--- title: "PCB Design Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about PCB Design Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Engineering CAD products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/250565/PCB-Design/" page_type: "product" language: "en" --- # PCB Design Software Review 2026: Features, Reviews, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on September 16, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) PCB Design ## What is PCB Design? The Proteus Design Suite is a complete electronic design automation tool for professional PCB design, developed in the UK by Labcenter Electronics. Proteus combines schematic capture, PCB layout with shape based autorouting, support for high speed design and full manufacturing output (Gerber X2, ODB++) all in one integrated environment. One key differentiator is built-in simulation: mixed-signal SPICE, plus Virtual System Modelling (VSM), which co-simulates microcontroller firmware against the surrounding analogue and digital electronics. Engineers validate hardware and firmware together before fabrication. Sold under a perpetual licence with optional annual maintenance. No subscriptions, no cloud dependencies, full local data ownership. Scales from independent engineers through to design consultancies, manufacturers, and universities. Backed by direct technical support from the UK development team and a network of international distribution channels. ## What is PCB Design used for? [Engineering CAD](https://www.capterra.com/engineering-cad-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 3 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive \- Neutral \- Negative \- ### Starting price Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for PCB Design?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/proteus-design-suite/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### PCB Design 4.7 (3) VS. [4.6 (182)](https://www.capterra.com/p/175058/Altium-Designer/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price $1990 Per User, Per Year Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.0 (3) Ease Of Use 4.3 (182) Value For Money 4.5 (2) Value For Money 4.2 (158) Customer Service 4.5 (2) Customer Service 4.2 (143) ## PCB Design alternatives Highest Rated [AutoCAD](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) [4.7 (3,216)](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/reviews/) Starting price $250.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/265024/AutoCAD/) [Onshape](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/) [4.5 (357)](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/reviews/) Starting price $1500.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/164681/Onshape/) [Inventor](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/) [4.5 (279)](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/reviews/) Starting price $310.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 95% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/236745/Inventor/) [Civil 3D](https://www.capterra.com/p/199886/Civil-3D/) [4.4 (40)](https://www.capterra.com/p/199886/Civil-3D/reviews/) Starting price $320.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 90% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/199886/Civil-3D/) ## FAQs about PCB Design Overview ### What company size and specific industries is PCB Design built for? PCB Design is designed for electronics design engineers, hardware consultancies, product manufacturers, and higher education institutions that need professional PCB design with integrated simulation. It fits organizations of various sizes in electronics, manufacturing, consulting, and academic settings, especially those that want professional tools without subscription lock-in. Features and Usability ### What are the key features of PCB Design? PCB Design offers 2D Drawing and CAD Tools for board layout, plus Electrical, Mechanical, and Mechatronics design support. It includes Design Management, Version Control, and Configuration Management for revision control, along with Manufacturing Design Data, Content Library, Project Management, and Reporting/Analytics for documentation and tracking. Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does PCB Design offer? PCB Design provides live online sessions, documentation, and videos to help teams get started. Live online sessions support guided setup and instruction, documentation offers written reference material for later review, and videos provide visual walkthroughs of features and workflows. Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does PCB Design offer? PCB Design provides Email/Help Desk, FAQ/Forum, and a Knowledge Base for customer support. These channels give users direct assistance and self-service information, but no reviewer feedback is available here to describe response times, helpfulness, or common support frustrations. ## Features AI summary Based on 1,451 Engineering CAD reviews Capterra reviewers highlight these as the features buyers value most when comparing Engineering CAD software: - **CAD Tools** (**47%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **2D Drawing** (**41%**) - **Data Import/Export** (**37%**) PCB Design includes **CAD Tools** and **2D Drawing**, giving engineering teams the core functionality needed to create layouts, draft technical plans, and refine designs accurately. However, it does not offer **Data Import/Export**. Instead, it provides **Manufacturing Design Data** (**32%**), which supports production-focused workflows and helps move designs closer to fabrication. Together, these features help businesses improve design accuracy and give teams a clearer path from drafting to manufacturing. CAD Tools 4.0 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Computer aided design to create precision drawings or technical illustrations 2D Drawing 5.0 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Drawing and modeling designs within 2D flat dimensions Manufacturing Design Data 4.5 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Access to a library of manufacturing parts, models, and specs Content Library 4.5 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Centralized repository to store content and assets Reporting/Analytics 4.5 (2) 50.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Configurable Workflow 5.0 (1) 0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Configure existing workflows to meet your organization's needs PCB Design 15 features ### All Features - 2D Drawing: Drawing and modeling designs within 2D flat dimensions - CAD Tools: Computer aided design to create precision drawings or technical illustrations - Configurable Workflow: Configure existing workflows to meet your organization's needs - Configuration Management: Identify component attributes like servers, hardware, software, and manage relationships across all services - Content Library: Centralized repository to store content and assets - Data Visualization: Graphical representation of data - Design Management: Collaborate on creating a product by sharing and adjusting designs through a shared portal - Electrical: For electrical engineering - Manufacturing Design Data: Access to a library of manufacturing parts, models, and specs - Mechanical: For mechanical engineering - Mechatronics: Integration of electrical and mechanical engineering to create hybrid systems - Project Management: Plan and coordinate all the resources, costs and time needed to execute assignments - Reporting/Analytics: View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data - Version Control: Track revisions and updates made to files and navigate between different versions - Visual Analytics: Interact with data visualization elements, such as charts and graphs, to drill down into data --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.3 (3) 4.3 Based on 3 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.5 (2) ### Starting price Free trial not available Value for money 4.5 (2) 4.5 Based on 2 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.5 (2) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.5 (2) 4.5 Based on 2 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.7 Based on 3 reviews Filter by rating 5(2) 4(1) 3(0) 2(0) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent AN Armin N. Hardware Design Manager Broadcast Media ### "Hardware Design Engineer" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 March 17, 2023 Pros I like to design high speed and mixed signal multi layer PCBs. Cons I designed many Xilinx FPGA's PCBs up to 28 layers. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Vasilis A. team manager Higher Education ### "pcb design is another design program" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 December 11, 2022 Pros this software has vey good wire connection and very good simulation of the final design Cons i think for amateur users is little hard to learn it. the program enviroment can confused you someimes Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Panagiotis A. electrical engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing ### "One of the best pcb design tool with simplified user interface.Perfect to design electrical circuits" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 9, 2022 I m Electrical and Electronic Engineer and one of my jobs is to design pcb so the PCB design is a really useful tool for me . make everything easier really Pros As an Electrical and Electronic Engineer the pcb design(proteus) make my job easier, it's an essential part to design electronic design.The library is really huge, you can find so many components and you can connect the wires quickly and easy Cons the app is really good and friendly for the user,the one thing that need a little improvement is the interface because look older Switched from [SimScale](https://www.capterra.com/p/145960/SimScale/) the PCB design is a game changer with the connection of the wires. all the other apps like simscale you must check if the connections are correct Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. 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