Uxpin vs Figma: Which is Better?
UXPin and Figma are both powerful design tools used by UI/UX designers, but they offer different strengths and functionalities. The best choice between the two depends on your design needs, team collaboration style, and workflow.
Here’s a detailed comparison between UXPin and Figma to help you decide which tool suits your project.
1. Overview
🔴 UXPin
- Primary Focus: Prototyping, design systems, and interactive mockups.
- Founded: 2010
- Target Audience: UX/UI designers, product teams, and developers who require advanced prototyping with a focus on interaction design.
- Platform: Web-based, with a desktop app available.
- Key Features: Advanced prototyping, design systems, collaboration tools, code-based components.
🔵 Figma
- Primary Focus: UI/UX design, vector editing, prototyping, and collaboration.
- Founded: 2012
- Target Audience: UI/UX designers, web designers, and product teams who need real-time collaboration and easy-to-use vector-based design tools.
- Platform: Web-based (with desktop apps for Windows and macOS).
- Key Features: Real-time collaboration, vector design tools, prototyping, design systems, plugins.
2. Core Features Comparison
| Feature | UXPin | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Prototyping | ✅ Advanced interactive prototypes with interactions and animations | ✅ Interactive prototypes with animations and links |
| Real-time Collaboration | ✅ Yes, allows multiple users to work together in real time | ✅ Yes, seamless real-time collaboration |
| Vector Editing | ✅ Full vector-based design capabilities | ✅ Full vector design tools similar to Illustrator |
| Design Systems | ✅ Integrated design systems with components and code integration | ✅ Design systems with shared styles and reusable components |
| Design Handoff | ✅ Code-based handoff with CSS, HTML, and React components | ✅ Design specs and assets for developers |
| Wireframing | ✅ Basic wireframing features | ✅ Excellent wireframing capabilities |
| Mobile Preview | ✅ Mobile app available for previewing prototypes | ✅ Mobile app available for previewing designs |
| Plugins/Extensions | ✅ Some integrations and limited plugins | ✅ Extensive library of plugins for various tasks |
| Platform | ✅ Web-based, with desktop apps available | ✅ Web-based, with desktop apps available |
| Cloud Storage | ✅ Yes, cloud-based storage | ✅ Yes, cloud-based integration with Figma accounts |
🏆 Winner: Figma – Figma’s real-time collaboration and seamless design systems give it a slight edge, especially for teams working on design and prototypes simultaneously.
3. Prototyping and Interaction
UXPin
- Prototyping: UXPin allows designers to create highly interactive prototypes. You can use states, logic, and variables to make prototypes behave like real applications. It supports advanced interactions like conditional logic, allowing for realistic user flows.
- Code-based Components: UXPin stands out because it allows the use of real code components in prototypes. This enables a more realistic design process, bridging the gap between designers and developers.
Figma
- Prototyping: Figma allows designers to create interactive prototypes with transitions, links, and animations. While the interactions are more straightforward, Figma’s auto-animate feature offers smooth transitions between frames.
- Interactivity: Although Figma’s prototyping tools are less complex compared to UXPin’s, it is more than sufficient for most UI/UX projects.
🏆 Winner: UXPin – UXPin’s support for advanced interactions and real-code components makes it more powerful for complex prototypes. Figma is easier to use but less robust in terms of advanced interactions.
4. Collaboration and Teamwork
UXPin
- Real-Time Collaboration: UXPin allows for real-time collaboration, where multiple designers can work together simultaneously. It also supports comments and feedback on prototypes.
- Team Management: UXPin allows teams to organize projects, control access, and manage design systems in a collaborative environment.
Figma
- Real-Time Collaboration: Figma is one of the best tools for real-time collaboration. Multiple users can work on the same design simultaneously without any lag. Comments, feedback, and discussions can be directly added to the design in real time.
- Design Systems and Libraries: Figma’s support for shared libraries and design systems allows teams to maintain consistency across designs and components.
🏆 Winner: Figma – Figma’s seamless real-time collaboration and strong support for design systems make it ideal for team-based workflows.
5. User Interface and Ease of Use
UXPin
- Interface: UXPin’s interface is designed to be simple yet powerful, with options to create interactive prototypes and use design systems.
- Learning Curve: UXPin has a slightly steeper learning curve because of its advanced functionality, especially for designers who want to take full advantage of code components.
Figma
- Interface: Figma’s user interface is clean, intuitive, and simple to navigate. It is beginner-friendly, making it easy for new users to start designing and collaborating immediately.
- Learning Curve: Figma has a lower learning curve compared to UXPin, thanks to its intuitive design and workflow.
🏆 Winner: Figma – Figma’s intuitive interface and low learning curve make it more user-friendly for beginners and experienced designers alike.
6. Plugins and Integrations
UXPin
- Plugins: UXPin offers some integrations, but it doesn’t have as extensive a plugin library as Figma. However, UXPin integrates with popular tools like Slack, Jira, and Google Drive.
- Code Support: UXPin allows the import of real code components, which gives it a significant advantage for more technical designs and teams working with developers.
Figma
- Plugins: Figma boasts an extensive plugin library, offering tools for everything from accessibility and design systems to animation and productivity.
- Integrations: Figma integrates with Slack, Jira, Trello, and other tools, as well as offering access to design resources like Unsplash and Icons8 directly from the interface.
🏆 Winner: Figma – Figma’s extensive library of plugins and integrations makes it highly versatile and customizable for different workflows.
7. Pricing
| Feature | UXPin | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✅ Yes (limited to one project) | ✅ Yes (limited features) |
| Paid Plan | Starts at $12/month | Starts at $12/month |
| Team Plan | Starts at $21/month per user | Starts at $12/month per user (for teams) |
| Enterprise Plan | Custom pricing | Custom pricing |
🏆 Winner: Figma – Figma’s free plan offers more robust features, including unlimited projects and collaboration for smaller teams.
8. Final Verdict: UXPin vs Figma
When to Choose UXPin?
- If you need advanced prototyping with interactions, logic, and code components.
- If you are working on complex projects where designers need to simulate real-world interactions with full control over logic and animations.
- If you work closely with developers and need code-based components for the design handoff.
When to Choose Figma?
- If you need a tool that emphasizes real-time collaboration and is ideal for teams working on UI/UX designs simultaneously.
- If you are looking for an easy-to-use, vector-based design tool with robust prototyping and design system capabilities.
- If you need extensive plugin support and integrations with various tools.
TL;DR:
- UXPin is best for advanced prototyping and code-based components, making it ideal for complex designs and collaboration with developers.
- Figma is great for real-time collaboration, easy-to-use design tools, and seamless integration with other design and productivity tools.
🏆 Winner: Figma – Figma’s all-around ease of use, collaboration tools, and plugin ecosystem make it the better choice for most teams and projects. UXPin is the go-to for advanced prototyping and developer handoff.