| Software | Perpetual Cost (1 seat) | Subscription (Annual) | Target User | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | $9k – $12k | $2.5k – $3.5k | Professional EE | | Altium Designer | $7k – $9k | $3k – $3.8k | General PCB design | | KiCad (Open Source) | $0 | $0 | Hobbyists/Startups | | EAGLE (Autodesk) | Discontinued | $500 – $1k | Makers/Simple boards | | PADS Professional | $8k – $15k | $2.8k – $4k | Enterprise mixed-signal | | Allegro (Full) | $25k+ | $6k+ | Extreme high-speed |
The total cost is also influenced by how the license is managed and used: Time-Based Single User License (SUL)
OrCAD is slightly more expensive than Altium for equivalent features, but OrCAD handles very large hierarchical schematics better. Altium offers better "out of the box" PCB library management.
Because Cadence uses channel sales, almost everything is negotiable. Here is how to lower your OrCAD license cost:
Some resellers include a few hours of onboarding; others charge thousands for formal training sessions. Free and Low-Cost Alternatives
: While less common in modern software-as-a-service models, some perpetual licenses (where you own the software version indefinitely) for OrCAD PCB Designer Standard have been priced at approximately
Understanding the cost of OrCAD (now part of the Cadence design ecosystem) is notoriously difficult because the company does not publish a standard price list. Pricing is highly modular and depends on your industry, team size, and specific engineering needs.
: A complete PCB design solution for small teams or individuals. Annual leases start at $1,280 to $1,599 per year OrCAD X Professional