What Multisim Live does

Multisim Live is a web-based electronic schematic capture and SPICE simulation tool operated by Digilent, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Instruments Corp. (NASDAQ: NATI, Delaware, USA). The product enables users to design and simulate analog, digital, and power circuits directly in a browser without any local installation, targeting four primary user groups: students and educators in academic institutions, professional engineers and researchers needing accessible SPICE simulation, electronics hobbyists exploring circuit design, and educational institutions deploying classroom-wide licenses. The platform hosts public, reference, and group-shared circuits and integrates with NI ELVIS III hardware through the Measurements Live environment to compare simulated results against real-world measurements.

The technical stack centers on a Berkeley SPICE-based simulation engine running entirely in the browser. The Premium tier ships 5,034 components spanning BJTs (739), MOSFETs (2,124, including power MOSFETs), op-amps (298), and specialized power electronics parts, while the Basic tier exposes 125 components. Six simulation types are supported: Interactive, Transient, AC Sweep, DC Operating Point, DC Sweep, and Parameter Sweep. Digital features include configurable logic gates, mixed-mode circuitry, flip-flops and latches, seven-segment displays, and editable rise/fall times. Design export to desktop Multisim 14.x and SPICE netlist export provide portability; no public API or SDK is offered.

Monetization is a freemium subscription model — Basic (free, capped at 5 components per circuit and 4 circuits), Standard ($2.99/month or $29.99/year), and Premium ($9.99/month or $99.99/year) — supplemented by a Group Licenses Manager for classrooms and organizations with bulk discounts up to 60% off and centralized seat administration. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through multisim.com with self-service activation, plus direct institutional sales for group licensing. Critically, the company has announced that the Multisim Live online simulator will be shut down on September 15, 2026, with future Multisim development consolidated on the desktop platform only.

Name

Multisim Live

Legal name

National Instruments Corp.

Website

https://multisim.com

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Multisim Live is a web-based SPICE circuit simulator developed by Digilent, an NI subsidiary, serving students, educators, engineers, and hobbyists via freemium subscriptions and classroom group licensing. The online service is scheduled to shut down on September 15, 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) / Circuit Simulation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Training, Workshops & Masterclasses (Interactive Sessions) (MPAGAOAJ)

Keywords

• SPICE circuit simulation
• Electronic schematic capture
• Browser-based EDA tools
• Electronics engineering education
• Online circuit design

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription Tiers: Three-tier subscription model: Basic (free with limited features), Standard ($2.99/month billed monthly or $29.99/year), and Premium ($9.99/month billed monthly or $99.99/year). Annual billing offers 15% savings.
2. Group/Classroom Licenses: Bulk license purchases for classrooms and organizations with automatic discounts (up to 60% off), centralized license management, and collaboration tools for group members.
3. NI Multisim Integration: Users with NI Multisim 14 licenses that include Multisim Live Premium can access premium features by entering their serial number.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Multisim Live is a web-based electronic schematic capture and SPICE simulation platform that lets users design, simulate, and share circuits directly in the browser without any installation. It is offered in three subscription tiers (Basic free, Standard $2.99/month, Premium $9.99/month) with a 5,034-component premium library, six simulation modes, and integration with NI ELVIS III hardware for real-world measurement comparison. Group licensing is sold separately to classrooms and organizations with bulk discounts up to 60%.

Product overview

Multisim Live is a web-based SPICE circuit simulator offered by National Instruments (Digilent, an NI company). The product portfolio consists of the core Multisim Live web application with three pricing tiers: Basic (free with 4 circuits, 5 components per circuit), Standard ($2.99/month with 10 circuits), and Premium ($9.99/month with unlimited circuits and 5034 components). The product enables schematic capture and SPICE-based circuit simulation accessible from any browser. A Group Licenses Manager add-on provides centralized license management and collaboration features for classrooms and organizations with bulk pricing discounts. The platform also supports streaming data to Measurements Live for comparing simulations with real-world measurements using NI ELVIS III hardware. Note: Multisim Live will be shut down on September 15, 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multisim Live Web-based electronic schematic capture and SPICE-based circuit simulation tool that lets users design and simulate analog, digital, and power circuits in any modern browser on any device, with shareable interactive simulations and community circuit discovery. Targeted at electronics students, educators, hobbyists, and engineers; operated by Digilent, an NI company, with scheduled shutdown on September 15, 2026.
• Multisim Live Group Licenses Classroom and organization license bundle providing centralized seat management, group collaboration tools (shared circuits and discussions), and automatic bulk discounts up to 60% off. Sold directly to educational institutions and organizations for electronics and electrical engineering coursework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 5,034 components in Premium tier including specialized power electronics components
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NI (National Instruments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultisim Live is developed and maintained by Digilent, an NI company. The platform leverages NI's Multisim technology and integrates with the broader NI ecosystem including hardware products. The service is hosted under NI's infrastructure and uses NI accounts for authentication (now migrated to Digilent accounts).
• NI ELVIS IIIcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration between Multisim Live and NI ELVIS III hardware enables users to bridge the gap between theory and real-world hands-on learning. Users can simulate theoretical concepts in Multisim Live, prototype actual circuits with NI ELVIS III, and compare simulation results with real-world measurements inside the Measurements Live environment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• EasyEDA: EasyEDA is a web-based EDA platform offering schematic capture, SPICE simulation, and PCB design in the browser. It targets hobbyists, makers, and small-scale professional users, overlapping with Multisim Live's accessibility-first positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Synopsys (SaberRD): Synopsys Saber is a leading simulation platform for power electronics, automotive, and multi-domain system design. While focused on higher-end professional applications, it competes with Multisim Live's power electronics simulation features in advanced engineering markets.
• MATLAB / Simulink (MathWorks): MATLAB/Simulink provides multi-domain simulation including electrical circuit modeling (Simscape Electrical) widely used in academic and industrial settings. It competes with Multisim Live for engineering curricula and research applications, particularly in universities.
• Cadence (OrCAD / PSpice): Cadence's OrCAD and PSpice platforms are established professional EDA tools for schematic capture and SPICE simulation. They serve the same engineering and educational customer base as Multisim Live but at a much larger scale and with deeper enterprise features.
• Autodesk (Fusion 360 Electronics / EAGLE): Autodesk Fusion 360 Electronics and EAGLE provide schematic capture, SPICE simulation, and PCB design as part of broader mechanical/electronics design platforms. They compete with Multisim Live for educational and maker audiences seeking integrated design workflows.
• Keysight (Advanced Design System): Keysight ADS is a leading EDA platform for RF, microwave, and high-speed digital circuit simulation. While more specialized toward RF/microwave applications, it competes with Multisim Live in the broader electronics design and simulation market, particularly for advanced engineering use cases.

Direct peers

• Altair (PSpice): Altair offers PSpice, a direct SPICE-based circuit simulator with schematic capture capabilities. It is a direct functional competitor to Multisim Live in the analog and mixed-signal circuit simulation space used by both students and professional engineers.
• Texas Instruments (TINA-TI): TINA-TI is a free SPICE-based circuit simulation tool from Texas Instruments used for designing and testing analog circuits. It serves a similar student and engineer audience as Multisim Live's free and Standard tiers and is often used in educational settings.
• Falstad Circuit Simulator: Falstad is a free, browser-based interactive circuit simulator that runs in any modern browser without installation. It is the most direct free web-based competitor to Multisim Live, targeting similar educational and hobbyist users with interactive visualization.
• Analog Devices (LTspice): LTspice is a widely-adopted free SPICE circuit simulator from Analog Devices used by students, hobbyists, and professional engineers. It is the most direct substitute for Multisim Live's core circuit simulation functionality, with a much larger installed base in industry.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Multisim Live