Start without training
Describe the board in plain English. You do not need to know every part or circuit block up front.
The Altium alternative for your first board
Altium Designer is what big hardware teams use to ship serious, production-critical boards, and it is very good at that. It also comes with a licence fee, a Windows machine and a learning curve measured in months, which is a lot of ceremony for a first board. siliXon runs in your browser on a free plan: describe the board in plain English and you get an editable, placed and routed design with real parts and a full fab package, this afternoon, no licence and no EDA training required.
Free plan. Runs in your browser.
Head to head
Who leads on what matters when you want a board.
siliXonYou design it, in the browser
Altium DesignerProfessional desktop EDA
Starting point
siliXon: A plain-English description
Altium Designer: A blank schematic
siliXon leads.Skills you need
siliXon: None
Altium Designer: Professional EDA training
siliXon leads.Who does the work
siliXon: siliXon; you steer and edit
Altium Designer: You, with routing assistance
siliXon leads.What you get
siliXon: An editable PCB and fab files
Altium Designer: A full production release package
Altium Designer leads.Time to first board
siliXon: Minutes
Altium Designer: Days to weeks
siliXon leads.Board complexity
siliXon: Up to 4 layers
Altium Designer: Up to 32 signal layers, HDI and rigid-flex
Altium Designer leads.Layout prep
siliXon: None
Altium Designer: Rules, constraints and hand layout
siliXon leads.
Verdict
Choose siliXon to go from an idea to a first board, with no EDA training.
Choose Altium Designer for complex, production-critical boards and team review.
siliXon todaysiliXon is in early beta and builds two- and four-layer, mostly digital boards. Review every design before fabrication.
Where Altium Designer is strongerHigh-speed, HDI and rigid-flex design, up to 32 signal layers, signal-integrity checks and governed team workflows.
Time to a prototype
siliXon
5 to 20 minutes
Altium Designer
3 days to 3 weeks
From an idea to a board you can send to a fab, on one scale from zero. Estimates for someone new to each tool.
What changes when you switch from Altium Designer
A board in minutes
siliXon picks real parts, then places and routes a board of up to four layers that you can edit.
Nothing to install
It runs in the browser, with a free plan to start.
siliXon vs Altium Designer: feature comparison
| Feature | |  |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A plain-English description | A schematic you draw |
| AI generation | Generates the whole board | Assists, you drive |
| PCB layout | Editable in 2D and 3D | Advanced routing, HDI and rigid-flex |
| Copper layers | Up to 4 | Up to 32 signal and 16 plane |
| Part selection | Real, available parts picked for you | Managed libraries with supply data |
| Design checks | Connectivity and manufacturing checks | Rules, constraints and signal integrity |
| Fab outputs | Gerbers, drill, BOM and pick-and-place | Full release documentation |
| Firmware | Programmable over USB, with flashing steps | No |
| Layout prep | None; answer a few questions | Set up rules and constraints, then lay it out |
| Runs in | Browser | Windows |
siliXon is in early beta and builds two- and four-layer, mostly digital boards. Review every design before fabrication.
So far creating my first project for 10 min - onboarding seems quite smooth
I like the self validation and how it explains everything too, makes it easier for me to quickly cross reference and learn on the go
Response is very meaningful, I like how it asks you questions to verify and gives you the options to choose the answers with the recommended on the one it thinks is a better option
Good so far. It is helpful and gives me advice
I have to say I love the UI and UX, the front end is really fun to interact with, with the little dynamic touches etc
Super helpful and easy to use
Really good actually better than Flux ai
Compare siliXon with other tools
siliXon vs KiCadFree, open-source desktop EDA for schematics and PCB layout
siliXon vs SchematikAI that turns a prompt into Arduino, ESP32 and Pico projects
siliXon vs Blueprint.ioAI build plans with parts, wiring and assembly steps
siliXon vs Flux.aiBrowser ECAD with an AI agent that designs alongside you
siliXon vs DiodeAI-assisted board design service, from spec to production
siliXon vs QuilterAI placement and routing from your finished schematic
siliXon vs SnapMagicAI copilot for Altium, built on the SnapEDA parts library
siliXon vs CELUSAI that turns requirements into schematics and a BOM
siliXon vs atopileCode-native electronics design, with an agent in the browser
siliXon vs tscircuitOpen-source framework for designing PCBs in TypeScriptsiliXon vs Altium Designer: your questions answered
Can siliXon replace Altium Designer?
Not for complex production hardware. Altium handles high-speed, HDI, rigid-flex and governed team workflows that siliXon does not.
Which is easier for a first PCB?
siliXon. You describe the board and review the result; Altium asks for a much larger learning investment.
Does siliXon make a real PCB?
Yes. You get an editable board with real parts and a full fab package. Review it before fabrication.
When should a project move to Altium?
When it needs more than four layers, controlled impedance, rigid-flex, advanced simulation or formal team review.