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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Octopart is an electronic-parts search and comparison service, not a parts distributor. In a March 2011 interview, co-founder Sam Wurzel said it served over 440,000 unique visitors per month searching for electronic parts. That is a historical audience figure, not a current traffic estimate.
What is Octopart?
Octopart is a search platform that brings electronic-component information from multiple sources into one place. It helps engineers, buyers and other users identify parts, check distributor availability and pricing, and follow links to purchase from sellers.
The company was founded in 2006 by Sam Wurzel, Andres Morey and Harish Agarwal, and launched its website in March 2007. In the 2011 interview, Wurzel described the central challenge as collecting reliable information from different sources, matching it to the right part, and presenting it through an intuitive search interface.
How does Octopart find and compare electronic parts?
Octopart aggregates component data and distributor listings, then organizes the information around individual parts. A search can bring together identifying and technical information with seller offers, including inventory and prices. TechCrunch described the service as showing distributors that sell a part, their prices and a link to buy it.
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This makes Octopart a discovery and comparison layer rather than the seller in the transaction. The distributor provides the offer and handles the purchase. Availability and prices can vary by seller and change over time, so users should confirm the details on the linked distributor’s site before ordering.
How many people use Octopart?
The headline’s “nearly half a million” refers to a specific statement by Wurzel in an EE Times interview published March 3, 2011: “Today we’ve grown to serve over 440,000 unique visitors per month who are searching for electronic parts.” It describes monthly unique visitors at that time.
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Later figures use different measures and cannot be treated as a direct continuation of that visitor count:
| Figure | What it measures | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Over 440,000 per month | Unique visitors searching for electronic parts | Sam Wurzel, EE Times interview, March 3, 2011 |
| 83,293,849 | Searches; Octopart defines a search as a search that resulted in a results page loading | Octopart activity in 2022, reported in 2023 |
| 4M+ average monthly searches | Average monthly searches, as stated in partner material | Octopart partner-solutions page; the cited page does not specify a measurement period |
| 20 million | Unique users | Altium-published summary for 2024 |
The units, time periods and publication contexts differ: visitors are not the same as searches, and a search can occur without representing a distinct person. These figures therefore should not be combined into a single growth series.
What else do Octopart’s published figures show?
Octopart’s partner-solutions page reports 208M+ offers processed and published daily, 173K+ BOMs uploaded or created in 2024, and 29K newsletter subscribers. These are figures presented in Octopart’s partner-facing material, not an independent comparison with other parts-search services.
In its report on 2022 activity, Octopart also counted 6,504,849 parts added and 205,892 BOMs. The report’s search definition is based on a results page loading, not on a unique user or a completed purchase.
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Is Octopart a distributor or a search engine?
It is a parts-search and data-aggregation service. Wurzel summarized the historical business model this way: “Our business model is connecting part buyers with distributors, and the distributors pay for that traffic.” The 2011 interview also said Octopart sold targeted display advertising in electronics.
That model explains why Octopart can show purchase links without being the seller. The historical description does not establish current program terms, fees or availability for distributors or manufacturers. Octopart’s partner-solutions page is the appropriate place to check present partnership details.
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- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
When is Octopart useful?
- Finding candidate parts: Search across aggregated component information rather than starting from one seller’s catalog.
- Comparing offers: Review listed distributor stock and prices, then verify current terms with the seller.
- Working with designs and purchasing lists: Octopart’s current partner material references BOM activity, and its historical materials describe CAD and part-data capabilities.
Whether Octopart is the best option for a particular workflow depends on distributor coverage in the relevant region, the freshness and completeness of parametric data, availability of CAD models and datasheets, BOM matching, stock and lead-time visibility, export or API integrations, and geographic availability. The cited figures do not constitute a controlled head-to-head comparison with distributor catalogs or competing databases.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
