Try or ByeTry or Bye

FigmavsPrinciple

Saas
vs
App

Score Comparison

62
Overall
58
45
Pricing
75
75
Usability
70
55
Performance
85
45
Support
50
60
Reliability
70
65
Onboarding
65
65
Mobile
55
70
Security
75
75
Integrations
45
FigmaPrinciple

Signals Comparison

Performance

Figma

  • Large files cause severe performance issues and crashes(9/10)
  • Prototypes have extremely long load times(7/10)

Principle

No signals

Pricing

Figma

  • Dev Mode requires separate paid seats - previously free(8/10)
  • Unexpected seat charges and confusing billing(9/10)
  • Organization and Enterprise plans very expensive(6/10)

Principle

  • License renewal required for new features after one year(5/10)
Usability

Figma

  • UI redesign moved features and broke workflows(7/10)
  • Steep learning curve with frequent UI changes(6/10)
  • Responsive design is a major headache(6/10)

Principle

  • Mac-only platform excludes Windows users(9/10)
  • No built-in design tools - import-only workflow(7/10)
  • No real-time collaboration features(7/10)
  • Limited to animations - no logic or data for complex interactions(7/10)
Reliability

Figma

  • Figma Make (AI) constantly hallucinating and breaking designs(7/10)
  • No true offline mode - internet always required(7/10)
  • Service outages impact productivity(7/10)

Principle

  • Slow update frequency and stagnant development(6/10)
Support

Figma

  • Woeful customer service and billing disputes(7/10)

Principle

  • Limited community and ecosystem compared to Figma(5/10)
Integrations

Figma

  • Limited print design capabilities - no CMYK or 300dpi export(5/10)

Principle

  • Sketch and Figma imports flatten layers and lose properties(8/10)
  • No code export to CSS, Framer, Xcode, or React Native(8/10)
  • Documentation export requires active license(6/10)
Customization

Figma

  • Limited font support and local font issues(4/10)

Principle

No signals

Onboarding

Figma

No signals

Principle

  • Steep learning curve with limited official documentation(6/10)
Mobile

Figma

No signals

Principle

  • Preview limited to iPhone - no Android device testing(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

Figma

Free (Starter)
Free

Users: Unlimited viewers

Storage: 3 Figma files, 3 FigJam files

Limits: 3 file limit per project, No team libraries, Limited version history, No audio conversations, No private projects

Only 3 Figma and 3 FigJam files limit, Dev Mode access limited, No shared team libraries, No advanced prototyping
Professional
Popular
$15/mo

Users: Per editor/month

Storage: Unlimited files

Limits: No SSO/SAML, No centralized admin, No design system analytics, No dedicated support

Dev Mode seats cost extra ($12-15/month each), Collab seats for occasional editors ($5/month), Price shown is with annual billing ($20/month if monthly)
Organization
$45/yr

Users: Per full seat/month (annual only)

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: No dedicated CSM, No custom contracts, No enhanced security features

Annual billing only - no monthly option, Dev seats $25/month, Minimum seat requirements may apply, Implementation costs for SSO setup
Enterprise
$90/yr

Users: Per full seat/month (annual only)

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: Requires sales engagement, Complex procurement, Long implementation timeline

Dev seats at $35/month, Must negotiate with sales, Multi-year commitments may be required, Collab seats still $5/month

Principle

Individual License
Popular
$129/mo

Users: 1 computer

Storage: Unlimited local

Limits: Mac only. No Windows or Linux support. No real-time collaboration. No code export.

License renewal required for new features after 1 year. Each additional computer requires a separate $129 license.
Free Trial
Free

Users: 1 computer

Storage: Unlimited local

Limits: 14-day limit. Cannot export documentation after trial expires.

Full functionality but time-limited. No export after trial without purchase.

Feature Comparison

FeatureFigmaPrinciple
Collaboration
Real-time Collaboration

Industry-leading, multiple cursors, live editing

Real-time collaboration

No collaborative features

Branching & Merging

Organization plan and above

Version History

30 days on free, unlimited on paid

FigJam (Whiteboard)

Included in all plans

Animation
Timeline-based animation

Core strength - intuitive keyframe animation

Design Systems
Component Libraries

Shared team libraries on paid plans

Variables & Tokens

Design tokens, modes, themes

Design
Auto Layout

Responsive components, padding, spacing

Prototyping

Interactive prototypes, limited on free plan

Built-in design tools

Import-only, no asset creation

Platform
Windows support

Mac only

Mobile
Android preview

iPhone only via Principle Mirror

Developer
Dev Mode

Requires separate paid seats

Development
Code export

No CSS, Xcode, or React Native export

Integrations
Sketch import

Some properties flatten to images

Figma import

Some layer properties not preserved

Advanced
Variables and logic

Animation only, no conditional logic

Export
Video export

MP4 and GIF export supported

CMYK Export

RGB only, not suitable for print

300dpi Export

No high-res print export

Extensibility
Plugins

Large ecosystem, community plugins

Sharing
Share to web

View shared prototypes in browser

Platforms
Mobile App

iOS and Android for viewing/commenting

Reliability
Offline Mode

No true offline - basic editing only on open files

Pricing
Free tier

14-day trial only

Security
SSO/SAML

Organization plan and above

Deployment
Self-Hosting

Cloud-only, no on-premise option

AI
AI Features (Make)

New feature, still unreliable