Migrate from KiCad EDA® to Altium Designer®

Level Up to a Professional PCB Design Experience

Experience the Altium Designer difference

Schedule a Demo
Take a guided tour
Get Your Free Trial
Start Your Free 14-Day Trial
Talk to a Migration Specialist
1-800-544-4186

Trusted by top global brands for over 35 years

You Won’t Lose Your Projects When You Switch

Use the industry’s best migration tool to import your designs

Altium Designer has a dedicated KiCad importer

Use Altium’s dedicated importer to migrate your KiCad projects. The Import Wizard tool in Altium Designer converts your KiCad projects to Altium’s file format in minutes.

Take your libraries with you

When you access the Import Wizard, you’ll have the option to convert your KiCad libraries into Altium’s library format. Start using your components in Altium projects immediately.

Minimal cleanup required

The Import Wizard includes a process specifically for converting KiCad files. The tool helps you minimize cleanup in your converted schematics, PCB layouts, and components.

Easy to learn, easy to use

Altium Designer includes professional tools that are easy to learn. Once you migrate, you can immediately update your designs in Altium Designer.

Talk to a Migration Specialist
1-800-544-4186
Effortlessly_Convert_workspace
Schedule a Demo

See How Simple It Is to Migrate to Altium Designer

The industry’s fastest conversion and cleanup process

video poster

Switching from KiCad EDA to
Altium Designer in 3 Simple Steps:

STEP 1
cloud-received

Prepare Your
KiCad Files


Ensure data is saved in KiCad file formats (*.KICAD_PCB, *.SCH, *.PRO, and *.LIB)

STEP 2
cloud-send

Convert Your Projects

The Import Wizard in Altium Designer quickly converts KiCad project data to Altium’s file format

STEP 3
logo ico

Start Working in Altium Designer

Start updating your converted designs and reuse your KiCad parts libraries in new Altium Designer projects

See What Our Customers Say About Altium

“Altium has completely changed the way we design our electronics. We’ve seen productivity and output increase by 25%. Regular updates from Altium have also made significant design improvements; the team has found the features easy to learn and adopt.”

Show More Show Less
Scott Gemmell
Scott Gemmell

"I believe Sunswift has always used Altium, but having used other PCB design software myself, I can attest to Altium’s superiority. Everything from the layout of the user interface and the integration of supplier information to the syncing of changes between schematics and PCBs dramatically improves productivity."

Show More Show Less
Vaughn Jubb Buckley
Vaughn Jubb Buckley

"A project that flows from start to finish has a better net result than a project that stops and starts and is always struggling to get completed. Better electronic systems designs, realized via a smooth-flowing integrated toolset, allows our team at Linn to focus on the highest quality music products for our customers.”

Show More Show Less
Ian Wilson
Ian Wilson

Explore Information to Help You Successfully
Complete the Migration Process

Step-By-Step Guide to Migrate from KiCad

Read our migration guide and technical documentation to see how to access and use the KiCad Importer.

Access Migration Guide >

View Technical Documentation >

media-plate 1

Training Programs for Users of All Levels

Altium offers on-demand and instructor-led training programs so that you’re able to quickly and efficiently master PCB design with Altium Designer.

Explore Training Options >

media-plate 2

Discover the Altium Designer Difference

Reward yourself today by choosing a better design experience

Explore Pricing Options
License Options to Fit Your Needs
OR
Start a Free 15-Day Trial
No Credit Card Required
Сaptera
Leader-Summer-2024
Altium Designer Reviews

Experience an Unmatched PCB Design System

Everything you need in a single unified design platform

Manufacture Part Search

Access a huge number of components in the app, including symbols, footprints, and sourcing information for use in your libraries.
 

Explore Manufacturer Part Search
PCB Routing

Altium Designer's routing engine gives you professional results in less time. Route more high-speed designs, HDI designs, and much more with ease.

Explore PCB Routing
BOM Management

Easily prepare deliverables for manufacturing, including a complete BOM. ActiveBOM® lets you control your BOM with supplier data included in your export.

Explore BOM Management
Explore All Features Compare Products

From Migration to Design, We Care About Your Success

Altium offers multiple support options to ensure your success

help

3,500+

Published documentation pages across the Altium family of products and services

help 2

29,000

Posts in the last 12 months in the AltiumLive community

All subscription levels include easy access to real-time support, the AltiumLive Community, comprehensive product documentation, training videos, and a knowledge base of targeted solutions for common user experiences.

1-800-544-4186 (toll free)
Let's chat
chat

Chat Support & Support Tickets

Available to all subscribers 24/5 in all time zones

Engage with support team members via a live chat session. Through chat support, you can get answers to many common issues, including installation, licensing, error messages, or unexpected software behavior. Need more support? You can escalate your chat to a ticket.

documentation

Documentation Center and Knowledge Base

Available 24/7 to anyone

Altium's online technical documentation is an expansive set of resources that helps you find the information you need. Whether you’re looking for a high-level overview or need precise information regarding the functionality of a specific UI element, the documentation center and knowledge base has you covered.

Documentation Center Knowledge Base
academy

Altium Academy

24/7 access to helpful videos

Altium Academy is an online learning platform for PCB designers and engineers of every skill level. Learn directly from professionals and industry experts who provide instruction on many topics, including basic PCB design principles, advanced engineering topics, and everything in between.

Explore Videos

Migrate to Altium Designer

Discover Why So Many Engineers Choose Altium Designer Over KiCad

migrate
Migrate to Altium Designer
  • Every design tool you need in one place
  • Altium Designer is consistently rated as the easiest to learn and use
  • You won't lose your KiCad design data when you migrate
Discover the licensing option that fits your needs
Explore Pricing
OR
migrate
Start a Free Trial
  • All design features are available in the trial version
  • Includes access to an Altium 365® Product Design platform
  • Test the migration process before you buy
Get a full-featured 15-day evaluation license
Get a Free Trial
Capterra 4.5 badge
Leader-Summer-2024
Altium Designer Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Which KiCad files are needed for migration?

Users only need their .PRO, .SCH, and .KICAD_PCB files to migrate from KiCad to Altium Designer. To convert models and components, .LIB files are also needed.

How much rework is needed after importing?

The amount of rework varies for each project, but the Import Wizard in Altium Designer was engineered to minimize any required cleanup. After running the Import Wizard, make sure to view the migration log and review the converted design for any required changes.

Can we go back and forth between using Altium Designer and KiCad?

After converting your files to the Altium Designer file format, your original KiCad files will still be available and can be accessed in KiCad.

Can we import existing parts libraries?

Yes, KiCad parts and component libraries can be converted into Altium’s library format as long as .LIB files are available.

How long does it take to convert a project to Altium Designer?

The KiCad Importer completes its initial steps in a matter of minutes. The remaining layer matching steps also take a few minutes to manually complete. it’s a good idea to have the KiCad project open during the layer matching process. As with any importer, it is advisable to review the converted files to ensure no cleanup is needed.

What happens to KiCad-specific features?

Some features in KiCad files may not translate as expected. Therefore, it is essential to review specific features before finalizing your converted files. Please refer to our migration guide to see what features should be reviewed and if any cleanup is required. The overall cleanup process is short and can usually be completed in a few minutes for smaller projects.

KiCad EDA® is a registered trademark of Linux Foundation, and/or its
subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.