Battle of the tools - XD vs. Figma

Advantages and disadvantages briefly summarized
UX
Design
Concept
UX & CX
29
Mar 2020

Since the release of Adobe XD and Figma in 2016, it hasn't gotten any easier for the modern UX designer to decide on the best design tool.

Presentation of the design software

There are now four major players in the prototyping and design tool competition: Figma, Adobe XD, InVision and Sketch. In this brief comparison, we will limit ourselves to Figma and XD.

Figma

Figma is a cloud-based design tool that runs entirely via the browser. It offers solutions for UI & UX design, prototyping, graphic design and wireframing. There are also various offline features for Windows, macOS and mobile devices. The pricing model covers 3 different packages: Starter (free), Professional ($12/month) and Organization ($45/month). Depending on the package, more functions are available to the user or organization.

The core functions

Figma's core features include browser and desktop support, cloud-based working, multi-plugin support and Figma Mirror - an app that allows you to preview designs on your smartphone. However, Figma's main focus is on collaborative working in real time. This is made possible by the following functions:

  • Commenting: Comments can be left at the affected location and people can be tagged and informed.
  • Multi-People Editing: Several users can work on the same file at the same time.
  • Copywriting: External copywriters or content creators can create content in real time.
  • Platform independence: thanks to browser-based work, the operating system does not matter.

Advantages and disadvantages of Figma

Advantages:

  • Figma offers sophisticated collaborative work in real time. No other design tool can really keep up here.
  • Files can be shared quickly and easily without having to export and import them at all
  • Cloud-based working provides independence from operating systems and thus enables access for everyone.
  • A huge library of extensions is available to the user.All in one tool. With Figma, no other design tools are necessary as it offers a solution for everything.

Disadvantages:

  • An internet connection is essential. Users must therefore always be "online" to work with Figma
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  • A minimum of 4 GB RAM and a graphics card with the capacity of Intel HD 3000 or more are required
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  • Due to local caches, the user may not be able to see the current status.
  • The user is not able to set global colors, which can lead to a loss of consistency in the design.

Adobe XD

XD is a vector-based design tool from Adobe Inc. that replaces Adobe Photoshop as the program for designing graphic interfaces. XD also offers solutions for the entire design, concept and prototyping range. The design tool is available for Windows and macOS and, similar to Figma, offers a mobile app for previewing mobile designs. Users have to choose between three subscription options to use XD: Starter subscription, for personal use (free); single product subscription, for individual users and small teams (€11.89 /month) or the entire Creative Cloud, with all Adobe programs (€59.49 /month).

Core functions

Adobe XD's core features include web, desktop and mobile support, offline co-editing, drag and drop artboard guides and multi-app integration. XD focuses on globally usable components and prototyping. The special features of prototyping with XD are features such as voice and speech interactions and "Auto Animation".

Advantages and disadvantages of XD

Advantages:

  • XD impresses with reliability and a sophisticated infrastructure.
  • Editing of reusable elements and responsive scaling of groups and objects simplify work.Interactive prototypes make products tangible as early as the design phase and are suitable for advanced usability tests.Users who are familiar with Adobe programs find it easy to familiarize themselves with XD
  • Cloud storage function and cloud-based real-time collaboration
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  • Easy export of designs and assets

Disadvantages:

  • Users are sometimes limited when creating and editing shapes
  • No image editing functions, so these have to be edited externally
  • Continuous updates and upgrades have a negative impact on the user experience in some cases
  • The free version of XD only offers very limited functionality of the collaborative working feature
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Conclusion

It's not easy to say which tool is best. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference: If you place a higher weighting on platform-independent & collaborative work, it is advisable to choose Figma rather than the designated program. As an Adobe Creative Cloud subscriber, XD is a very good complementary tool in conjunction with Photoshop and Illustrator, for example. This offers a solid overall solution for all use cases.

Figma is the more mature tool with a few advantages over XD, although these advantages have no impact on the end product. As a subscriber to Creative Cloud, which already includes XD, the benefits of Figma are not far-reaching enough to make a switch.