Figma vs Adobe XD, How Do They Compare? Is Figma Better?

When designing an app that meets user needs and business goals, the choice of tools can make all the difference. For app design agencies, picking the right software can bolster collaboration and streamline workflow, helping them avoid the pitfalls of design that can derail even the best projects. Figma and Adobe XD rank among the most popular design tools today, so how do you choose between them? In this article, we'll explore how Figma and Adobe XD compare with each other to help you make the right choice for your business.

App design agencies that leverage NUMI's product design services can quickly become up to speed on the latest design trends and tools, such as Figma and Adobe XD. Our expert team can help you create a stunning app prototype that delights your users and meets your business goals.

Figma vs. Adobe XD At A Glance

Figma and Adobe XD are two of the most popular tools in the UI/UX design world, each offering unique strengths for designers and teams. Adobe XD is deeply integrated into the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem, making it an excellent choice for designers already familiar with Adobe's suite of tools like: 

• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• After Effects

It shines in its ability to bridge design and prototyping with advanced features like voice triggers and auto-animation. It is ideal for users who value cohesive workflows within the Adobe environment. 

Figma vs. Adobe XD: Collaboration and Accessibility in Design Tools

On the other hand, Figma takes a collaborative-first approach, offering a fully cloud-based platform that enables real-time teamwork across devices. Unlike Adobe XD, which is desktop-focused, Figma works seamlessly in a browser, making it highly accessible for remote teams or those using multiple operating systems. 

Its focus on cross-platform collaboration features like version history and design system management make it a favorite for teams prioritizing efficiency and accessibility. While both tools are powerful, Figma is often favored for collaboration and ease of use, whereas Adobe XD caters more to individual designers already invested in Adobe’s ecosystem.

What Is Figma?

Figma is a user interface (UI) design tool primarily used for prototyping and collaboration. Figma is entirely web-based, meaning it works directly in your browser; you don’t need to download or install any software. 

There are four main products under the Figma umbrella: 

• Figma Design is a collaborative design tool used to create various design assets and prototypes, as well as create and manage design systems
• FigJam, a virtual whiteboard used for workshops, ideation sessions, and collaborative problem-solving and decision-making
• Dev Mode, a workspace to facilitate collaboration between designers and developers and ensure smooth design handoff
• Figma Slides (currently in Beta mode), is a collaborative presentation tool that enables design teams to co-create slide decks. 

What are the Benefits of Using Figma?

It’s no accident that Figma is one of the most popular design tools around. There are many benefits of using Figma—from improved collaboration and a more efficient workflow to abundant features, templates, and community resources at your fingertips. 

Here are just some of the many reasons designers love Figma: 

Figma Is Easy To Learn And Use: 

Figma is renowned for its intuitive, user-friendly interface. Beginners and experts can quickly learn the tool, making it ideal for everything from graphic design to detailed UI/UX design projects. 

It’s Browser-Based, And No Download Is Necessary.

To access Figma, you simply open it in your web browser. It doesn’t matter what device or operating system you’re using. 

Figma Enhances Collaboration

Figma makes it easy to work as a team, even if you’re not all in the same place. This is a great advantage for remote and distributed teams. 

Version Control And Auto-Save

Figma automatically saves changes in the cloud, making it easy to revert to previous versions if needed and reducing the risk of losing work. 

An Impressive Array Of Features And Functionalities

Figma has everything you need to create wireframes, prototypes, and many more design assets besides—and you can enhance its capability even further with plugins. It’s a design powerhouse! 

A Strong Community And Additional Resources

The Figma community is an excellent source of inspiration and learning. Figma users can access community-designed templates, design assets, and plugins—everything you need to streamline your workflow and produce great work. 

What are the Use Cases of Figma?

Figma is a fantastic tool for designing websites, mobile app interfaces, and more, especially when you need to collaborate effectively with your team. 

Here are some real-time use cases demonstrating Figma's versatility: 

Designing Websites

When creating a website, you often start with wireframes and prototypes to plan the layout and structure. Figma makes this process simple by allowing you to design and refine different layouts, components, and interactions quickly. This helps you make informed design decisions and ensures the final website meets all the requirements. 

Creating Mobile App Interfaces

Figma is widely used to design mobile app interfaces. It allows you to create multiple screens, build interactive prototypes, and test the user experience before any development begins. This is particularly valuable for UX designers who must validate their ideas and ensure the app is intuitive and user-friendly. 

Presenting Designs

Figma's presentation mode lets you easily showcase your designs to clients, stakeholders, or judges in a competition. This mode turns your design files into polished presentations, simplifying communication of your design choices and receiving feedback. 

Team Collaboration

One of Figma’s most significant advantages is its real-time collaboration feature. Design companies and startups love Figma because it allows multiple team members to simultaneously work on the same project. Everyone can see changes instantly, making teamwork seamless and efficient. 

Design File Management

Figma helps organize your design files by allowing you to create reusable components and define styles. This means you can maintain consistency across your projects, save time by reusing elements, and ensure that your files are well-organized and easy to navigate. 

How NUMI Simplifies Design and Development for Startups with Expert Framer Services

NUMI is a Framer web design agency powered by experienced Framer developers and product designers. Backed by Y Combinator, NUMI handles your startup's sourcing, vetting, and hiring design needs. We have a fabulous design team that ensures all of your design work is being done well. 

NUMI helps with: 

• Product design
• Web design
• Framer development
• Webflow development
• Mobile design
• Prototyping
• UX design
• All of your startup's design needs! 

Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!

Related Reading

• App Development Stages
• How to Pitch an App Idea
• How to Develop an App Idea
• App Development Planning Guide
• Mobile App Design Best Practices
• App Design Process
  
• Web Application Development Process

What is Adobe XD?

Adobe XD, short for Adobe Experience Design, is a versatile design software that helps designers create and prototype user experiences for: 

• Websites
• Mobile apps
• Digital user interfaces 
• Experiences (UI/UX)

With XD, designers can craft: 

• High-fidelity wireframes
• Interactive prototypes
• Responsive designs

Its intuitive interface enables easy collaboration, allowing designers to share their work with stakeholders and receive real-time feedback. 

Benefits of Adobe XD

Adobe XD benefits graphic and web designers by providing an intuitive interface with robust features. Graphic designers can create visually stunning graphics and branding materials, while web designers can utilize powerful prototyping capabilities for seamless user experiences. 

Here are four primary benefits of using Adobe XD: 

Tailored For Ux Design

Adobe XD is built to cater to the unique needs of UX designers. It provides a range of specialized tools and features that streamline the process of creating intuitive and delightful user experiences. 

Efficient Prototyping

With Adobe XD, designers can quickly create interactive prototypes that simulate user journeys. The interface allows for easy linking of screens, defining interactions, and testing usability — enabling designers to iterate and refine their designs effectively.

Collaborative Workflow

Adobe XD promotes collaboration by integrating with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. This allows designers to work across different tools without saving individual files before loading them up on Adobe XD. 

Design System Integration

Adobe XD lets you manage design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability in UX design projects. It supports the creation of UI kits, reusable components, and style guides, streamlining the design process. 

Adobe XD Features

Adobe XD offers many powerful tools that cater to designers’ needs. Here are five key features that make Adobe XD stand out: 

Live Preview For Real-Time Feedback 

With Adobe XD’s live preview feature, designers can instantly display their designs on multiple devices simultaneously. This allows for real-time feedback and interaction testing, ensuring a seamless user experience and responsiveness across different screen sizes. 

Repeat Grid For Efficient Layouts 

The repeat grid feature in Adobe XD simplifies the creation of complex layouts. Designers can easily duplicate elements like cards or lists while maintaining consistent spacing and alignment. 

Voice Commands And Gestures Support 

Adobe XD incorporates voice commands and gesture support, making prototyping voice-enabled and gesture-based interactions easier. Designers can simulate and test these interactions within Adobe XD, enhancing the user experience and exploring new possibilities. 

Plug-In Support For Extended Functionality 

A wide range of Adobe XD plug-ins extends the software’s functionality. These plug-ins allow users to enhance workflow, automate repetitive tasks, and integrate with other design and productivity tools. From color palettes to image libraries, the plug-in ecosystem in Adobe XD offers endless customization options. 

Dedicated Wireframing Tools And Functionalities 

Adobe XD recognizes the importance of wireframing in the design process and provides dedicated tools and functionalities specifically tailored for wireframing. These let designers quickly draft layout structures, define content hierarchy, and establish the foundation of their designs. 

Top Use Cases of Adobe XD

Adobe XD is a flexible tool and can be used for a wide range of design projects. Some popular uses include: 

Mobile App Design 

Designers use Adobe XD to create the entire user interface and interactive prototypes for mobile applications, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience. 

Website Redesign

When revamping a website, Adobe XD helps designers visualize and prototype the new layout, navigation, and overall design before development begins. 

E-commerce Platform Design

Adobe XD is valuable for designing online shopping experiences, including: 

• Product pages
• Checkout processes
• Other key elements of e-commerce platforms

Dashboard Design

Designers use Adobe XD to create dashboards with intuitive layouts and interactive elements for data visualization and analytics for better user engagement. 

Social Media App Design

Adobe XD is employed to design interfaces for social media platforms, considering features like: 

• Profiles
• Feeds
• Interaction patterns

Educational App Prototyping

Designers use Adobe XD to prototype educational apps, incorporating interactive elements for:

• Quizzes
• Lessons
• User progress tracking

Healthcare Interface Design 

Adobe XD is suitable for designing interfaces for healthcare applications, ensuring a user-friendly experience for: 

• Patients
• Doctors
• Administrators

Related Reading

• What is Rapid Application Development
• Mockup vs Prototype
• Mobile App Prototype
• Agile App Development
• Mobile App Wireframe
• Rapid Prototyping Cost
• Sketch vs Figma
• Mobile App Prototype
• Low Fidelity vs High Fidelity
• MVP App Development

How do Figma and Adobe XD Compare?

Supported Platforms: Figma vs. Adobe XD

Figma and Adobe XD differ in where and how they can be used. 

• Figma is a web-based tool, meaning you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection, whether on Windows, macOS, or even Linux. For those who prefer a desktop app, Figma has one, too. While you can use it offline, staying connected ensures access to its full suite of features. 
• Adobe XD, on the other hand, is a desktop-first application currently available for Windows and macOS users. For collaboration, you can save files locally or in Adobe Creative Cloud, but transferring files between these two environments (local and cloud) requires manual work, like creating a “Save As” version to avoid file duplication.

Interface: Figma vs. Adobe XD 

Open either tool, and you’ll notice how clean and intuitive their interfaces are. 

• Figma keeps things minimal, with most tools in the top toolbar and a left-hand panel for layers and reusable components. 
• Adobe XD centralizes design tools in the left sidebar, making it easy to find everything in one place using UI kits, shapes, or the pen tool.

Design and Layout Tools: Figma vs Adobe XD 

Both tools offer the basics—pen tools, shape tools, text, and color controls—but Figma takes the lead with more flexible vector tools. 

• Do you need to create a custom shape, like a cube? In Figma, you can easily draw it using the pen tool and tweak it without extra steps. 
• In Adobe XD, you’ll have to rely on Boolean operations or grouping, which can feel less intuitive.

Responsive Design: Figma vs Adobe XD 

When it comes to designing for different screen sizes:

• Figma’s Auto Layout is a standout. It lets you define rules for how elements resize, align, or stack, making creating responsive components like buttons or interface designs a breeze. 
• Adobe XD’s Responsive Resize offers similar functionality but can feel limited compared to Figma’s flexibility, especially when dealing with complex designs.

Creating and Managing Design Systems: Figma vs Adobe XD 

Both tools support creating design systems with reusable components, color palettes, and font styles. 

• Figma allows you to build these systems directly within your project files or set up shared design libraries for team use. 
• Adobe XD steps things up with Creative Cloud Libraries, enabling seamless integration with assets from other Adobe apps like Photoshop or Illustrator.

Collaboration and Sharing: Figma vs Adobe XD 

Figma is built for collaboration. As a web-based tool, it allows multiple designers to work on the same file in real-time, leave comments, and track changes with version history. 

Adobe XD also offers real-time coediting and feedback features but stands out with its share links, which you can customize to control what different stakeholders see—whether it’s a design spec, prototype, or simple presentation.

Developer Handoff: Figma vs Adobe XD 

Figma keeps things simple—developers can inspect files directly, grab code, and view interactions within the design. 

Adobe XD requires generating a shareable development link to access CSS specs in a browser.

Pricing: Figma vs Adobe XD 

Here’s where Figma has a significant edge. It offers a free plan for individuals and small teams, with monthly professional plans starting at $12/editor. 

Adobe XD is bundled with Creative Cloud, meaning you’ll need to pay for an All Apps subscription even if XD is your only Adobe tool.

Is Figma Better Than Adobe XD

Figma vs. Adobe XD: Why Figma Comes Out on Top

Figma is like the ultimate team player in the world of design tools. It was built with collaboration as its core strength, and it shows. Unlike Adobe XD, Figma allows real-time collaboration in the design file—no need to send updates or wait for feedback. Think of it as Google Docs for design, where everyone can: 

• Edit
• Comment
• Brainstorm together

The Key Features That Make Figma Shine

• Prototyping: Figma’s prototyping is intuitive and seamlessly integrated into the design workflow. There is no need to switch between apps. 
• Auto Layout: This feature makes responsive design a breeze, allowing you to create components that adapt to different screen sizes dynamically. 
• Developer Handoff: Developers can inspect your design directly within the file, complete with CSS and layout specs. It’s efficient and reduces back-and-forth confusion. 
• Team Libraries: Figma excels in creating shared libraries for design systems, ensuring everyone can access the latest components.

Where Adobe XD Shines

While Figma dominates in collaboration, Adobe XD isn’t without its perks. It integrates beautifully with Adobe Creative Cloud, making it a natural choice for those already immersed in Adobe’s ecosystem. 

Features like: 

• Auto-animate: Adobe XD does have the edge here, especially for complex prototyping that involves animations or voice interactions. 
• Creative Cloud Libraries: This allows seamless integration with assets from Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Adobe apps, which can be a game-changer for some teams.

Related Reading

• App Prototype Example
• Mobile App Wireframe Examples
• Challenges in Mobile Application Testing
• Testing Mobile Applications
• Best Prototyping Tools for Mobile Apps
• Low Fidelity vs High Fidelity
• Mobile App Mockup Tool
• Sketch vs Figma
• Android App Development Cost
• Best Prototype Companies
• Mobile App Design Template
• MVP App Development Company
• MVP App Development
• Rapid Prototyping Cost

Subscribe To A Guild of World Class Framer Developers with Our Framer Web Design Agency Today

NUMI is a Framer web design agency powered by experienced Framer developers and product designers. Backed by Y Combinator, NUMI handles your startup's sourcing, vetting, and hiring design needs. We have a fabulous design team that ensures all of your design work is being done well. 

NUMI helps with: 

• Product design
• Web design
• Framer development
• Webflow development
• Mobile design
• Prototyping
• UX design
• All of your startup's design needs! 

Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!