon EDA
Best for: Electrical engineers and small teams designing professional printed circuit boards	Best for: Design circuit boards from schematics through manufacturing files
Paid Paid licences in three editions, with a free trial.	Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and external services are separate.
Windows	Windows, Linux
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	Includes parts management, interactive routing and design-rule checks.
Commercial licences, with advanced features in higher editions More than hobby projects usually need	Desktop builds target Windows and Linux.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
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 OrCAD X orcad.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Horizon EDA github.com/horizon-eda/horizon github.com/horizon-eda/horizon/blob/master/LICENSE Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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