Softwr

CAD · head to head

Altium 365 vs Vectorworks

Altium 365 logo

Altium 365

CAD

Cloud workspace for Altium Designer PCB projects, now inside Renesas

From
$1990/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vectorworks logo

Vectorworks

CAD

Design software for the AEC industry

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Altium 365 the 1,990 US dollar Altium Develop entry price is capped at five authors in total, so a growing team hits a forced migration to Agile Teams with unpublished pricing exactly when headcount is rising.; Vectorworks pricing not visible on homepage; no rate disclosure in cached vendor content
  • They diverge on capability: Altium 365 covers Shared workspace, Vectorworks covers BIM modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Altium 365 and Vectorworks actually diverge.

Attributes where Altium 365 and Vectorworks differ
AttributeAltium 365Vectorworks
Starting price$1990/year$29/month
Pricing modelPer user per yearsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Cloud, On-premiseWindows, MacOS
FoundedUnknown1985

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Altium 365

  • Shared workspace
  • Managed components
  • Browser review
  • Unlimited workspace users
  • MCAD CoDesigner
  • Manufacturing portal
  • Requirements Portal
  • BOM Portal

Only in Vectorworks

  • BIM modeling
  • 2D/3D design
  • Documentation
  • Rendering
  • GIS integration
  • Entertainment design
  • Landscape tools
  • Lumion

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Altium 365

  • A hardware startup where two engineers draw boards but eight people need to review them, avoiding eight CAD seatsnot Vectorworks
  • A team handing fabrication and assembly data to a contract manufacturer as a versioned release rather than a zip of Gerbersnot Vectorworks
  • A company running board and enclosure design in parallel and needing bidirectional geometry exchange with mechanical CADnot Vectorworks
  • A buyer checking component lifecycle and availability against the live BOM before a design is frozennot Vectorworks

Vectorworks

  • BIM (Building Information Modeling) design for architecture and constructionnot Altium 365
  • 3D landscape design and site planning with terrain modelingnot Altium 365
  • Stage lighting and event production design softwarenot Altium 365
  • CAD architectural drawing and technical documentationnot Altium 365
  • 2D/3D drafting for interior design and kitchen/bath layoutsnot Altium 365

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Altium 365

  • The 1,990 US dollar Altium Develop entry price is capped at five authors in total, so a growing team hits a forced migration to Agile Teams with unpublished pricing exactly when headcount is rising.
  • Add-on portals are expensive per seat; BOM Portal has been quoted at around 1,999 US dollars per user per year and MCAD CoDesigner at around 499, so the real cost of a working configuration is well above the headline.
  • It is tied to Altium Designer; there is no meaningful use of the platform for teams designing in KiCad, OrCAD or Allegro, which makes it a lock-in decision rather than a tooling one.
  • Renesas acquired Altium in 2024, and a semiconductor manufacturer owning the design tool used to select competing semiconductors is a conflict some buyers will want addressed in writing before uploading a library.
  • Repeated repackaging, from Altium 365 Standard and Pro tiers to Altium Develop and Agile Teams, has made renewal comparisons difficult and customers have found their previous tier no longer maps to anything on the price list.

Vectorworks

  • Pricing not visible on homepage; no rate disclosure in cached vendor content

Pricing, plan by plan

Altium 365

$1990/year
  • Altium Develop$1990/year
    • One Altium Designer author licence
    • One workspace for shared projects and libraries
    • Unlimited workspace users for review, comment, tasks and BOM access
  • Altium Agile Teams$undefined/year
    • For teams beyond five ECAD authors
    • Extended workspace governance and administration
    • Quoted, no published price
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • On-premise or private cloud workspace server
    • Formal ECO and lifecycle governance
    • Quoted, no published price

Vectorworks

$29/month
  • Architect$2495/month
    • BIM
    • Architecture tools
  • Landmark$2495/month
    • Landscape design
    • GIS
  • Design Suite$3295/month
    • All modules combined

Which should you pick?

Choose Altium 365 if

  • You need shared workspace.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Cloud, On-premise.
  • You also want managed components.
Altium 365 review

Choose Vectorworks if

  • You need bim modeling.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS.
  • You also want 2d/3d design.
Vectorworks review

Questions people ask

Is Altium 365 or Vectorworks better?
Neither clearly leads. Altium 365 starts at $1990/year and Vectorworks at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Altium 365 or Vectorworks?
Altium 365 starts at $1990/year and Vectorworks at $29/month.
Does Altium 365 or Vectorworks run on more platforms?
Altium 365 runs on Web, Windows, Cloud, On-premise. Vectorworks runs on Windows, MacOS.
What is Altium 365 best used for?
Altium 365 is most often used for a hardware startup where two engineers draw boards but eight people need to review them, avoiding eight cad seats, a team handing fabrication and assembly data to a contract manufacturer as a versioned release rather than a zip of gerbers, a company running board and enclosure design in parallel and needing bidirectional geometry exchange with mechanical cad, a buyer checking component lifecycle and availability against the live bom before a design is frozen. Of those, a hardware startup where two engineers draw boards but eight people need to review them, avoiding eight cad seats and a team handing fabrication and assembly data to a contract manufacturer as a versioned release rather than a zip of gerbers are not what Vectorworks is typically brought in for.
What can Altium 365 do that Vectorworks cannot?
Altium 365 covers Shared workspace, Managed components, Browser review, Unlimited workspace users. Vectorworks covers BIM modeling, 2D/3D design, Documentation, Rendering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Altium 365: Is Altium 365 free with Altium Designer?

A workspace is included with a current subscription, but the higher tiers, extra authors and the add-on portals are chargeable. The unlimited non-author users are genuinely included.

Vectorworks: How much does Vectorworks cost?

Vectorworks pricing is not displayed on its homepage. The vendor directs users to contact a distributor or reseller for subscription rates.

Source
Altium 365: What does it cost?

Altium Develop starts at about 1,990 US dollars a year for one author plus a workspace, with extra authors at 995 US dollars each up to four more. Larger teams are quoted.

Vectorworks: Does Vectorworks offer a free trial?

Vectorworks directs potential users to contact a distributor to inquire about trial versions. Trial availability is not mentioned on the website.

Source
Altium 365: Who owns Altium now?

Renesas Electronics completed its acquisition of Altium in 2024. Altium 365 is therefore a Renesas-owned platform.

Vectorworks: What is the cost of Vectorworks training and education?

Vectorworks University offers customizable training through online seminars, regional classes, and onsite sessions, but pricing is not published on the website.

Source
Altium 365: Can I keep design data on my own servers?

Yes, through the Enterprise on-premise workspace server, but that is a quoted product and most of the newer portal features assume the hosted platform.

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