The top 4 Figma alternatives: a marketing team's guide

Launched in 2016, Figma has made a significant mark by offering industry-defining collaboration and design capabilities. But it's not the only player in the game. For marketers and designers searching for alternatives, sifting through the many available options can be challenging and demands skill, time, and insight. 

This complexity has resulted in many teams looking externally for solutions for projects they would ideally execute in-house. But tools like Linearity are transforming the digital design landscape, making it easy for your team to craft custom designs and animations quickly and easily.

If you’re looking for alternatives that offer simplicity without sacrificing power, our curated list of top contenders to Figma should help you find your way. We’ll compare each platform's functionalities, pricing models, and user experience.

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Key features of Figma

Figma stands out for its HTML and CSS capabilities, vector networks, and comprehensive prototyping tools.

One of Figma's most famous features is its collaborative workflow. Designers can work together on a project in real-time, viewing and editing simultaneously. Beyond designers, other project stakeholders can also participate in the review process.

But, every design tool has limitations and won't fit every team's needs or preferences.

Here's a few of Figma's key features: 

• Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can work on a design simultaneously. Team members can see changes as they happen, providing instant feedback and collaboration without needing back-and-forth file transfers. Stakeholders can also leave feedback directly on the design files, streamlining the review process. 
• Auto layout: This feature automatically adjusts and resizes your design elements based on the content. It makes designing responsive and adaptive interfaces for different screen sizes easier and speeds up the design process for various devices.
• Components and variants: Figma enables the creation of reusable design components and variants, which can be easily modified and managed across multiple projects. 
• Prototyping: Designers can create interactive interface prototypes within Figma without additional software. These prototypes can simulate user interactions and transitions, providing a realistic preview of how the final product will function.
• Version control: Figma automatically saves project versions, allowing designers to track changes over time and revert to previous versions if necessary. This built-in version control supports better project management and decision-making.
• Plugins and integrations: Figma supports a wide array of plugins and integrations, enhancing its functionality with additional tools for accessibility, automation, and more. 
• Design systems: With Figma, teams can create and maintain design systems—comprehensive sets of design standards, components, and rules. This ensures brand consistency across products and projects, making it easier for UI/UX teams to scale their design efforts.
• Cross-platform accessibility: Being browser-based, Figma is accessible on any platform with internet access. It allows teams to collaborate across Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices, ensuring everyone can contribute regardless of their operating system.

Navigating Figma: pros and cons

Image source: Figma

Figma is full of collaborative potential and innovative design features. But like any sophisticated platform, it comes with its own set of challenges and advantages. Let’s examine the pros and cons of Figma to understand what makes it so compelling and, at times, complex for different users.

Figma pros

• Real-time collaboration.
• Extensive plugin ecosystem.
• User-friendly interface for UI/UX design.

Figma cons

• Internet dependency can be limiting, resulting in lags and slow loading times.
• Overwhelming for new users and novice designers.
• Pricing can escalate for large teams.
• Occasional glitches when moving elements in large files

At a glance: the big 4 Figma alternatives

After Figma: 4 tools to consider (pros and cons)

1. Linearity Move

Launched in 2017 as Vectornator and renamed Linearity Curve in 2023, the Linearity platform has grown into one of digital and graphic design’s most exciting brands, alongside Figma and other design platforms.

With the launch of Linearity Move, the platform has been tailored for digital creators, from novices in animation to experienced graphic designers and marketing teams.

Is your goal to quickly create animated social media posts, engaging ads, or compelling product announcements? Linearity Curve and Linearity Move are a power combo for creating fast-paced, cutting-edge, and budget-friendly content.

Our users can access sophisticated vector design functionality to create intricate graphics that seamlessly translate into animations or stand alone as high-quality designs. Transitioning from static designs to animated content within the Linearity ecosystem also significantly streamlines even the busiest marketing team’s creative process.
With the launch of the newest Linearity Figma Plugin, importing static assets from Figma to Linearity Move is easier and quicker than ever.

Shared workspaces will soon be available on Linearity, a game-changing feature promoting team collaboration. 

Linearity pros:

• Specializes in vector design and animation.
• Intuitive interface that eases the learning curve.
• Optimized for both Mac and iPad, catering to on-the-go designers.
• Offers the Linearity Figma Plugin for easy imports.
• Shared workspaces are launching very soon.
• Easily integrate with your other design software in a single click using the Import function, which quickly imports your designs from Linearity Curve, Figma, Sketch, and other vector tools.

Linearity cons:

• Less known than some competitors, but rapidly gaining ground.
• Online forum communities are still developing.

2. Adobe XD

Image source: Adobe

Adobe XD, part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, is designed to streamline UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaboration. With its comprehensive feature set, Adobe XD enables designers to transition from ideation to interactive prototypes.

Its big idea is to bridge the gap between visual design and functional prototypes by offering a versatile platform for creating user experiences that are both good-looking and highly usable.

Tailored for individual designers and their teams, Adobe XD integrates closely with other Adobe products and is a popular choice among those who use the Adobe suite.

Adobe XD pros:

• Many users appreciate Adobe XD for its clean, user-friendly interface. 
• Adobe XD is known for its efficient prototyping capabilities, allowing users to quickly create and link interactive screens for websites and apps.
• As part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, XD integrates well with other Adobe products, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, facilitating a smoother workflow for users already in the Adobe ecosystem.
• Collaboration Features: XD offers real-time collaboration tools that enable multiple designers to work on the same project simultaneously.
• Adobe regularly updates XD with new features and improvements.

Adobe XD Cons:

• Some users feel that Adobe XD lags behind competitors in certain areas, like advanced animation and prototyping features.
• Users have reported performance slowdowns when working on particularly large or complex projects within XD.
• While generally user-friendly, some of Adobe XD's more advanced features may require a learning curve, particularly for users not already familiar with Adobe products.
• There may be limited support for importing or exporting legacy or non-standard file formats, which can be a hurdle for users migrating from other tools or working with a wide range of asset types.
• As with most Adobe products, XD requires a subscription, which can be a con for individuals or organizations with tight budgets or those who prefer a one-time purchase model.

3. Sketch

Image source: Sketch

Sketch, a vector-based design tool tailored primarily for Mac users, has become a staple in the UI/UX design community. Known for its simplicity and efficiency, Sketch streamlines the design process from initial wireframes to final prototypes.

While it offers a focused set of features for interface design, it also supports a robust ecosystem of plugins for extended functionality. 

Sketch pros:

• Sketch is highly praised for its vector design capabilities and tools tailored specifically for UI/UX design, making it a go-to for many professionals in these fields.
• One of Sketch’s most appreciated features is its extensive ecosystem of plugins, which significantly extend the software's functionality and customization options.
• Users often commend Sketch for its intuitive and straightforward interface
• Sketch's symbol system, which allows for the creation of reusable components, is seen as a powerful feature for promoting consistency across designs and speeding up the design process.

Sketch cons:

• The scope of its vector editing tools is often criticized, underperforming significantly when compared to its competitors
• While being optimized for macOS is a pro for Mac users, it's a significant limitation for those on Windows or Linux, as Sketch is not available on these operating systems.
• Compared to some competitors, Sketch has been viewed as lagging behind in real-time collaboration features, although it has made strides in this area with Sketch for Teams.
• Sketch can experience performance issues when handling very large or complex files.
• While Sketch is praised for its ease of use, mastering its more advanced features and functionalities can require a significant time investment.

4. Affinity Designer

Image source: Affinity

Affinity Designer is a vector graphic design software that’s a strong Figma contender for those seeking an alternative to subscription-based models.

It caters to professionals working on illustrations, UI/UX designs, and branding projects across platforms (Windows, macOS, and iPad). With a one-time purchase, users gain access to its suite of tools. 

Affinity Designer pros:

• An advantage of Affinity Designer is its one-time purchase model, which many users find to be a cost-effective alternative to subscription-based software.
• Unlike some of its competitors, Affinity Designer is available on Windows, macOS, and iPad, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
• Users often praise Affinity Designer for its speed and responsiveness, even with complex documents and designs.
• The UI is frequently highlighted for being intuitive and customizable
• Affinity Designer is noted for its versatility, supporting both vector and raster workflows within the same application, which is particularly useful for illustrators and graphic designers.

Affinity Designer cons:

• Some users coming from other design software might face a learning curve due to differences in workflows and toolsets.
• Collaboration Features: Affinity Designer lacks some of the advanced collaboration features found in competitors
• While growing, the user base and community around Affinity Designer are small
• For users specifically looking for in-depth animation capabilities, Affinity Designer might not meet all their needs compared to more specialized software like Linearity Move.

Beyond the basics: why Linearity stands out

Let’s scrutinize Figma and Linearity (which includes Linearity Move and Linearity Curve). We’ll focus on comparing specific features and pricing and how they align with graphic designers’ and marketers’ requirements.

Figma is celebrated for its collaborative capabilities and comprehensive design features. It serves as a versatile platform for a wide range of design projects. With its subscription model, Figma caters to teams and organizations looking for a collaborative design tool that integrates smoothly into various workflows.

On the flip side, Linearity introduces a fresh perspective with tools like Linearity Move and Linearity Curve. Our platform emphasizes ease of use, efficiency, and a streamlined design experience.

Linearity’s easy-to-use and robust design and animation software offers a quick ramp-up time. Features like Auto Animate, for instance, are a game-changer for designers who want to move into animation, or even for first-time creators. It’s especially ideal for digital designers and marketers. 

Linearity's competitive pricing makes the suite even more attractive for teams and those who find Figma’s extensive toolkit unnecessary for their specific projects.

Pricing and accessibility

• Figma operates on a subscription basis, with plans starting at $12/month and an enterprise plan accommodating different team sizes and needs for $75/month. While it offers a broad spectrum of features, its pricing model may be a consideration for smaller teams or individual freelancers.
• Linearity’s straightforward pricing structure, starting at $7.99/month, makes it a viable option for marketing teams and in-house designers. It’s equally suitable for individual graphic designers, small businesses, and agencies. Anyone needing potent design and animation tools without the complexity or expense of other professional platforms.

Ease of use

• Figma is known for its depth and flexibility, but it can also present a learning curve for newcomers or those requiring quick deliverables.
• Linearity is designed with user-friendliness at its core. It allows designers and marketers to engage effortlessly with vector design and animation, making professional design work more accessible to in-house teams.

Features for today’s design needs

• Figma stands out for its collaborative design environment and extensive feature set, which are ideal for complex projects and team-based workflows.
• Linearity focuses on powerful tools for dynamic design and animation suitable for marketing and promotional materials. Its features cater directly to the needs of marketing designers. With shared workspace functionality around the corner, all marketing stakeholders will be looped in the design process.
• With thousands of ready-made templates, whether static, or animated, social media to presentation templates, there's something for everyone.

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If you’re looking for a design solution that marries functionality with simplicity and cost-effectiveness, Linearity stands out as your best alternative to Figma. It’s crafted to simplify the design and animation workflow, offering a practical choice for users who view Figma as overly complex or costly for their requirements.

Are you ready to embrace innovation and efficiency in your daily design tools? Get started with a free Linearity account and experience a new creative workflow.

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