Online PCB Design Revolt: Who's going to Fill the Mid-Tier PCB Pro Design Tool Gap?

For months, I've been tracking online discussions that have been buzzing with frustration from PCB designers who grew up on Altium. Subscription hikes, the loss of perpetual licenses, and mandatory cloud workflows have left many feeling boxed in. As one designer bluntly put it:

“The mid-tier is dead. KiCad for basics, but nothing pro without breaking the bank.”

This isn’t just a bunch of online trolls; it’s a real problem affecting nearly a third of PCB designers who need an affordable, professional tool that works for individuals or small teams, whether on-premise or in the cloud.

At this year’s Microchip Masters, I think I found a surprising answer. Siemens quietly launched two new offerings built on their Xpedition platform: PADS Pro Essentials for solo designers or small teams, and Xpedition Standard for small firms seeking collaboration and constraints management, all underpinned with the same architecture and data workflow familiar and a flexible token-based model that keeps costs reasonable when you need limited access to something like Hyperlynx.

I reached out to David Haboud to learn more, and it was published earlier this week, taking a deeper dive into the subject. This just may be the mid-tier solution designers have been asking for...but I'll let you decide! I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the subject. Please comment below, on Substack, or email me directly at judy@theeecosystem.com

👉 Read the full article on Substack