Adobe Express is a beginner-friendly, all-in-one content creation tool focused on quick designs and social media, while Figma is a professional-grade collaborative design platform built for UI/UX design with advanced prototyping capabilities. Adobe Express has a freemium model with generous free limits, whereas Figma requires a paid subscription for team collaboration features.
Adobe Express vs Figma — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Browser-based design tool for creating social media graphics, presentations, and quick designs with templates.
Cloud-native collaborative design platform for UI/UX, web design, prototyping, and design systems.
Primary Use Case. Collaboration Features. Free Plan Generosity. Prototyping & Interactions. Learning Curve. Template Library Size. Design System Management
Choose Adobe Express if you need quick, template-driven designs for social media, marketing, or non-professional use—its free plan and intuitive interface make it unbeatable for speed and accessibility. Choose Figma if you're a professional designer or design team building complex interfaces, prototypes, or design systems—its collaboration, prototyping depth, and design token management justify the subscription cost for serious design work.
Adobe Express: Pro: ~$120/year | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: $8.33/person | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Varies by tier | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Limited integration | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Yes (limited free tier) | Figma: Yes (full collaborative design)
Adobe Express: $14.99/month (Express) or free (web) | Figma: $12 per editor
Adobe Express: $180 (Express Premium + Cloud storage) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web browser | Figma: 3 (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Adobe Express: Slower performance beyond 50 artboards | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 3 (Generative Fill, Text to Image, Style Transfer) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Integrated Creative Cloud; limited third-party plugins (50+) | Figma: 2,500+
Adobe Express: Basic (transitions, tap/click, simple overlays) | Figma: N/A
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Adobe Express: ~15-20% (growing in small teams/freelancers) | Figma: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Adobe Express: 500+ free templates | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 100,000+ Adobe Stock templates | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 4K (3840×2160) + SVG/PSD | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Generative Fill, Text-to-Image (Firefly) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, PSD, MP4 | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Not available | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Adobe Firefly (Text-to-Image, Generative Fill, 550+ AI templates) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Basic transitions and effects | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Native (Photoshop, Illustrator, Stock, Fonts) | Figma: Limited (API for third-party imports)
Adobe Express: 25+ (via Adobe Stock) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 20,000+ Adobe Stock assets | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Premium only ($9.99/mo) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 200+ effects | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: $119.88/year | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Full (Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Minimal community focus | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 10 GB | Figma: Unlimited (draft-based)
Adobe Express: 2 | Figma: 10+ simultaneous editors with live cursors
Adobe Express: 10,000+ | Figma: Community plugins only
Adobe Express: 3 (basic transitions) | Figma: Interactions, conditional logic, component states, animations, flows
Adobe Express: Basic (no variants or tokens) | Figma: Enterprise-grade (variants, tokens, documentation)
Adobe Express: Yes (web app) | Figma: Yes (100% browser-native)
Adobe Express: Advanced (effects, color grading, keyframes) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Full (Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom sync) | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Premium tier only | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Web, iOS, macOS, Windows | Figma: Web + macOS + Windows + iPad
Adobe Express: Basic component library | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: 100+ design categories | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Native; cloud-based sync | Figma: N/A
Adobe Express: Unlimited | Figma: 3 editable files
Adobe Express: 2GB | Figma: 0GB (Figma Projects only)
Adobe Express: $9.99/month | Figma: $12/month (Editor)
Adobe Express: Up to 10 simultaneous users | Figma: 50+ simultaneous users
Adobe Express: 100,000+ templates | Figma: 50,000+ community templates
Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)
Adobe Express: 5-15 minutes | Figma: 120-480 minutes (2-8 hours)
Adobe Express: Basic animations, transitions, simple interactions | Figma: Advanced: conditional flows, variables, component variants, design tokens
Adobe Express: Basic shared components, limited documentation | Figma: Enterprise-grade: design tokens, branching, versioning, token management
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $1.36-1.37 billion
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $10.53-13.8 billion (public)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 9x-35x (varies by metric)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Public (NASDAQ: FIG)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 14-15% (non-GAAP)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Enterprise Design Teams
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Advanced multiplayer editing
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Built-in real-time collaboration
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Sites CMS beta (200 items)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Variables, components, tokens
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Requires external hosting
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Dev Mode with inspection
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited (per plan)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Cloud-only, no self-hosting
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Voice-to-text, Make controls, question cards, design suggestions
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Closed source
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 5,000+ plugins and integrations
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited with live cursors
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Web browser + Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Master Variables with full version control
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Limited (separate ecosystem)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Voice-to-text, Make features, automation
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Browser-dependent, can slow with 1000+ frames
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: ~2500+ plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Performance issues above 2GB
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Limited offline, primarily cloud-based
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Advanced design specs, Dev Mode, code generation
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Intermediate (basic flows, transitions)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 500+ (performance degrades)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Generous (3 projects, 2GB)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Variable by seats
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Custom pricing
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Four-tier with seat types (Full, Dev, Collab)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Industry-leading precision tools
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Excellent for design workflows
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Basic design assistance
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Good team controls
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 15+ concurrent editors (unlimited)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Advanced variables system with 20+ variant combinations per component
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 71% among design teams
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Read-only after 30 days; requires internet for editing
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Advanced auto-animate, conditional logic, 35+ interaction types
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 30 days of version history
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: ~2,000 plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Mac, Windows, Linux, Web
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Yes; built-in with live cursors, comments, and activity tracking
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Limited (browser-dependent)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Yes, full features for 1 file
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 300-400 before lag
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Shared libraries with variants
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Advanced with variables
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Native, unlimited users
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $12 per editor
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Basic preset animations without timeline
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited on paid plans
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Dev Mode with code snippets and specs
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Component versioning in main product
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $12 per editor/month
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited on any plan
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Full (interactions, animations, variants)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Optimal up to 5,000 artboards
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 61% of design professionals
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 70% of professional design teams
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: No built-in hosting
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 2000+ official plugins and integrations
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $12/month (billed annually)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 500+ simultaneous users
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 40-60% (design to code via plugins)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Basic interactions, limited keyframe animation
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Variables, tokens, component library, extensive version control
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 3 files maximum, unlimited pages per file, basic prototyping, browser-based
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 0 (third-party integrations available)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Components, variables, tokens, auto-layout, design tokens management
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Limited AI—mostly design optimization and naming suggestions
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $0 (Free) / $12 (Pro)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Interactive prototyping only, no native keyframe animation
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 1.5-2.5 hours (beginner-friendly)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited (Team plan)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, web)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $12 (Professional)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: $60 (all share one license)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Basic interactions (tap, hover, drag)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 4 (Web, Mac, Windows, iPad)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Public/password-protected with comment threads
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Not available
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: N/A (proprietary)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 5,000 (community)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Professional (boolean ops, advanced paths)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: None (external sources required)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 1,200+ community plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 500 MB (optimal)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited viewers + 1 editor
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 1,000+ plugins via Figma API
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: No (design tool only)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Unlimited simultaneous editors per team
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: Figma native format, exports to PNG, SVG, PDF, CSS, JSON
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 2-3 seconds (cloud-based, depends on internet)
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 3/10 - basic selection and fill tools; not optimized for photo work
Adobe Express: N/A | Figma: 9/10 - native component systems, design tokens, auto-layout, prototyping
How to choose between Adobe Express and Figma
Adobe Express vs Figma — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Adobe Express vs Figma. Contains 210 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Adobe Express vs Figma — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Adobe Express vs Figma.
Can I use Adobe Express for professional UI/UX design work?
Adobe Express is not recommended for professional UI/UX design. While it excels at marketing graphics and social media content, it lacks the prototyping depth, design system tools, and specification capabilities that professional design workflows require. Figma is purpose-built for this work and is the industry standard.
Which tool is better for team collaboration?
Figma is significantly better for team collaboration. It supports 50+ concurrent users with live editing, built-in commenting, developer handoff tools, and design system management. Adobe Express's collaboration is limited to basic sharing and works better for individual or small team workflows.
Can I use the free version of Figma productively?
The free version of Figma is severely limited—restricted to 3 editable files and 2 projects per month. This is only viable for personal learning or one-off projects. Adobe Express's free plan is far more generous, with unlimited designs and 2GB storage, making it genuinely usable long-term without payment.
How long does it take to learn each tool?
Adobe Express takes 5-15 minutes for a beginner to create their first design thanks to templates and intuitive UI. Figma requires 4-8 hours of learning before productive work due to its professional feature set. If speed matters, Adobe Express wins; if professional capability matters, Figma's investment is worth it.
Which tool integrates better with other software?
Both integrate well but differently. Adobe Express integrates seamlessly with Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator) and Microsoft Office. Figma has a larger plugin ecosystem (1,000+) and better developer integration through APIs. For designers already in Adobe's ecosystem, Express is better; for teams using diverse tools, Figma's plugin library is more comprehensive.
How to Choose Between Adobe Express and Figma
Primary Use Case: Adobe Express has Social media, graphics, quick designs, content creation, while Figma has UI/UX design, prototyping, web design, design systems.
Collaboration Features: Adobe Express has Limited real-time collaboration, basic sharing, while Figma has Advanced real-time multiplayer editing with 50+ concurrent users.
Free Plan Generosity: Adobe Express has Unlimited designs, 2GB cloud storage, extensive templates, while Figma has 3 editable files maximum, limited to 2 projects per month.
Prototyping & Interactions: Adobe Express has Basic animations and transitions only, while Figma has Advanced interactive prototyping, conditional flows, design tokens.
Learning Curve: Adobe Express has 30 minutes for basic competency, designed for non-designers, while Figma has 4-8 hours for proficiency, steep for design beginners.
Template Library Size: Adobe Express has 100,000+ templates across 20+ categories, while Figma has 50,000+ community templates, fewer built-in templates.
Design System Management: Adobe Express has Basic component library, limited version control, while Figma has Enterprise-grade design systems, token management, branching.