 If you are reading this article to know whether you should use Adobe XD or Figma and the Then I must tell you that if you are already an Adobe user you should proceed with your journey with Adobe XD, and if you are not an Adobe user and have not used any Adobe products yet, then Figma will be perfect for you. Though you can definitely switch from Adobe XD to Figma and vice versa after having a basic knowledge of UI designing with any of these platforms. As I have found both of the platforms are quite similar having some minor differences in terms of some facilities and User experience.Â
In this complete blog post, I will tell you the difference between Adobe XD and Figma according to my experience. and I hope you will also find your perfect answer here. Though I must say that the experience and feedback vary from user to user. in the following part of this article, I will explain to you what I have personally experienced while switching over to Figma from Adobe XD.
There are a lot of UI UX designing tools available in the market. And new tools are coming into the market almost every day. now Adobe XD and Figma is the two most popular UI UX designing platforms available in the market. Though, I must mention a newly launched Platinum named Framer, which is also a prototyping designing software. people are also admiring this platform very much. but in this particular blog post, we will stick on the two platforms Adobe XD and Figma.
Disclaimer
- Before explaining my experience to you I must say that I am using Adobe products for long years. My father is a professional photographer that’s why I am very much familiar with the Adobe editing tools like Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and others.
- I use the windows version of both of these platforms so, all of my experience will be based on the Windows platform. so if you are a MAC user then you may find some differences from my explanation.
- But I can assure you all of my explanations will have perfect reasoning so that you can properly understand what I am trying to say.
- The main motto of this article is to help beginners to decide which platform they should choose between Adobe XD and Figma, for starting his journey in UI UX designing.
Comparison between Adobe XD and Figma
Here I am giving a table so that you can easily differentiate between Adobe XD and Figma, from the content of this table. but if you want a depth explanation on this topic and what is my opinion on this, then you must follow the article below.
| Title | Adobe Xd | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.99$ / Month | 12$ – 45$ / Month |
| Realtime Collaboration | Yes Adobe Xd Supports | Yes Figma Supports |
| Web Version | Adobe Xd didn’t have | Figma have |
| Performance and Smoothness | Very smooth and lightweight | Very smooth and lightweight |
| Sharing Option | Supports sharing | Supports sharing |
| Plugins | Has lots of plugins in store | Has only the basic plugins still now |
| Tools for editing | Has all of the necessary tools | Has all of the necessary tools |
| Operating System | Windows, MAC OS | Windows, MAC OS, Linux ( with browser) |
Difference between Adobe XD and Figma
Now the complete difference between the Adobe XD and Figma, I will explain according to my journey and what I have personally experienced while using both of the software. Though the experience and feedback may vary from user to user that I have already mentioned. but I will try my best to explain what the difference you will face if you want to switch or try any of this platform.
Which is more Costly
if you are a beginner and want to start your journey in UI UI UX designing, And you are the only one, using this platform to create your design no one is helping or collaborating with you in real-time then both of the platforms are free for everyone.
Like The Other Adobe products like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe premier pro, etc. this Adobe XD is free for everyone. To use it you just have to create an Adobe account and have to download the Adobe creative cloud, and from that, you have to download the Adobe XD software. and now you are completely ready to use the Adobe XD in your device.
And in the case of Figma, it is also free for everyone. you just have to create a Figma account and then you can directly use this software from your browser or you can download its native application on your device to use it as an application.
But if you are a company and want to develop your design with multiple of your employees in real-time, then you have to pay to use any of these platforms.
Adobe XD has a price of 9.99 dollars per month, where Figma has its price of 12 dollars to $45 depending upon its plan.
Winner: So you can clearly see that Adobe XD is cheaper than Figma, though Some people may say that Figma have some extra functions that Adobe XD don’t. but I must say that depends on how you utilize all of the features of a platform. All though I will mention all of the features provided by these two platforms below so please continue reading this article.
Real-time collaboration
As of now both of these platforms are supporting real-time collaboration. Though the older version of Adobe XD doesn’t support real-time collaboration. Where Figma is supporting real-time collaboration for a long time. But in the case of real-time collaboration, all of your teammates must have the account in the same platform to take part in editing in real-time.
now it is a noticeable point that the free version of both of the platforms supports only 3 persons to collaborate in real-time. if you want to add more of your teammates to collaborate in your project then you must have to pay for using the upgraded version of this platform. and this is applicable for both of the platforms and their plans and price depends upon the plan you are choosing. Though I have already mentioned the pricing of this platform before where you can decide which platform to choose if you are planning to work with lots of your teammates.
Winner: In this case, I must say that it is a draw for both of these platforms. as both of this platform takes money in case of collaborating with members more than 3. but if you are using Adobe XD then you have an advantage as its pricing is lower than Figma.
Web Version
This is the major advantage for Figma as it has its web variant. so there is no need to download a native app on your device to use Figma. And why I am appreciating this is because downloading and installing any app on your device required space not only that, it also consumes some resources while it runs in the background.
But in the case of Figma If you are using it in a web browser then at the time of using its web app will load into your device and will store in your temporary data. When you will close your browser all of that data from your device will be automatically deleted.
And another biggest advantage that I have faced while using Figma is if you are sharing your project with your client or any other person, it will be very easy for them to check what you have done. as there is no need to download any native application to check your design. he can directly open this from his Browser. and now a mobile browser that also supports a desktop view. so it will be very easy for them to check your design.
Another hand Adobe XD does not have any web variant. it has its native application for or both of the platforms like Windows and IOS. to use Adobe XD first, you have to download the Adobe creative cloud software then you can download the Adobe XD from there. and that’s why this uses some memory in your hard drive, and the Adobe creative cloud runs in the background so it also uses some of the resources of your device.
Winner: As Adobe XD does not have any web variant, so the clear winner, in this case, is Figma. and I have personally found the web version of Figma very helpful as it helps to use this software in some of the very low-end PC.
Performance and Smooth Experience
I must say that both Adobe XD and Figma is very lightweight and very smooth to use. but the size of Adobe XD is bigger than Figma. as I have calculated while downloading Adobe XD from the Adobe creative cloud, it almost consumes 450MB of internet data, while in the case of downloading the native application for Figma it only takes around 100MB of internet data. Though Figma have its web app. so to use Figma there is no need to download that native application on your device. you can directly access this platform from your browser.
But as Adobe XD runs on the device so it uses directly your device resources that’s why you may find Adobe XD a bit smoother than Figma if you have a good PC or laptop. but you if you do not have a good PC and you are using Figma in a browser then you will find that figma is more smooth than Adobe XD in your device. Nowadays the modern browser hibernates itself automatically if you are not using the browser for a long time, in that case, you may face some lag while editing in Figma If you are using its web app. but it will happen only for some seconds and after that, it will work perfectly fine.
Winner: I think in this case both of the software is pretty fine and enough smooth to do your work with ease. So, I must say it is a tie between them.
Sharing your Project
Both of the platforms have the functions to share your project with your client or your teammates. so that you can get the feedback to change your design according to them. but the point is which of these platforms have better and efficient sharing facility.
If you are using Figma, then Figma has an embedded option where you can embed all of your designs in a file. then you can share the embed link of that file, with your clients or your team. And the design will be automatically updated whenever you will add any changes in your design. And all of the changes will reflect on the embedded link automatically that you have already sent to your client. so there is no need to send repeated links or the updated links to check the latest and updated design.
in the case of Adobe Xd, it separates the designs which you can publish as a link for or others to check your editing. But every time you update your design, you have to resend the link, to see the updated version of your project.
Winner: Both of this platform offers almost same features while sharing your project. But I will like the Facility to automatically be updated to the latest person in the previously shared link of Figma. So, the winner should be Figma in this case.
Plugins Store
Adobe XD has a variety of plugins in its plugins Store. In fact, you may find plugins for everything you will do in Adobe XD in its flag in store. Trust me these plugins will make your designing journey way faster and easier.
you want to convert your design to an Android studio XML file, yes there is a plugin for that in Adobe XD. you want to convert your design in an HTML CSS file so that you can view your design in a web browser, yes there is also a plugin for that. Do you want to import some icons directly from Adobe XD workspace, yes you will also find a plugin for that in Adobe XD plugin Store.
In the case of Figma, it has a very less number of plugins. in fact, you will only find the essential plugins in Figma. Figma just started supporting plugins for a very short time as it didn’t support plugins from the beginning. so you can hope there is a strong chance of having a variety of plugins in for Figma in the future.
Winner: While editing I use plugins very much as it helps a designer in many cases. That’s why for me Adobe XD is a clear-cut winner in this scenario.
Tools for Designing
If you have already checked the pictures of both of these two platforms you may find that both of the platforms have quite similar tools. that’s why I must say that in the case of Editing you will not find a huge difference between these two platforms. there is some difference between the user interface between these two platforms, and I have found one or two more tools in Figma that are quite helpful while designing.
That doesn’t mean that you cannot do a particular design only on one of these platforms. you can do whatever you want to design, using any of these two platforms. There is no reason to reject any of these platforms in case of any missing features in the case of designing.
Winner: I will mention this as a tie as both of these platforms offers the same designing tools, and you can edit whatever you want in using any of these two platforms. but I have found some controversies between the arrow HD users and Figma users. As Adobe XD uses claims that XD is easier to use, where Figma users claim that Figma is easier to use for having two or three more tools in the workspace itself. In Adobe XD those tools are in-between options.
Easy for learning
Still, now I have discussed a lot about the facilities and functions provided by these two platforms. but the main and most important topic is which platform is easier to learn. This is the most challenging part for a beginner to decide which platform he wants to choose.
According to my experience, I have learned Adobe XD first and then I have switched to Figma for a couple of months and then I have returned to Adobe XD. while switching into Figma I have already a lot of experience in Adobe Xd that’s why it was not a big deal for me to understand Figma. I just have to locate the alternative tools of Adobe XD in Figma. and to locate all of the options in Figma, that Adobe XD provides. Simply saying I have just to understand the interface of the Figma, and that’s all.
according to me if you want to learn any of these two platforms it will hardly take 1 hour if you are giving your full concentration. and definitely, you can master any of these platforms by repetitive practice. so both of the platforms are easy to learn and easy to understand. the and the interface of both of the platforms are very clean, that’s why you will find it very easy while understanding it.
But here I must mention if you are already an Adobe user and using any of the Adobe editing tools like Photoshop, premiere, or illustrator. you will find Adobe XD way more familiar than Figma. as you will find most of the tools in Adobe XD, that you have already used in other Adobe editing software. so it will be very easy to understand adopt Xd if you are already using any Adobe editing tools.
Winner: Both of the platforms are very easy to learn so there is no big difference between them which you will find easier than others.
Result of the fight between Adobe Xd vs Figma
It is a very controversial topic to declare any of these platforms as a winner. I love both of these platforms and not only that currently, I am also using both of the platforms in my home. Though my primary choice is Adobe XD. But in some of my low-end desktops, I have installed the Figma, for creating tutorials and teaching others. according to me, there is no big difference between these two software. so that you can not say that any of this is bad.
But as I have to declare a winner, Then I must say that Figma is a winner in this total competition. is Figma has its web variant so that anyone can use Figma at any time just having an internet connection. and this feature is really very helpful. so I am just declaring Figma as the winner only on behalf of its availability as a web app. and I do not think that Adobe XD will have it’s on a variant sooner.
My Recommendation
I personally recommend that you can use any of these two software For UI designing purposes. both of the software provide almost the same features. But according to me if you are an Adobe user or planning to use any of the Adobe products later then you must go for the Adobe XD. as you will find this software is a lot easier as you are already familiar with the Adobe products. and it will help you to learn Adobe XD Quickly. But if you are not a user and have not used any of the Adobe products yet, then you must choose Figma for your career. as I have personally experienced Figma uses fewer resources in your device. that’s how it will be a good choice for you.
Though You can switch from one software to another software at any time. if you understand any of the platforms, it will be very easy to switch from another platform to another platform. as you already know the basic parts of UI designing.
Why I have switched to Figma for sometimes
Probably you may know that in case of using any Adobe product first you must have to download the Adobe creative cloud application. then you can download the apps like Photoshop, premiere pro, and other apps from the creative cloud application. and these apps are not free. you have to pay Adobe to use the latest creative cloud edition of this application. and adapt charges you on a monthly basis in case of using these applications.
That’s why for some months I thought that maybe I will not able to purchase the software for one or two months, because of some financial problems. that’s why I decided to use the third-party version of this software for a few months. but then I realized that you cannot use your internet in this third-party software. and to use plugins in Adobe XD you must have connected your creative cloud account with your Adobe XD. and this third parties software did not allow that. Though you can use Photoshop and Premiere Pro mostly offline. But using Adobe XD in offline without the plugins, is very difficult. that’s why at the time I switched to Figma so that I can continue my UI UX designing journey along with using the third-party version of photoshop and other software.
Though, I never recommend any of you guys to do this and use this type Of third-party software. As these types of software are not good for your computer.
Conclusion
I hope you found this article very much helpful and you have got the answer for what you are searching for. if you still have any query feel free to comment down below I will reply to you whenever I will get some free time. If you think I have missed any important point while explaining the comparison between Figma and Adobe XD, please mention that in the comment section. in this way you also can guide others.