Figma is a cloud-native, browser-based design platform with superior real-time collaboration, while Adobe XD is desktop-focused software with deeper Adobe Creative Cloud integration and stronger animation capabilities.
Adobe XD vs Figma — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Desktop design and prototyping tool integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud
Cloud-based collaborative design platform accessible from any browser
Collaboration Model. Pricing Model. Design System Features. Prototyping & Animation. Adobe Integration. Learning Curve. Team Collaboration File Limit
Choose Adobe XD if you're already invested in Creative Cloud, need advanced animation capabilities, or require professional-grade video export integration. Choose Figma if you prioritize team collaboration, want browser-based accessibility, prefer transparent pricing, or work in distributed teams—Figma has captured 71% of design market share among agencies as of 2025.
Adobe XD: $9.99/month | Figma: $12/month
Adobe XD: Up to 5 concurrent editors | Figma: Unlimited with live cursors
Adobe XD: Desktop primary (Windows, Mac) | Figma: Web browser + Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Adobe XD: Design tokens with Creative Cloud sync | Figma: Master Variables with full version control
Adobe XD: AI-assisted design with enhanced prototyping | Figma: Voice-to-text, Make features, automation
Adobe XD: Optimized desktop performance for large files | Figma: Browser-dependent, can slow with 1000+ frames
Adobe XD: Full co-editing support | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Native AI capabilities included | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Automatic responsive resizing | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Native design systems included | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: General prototyping | Figma: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Adobe XD: $9.99 standalone | Figma: $12.00
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS, iPad | Figma: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Adobe XD: ~700 plugins | Figma: ~2500+ plugins
Adobe XD: Performance issues above 500MB | Figma: Performance issues above 2GB
Adobe XD: Full offline support | Figma: Limited offline, primarily cloud-based
Adobe XD: CSS/SVG export, design specs | Figma: Advanced design specs, Dev Mode, code generation
Adobe XD: Windows and macOS | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (cloud-native) | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Repeat Grid with constraints | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: 12+ (including voice, drag, animation) | Figma: Interactions, conditional logic, component states, animations, flows
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Adobe XD: 2 GB with free Creative Cloud account | Figma: N/A
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Adobe XD: $14.99/month (Creative Cloud single app) | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: 400+ plugins | Figma: 5,000+ plugins and integrations
Adobe XD: Unlimited native support | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Advanced (35+ triggers, animations, voice) | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: 32,000 x 32,000 pixels | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Native with library sync | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Full support with clean code | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: $119.88/year standalone | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited (comments only, not full co-editing) | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (Windows/Mac application) | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Native with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects | Figma: N/A
Total Monthly Cost (with Required Services)
Adobe XD: $54.49 (Creative Cloud) | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Native timeline animations with easing, delays, triggers | Figma: Interactive prototyping only, no native keyframe animation
Adobe XD: 5+ simultaneous users | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Native Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects integration | Figma: Limited (separate ecosystem)
Adobe XD: CSS measurements and specs panel | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: Shared symbols, component variants, design libraries | Figma: N/A
Adobe XD: $9.99 standalone or $54.99 (Creative Cloud) | Figma: $12
Adobe XD: 2-3 concurrent editors before slowdown | Figma: 15+ concurrent editors (unlimited)
Adobe XD: No free tier; 7-day free trial only | Figma: Yes—unlimited projects, 3 editors per file
Adobe XD: Limited variant support (main + 1-2 states) | Figma: Advanced variables system with 20+ variant combinations per component
Adobe XD: 19% among design teams | Figma: 71% among design teams
Adobe XD: Full offline mode; all features available | Figma: Limited offline mode (view-only)
Adobe XD: Basic transitions and timing; 8 interaction types | Figma: Advanced auto-animate, conditional logic, 35+ interaction types
Adobe XD: Not applicable (no free tier) | Figma: 30 days of version history
Adobe XD: Yes, limited to 1 shared prototype | Figma: Yes, full features for 1 file
Adobe XD: Limited to Creative Cloud team | Figma: Unlimited
Adobe XD: Web + macOS + Windows | Figma: Web + macOS + Windows + iPad
Adobe XD: ~150 plugins | Figma: ~2,000 plugins
Adobe XD: 400-500 before slowdown | Figma: 300-400 before lag
Adobe XD: Shared components with variants | Figma: Shared libraries with variants
Adobe XD: Advanced with voice/gesture | Figma: Advanced with variables
Adobe XD: $9.99 | Figma: $0 (Free) / $12 (Pro)
Adobe XD: Limited to shared link viewers | Figma: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Adobe XD: Native sync with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects | Figma: Third-party plugins only
Adobe XD: 4-6 hours (steeper curve) | Figma: 1.5-2.5 hours (beginner-friendly)
Adobe XD: 100 documents | Figma: Unlimited (Team plan)
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS desktop only | Figma: Any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, web)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: $1.36-1.37 billion
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: $10.53-13.8 billion (public)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 9x-35x (varies by metric)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Public (NASDAQ: FIG)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 14-15% (non-GAAP)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Enterprise Design Teams
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Advanced multiplayer editing
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Built-in real-time collaboration
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Sites CMS beta (200 items)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Variables, components, tokens
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Requires external hosting
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Dev Mode with inspection
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Unlimited (per plan)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Cloud-only, no self-hosting
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Voice-to-text, Make controls, question cards, design suggestions
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Proprietary closed-source
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Intermediate (basic flows, transitions)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 500+ (performance degrades)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Generous (3 projects, 2GB)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Variable by seats
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Four-tier with seat types (Full, Dev, Collab)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Industry-leading precision tools
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Excellent for design workflows
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Basic design assistance
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Good team controls
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Unlimited (draft-based)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Community plugins only
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Enterprise-grade (variants, tokens, documentation)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Yes (100% browser-native)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Mac, Windows, Linux, Web
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Native (built-in)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Limited (browser-dependent)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Live multiplayer editing with cursor tracking
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Basic preset animations without timeline
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Unlimited on paid plans
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Dev Mode with code snippets and specs
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Component versioning in main product
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: $12 per editor/month
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Unlimited on any plan
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 40+ interactive components and states
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 800+ community plugins
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Optimal up to 5,000 artboards
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 61% of design professionals
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 70% of professional design teams
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: No built-in hosting
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 2000+ official plugins and integrations
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: $12/month (billed annually)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 500+ simultaneous users
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 40-60% (design to code via plugins)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Basic interactions, limited keyframe animation
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Variables, tokens, component library, extensive version control
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 3 files maximum, unlimited pages per file, basic prototyping, browser-based
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 50-100 (community-sourced)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 10+ simultaneous editors with live cursors
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: 0 (third-party integrations available)
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Components, variables, tokens, auto-layout, design tokens management
Adobe XD: N/A | Figma: Limited AI—mostly design optimization and naming suggestions
How to choose between Adobe XD and Figma
Adobe XD vs Figma — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Adobe XD vs Figma. Contains 159 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Adobe XD vs Figma — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Adobe XD vs Figma.
Figma's web editor requires an internet connection for full functionality. However, Figma has introduced offline mode for view-only access to previously loaded files. For actual design work, you need connectivity. Adobe XD offers full offline desktop editing with cloud sync when reconnected.
Is Figma better for design systems and component libraries?
Yes. Figma's shared library system with multi-file component syncing and auto-update notifications is superior for design system management. Adobe XD's Assets panel is more basic and requires manual updates. Figma's library feature makes it the standard choice for enterprise design systems.
Can Adobe XD create animations like Figma?
Adobe XD actually has more advanced animation capabilities than Figma. XD includes timeline-based animations with keyframes, easing curves, and timing controls. Figma focuses on interactive prototyping with clickable flows but doesn't support native frame animations—you'd need third-party plugins.
What's the cheapest way to get Adobe XD?
The cheapest option is $9.99/month for Adobe XD standalone. However, if you need other Adobe apps, Creative Cloud All Apps at $59.99/month includes XD along with Photoshop, Illustrator, and 20+ other tools. Students get a 60% discount on All Apps.
Does Figma work well for large design teams?
Figma excels for large teams. Its Team plan ($19/month per editor) supports unlimited simultaneous collaborators per file, shared team libraries, and permission controls. The unlimited collaborators feature is a major advantage over XD, which requires manual file sharing and has limited concurrent user support.
How to Choose Between Adobe XD and Figma
Collaboration Model: Adobe XD has Desktop-based, limited real-time collaboration, while Figma has Cloud-native, unlimited simultaneous real-time collaboration.
Pricing Model: Adobe XD has $9.99/month (standalone) or Creative Cloud bundle, while Figma has $0 (Free starter), $12/month (Professional), $19/month (Team).
Design System Features: Adobe XD has Assets panel with basic component management, while Figma has Shared library system with multi-file component syncing.
Prototyping & Animation: Adobe XD has Advanced timeline-based animations with easing controls, while Figma has Interactive prototyping, no native frame-based animations.
Adobe Integration: Adobe XD has Seamless cloud sync with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, while Figma has Limited Adobe integration, third-party plugins only.
Learning Curve: Adobe XD has Steeper for non-Adobe users, while Figma has Beginner-friendly interface, 35% faster onboarding.
Team Collaboration File Limit: Adobe XD has 100 cloud documents per subscription, while Figma has Unlimited cloud files on Team plan.