Allegro vs OrCAD: What's the Difference?

Both Allegro and OrCAD are PCB design platforms from Cadence Design Systems. While they share some DNA, they target different market segments and offer distinct capabilities.

OrCAD: The Mainstream Solution

OrCAD is Cadence's mainstream PCB design platform, suitable for a wide range of applications from simple to moderately complex designs.

Key Features:

• OrCAD Capture for schematic entry
• OrCAD PCB Editor for board layout
• PSpice for analog/mixed-signal simulation
• Constraint-driven design with basic rules
• Good library management
• Integration with manufacturing outputs

Target Users: Small to medium companies, individual engineers, designs up to moderately complex boards.

Price Range: $500 - $10,000+ depending on configuration.

Allegro: The Enterprise Solution

Allegro PCB Designer is Cadence's flagship product for complex, high-speed, and high-density designs.

Key Features:

• Advanced constraint management system
• Sophisticated high-speed design tools
• Multi-gigabit interface support (DDR4/5, PCIe Gen4/5)
• Advanced 3D planning and analysis
• Team design capabilities
• Signal/power integrity analysis integration
• RF and mixed-signal design support

Target Users: Large enterprises, complex designs, high-speed digital, RF applications, semiconductor companies.

Price Range: $15,000 - $50,000+ for full configuration.

Key Differences

Feature	OrCAD	Allegro
Constraint Management	Basic	Advanced
High-Speed Design	Limited	Comprehensive
Team Collaboration	Basic	Advanced
Signal Integrity	Add-on	Integrated
Power Integrity	Limited	Full support
RF Design	No	Yes
3D Analysis	Basic	Advanced
Price	$$$	$$$$$

Scalability Path

One advantage of the Cadence ecosystem is the upgrade path. You can start with OrCAD and migrate to Allegro as needs grow. Database formats are compatible, making the transition relatively smooth.

When to Choose OrCAD

• Budget constraints
• Designs under 10-12 layers
• Moderate signal speeds (under 5 Gbps)
• Individual designer or small team
• Strong simulation needs with PSpice

When to Choose Allegro

• Complex multi-layer designs (16+ layers)
• High-speed interfaces (DDR4/5, PCIe, USB4)
• Large design teams needing collaboration
• Designs requiring signal/power integrity analysis
• RF and mixed-signal applications
• Enterprise-level compliance requirements

Conclusion

OrCAD provides excellent value for mainstream designs and is sufficient for most applications. Allegro is justified when dealing with leading-edge technology, complex constraints, or enterprise requirements. Many organizations start with OrCAD and upgrade to Allegro when project complexity demands it.