As of May 2025, the current stable version is 25.3.3, released in April 2025. The program runs on Microsoft Windows and is optimized for 64-bit systems.
Altium Designer Official Website
The history of Altium Designer began in 1985 when the company (then known as Protel Systems Pty Ltd) released a DOS-based PCB design tool called Protel PCB, which later evolved into the Autotrax and Easytrax products.
Initially, Protel PCB was sold only in Australia, and from 1986 it became available in the USA, Canada, and Mexico under the name Tango PCB through ACCEL Technologies, Inc.
Altium Designer encompasses four main functional areas:
1. Schematic Design
- Powerful tools for creating electronic device schematics
- Real-time electrical rule checking
- Rich component library with parameterized models
- Hierarchical design for complex circuits
- Ability to create and reuse schematic fragments (Snippets)
- Support for multi-channel circuits
2. 3D PCB Design
- Board editing in a real 3D environment
- Mechanical collision checking
- Photorealistic visualization of the final produc
- Support for flexible and rigid-flex boards
- Various routing strategies (differential pairs, high-speed signals)
- Signal integrity management and simulation
3. FPGA Development
- Basic tools for FPGA design
- Integration of FPGA projects with PCB
- Pin configuration synchronization
- HDL support (VHDL, Verilog)
- Simulation and verification capabilities
Note: FPGA functionality in recent versions has limited development as Altium focuses on other design aspects. For new complex FPGA projects, it is recommended to use specialized platforms (Xilinx Vivado, Intel Quartus, Lattice Diamond) and use Altium Designer for integrating ready-made FPGA solutions into PCB projects. This approach allows leveraging the advantages of both types of tools: specialized tools for FPGA logic development and Altium Designer's powerful capabilities for integration and board design.
4. Data and Release Management
- Project version control
- Component library management
- Generation of manufacturing files (Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581)
- Integration with product lifecycle management (PLM) systems
- Modules for revision and variant management
Minimum System Requirements: Windows 10 (64-bit), Intel i5 or AMD equivalent processor, 8 GB RAM, 5 GB free disk space, DirectX 11 compatible graphics card with 1 GB video memory, Display with 1600×900 resolution.
Recommended System Requirements: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit), Intel i7 (or AMD equivalent) processor with 3.0 GHz or higher, 32 GB RAM (for complex projects), 10 GB free space on SSD drive, DirectX 11 compatible graphics card with 4 GB video memory, Two displays with 1920×1080 resolution or higher, High-speed internet connection for full Altium 365 functionality.
Note: Support for 32-bit operating systems has been discontinued in recent versions of Altium Designer.
A typical design workflow in Altium Designer includes:
Specification — defining device requirements
Schematic design — creating the electrical circuit
Component management — selecting and configuring components
PCB development — placing components and routing traces
Simulation and analysis — checking circuit operation and signal integrity
3D visualization — checking mechanical compatibility
Documentation generation — creating manufacturing files
Release and manufacturing — transferring data to board manufacturers
Altium Designer is built on the DXP (Design eXploration Platform), which provides a unified environment for various design tools. The program's architecture is modular, allowing the integration of various components into a single workspace.
Key architectural characteristics:
Modularity: Different functional components are implemented as separate modules operating within a unified platform
Unified environment: Schematic editor, PCB editor, library components, and other tools are integrated into a single interface
Object-oriented approach: Components, connections, and other elements are represented as objects with properties and relationships
Extensibility: Support for scripts and plugins allows functionality extension through API
Client-server interaction: Support for cloud services through Altium 365
Altium Designer provides a powerful application programming interface (API) that allows creating custom extensions and automating workflows:
COM/Automation interfaces: Provide access to system objects from external applications
Plugin SDK: Official development package for creating full-fledged extensions
Scripting language support: DelphiScript, JavaScript, C# and VBScript for automation
Version control system integration: Ability to create plugins for Git, SVN and other VCS
Database interaction: API for working with SQL and other data formats
The program is developed using various programming languages, including Delphi, C++, and C#. Graphical rendering is implemented through DirectX for the PCB editor and GDI/GDI+ for the schematic editor, providing fast and high-quality visualization even for complex projects.
Altium Designer integrates with numerous component distributors to access the latest manufacturer data. This provides up-to-date information on availability, pricing, and technical specifications of components directly during the design process.
The program supports export to STEP format for integration with MCAD systems, allowing verification of electronic component compatibility with mechanical constraints of the device enclosure. Two-way integration is available with MCAD systems such as: SolidWorks, Inventor, PTC Creo, Siemens NX.
Altium 365 is a cloud platform that complements Altium Designer functionality, providing:
- Real-time collaboration on projects
- Secure storage and project management
- Integration between electronic and mechanical design
- Access to projects from any device via web browser
- Simplified data exchange between engineers, suppliers, and manufacturers
Workspaces: centralized project and team management
Control Center: access and release process management
Live Design: collaborative project review and editing in the browser
Release View: management of release and manufacturing processes
Fabrication Outputs: preparation and exchange of manufacturing files
Altium Designer uses proprietary binary formats:
*.SchDoc — for schematic files
*.PcbDoc — for printed circuit board files
*.PrjPcb — the main project file that unifies all project documents
*.IntLib — for integrated libraries
The program also supports import and export of various PCB and CAD data exchange formats, including: AutoCAD formats (.dwg/.dxf), ISO 10303-21 STEP (for 3D models), Gerber and Extended Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, IDX (data exchange with MCAD).
Over the past 35 years, Schematic Editor has evolved from a basic diagramming tool to a full-fledged intelligent design environment.
1985-1990: First versions (Protel) — basic schematic drawing capabilities, simple component libraries, text annotation, and primitive schematic printing
1990-2000: Introduction of hierarchical designs and libraries, release of Windows versions, emergence of first verification tools (basic ERC), support for buses and component connections to buses
2000-2010: Integration with PCB and simulation, advanced design rules, introduction of bidirectional synchronization between schematic and board, interactive hints and error messages
2010-2020: Cloud components, team collaboration, scalable integration, implementation of Altium 365, multi-channel design, automatic project variant management
2020-2025: Artificial intelligence for component suggestions, automated checks, expanded simulation, deep integration with mechanical CAD systems, ML optimization of schematics, collaborative analysis and real-time development
Interesting Fact: The first version of Protel (Altium Designer's predecessor) took up only 1.44 MB on a floppy disk! Today, Altium Designer 2025 includes over 5 GB of data, including libraries, templates, and training content.
The editor has evolved alongside the needs of electronics engineers, responding to the challenges of increasingly complex projects and technologies.
| Feature | Altium Designer 2025 | KiCad 7.0 | OrCAD 2023 | EAGLE 9.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bidirectional synchronization with PCB | ✓✓✓ (instant) | ✓ (limited) | ✓✓ (requires ECO) | ✓ (limited) |
| Hierarchical levels | Up to 99 | Up to 10 | Up to 20 | Up to 8 |
| Built-in SPICE simulator | ✓✓✓ (including AC/DC/Transient) | ✗ (requires external tools) | ✓✓ (basic) | ✗ (only through LTSpice) |
| AI component recommendations | ✓✓✓ (considering cost and availability) | ✗ (absent) | ✗ (absent) | ✗ (absent) |
| Cloud collaboration | ✓✓✓ (Altium 365, full integration) | ✗ (Git only) | ✓ (limited) | ✓ (limited) |
| MCAD Integration | ✓✓✓ (bidirectional with Solidworks, Inventor, Creo) | ✓ (STEP export) | ✓✓ (basic) | ✓ (basic) |
| Project parameterization | ✓✓✓ (full) | ✗ (absent) | ✓ (basic) | ✗ (absent) |
| Starting price | $$$$ | Free | $$$ | $$ |
| Supported OS | Windows, Mac (via Parallels) | Windows, Linux, Mac | Windows | Windows, Mac |
Note: The number of "✓" symbols reflects the completeness of feature implementation compared to competitors (✓ - basic implementation, ✓✓ - enhanced implementation, ✓✓✓ - full, advanced implementation).
Altium Designer provides powerful logical representation of electronic circuits, enabling you to create everything from simple diagrams to highly complex schematics with precision and ease.
The software revolutionizes your workflow through comprehensive component management, offering seamless access to millions of components via integrated libraries and the Altium 365 platform, eliminating time-consuming searches for parts.
The intelligent electrical connection system further enhances productivity by automatically handling routing complexities and performing thorough verification, ensuring your designs are both efficient and error-free from the earliest stages.
Take your designs to new heights with support for multi-level hierarchical designs, allowing you to efficiently manage complex systems with up to 99 nesting levels that maintain perfect organization even in the most intricate projects.
The built-in SPICE simulation capability enables immediate circuit behavior analysis directly within the editor environment, eliminating the need for external tools and keeping your design process streamlined.
Accelerate your development timeline with template-based design features, including Device Sheets and Snippets that facilitate rapid design reuse while maintaining consistency across projects.
The powerful bidirectional synchronization between schematic and PCB ensures perfect harmony throughout your design process, with changes in either domain instantly reflected in the other through a sophisticated engineering change order (ECO) process that maintains design integrity at every step.
Additionally, the parameterization feature revolutionizes design flexibility by allowing you to create multiple design variants without duplicating schematics, saving valuable time and eliminating potential inconsistencies across different versions of your project.
The AI component selection assistant delivers intelligent recommendations for alternative components based on electrical parameters, market availability, cost, and compatibility with regulatory requirements such as RoHS and REACH.
This powerful feature analyzes your design needs and current market conditions to suggest optimal components that maintain functionality while potentially reducing costs and improving supply chain resilience.
Smart rule verification employs machine learning models trained on thousands of successful and problematic projects to detect potential issues early in the design phase. This proactive approach identifies subtle design flaws that traditional rule-based checks might miss, significantly reducing redesign cycles and accelerating time-to-market by preventing problems before they become costly mistakes.
Real-time signal integrity analysis continuously evaluates circuit parameters while you work, providing immediate warnings about potential issues with crosstalk or impedance mismatches. This dynamic assessment helps engineers make informed decisions during the design process, ensuring optimal performance of high-speed signals and reducing the need for extensive post-design troubleshooting.
The machine learning optimization engine offers sophisticated suggestions for design improvements, including optimized placement of critical components, enhanced power filtering, and reduction of electromagnetic interference. By leveraging patterns learned from successful designs, the system identifies opportunities to enhance performance, reliability, and manufacturability that might otherwise be overlooked during manual design processes.
Altium's ML models are trained on thousands of successful projects and simulation results. When analyzing your circuit, the system compares it with similar solutions from the database, considering electrical parameters, physical layout, and even noise patterns. Unlike conventional rule-based checks, AI can detect non-obvious problems, such as potential "hot spots" due to subtle parasitic capacitances. While AI provides powerful recommendations, the final decision always remains with the engineer.
Note: Some AI features are continuously evolving, as Altium regularly updates its ML models based on new data and feedback from engineers.
The Schematic Editor interface is built on a modern panel architecture that allows you to:
This approach makes the editor ideal for any design style.
1. Project Planning — defining the schematic architecture
2. Creating Sheets — organizing the schematic by functional blocks
3. Component Placement — selecting and positioning elements
4. Connections — laying out electrical connections
5. Annotation — adding labels, notes, and documentation
6. Verification — detecting errors through ERC
7. PCB Synchronization — transferring the design to the next phase
An engineer was developing a power filter for a sensitive analog device:
1. Created the filter circuit in Schematic Editor
2. Conducted AC analysis using the built-in SPICE simulator
3. Detected resonance at an unwanted frequency
4. Used Sensitivity Analysis to identify critical components
5. Optimized component values to achieve the desired characteristics
6. Confirmed results through Transient Analysis under various loads
This approach helped avoid noise and interference issues that would only be discovered during testing of the finished device, saving time and money on additional prototyping iterations.
PCB Editor — bidirectional synchronization with schematic
Component Library Manager — single source of truth for components
Output Job Files — automated documentation
Database Link — connection with corporate PLM/ERP systems
Altium 365 Platform — sharing schematics, collaboration with mechanical designers and tracking project history in the cloud
CAD Exchange — import/export with OrCAD, EAGLE, KiCAD
MCAD Integration — interaction with Solidworks, Inventor, Creo
Cloud Integration — Altium 365 for team development
Git Support — document-level version control
Harness Design — integration with Altium harness design tools
Altium Designer 2025 operates on a sophisticated client-server architecture powered by the X2 Integration Platform, an evolved framework that manages the user interface and orchestrates tasks across specialized server extensions. The platform functions as a central client module that delegates commands to dynamically linked library (DLL) server extensions, each handling specific design functions like schematic editing, PCB layout, or component management. This unified approach ensures seamless integration between design tools, while modern cloud collaboration is enhanced through Altium 365's integrated platform for real-time project sharing and version control.
At its foundation, Altium Designer 2025 features five core system servers—X2 Platform, Schematic Editor, PCB Editor, Workspace Manager, and Library Editor—each providing comprehensive APIs for third-party development. These APIs allow developers to programmatically access system functions and design objects, enabling custom extensions built with tools like Embarcadero Delphi, C++, or C#. Popular extensions include automated component placement tools, custom design rule checkers, and specialized output generators for manufacturing. Each extension is packaged as a DLL with configuration files: installation files (.INS) that define server settings and resource files (.RCS) that specify interface layouts, ensuring smooth integration without disrupting existing workflows.
For users seeking lighter customization options, Altium Designer 2025 includes a comprehensive scripting system supporting DelphiScript, Visual Basic, JavaScript, and EnableBasic. This environment enables designers to automate repetitive tasks like batch component updates, generate custom reports, and create specialized design validation routines without full SDK programming. The scripting system provides access to essential APIs, making it ideal for workflow optimization. Meanwhile, the complete SDK empowers advanced developers to create sophisticated extensions that maintain compatibility across the platform's object-oriented architecture, ensuring consistent performance and seamless integration with existing design tools.
Compared to other EDA tools, Altium Designer stands out in the following ways:
| Feature | Altium Designer | KiCad | Eagle | OrCAD | Autodesk Fusion Electronics | Siemens Xpedition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated environment | Complete | Partial | Partial | Complete | Complete | Complete |
| 3D visualization | Advanced | Basic | Limited | Limited | Advanced | Advanced |
| Library management | Advanced | Basic | Medium | Advanced | Medium | Advanced |
| Cloud integration | Altium 365 | Limited | Fusion 360 | Limited | Complete | Cloud PLM solutions |
| High-speed design support | High | Limited | Limited | High | Medium | Very high |
| Price range | $3,000-8,000/year | Free | $500-2,000/year | $2,500-5,000/year | $1,500-3,000/year | $10,000+/year |
| Learning curve | Medium-high | Medium | Low-medium | High | Medium | Very high |
| Target audience | Professionals/Corporations | Beginners/SMB | Beginners/SMB | Professionals/Corporations | SMB/Professionals | Large corporations |
Altium Designer offers various licensing options:
Commercial license — annual subscription of approximately $3,000-8,000, depending on configuration and region Academic licenses — special discounts for educational institutions (approximately 70-90% off the commercial price) Corporate licenses — multi-user licenses with enhanced management capabilities and support Trial version — free 14-day trial period with full functionality, available to all users after registration Startup program — special terms for startups and small businesses through the Altium Startup Program
Educational institutions can receive significant discounts through the Altium Academic Program. This license type includes a full set of features but is limited to non-commercial educational purposes only.
Note: Exact prices may vary; they should be verified on the official Altium website or through authorized partners.
Altium Designer is offered in several editions that differ in functionality and price:
| Features | Standard | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic schematic design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basic PCB design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3D visualization | Basic | Advanced | Full |
| High-speed board support | Limited | Advanced | Full |
| Altium 365 integration | Basic | Advanced | Full |
| Team collaboration tools | - | Basic | Advanced |
| PLM integration | - | Limited | Full |
| Library management | Basic | Advanced | Corporate |
| FPGA support | - | Basic | Advanced |
| Rigid-flex board support | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Price range (approximate) | $2,500-3,500/year | $4,000-6,000/year | $6,500-9,000+/year |
Note: Edition structure and functionality may change with new versions. Detailed information should always be verified on the official Altium website.
Advantages:
- Single integrated environment for all stages of electronics development
- Powerful tools for designing high-speed and multi-layer boards
- Realistic 3D visualization and design verification
- Integration with mechanical CAD systems
- Advanced component library and library management capabilities
- High-level analysis and simulation tools
- Team collaboration support through Altium 365
- Regular updates and continuous product development
- Large user community and extensive knowledge base
Limitations:
- High license cost compared to alternatives such as free KiCad
- Significant learning curve for beginners (approximately 2-3 months to achieve basic productivity)
- High resource requirements for complex projects (especially when working with 3D visualization of multi-layer boards)
- Works only on Windows platform (no native support for macOS or Linux)
- Limited FPGA design capabilities compared to specialized tools
- Some users find the interface overloaded with features
- Interface available only in English (officially), without full localization in other languages
- Altium 365 support cost can be an additional expense for small companies
Altium Designer is widely used in various electronics industries. Well-known companies and organizations that use Altium Designer:
NASA — for designing electronics for spacecraft, including rovers and satellites
Tesla — for developing electronic systems for electric vehicles and energy solutions
SpaceX — for designing rocket control systems and communication systems
Boston Dynamics — for robotics and robot control systems
Apple — for prototyping electronic components and research projects
Philips — for medical equipment and consumer electronics
Siemens — for industrial automation and control systems
Bosch — for automotive electronics and IoT devices
Numerous universities — for teaching, research, and student projects
Industry Applications of Altium Designer
| Industry | Typical Applications |
|---|---|
| Aerospace | Onboard electronics, communication systems, navigation equipment |
| Automotive | Engine control systems, infotainment, ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) |
| Medical | Diagnostic equipment, implants, patient monitoring |
| Telecommunications | Network equipment, antennas, 5G technologies |
| Industrial | PLCs, sensors, monitoring systems |
| Consumer | Home appliances, gadgets, computer peripherals |
| Military | Secure communication systems, radars, specialized devices |