PCB Design Software Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global PCB Design Software Market is projected to expand from USD 5.05 Billion in 2025 to USD 7.46 Billion by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.72%. This software category consists of specialized Computer-Aided Design tools designed to generate schematic diagrams and physical layouts for printed circuit boards while enabling the accurate routing and placement of electronic components. Growth is primarily supported by the increasing complexity of automotive electronics found in electric vehicles and autonomous systems, along with the ongoing push for miniaturization in consumer gadgets and IoT hardware. These trends require powerful design environments that can manage thermal requirements and high-speed signal integrity, effectively upholding demand for sophisticated platform capabilities independent of wider technology adoption cycles.

A major hurdle restricting faster market growth is the high cost of advanced licensing tiers, which frequently restricts access for startups and smaller enterprises. Despite this obstacle, the sector shows consistent financial advancement fueled by critical industrial requirements and persistent technological dependence. According to the ESD Alliance, global revenue for Printed Circuit Board and MCM software rose by 5.5% to reach $399.8 million in the first quarter of 2025. This trend suggests that even amidst economic pressures, the essential role of electronic design automation ensures continued investment and development throughout the global electronics supply chain.

Market Drivers

The integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into design automation is fundamentally transforming the market by automating intricate placement and routing tasks to manage rising board densities. As PCB layouts grow more complex, engineers are utilizing AI-driven tools to refine component positioning and signal paths, which drastically cuts down the manual iteration cycles needed for high-speed designs. This technological evolution is gaining significant commercial momentum as companies aim to accelerate time-to-market using generative design features. According to Cadence Design Systems, sales for their AI portfolio, powered by optimization tools and generative AI, nearly tripled year-over-year in their Q3 2024 financial results. This increase highlights how machine learning capabilities are shifting from optional add-ons to mandatory requirements for competitive design processes.

Additionally, the rapid growth of electric vehicle and autonomous driving electronics acts as a secondary catalyst, compelling designers to solve distinct challenges involving strict thermal management and high-voltage power distribution. Modern automotive structures demand sophisticated PCBs capable of enduring severe operating conditions while supporting advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), increasing the reliance on premium layout and simulation software. This necessity aligns directly with the rising production of electrified transport; according to the International Energy Agency's Global EV Outlook 2024, global electric car sales approached 14 million units in 2023. This volume underpins the financial stability of the design ecosystem, as evidenced by the ESD Alliance reporting an 8.2% rise in global revenue for Printed Circuit Board and Multi-Chip Module software to $399.2 million in the second quarter of 2024.

Market Challenges

The significant expense associated with advanced licensing tiers presents a notable barrier that hinders the widespread expansion of the PCB design software market. High financial demands effectively prevent startups and smaller enterprises from obtaining the comprehensive design environments necessary for complex electronic development. This exclusion creates a market disparity where critical technical capabilities are limited to well-funded organizations, compelling smaller entities to depend on inferior tools that fail to meet rigorous thermal management and signal integrity standards. Consequently, the industry loses a substantial segment of its potential user base, as the prohibitive cost of ownership suppresses the volume of new licenses acquired by emerging businesses.

This economic constraint influences the structure of market growth, which depends heavily on renewals from established enterprises rather than contributions from new market entrants. According to the ESD Alliance, revenue for the Printed Circuit Board and Multi-Chip Module category totaled $430.5 million in the second quarter of 2025. Although this figure reflects financial magnitude, the concentration of revenue derived from high-cost licenses obscures the limited penetration into the lower tiers of the electronics supply chain, verifying that pricing models continue to be a primary impediment to broad adoption.

Market Trends

The adoption of cloud-based collaborative design platforms is optimizing engineering workflows by breaking down barriers between schematic capture, layout, and manufacturing processes. This trend fulfills the requirement for distributed teams to access a single source of truth, enabling real-time version control and minimizing data translation errors often associated with legacy file-based systems. The swift adoption of these ecosystems underscores a fundamental shift in user behavior, where connectivity is now prioritized as much as layout capabilities to guarantee project continuity across disparate locations. According to Altium Limited’s investor presentation in February 2024, the company saw cloud platform adoption accelerate notably, registering over 46,300 monthly active users, which represents a 26% increase over the preceding six-month period.

Integrating real-time supply chain and component intelligence is becoming essential as designers confront risks related to component obsolescence and volatile availability. Modern software now incorporates live distributor data directly within the design environment, permitting engineers to verify part availability and cost during the initial schematic phases rather than at the manufacturing handoff. This functionality significantly decreases expensive redesigns resulting from sourcing difficulties and enhances procurement resilience throughout the development lifecycle. According to a November 2024 press release by Supplyframe, their solution for direct materials procurement and sourcing witnessed a 250% year-over-year growth, indicating the industry's decisive shift toward embedding sourcing intelligence into the digital design workflow.

Key Players Profiled in the PCB Design Software Market

• Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
• Siemens AG
• Altium Limited
• Zukei Shori Gijutsu Kenkyusho Inc.
• Labcenter Electronics Ltd.
• Autodesk Inc.
• ANSYS, Inc.
• Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
• Dassault Systemes S.E.
• National Instruments Corporation

Report Scope

In this report, the Global PCB Design Software Market has been segmented into the following categories:

PCB Design Software Market, by End User:

• Electrical Engineers
• PCB Designers
• Layout Engineers
• Others

PCB Design Software Market, by Feature Set:

• Schematic Capture
• PCB Layout
• Simulation & Analysis
• 3D Visualization
• Others

PCB Design Software Market, by Deployment Model:

• On-Premises
• Cloud-Based
• Hybrid Model

PCB Design Software Market, by Price:

• Entry-Level Software
• Mid-Range Software
• High-End Software

PCB Design Software Market, by Industry:

• Consumer Electronics
• Industrial Automation
• Aerospace & Defense
• Healthcare
• Others

PCB Design Software Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global PCB Design Software Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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