Figma vs FigJam: Not a Competition

This comparison gets asked because both products have "Fig" in the name and come from the same company. That's where the overlap ends. Using Figma for whiteboarding is like using a spreadsheet for presentation slides — technically possible, definitely wrong.

What FigJam is

FigJam is Figma's online whiteboard product. You use it for:

• Brainstorming with sticky notes
• User journey maps and service blueprints
• Sprint retrospectives and planning
• Affinity mapping and clustering
• Flowcharts and process diagrams
• Team decision-making with voting stickers

The experience is designed for collaboration — multiple people can be on the same board simultaneously, contributing and reacting in real time. The cursor shows who's where, the sticky note colors are distinct, and everything is intentionally simple so the tool doesn't get in the way of the thinking.

What Figma is

Figma is a UI design tool. You use it for:

• Designing app and web interfaces
• Building and maintaining design systems
• Creating interactive prototypes
• Handing off designs to developers
• Version-controlled design work

The two tools are complementary, not competing. A product team's workflow might look like: kick off a feature in FigJam (define the problem, map the flow, align on approach), then move to Figma to design the actual screens.

Why "Figma vs FigJam" is the wrong question

The real question for most teams is whether to use FigJam or a dedicated third-party whiteboard tool like Miro or Mural. Those products have more features than FigJam — templates, integrations, facilitation tools, voting systems — but FigJam's advantage is that it's already in your Figma subscription.

Figma plans include FigJam seats. If your team is paying for Figma, FigJam is already available. Adding Miro costs an additional $8-16/user/month. For teams trying to reduce tool sprawl, FigJam eliminates the need for a separate whiteboard subscription.

When Miro or Mural beat FigJam

FigJam is a solid whiteboard for most teams, but it's simpler than the dedicated whiteboard products. If your team runs intensive facilitated workshops, needs advanced presentation mode, uses AI-powered summarization, or relies on deep integrations with Jira or Confluence, Miro and Mural have more to offer.

FigJam is also limited for very large boards with hundreds of participants. For a company all-hands brainstorm with 200 people, Miro's performance and organizational tools are better suited.

The practical recommendation

If your team is already on Figma — use FigJam. You're not paying extra, the files live in the same workspace, and you can reference Figma designs inside FigJam boards. The path of least resistance is also the sensible choice here.

If you're evaluating from scratch, try FigJam first before adding Miro or Mural to your tool stack. Most product teams find FigJam handles their whiteboarding needs without adding cost.

Pricing

Figma: Free tier includes 3 Figma files and 3 FigJam files. Professional plan at $15/editor/month includes unlimited Figma files and full FigJam access.

FigJam: Standalone FigJam plan available at $3/editor/month — useful if you only need whiteboarding without full Figma access.

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Who should use which

Use Figma for:

• UI design, design systems, prototyping, developer handoff
• Any work that produces screens or components

Use FigJam for:

• Brainstorming, user journey mapping, sprint ceremonies
• Collaborative planning before design work begins

Consider Miro or Mural instead of FigJam if:

• Your team runs complex facilitated workshops
• You need advanced integrations with project management tools
• You want more templates and facilitation features than FigJam provides