Figma vs. Adobe XD: Should You Switch?

What you’ll get from this article: a clear decision path and practical next steps so you can decide - quickly - whether to switch to Figma and how to do it if you choose to.

Why this matters. Design tools shape how teams work, how quickly you iterate, and how consistent your products feel. Choose the right one and you speed up delivery and reduce friction. Choose the wrong one and you’ll spend time fighting files and recreating components.

Read on to learn where each tool excels, where they fall short, and how to make a low-risk trial of Figma if you’re on Adobe XD today.

Quick summary (TL;DR)

If collaboration, remote-first workflows, and design systems are your top priorities → Figma is usually the better choice.
If you rely heavily on an offline desktop-only workflow or deep Adobe Creative Cloud integration → Adobe XD still has advantages.
For most modern product teams, switching to Figma improves cross-discipline collaboration and long-term maintainability.

At a glance: core differences

Collaboration - Figma is built for real-time multi-person editing in the browser and desktop apps. Adobe XD added collaboration features later and historically focused on single-user desktop workflows.
Platform - Figma is platform-agnostic (browser + desktop apps). XD is primarily a desktop app (Windows and macOS) with cloud features.
Design systems - Figma’s components, variants, and libraries are widely praised and used at scale. XD has components and libraries, but adoption and ecosystem are smaller.
Plugins & ecosystem - Figma has a larger community, plugin ecosystem, and third-party integrations.
Handoff - Both support developer handoff, but Figma’s link-based approach and Inspect view are commonly considered smoother for cross-discipline work.

Deep dive: Features and workflow

Collaboration and real-time editing

Figma’s differentiator is real-time, multi-user editing in the same file. Multiple designers can work in the same file without copies. Commenting and threaded feedback are built in. The browser-first model reduces the need for file exports or managing multiple versions.

Adobe XD supports coediting and cloud documents but historically was built around single-user files, which can make large-scale, distributed collaboration clunkier.

Why it matters: faster feedback loops, fewer broken references, and one source of truth. Teams that depend on live design reviews and instant iteration will notice the productivity gains quickly.

Components, variants, and design systems

Figma: strong component model, nested components, and variants. Shared libraries and org-level design system features let teams publish, update, and version components centrally. Branching and merge workflows help large teams manage changes.

Adobe XD: components and libraries are present, and it’s possible to maintain a shared system. But the tooling and community resources for large-scale design systems are generally more mature in Figma’s ecosystem.

Why it matters: design systems are how you scale consistent UI across products. Better tooling reduces the manual work of syncing, rebuilding, and auditing components.

Prototyping and animation

Both tools include prototyping and micro-interaction capabilities.

Figma - prototyping is robust and benefits from plugins and community-made libraries for advanced interactions. Smart Animate and interactive components broaden what you can prototype without code.
Adobe XD - also strong on prototyping and animation; Auto-Animate is a powerful feature for transitions and motion design.

In practice, both handle common prototyping needs. If you need very advanced motion (timeline-based, frame-by-frame animation), you’ll still lean on tools like After Effects or Lottie for production.

Performance and file size

Figma’s browser-first approach is optimized but large files with many images or heavy components can become sluggish depending on local resources and network speed. Desktop apps help mitigate that.

Adobe XD’s native desktop app can feel faster on local machines for certain large files, but lacks the frictionless browser collaboration that Figma offers.

Plugins, community, and integrations

Figma’s plugin ecosystem is vast and community-driven: design utilities, accessibility checkers, icon libraries, content plugins, and integrations with Jira, Slack, Notion, and code generation tools.

Adobe XD has a plugin ecosystem too, but fewer community contributions and integrations compared to Figma.

Why it matters: plugins accelerate repetitive tasks and bridge gaps (e.g., localization, content injection, design tokens).

Developer handoff

Both provide Inspect-like views and code snippets. Figma’s link-based sharing and live updates often make handoff smoother: developers access the same shared file and can grab assets, specs, and CSS values in real time.

Adobe XD also exposes specs and assets, but workflows often involve exporting assets or using Adobe cloud documents.

Versioning, branching, and file management

Figma includes a version history, branching, and merge features designed for teams. You can create a branch, experiment, and then merge changes back - similar to a git-like workflow for design.

Adobe XD has version history for cloud documents, but branching and merge workflows are less mature.

Pricing and licensing (how to think about cost)

Pricing details change frequently. Check the vendors directly for the latest plans:

Figma pricing and plans: https://www.figma.com/pricing/
Adobe XD info and Creative Cloud plans: https://www.adobe.com/products/xd.html

High-level guidance:

Figma - free tier supports basic files and collaboration for small teams; paid plans are per-editor and add shared libraries, versioning, and organization features.
Adobe XD - often available as part of Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions or as a single-app plan; that can be cost-effective if you already pay for Adobe apps.

When comparing cost, calculate total cost of ownership: subscription fees, the cost of switching (time, retraining, file migration), and productivity gains or losses. For teams, per-editor pricing can add up - but improved cross-functional efficiency often offsets subscription costs.

Where Adobe XD still wins

Offline-first workflows - if your team works heavily offline or on locked-down networks, XD’s desktop-first model may be more reliable.
Deep Adobe CC integration - if your workflow is tightly coupled with Photoshop, Illustrator, or After Effects, XD and CC libraries can be convenient.
Simpler solo workflows - for a single designer who wants a local app and occasional prototyping, XD can be sufficient and lighter.

When Figma is the clear choice

Distributed or remote teams that need real-time collaboration.
Teams building and maintaining design systems at scale.
Multi-disciplinary teams (designers, PMs, developers, researchers) who need shared access to live files.
Organizations that benefit from an ecosystem of plugins and third-party integrations.

How to decide: quick decision checklist

Do multiple people need to edit the same files simultaneously? → Prefer Figma.
Do you require deep integration with Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop workflows every day? → Consider staying with XD (or using both strategically).
Are design systems and component libraries a priority? → Prefer Figma.
Do you have strict offline requirements or limited network access? → Consider XD.
Do license costs need to be bundled inside an existing Adobe CC spend? → Crunch the numbers; staying with Adobe may be cheaper short term.

If you decide to switch: a practical migration plan

Run a pilot (2–4 weeks).
- Pick a small team and one active project. Use Figma alongside XD rather than replacing everything at once.
Audit files and prioritize what to migrate.
- Migrate active projects and the canonical design system first. Archive old or experimental files.
Map components and tokens.
- Recreate or import core components and design tokens into Figma. Use naming conventions and variants to simplify later updates.
Use interoperability tools and plugins.
- Figma can import Sketch files natively. For Adobe XD files, use export options or third-party converters and manually recreate complex components where needed.
Train the team and set new standards.
- Short workshops, office hours, and recorded demos reduce friction. Create a short migration playbook (how to open files, use libraries, and share links).
Roll out in phases.
- Start with a single product team, then scale to cross-functional teams once the design system is stable.
Monitor and iterate.
- Track time-savings, collaboration metrics, and any friction points. Adjust governance and permissions as needed.

Migration gotchas to watch for

Complex interactions or animations may need manual rework.
Third-party integrations and scripts may not port. Recreate critical automation with Figma plugins or APIs.
Component structure differences require planning - expect some upfront reconstruction of nested components.

Recommendations for specific roles

Individual designers - Try Figma if you collaborate frequently or expect to join teams that use Figma. Keep XD installed for niche cases tied to Creative Cloud.
Design leads - Evaluate the design system story and collaboration gains. Run a pilot and measure time saved on reviews and handoff.
Engineering leads - Look at dev handoff and integration with your existing tooling (Jira, Storybook, codegen). Figma’s link-based model reduces file transfers.
Product managers - If you attend design reviews often, Figma removes friction - you can comment, inspect, and engage directly in the file.

Decision scenarios - choose a path

Small solo designer, no team collaboration, heavy Adobe CC usage - stay with Adobe XD (or keep both) and evaluate Figma gradually.
Growing product team, remote-first, building reusable UI across products - switch to Figma.
Enterprise with strict Adobe policies and existing paid Creative Cloud licenses - evaluate the cost of change vs. gains; pilot Figma on a subset of teams.

Final verdict

If you prioritize real-time collaboration, scalable design systems, and a rich plugin ecosystem, Figma is the smarter long-term choice for most modern product teams. It materially reduces friction between designers, PMs, and engineers, and it scales from one designer to hundreds inside an organization.

That said, Adobe XD remains a capable tool for offline-first, solo, or Adobe-heavy workflows. The right answer isn’t always binary. Test Figma on a pilot project first. Measure the real productivity gains. Then decide.

Useful links and references

Figma - official site & pricing: https://www.figma.com/
Adobe XD - product page & Creative Cloud: https://www.adobe.com/products/xd.html