Figma vs Framer: Which Should You Use in 2026?

2 min readUpdated Mar 2026

Figma vs Framer compared on design, prototyping, and publishing. Which tool makes more sense for your workflow?

These tools are often compared but they're solving different problems. Figma is a design tool that can prototype. Framer is a website builder that looks like a design tool.

Our Pick

Figma

Better for UI design work; Framer is the pick only if you're publishing sites directly to the web

The quick version

Use Figma if you're designing apps or handing off to developers. Use Framer if you're building a portfolio site, marketing page, or anything that publishes directly to a URL.

Feature	Figma	Framer
Pricing	Free (limited)	Free
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Platforms	web, mac, windows, linux	web, mac
Real-time collaboration	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Prototyping	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Design systems	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Auto Layout	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Plugins	✓ Yes	No
Dev Mode / Handoff	✓ Yes	No
Version history	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Offline mode	No	No
Code export	No	✓ Yes
AI features	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
	Try Figma →	Try Framer →

Where each tool excels

Figma is purpose-built for UI design. The component system, auto layout, variables, and dev mode handoff are all designed around app and product design workflows. You design something in Figma, hand it to a developer, and they build it.

Framer is purpose-built for publishing. What you design is what gets deployed. There's no handoff — the design is the final product. That's a fundamental difference.

Prototyping comparison

Framer's interactions are genuinely impressive. You can build micro-interactions, scroll animations, and hover states that feel real without writing code. Figma's prototyping has improved but still feels like a step removed from production.

But Framer prototypes are production. That cuts both ways — you have real constraints (web capabilities and limits) where Figma lets you prototype anything regardless of technical feasibility.