What is the current price of Altium Designer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: jd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2015, 04:28:18 pm
content: Hi allI would like to know, what are people paying currently for Altium Designer?Also the "vault" if anyone uses it.ThanksJohn

author: daedalus
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 07:36:56 am
content: Hi John,As you are in UK too, you need to buy through premier EDA, who are the exclusive distributor for UK. Their prices include support services above and beyond what Altium directly offers.If you are a startup or new company ask about Altiums startup program, this gets you a full licence for Altium designer and support subscription for 1 year for just under £2k, with the option of paying the remainder to get a permanent seat at the end of the year. Its a good way to spread the cost out.Criteria are as follows:• Officially registered company, not older than 3 years• Max. annual revenue of 500.000 Euro• Max. 15 employees• Independent company, not a subsidiary of an existing company

author: jd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 05:26:34 pm
content: Hi,Thanks for the info, I was actually curious what the cost was in other places. The startup program is news to me, but unfortunately does not apply in my case.I also meant to ask about the annual maintenance, although it seems nobody is telling that either!Quote from: daedalus on August 19, 2015, 07:36:56 am

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 08:34:57 pm
content: In the US it's about $7k, give or take some room for negotiation; subscription $1-2k/yr (first year included in purchase).Tim

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2015, 08:37:25 pm
content: I seem to recall last year the 'list' price hit a pretty even $8K in the US including the first year of subscription. . .something like $6300 for the license and $1700/yr subscription. Some variation depending on which license model you opt for, and the sales reps seem to have some leeway.

author: jd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2015, 03:16:56 pm
content: Thanks guysJohn

author: ocset
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2019, 08:57:28 pm
content: Isnt it amazing that people pay this, even for pcb's that can easily be done in eagle.....people can more easily develop eagle skills, because they can afford to buy eagle and practice it at home.

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2019, 09:42:09 pm
content: Been there done that. I do not like Eagle.I liked DIP trace. And I have used Circuit Studio and it works.I just purchased Altium. I do engineering work and the people I work with also use Altium. Plus I like it on the whole. I have imported by Circuit Studio files into Altium with no problems.Nothing is perfect.Andy

author: Ribster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2019, 03:56:02 am
content: I just bought altium in belgium. They had a discount running where the first 2 years of subscription were free. It was 6K EUR ex. VAT

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 08, 2019, 04:29:43 am
content: Quote from: jd on August 17, 2015, 04:28:18 pmWhat day of the week is it?

author: Bassman59
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 11, 2019, 06:07:52 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on June 08, 2019, 04:29:43 amIt's a day that ends in "y."

author: cadguy68
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2019, 08:52:12 pm
content: Quote from: jd on August 17, 2015, 04:28:18 pmHow much U got ?

author: Pseudobyte
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2019, 06:16:31 pm
content: If you are a one man shop you can get Altium for around $4000 w/ 1 yr subscription included

author: ocset
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2019, 10:04:22 am
content: The yearly fees are around $1k (USA)?Surely there is a version that can be bought without any support where you dont have to pay subscription fees each year?(and of course you just dont get any updates etc).I worked for a company that hadnt payed their altium fees for the last few years.........nobody checked up on them...how do they know youve not payed fees.?

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2019, 01:54:57 pm
content: The license is indefinite, i.e., you buy and own the software (to the extent of your rights as given in the EULA). That includes use of anything similarly licensed, of note, access to the Altium component vault (at least with what version and amount of content is covered by your license).Subscription only entitles you to tech support and continued updates. When your subscription ends, you retain the right to whatever the latest release was at that time.Tim

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2019, 11:58:05 pm
content: In practice it may not be that indefinite. Time will come when that version of the software will not run on a new OS . Also it appears even if you have a license file, activation still may require online connection to Altium if you reinstall the software. Meaning Altium goes tits up, you are dead in the water.

author: Ribster
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2019, 09:02:52 pm
content: This is the main reason i run everything in a VM. It saves me the setup time. And you keep the configuration of your database and all the rest.

author: ajawamnet
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2019, 06:30:56 pm
content: If you use the standalone license you get an ALF file. I've tested installation on machines with dates well into the future and no internet connection. No problem reinstalling and running.If you download the full installers for the various versions it will allow you to install on older OS's. I have an XP box that runs AD15 (last version for XP support) and I can open 19.1.7 files with little issues. Going from 99SE is a bit weird, but I've been able to backvert newer 19 designs to P99SE. For hand builds I use an old addon called QualeCAD 9 no longer available) in AD6.9 that allows me to generate build sheets in PDF. I have little issues in opening AD19 files with the older AD6.9...More than I can say for Orcad.Orcad versions 16.6 and later will not open version 7 or older Orcad files (altium exports version 7). I have an old copy of Orcad 10 I use to bring stuff from Altium into Orcad. As to even older Windows for Orcad files (6.22 - 7) I had to go find an abandonware site that had the four installer floppys of Orcad 7.2 in order to open my files from the mid 1990's. As to Allegro, once opened and saved in version 17, you can no longer open in previous versions - sort of like Solidworks. That really sucks.Altium seems to be OK with dealing with being able to open newer and older versions as well as not having to deal with dongles or some cookie-jar BS that locks the install to a specific machine.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2019, 05:14:42 am
content: Anyone else received a 50% discount offer from Altium for v20 ?

author: Eternauta
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2019, 08:38:38 am
content: just received an offer for perpetual license: EUR 7800. Not really an irresistible offer

author: blackfin76
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2019, 02:23:44 pm
content: Quote from: Eternauta on November 16, 2019, 08:38:38 amThe problem with CAD tools is that they try to sell you the stuff like the software is doing all the work for you, of course it isn't.Prcices like these make that the tool is not suited for a lot of design work. If circuit board design was the only business you where in it might be the right price but engineering requires so much more investments to be made that is becomes more and more impossible for smaller companies to do product design.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2019, 09:47:16 am
content: I got my Altium 19 for about half price including 2 year's subscription. Even so, it is expensive software.It is bad news is you have a license and need another one for a contractor to help you during heavy workload for a couple of weeks. Altium should really consider renting the software, eg: $1K for 1 month for these cases, rather than someone having to fork out a small fortune for the full license.Buying licenses is not the best investment. If you invested $1K in Altium in 2011, your shares would be worth $387,000 now

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 24, 2019, 11:30:12 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on November 24, 2019, 09:47:16 amI almost invested $20k in Altium shares in 2011 (my payout from them for getting retrenched)(likely I wouldn't have put the full amount in, maybe $10k)But at the time it looked like the founder was finally going to run the company into the ground with the China move.No one predicted the hostile takeover and resurrection of the company.I thought about investing back in when the new CEO was in place and they got focused again, but didn't for whatever reason. Did take years to climb back though. I probably would have bailed at a couple of bucks and free-carried the rest. Still would have a been a huge win though. Oh well.