OrCAD, Inc
OrCAD, Inc is a product line within Cadence Design Systems offering the OrCAD X Platform, an AI-enabled PCB design software suite targeting individual professional designers, growing engineering teams, and small-to-medium-sized businesses. It combines schematic capture, PCB layout, PSpice simulation, cloud collaboration, and supply chain intelligence into a tiered subscription offering.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What OrCAD, Inc does
OrCAD, Inc is a product line and brand within Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS), offering the OrCAD X Platform — an AI-enabled PCB design software ecosystem. The platform combines schematic capture (OrCAD X Capture), physical PCB layout (OrCAD X PCB Layout), analog and mixed-signal circuit simulation (PSpice), cloud-native data management and real-time collaboration (OrCAD X OnCloud), and AI-driven layout automation (Allegro X AI). The technology stack is differentiated by native integration with Ultra Librarian (18 million+ verified components from 2,500+ manufacturers, each passing 30+ verification tests) and OrCAD X Live BOM, which draws on Sourceability's Sourcengine and Datalynq platforms to deliver supply chain intelligence across 1.6 billion+ parts from 3,600 suppliers, enabling component availability checks, lifecycle risk identification, and REACH/RoHS compliance verification in-design.
The platform is sold as a tiered annual subscription across three editions — Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus — with the upper tiers adding collaboration, data management, and advanced SPICE/mixed-signal capabilities. Distribution combines a self-serve PLG channel (shop.cadence.com with free trials and academic licensing) with sales-assisted enterprise engagement. Target customers are individual professional designers, growing design teams, and small-to-medium-sized businesses, with startups as a secondary segment — explicitly positioning OrCAD X below Cadence's enterprise-focused Allegro platform. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise tiers and is not publicly disclosed. The company was originally founded as a standalone EDA vendor in 1985 and was acquired by Cadence Design Systems in 2012. OrCAD's standalone revenue is not separately disclosed, with operations consolidated within Cadence's System Design & Analysis segment.
OrCAD, Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OrCAD, Inc
- Legal name
- Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://orcad.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OrCAD, Inc is a product line within Cadence Design Systems offering the OrCAD X Platform, an AI-enabled PCB design software suite targeting individual professional designers, growing engineering teams, and small-to-medium-sized businesses. It combines schematic capture, PCB layout, PSpice simulation, cloud collaboration, and supply chain intelligence into a tiered subscription offering.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OrCAD, Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Developer Experience Platforms for Enterprise (IDEs, CI/CD, Dev Portals) (HDAEAKAI)
Keywords
Where OrCAD, Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
OrCAD, Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Licenses: OrCAD X software licenses sold as annual subscriptions or perpetual licenses with tiered editions (Standard, Professional, Professional Plus) targeting different user segments from individual designers to enterprise teams
- Cloud Services: OrCAD X OnCloud platform providing cloud-based collaboration, data management, and design viewing capabilities as part of the subscription or as standalone cloud service
- Training and Certification: Cadence provides training courses for PCB Design and Analysis including onboarding curricula and certification programs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Essential power for everyday PCB designs |
| Subscription | Annual | High-speed design with collaboration |
| Subscription | Annual | Maximum efficiency for SPICE/mixed signal |
| Subscription | Annual | Academic access for education |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
OrCAD, Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OrCAD, Inc offers the OrCAD X Platform, a comprehensive AI-enabled PCB design software suite combining schematic capture, PCB layout, analog/mixed-signal simulation (PSpice), and cloud-based collaboration and data management. The platform is sold in tiered editions (Standard, Professional, Professional Plus) on annual subscriptions and targets individual designers, growing design teams, and small-to-medium businesses involved in electronic product development from concept through manufacturing.
Product overview
OrCAD, Inc (a subsidiary of Cadence Design Systems) offers the OrCAD X Platform, a comprehensive and AI-enabled PCB design software ecosystem. The platform provides a modular architecture consisting of OrCAD X Capture (schematic design), OrCAD X PCB Layout (physical layout), PSpice (analog/mixed-signal simulation), OrCAD X OnCloud (cloud collaboration and data management), and Allegro X AI (AI-driven layout automation). The platform is available in three tiers (Standard, Professional, Professional Plus) and is complemented by free tools including a Viewer and Academic license. The OrCAD X Platform targets small to medium-sized businesses with flexible, scalable tools that adapt to workflows from concept through manufacturing, featuring native integrations with component libraries (Ultra Librarian, SnapMagic, SymacSys), supply chain tools (Sourcengine, Sourceability/Datalynq), and MATLAB/Simulink for system-level co-simulation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OrCAD X Platform Comprehensive AI-enabled PCB design software platform designed for fast-paced, quick-turn needs of small to medium-sized businesses, combining industry-proven technology with powerful automation for schematic design, PCB layout, simulation, and cloud collaboration.
- OrCAD X PCB Layout Modern, intuitive PCB layout environment built for speed, agility, and collaboration, featuring dynamic feedback, intelligent routing engines, context-aware design tools, integrated analysis, 3D viewer with STEP model support, and integrated DFM checks.
- OrCAD X Capture Industry's most widely adopted commercial schematic design solution with robust interface, dynamic ERC, integrated mixed-signal simulation, cloud-connected workflows, and integrations with Ultra Librarian, SymacSys, and SnapMagic, plus live BOM creation.
- PSpice Industry's most trusted analog, mixed-signal, and system-level circuit simulation solution supporting DC, AC, transient, Monte Carlo, smoke, worst-case, noise analyses, parametric sweeps, and co-simulation with MATLAB/Simulink.
- OrCAD X OnCloud Secure, cloud-native PCB data management platform providing centralized access to designs, libraries, and data with real-time co-design, markup, commenting, version control, enterprise-grade encryption, and a web-based schematic/PCB design viewer.
- Allegro X AI AI-assisted PCB layout solution combining artificial intelligence with design expertise to accelerate placement, power/ground pour creation, and critical routing while improving quality, consistency, and productivity with real-time optimization.
- OrCAD X Free Viewer Free viewer tool for viewing schematics and PCB designs without requiring a full OrCAD X license.
- OrCAD X Academic Free academic license program providing OrCAD X access to educational institutions and students learning PCB design.
Quantifiable outcome
- Design cycles accelerated through streamlined workflows and AI-driven automation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use OrCAD, Inc
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
OrCAD, Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability10 records
Feature12 records
OrCAD, Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Ultra LibrariancoreUltra Librarian, now part of Cadence, provides native integration inside OrCAD X offering access to over 18 million verified symbols, footprints, and 3D models from more than 2,500 manufacturers. Every model passes more than 30 verification tests and is built to IPC and ANSI standards.
- Sourceability (Datalynq, Sourcengine)coreSourceability's Sourcengine and Datalynq platforms power OrCAD X Live BOM providing real-time component insights and market intelligence on over 1.6 billion parts from 3,600 suppliers, enabling engineers to verify component availability, lifecycle risks, and compliance with standards such as REACH and RoHS.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OrCAD, Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Ansys: Ansys provides electronics simulation (HFSS, SIwave, Icepak) that complements PCB layout tools. While Ansys isn't a direct PCB schematic/layout competitor, it competes for the signal integrity and electromagnetic analysis budget that OrCAD X addresses through Sigrity X integration.
- Digi-Key Electronics (DKRed tool, Scheme-it): Digi-Key's free Scheme-it and DKRed tools target the hobbyist and SMB PCB design segments that OrCAD X serves, bundled with Digi-Key's massive component catalog. While not as feature-rich, they compete for the entry-level designer that OrCAD X Standard targets.
Direct peers
- Altium (now part of Renesas Electronics): Altium Designer is the leading PCB design tool for individual designers and small-to-medium teams — directly competing with OrCAD X in the same customer segments with similar schematic capture and PCB layout functionality. Now part of Renesas, Altium adds component sourcing and silicon ecosystem ties.
- Zuken: Zuken's CR-8000 and Cadstar product lines offer PCB and electronic system-level design tools directly comparable to OrCAD X. Zuken is a long-standing EDA peer with strong presence in automotive, aerospace, and industrial electronics verticals.
- Cadence Allegro X Design Platform: Allegro X is Cadence's flagship PCB design platform — a sister product to OrCAD X under the same parent. While positioned for enterprise/advanced packaging, Allegro X increasingly overlaps with OrCAD X through AI features (Allegro X AI) and cloud capabilities, making it both a peer and a portfolio companion.
- Autodesk Fusion 360 Electronics (formerly Eagle): Autodesk's Fusion 360 Electronics bundles schematic capture, PCB layout, and ECAD/MCAD collaboration — directly comparable to OrCAD X Capture and PCB Layout. Autodesk's mechanical CAD ecosystem offers a differentiated pitch for companies needing tight ECAD/MCAD integration.
Broad incumbents
- Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics): Siemens EDA offers PADS, Xpedition, and HyperLynx for PCB design, simulation, and manufacturing — directly overlapping OrCAD X across capture, layout, and analysis. As part of Siemens Digital Industries Software, it competes broadly in mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing software.
- Synopsys: Synopsys is a top-three EDA incumbent with a broad portfolio across chip design, verification, and increasingly PCB/systems-level design. While its PCB-specific tools are less prominent than Cadence's, Synopsys competes broadly for EDA budget and engineering mindshare.
Emerging players
- KiCad: KiCad is the leading open-source PCB design tool, gaining traction with hobbyists, startups, and SMBs — exactly OrCAD X's target segments. While lacking PSpice-grade simulation and Cadence's component library depth, KiCad's free price point and improving capabilities pose a structural threat to the low end of OrCAD's market.
- EasyEDA (by LCSC / JLCPCB): EasyEDA is a free/affordable web-based PCB design tool tightly integrated with JLCPCB's manufacturing and LCSC's component catalog — providing a streamlined design-to-fabrication workflow that competes directly with OrCAD X for startups and small teams.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
OrCAD, Inc social profiles
Digital presenceOrCAD, Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OrCAD, Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
OrCAD, Inc subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
OrCAD, Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OrCAD, Inc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A6 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OrCAD, Inc
What does OrCAD, Inc do?
OrCAD, Inc offers the OrCAD X Platform, a comprehensive AI-enabled PCB design software suite combining schematic capture, PCB layout, analog/mixed-signal simulation (PSpice), and cloud-based collaboration and data management. The platform is sold in tiered editions (Standard, Professional, Professional Plus) on annual subscriptions and targets individual designers, growing design teams, and small-to-medium businesses involved in electronic product development from concept through manufacturing.
Is OrCAD, Inc a public or private company?
OrCAD, Inc is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was OrCAD, Inc founded?
OrCAD, Inc was founded in 1985. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OrCAD, Inc based?
OrCAD, Inc is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does OrCAD, Inc make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are cloud Services and training and Certification.
Who are OrCAD, Inc's main competitors?
Others on record are Ansys and Digi-Key Electronics (DKRed tool, Scheme-it). Direct peers are Altium (now part of Renesas Electronics), Zuken, Cadence Allegro X Design Platform and Autodesk Fusion 360 Electronics (formerly Eagle). Broad incumbents are Siemens EDA (formerly Mentor Graphics) and Synopsys. Emerging players are KiCad and EasyEDA (by LCSC / JLCPCB).
Does OrCAD, Inc have an API?
No public API is recorded for OrCAD, Inc.
What industry is OrCAD, Inc in?
OrCAD, Inc's product category is Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAKAI, Developer Experience Platforms for Enterprise (IDEs, CI/CD, Dev Portals). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.