Adobe XD is a traditional UI/UX design tool focused on wireframing and prototyping with strong Adobe ecosystem integration, while Framer is a code-based design platform optimized for interactive prototypes and developer handoff with built-in React components and real-time collaboration.
Adobe XD vs Framer — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Adobe's cloud-based UI/UX design and prototyping platform with professional-grade tools.
Code-enhanced design platform enabling interactive prototypes with React components and real-time collaboration.
Design Approach. Prototyping Capabilities. Developer Integration. Adobe Ecosystem Integration. Learning Curve. Collaboration Features. Target User Base
Choose Adobe XD if you're a professional designer working primarily in the Adobe ecosystem who needs traditional design tools with strong vector capabilities and team collaboration features. Choose Framer if you're building interactive prototypes that need real code logic, require seamless developer handoff with React components, or work in a designer-developer hybrid environment where code literacy is beneficial.
Adobe XD: Up to 5 concurrent editors | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Desktop primary (Windows, Mac) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Design tokens with Creative Cloud sync | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: AI-assisted design with enhanced prototyping | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Optimized desktop performance for large files | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 12,957 customers | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Full co-editing support | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Native AI capabilities included | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Automatic responsive resizing | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Native design systems included | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: General prototyping | Framer: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Adobe XD: $9.99 standalone | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS, iPad | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Performance issues above 500MB | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Full offline support | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: CSS/SVG export, design specs | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows and macOS | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (cloud-native) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Repeat Grid with constraints | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 12+ (including voice, drag, animation) | Framer: Unlimited with code-based logic and variants
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Adobe XD: 2 GB with free Creative Cloud account | Framer: N/A
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Adobe XD: 400+ plugins | Framer: Limited native extensibility; API available
Adobe XD: Up to 30 shared project members | Framer: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Adobe XD: Advanced (35+ triggers, animations, voice) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 32,000 x 32,000 pixels | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Native with library sync | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Full support with clean code | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: $119.88/year standalone | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited (comments only, not full co-editing) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (Windows/Mac application) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Native with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: $12.99/month | Framer: $12/month
Total Monthly Cost (with Required Services)
Adobe XD: $54.49 (Creative Cloud) | Framer: $12/month
Adobe XD: Native timeline animations with easing, delays, triggers | Framer: Advanced variants, gesture controls, physics-based animations, full gesture support
Adobe XD: 5+ simultaneous users | Framer: Unlimited simultaneous users
Adobe XD: Native Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects integration | Framer: No direct Adobe integration
Adobe XD: CSS measurements and specs panel | Framer: Full code export, design tokens, component library generation
Adobe XD: None required | Framer: JavaScript/React fundamentals required
Adobe XD: Shared symbols, component variants, design libraries | Framer: React components, live code libraries, variants support
Adobe XD: 2-3 concurrent editors before slowdown | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: No free tier; 7-day free trial only | Framer: Fully featured free plan
Adobe XD: Limited variant support (main + 1-2 states) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 19% among design teams | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Full offline mode; all features available | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Basic transitions and timing; 8 interaction types | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Not applicable (no free tier) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes, limited to 1 shared prototype | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited to Creative Cloud team | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: macOS, Windows, Web | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 400-500 before slowdown | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Shared components with variants | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Advanced with voice/gesture | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited to shared link viewers | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 4-6 hours (steeper curve) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS desktop only | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: $9.99 (Single App) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: $299.99 (5 × $9.99 × 2.5x for teams) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited to license holders | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Full frame-based timeline with easing curves | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 2 (Mac, Windows only) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Shareable links with basic feedback | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: $9.99 (standalone) or $54.99 (full Creative Cloud) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Advanced (auto-animate, voice, speech recognition) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (built-in, voice/video chat) | Framer: N/A
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Adobe XD: Good (occasional lag reported) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Native (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (limited free tier) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS, Web, iOS | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 1000+ plugins in XD ecosystem | Framer: 150+ integrations and community extensions
Adobe XD: Native real-time co-editing | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 28% of design tools market (2024) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 45-60 min (with Adobe account setup) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Comments, limited real-time co-editing, shared libraries | Framer: Real-time multiplayer, live cursors, shared workspaces
Adobe XD: Unlimited (desktop app) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Professional: Pen tool, Boolean operations, gradient editor, mesh transform | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Full desktop app with offline support | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 20-30 hours for proficiency | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: 200+ integrations (Creative Cloud native) | Framer: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Adobe XD: $14.99/month (Creative Cloud required) | Framer: $12/month (Pro plan) or Free tier
Adobe XD: 32,000 x 32,000 | Framer: Unlimited (infinite canvas)
Adobe XD: PNG, SVG, PDF, XD format | Framer: React, HTML, CSS, SVG, PNG, code snippets
Adobe XD: 14 (tap, drag, scroll, voice, gesture-based) | Framer: Unlimited (code-based logic and conditions)
Adobe XD: 2 GB | Framer: Unlimited projects
Adobe XD: Spec export, measurement tools, CSS export (limited) | Framer: React component export, live code editor, CSS-in-JS, Figma sync
Adobe XD: 1-3 (plan dependent) | Framer: 5-10 simultaneous users
Adobe XD: 20+ (including auto-animate, voice commands) | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: Cloud-based shared libraries with design tokens | Framer: N/A
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Basic (simple product pages)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Intermediate (good for marketing content)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Fast (Figma import, instant publish)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Gentle (design-first approach)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Limited collaboration features
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Full CMS with collections
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Basic components
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Native hosting included
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Code export and CSS access
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Not included; Stripe integration required
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: ~1,800 reviews (Capterra estimate)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Full relational CMS with cross-references
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Scroll triggers, gestures, Squircle UI, advanced state
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Vercel-powered with auto-scaling
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: No, requires third-party integration
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Yes - relational collections with AI
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Limited (on-page editing only)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 1.2-1.8s (optimized by default)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Yes - interactions, content generation, UX optimization
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Relational CMS with AI content features (2025-2026)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Yes, with product management and checkout
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Included; publish live sites with custom domains
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Native export with full code editing support
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Variants and tokens (growing capability)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Web-only (browser-based)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Basic variant support
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 3-5 (via limited API)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 9/10 (full code access)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 4-8 (design-heavy)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Yes, unlimited projects
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Basic component library, limited design token support
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 12% of design teams
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Auto-deploy, custom domains, serverless functions
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 150+ integrations
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: $12/month (billed annually)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: 90% (native React generation)
Adobe XD: N/A | Framer: Advanced animations, gestures, scroll triggers, full prototypes
How to choose between Adobe XD and Framer
Adobe XD vs Framer — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Adobe XD vs Framer. Contains 169 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Adobe XD vs Framer — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Adobe XD vs Framer.
Can I export my Adobe XD designs to code?
Adobe XD allows CSS and SVG export with limited code generation. For more robust developer handoff, third-party plugins like Zeplin or Avocode can enhance capabilities, but Framer offers native React component export which is more production-ready. XD's export is primarily for specifications and assets rather than functional code.
Is Framer suitable for designers with no coding experience?
Framer has a visual builder interface that doesn't require coding for basic design and prototyping tasks. However, advanced features like conditional interactions, state management, and component logic are easier to implement with JavaScript knowledge. Adobe XD remains more accessible for pure designers without any technical background.
Which tool is better for design systems and components?
Both tools offer component libraries and design systems. Adobe XD has more mature design system features integrated with Creative Cloud's shared libraries and auto-animate capabilities. Framer's component library is code-based, making it better for teams that need production-ready components that developers can use directly in React projects.
How do Adobe XD and Framer handle team collaboration?
Adobe XD supports cloud collaboration with shared projects, comments, and version history through Creative Cloud. Framer offers superior real-time multiplayer editing with live cursor tracking, simultaneous editing of multiple frames, and instant visual sync. Framer's collaboration feels more like Google Docs for design.
What are the free tier differences between the two?
Adobe XD's free plan includes 2 shared files with limited cloud storage (2GB) and basic prototyping. Framer's free plan is more generous with unlimited projects, unlimited cloud storage, and most core features included—making it better for testing before commitment. Adobe requires a paid subscription for most professional features.
How to Choose Between Adobe XD and Framer
Design Approach: Adobe XD has Visual design-first with traditional tools, while Framer has Code-first with visual builder interface.
Prototyping Capabilities: Adobe XD has Basic interactions and transitions, while Framer has Advanced interactive prototypes with real code logic.
Developer Integration: Adobe XD has Export specs and handoff plugin available, while Framer has Native React component export and live code editor.
Adobe Ecosystem Integration: Adobe XD has Deep integration with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, while Framer has No Adobe integration.
Learning Curve: Adobe XD has Easier for designers without coding experience, while Framer has Requires basic code knowledge for advanced features.
Collaboration Features: Adobe XD has Cloud storage with shared libraries and comments, while Framer has Real-time multiplayer editing with live previews.
Target User Base: Adobe XD has UX/UI designers and design teams, while Framer has Designers, developers, and product teams.