Altium Designer vs FreeCAD
On the evidence we track, FreeCAD leads this comparison with a composite score of 67/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for cad software. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
Altium Designer
Altium Designer is a comprehensive electronics design platform that combines schematic capture, PCB layout, circuit simulation, and manufacturing preparation. It integrates with Altium 365's cloud workspace to enable secure real-time collaboration, version control, and design data management for electronics development teams.
FreeCAD
LeaderFreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeling application that enables users to design real-world objects with precise dimensions and parameters. It supports bidirectional 2D-to-3D workflows, includes specialized workbenches for various domains (mechanical design, architecture, CAM), and seamlessly integrates with numerous file formats.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
Altium Designer
From $995/year for individual designer. Free 30-day trial. Team and enterprise editions available with additional applications priced per-user or per-organization.
- Altium Develop$995/year for 1 author; add authors at $995/year each up to 5 total
- Altium Designer desktop license
- Altium 365 workspace
- Unlimited workspace viewers
- ECAD-MCAD co-design
- Version control
- +2 more
- Advanced MCAD CoDesigner$499/user/year
- MCAD tool synchronization
- Assembly AssistantFrom $999/user/year
- Assembly workflow guidance
- BOM Portal$1999/user/year
- Supply chain monitoring
- Part health tracking
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
Altium Designer
- Altium 365
- EAGLE
- KiCad
- OrCAD
- PADS
- Zuken CR-5000
- Siemens NX
- Autodesk Inventor
- Onshape
- Arena
- Duro
- Jira
- Slack
- SiliconExpert
- Z2Data
FreeCAD
Leader- STEP
- IGES
- STL
- SVG
- DXF
- OBJ
- IFC
- DAE
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.