Let's cut right to the chase. If you're a designer starting a new project today, the debate between Figma and Adobe XD is over. Figma won.

This isn't just an opinion; it's a reflection of the current market reality. Adobe has officially stopped new feature development for XD and it's no longer available as a standalone application. While it still exists within the Creative Cloud suite, it's effectively in "maintenance mode."

So, this comparison isn't about two equal contenders battling for a crown. It's about understanding why one tool became the industry standard and what the other's decline means for your career and projects. This guide will give you the clear, no-fluff breakdown you need to make the right choice for 2025 and beyond.

The Bottom Line Up Front: It's Figma's World Now

If you're short on time, here's the only thing you really need to know:

Choose Figma if: You are starting any new project. You work on a team, need real-time collaboration, want access to a massive plugin library, and want to use the tool that has become the undisputed industry standard.

Consider Adobe XD only if: You are legally and contractually obligated to work on a legacy project that is already built in XD. Even then, you should be planning your exit strategy.

Quick Comparison Table: Figma vs. Adobe XD

What Happened to Adobe XD? The Elephant in the Room

You can't have a fair discussion about Adobe XD vs Figma without addressing the giant pink elephant in the corner. In 2023, following the failed acquisition of Figma, Adobe announced it would no longer invest in XD.

From Competitor to "Maintenance Mode"

This doesn't mean the app has vanished completely. If you have an All-Apps Creative Cloud subscription, you can still use it. But "maintenance mode" means one thing: the product is a dead end.

There will be no new features. No innovative updates. No keeping up with the rapid pace of modern product design. You'll get security patches and OS compatibility updates, but that's it. It’s a tool frozen in time.

What This Means for You as a Designer

Sticking with a tool in maintenance mode is a career risk.

1. You fall behind: You won't learn the new workflows and techniques (like advanced variable features or AI integrations) that are defining modern design.

2. You become less marketable: The vast majority of job postings for UI/UX and product design roles now list Figma as a required skill. Knowing only XD puts you at a significant disadvantage.

3. Future project risk: Starting a new, long-term project in XD is irresponsible. You risk hitting a wall where the tool simply can't do what you need, with no hope of a future update to save you.

Head-to-Head Feature Breakdown: A Category-by-Category Analysis

Even though the war is over, looking at how Figma won is useful. It shows what features truly matter in a modern design tool.

Round 1: Collaboration and Accessibility (The Decisive Factor)

This is the category that single-handedly sealed XD's fate.

Figma was built from the ground up for the web. This means you can open a massive design file on almost any computer with a browser, and multiple people can jump in and work on it at the same time. Designers, developers, and product managers can all be in the file, leaving comments, tweaking copy, and inspecting elements simultaneously.

Adobe XD tried to catch up with cloud documents and co-editing, but it always felt like a feature bolted onto a traditional desktop app. The experience was never as fluid or reliable.

Winner: Figma. It's not even close. Figma's browser-first, real-time collaboration changed the game.

Round 2: Prototyping and Animation

Both tools offer strong prototyping capabilities. You can link screens together, create transitions, and build interactive mockups.

Adobe XD's Auto-Animate was genuinely impressive when it launched. It allowed for slick, object-based animations between artboards with minimal effort and felt very intuitive. For complex micro-interactions, some designers still speak fondly of it.

Figma, however, has caught up and, in many ways, surpassed XD with features like Smart Animate and interactive components. With the addition of variables and conditional logic, you can now create incredibly complex, near-real-world prototypes in Figma that XD could never handle.

Winner: Figma. While XD's Auto-Animate was a great feature, Figma's prototyping toolset is now more powerful and flexible for creating realistic user flows.

Round 3: Design Features and Power (Auto Layout vs. Repeat Grid)

This is a battle of signature features.

XD's Repeat Grid is a fantastic tool for creating lists or grids of repeating elements quickly. You drag a handle, and it instantly duplicates your element with consistent spacing. It's simple and very effective for what it does.

Figma's Auto Layout is a much deeper and more powerful concept. It allows you to create components and frames that grow or shrink automatically as you change their content. It's essentially applying CSS Flexbox principles directly in your design tool. It has a steeper learning curve but is the foundation for building truly responsive and scalable design systems.

Winner: Figma. Repeat Grid solves one problem well. Auto Layout solves a whole class of problems related to responsive and systematic design.

[PRO TIP: Master Auto Layout in Figma. It will dramatically speed up your workflow and make your designs more robust when handing them off to developers.]

Round 4: Plugins and Extensibility

A design tool's power isn't just about its native features; it's also about its ecosystem.

Figma's plugin community is a massive, thriving marketplace of innovation. Need to check color contrast, populate your design with realistic data, manage tokens, or export code? There are hundreds of high-quality plugins for that, with new ones appearing daily.

Adobe XD has a plugin library, but it's a ghost town by comparison. With no future for the platform, developers have no incentive to build new tools for it.

Winner: Figma. The community support is an unstoppable advantage.

Round 5: Performance and Platform

As a native desktop application, Adobe XD often felt a bit snappier on some machines, especially when working offline with locally saved files.

Figma, being web-based, requires a stable internet connection for its core collaborative features. While it has a desktop app (which is essentially a wrapper for the web version), its performance can sometimes depend on the complexity of your file and your internet speed. However, for 99% of use cases, its performance is excellent, and the accessibility of being browser-based far outweighs any minor offline limitations.

Winner: A tie, leaning towards Figma. The sheer accessibility of being able to open any project on any machine via a URL is a bigger win than the marginal performance benefits of a desktop-only app.

The Financial Factor: Pricing and Plans Compared

How you pay for a tool is a big part of the decision.

Figma's Freemium Model

Figma has an incredibly generous free tier. You can have three active files and unlimited personal projects. This allows anyone to learn the tool and use it for professional work without paying a dime. Their paid "Professional" plan is affordable for freelancers, and the "Organization" tier adds features for large companies.

Adobe XD's Creative Cloud Bundle

Adobe XD is no longer sold separately. To get it, you must subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud "All Apps" plan, which is significantly more expensive. This makes sense if you're already a heavy user of Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects, but it's a huge barrier to entry if you just need a UI/UX design tool.

Winner: Figma. Its pricing is more flexible, accessible, and provides enormous value on its free plan.

The Big Question: What Should Current Adobe XD Users Do?

If you or your team are still using Adobe XD, it's time to make a plan. You're not in immediate danger, but staying put is not a viable long-term strategy.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Projects

Identify which projects are active and which are in maintenance. For new projects, start them in Figma immediately. For active XD projects, assess how much longer they will require significant design work.

Step 2: Communicate with Your Team and Stakeholders

Be transparent about the situation. Explain to your managers, developers, and clients that the industry has shifted and that for future growth and compatibility, a move to Figma is necessary. Frame it as a positive step towards a more efficient and collaborative workflow.

Step 3: Plan Your Migration

Migrating isn't always easy, but it's manageable.

• Learn Figma: Take advantage of Figma's free plan to get comfortable with the interface and core features like Auto Layout and Components.

• Use Converters: There are tools and plugins that can help convert .xd files to .fig files. They aren't perfect, but they can save you a lot of manual rebuilding.

• Prioritize Assets: Start by migrating your core design system or component libraries. This will provide the foundation for rebuilding project files more quickly.

Final Recommendation: Why You Should Choose Figma Today

The choice is clear. Figma isn't just a replacement for Adobe XD; it's a leap forward.

It offers a workflow that is fundamentally more collaborative, open, and powerful. Its component-based, responsive-first features like Auto Layout and Variables are built for the reality of modern product development. The thriving plugin community ensures that whatever challenge you face, someone has probably already built a tool to help you solve it.

By learning and adopting Figma, you are not just choosing a piece of software. You are aligning yourself with the current and future standard of the design industry.

Quick Takeaways

• The Figma vs Adobe XD debate is settled. Figma is the winner.

• Adobe has stopped developing new features for XD, putting it in "maintenance mode."

• Figma's real-time, browser-based collaboration is its killer feature and a key reason for its market dominance.

• While XD has some nice features like Repeat Grid, Figma's Auto Layout is more powerful for building scalable design systems.

• The massive Figma plugin ecosystem extends its functionality far beyond what XD can offer.

• If you are currently using XD, you should start planning your migration to Figma to future-proof your skills and projects.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I still buy or download Adobe XD?

You can no longer purchase Adobe XD as a standalone application. It is only available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud All-Apps subscription, and Adobe is no longer marketing it to new users.

2. Is it difficult to switch from Adobe XD to Figma?

There is a learning curve, but many core concepts are similar. You'll need to get used to Figma's terminology (Frames instead of Artboards) and master Auto Layout. Most designers find they can become productive in Figma within a week or two of dedicated learning.

3. What about Sketch? Is it still a viable alternative?

Sketch is still a powerful, Mac-only design tool and was the main competitor to Figma and XD for years. However, like XD, it has struggled to keep pace with Figma's collaborative, cross-platform approach. While it has a loyal user base, most of the industry's momentum is behind Figma.

4. Can Figma files be integrated with other Adobe products like Photoshop or Illustrator

Yes. While the integration isn't as native as XD's was, it's very common to import assets from Illustrator into Figma. You can copy and paste vectors from Illustrator directly into Figma, and many plugins exist to help streamline workflows between Adobe products and Figma.

5. Is Figma's web-based app secure for confidential projects?

Yes. Figma is used by many of the world's largest tech companies (including Google, Microsoft, and Uber) and has robust security features to match enterprise needs, including SSO, access controls, and regular security audits.