Proteus
UK PCB design suite that couples layout with microcontroller simulation
Summary table
| Company | Labcenter Electronics Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | PCB Design Software |
| Headquarters | not stated on the pages we read (UK telephone number), United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom |
| Data Location | Desktop software; not stated on the pages we read |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Desktop installation |
| Main Features | Schematic capture, PCB layout, VSM microcontroller co-simulation, HDI micro-vias, ProPilot AI part creation |
| Pricing | Pricing, commercial and education pages exist; amounts load by script and were not read |
| Best For | Embedded engineers and educators who simulate firmware and hardware together |
| Replaces | Altium Designer |
Review in detail
Proteus Design Suite is software for schematic capture, PCB layout and simulation, developed by Labcenter Electronics Ltd. The About page says the company was founded in 1988 by chairman and chief software architect John Jameson.
The vendor states sales in over 50 countries and two to three versions a year. Proteus 9.2 is the release highlighted on the site.
What Proteus 9.2 adds for PCB design
Proteus 9.2 lists full HDI micro-via support, object grouping, and new Measure and Move and Output Job tools. The vendor says Proteus 9 has a new 64-bit architecture.
ProPilot, an AI-assisted part creation feature, appears in the 9.2 announcement.
Why Proteus is known for simulation
Proteus VSM co-simulates embedded software with the circuit. The vendor lists support for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, MicroPython and STM32CubeIDE projects.
Altium Designer users who want simulation of microcontroller code inside the same suite are the clearest audience.
Proteus as a European alternative to Altium Designer
Proteus gives Altium Designer users a UK vendor with a package configurator and separate education pricing. A free trial is linked from the site.
Product bundles and a custom quotation are offered; the price amounts were not readable in the text we fetched.
Points against
Price amounts did not load in the text we read, so cost cannot be compared with Altium Designer. No registered address or company number is shown on the pages we read, only a UK telephone number. Supported platforms are not stated. For published prices, see Easy-PC or TARGET 3001!.
Is Proteus right for you?
Embedded developers, universities and product teams that value simulating microcontroller firmware beside the PCB.
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
- Combines layout with microcontroller co-simulation
- Long-established UK vendor
- Regular releases, two to three a year
- Separate education pricing
- Free trial linked from the site
Cons
- Price amounts not readable in our fetch
- No company address on the pages we read
- Platform support not stated
- Simulation focus may be more than layout-only users need
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Combines layout with microcontroller co-simulation
- Long-established UK vendor
- Regular releases, two to three a year
- Separate education pricing
- Free trial linked from the site
Cons
- Price amounts not readable in our fetch
- No company address on the pages we read
- Platform support not stated
- Simulation focus may be more than layout-only users need
Alternatives to Proteus
Further European pcb design software to compare:
See all European pcb design software or compare them directly against Altium Designer on our alternatives page.
Questions buyers ask
Labcenter Electronics Ltd, founded in 1988 by John Jameson, according to its About page. The contact number is a UK number.
Yes. Proteus VSM co-simulates embedded software, with support listed for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, MicroPython and STM32CubeIDE.
The site has commercial and education price pages, but the amounts did not appear in the text we read.