PrinciplevsProtoPie

App

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

PrincipleProtoPie

Signals Comparison

Usability

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)

ProtoPie

No autolayout or responsive design features(8/10)
Missing basic interaction functionality(6/10)
No built-in design tools(5/10)
Slow editor development pace(4/10)

Integrations

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)

ProtoPie

Figma and Sketch import issues(7/10)
Font issues when sharing prototypes(4/10)

Reliability

Principle

Slow update frequency and stagnant development(6/10)

ProtoPie

Software bugs and crashes(6/10)

Onboarding

Principle

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

ProtoPie

Steep learning curve for beginners(7/10)
Limited tutorials and documentation(5/10)

Mobile

Principle

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

ProtoPie

No native Apple Watch support(7/10)

Support

Principle

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

ProtoPie

No signals

Pricing

Principle

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

ProtoPie

Expensive subscription pricing(8/10)
Essential features locked behind Enterprise tier(7/10)
Student and plan downgrades without warning(7/10)
Expensive developer handoff and viewer seats(5/10)

Performance

Principle

No signals

ProtoPie

Studio performance lag on complex prototypes(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

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.

ProtoPie

Free

Users: 1 user

Storage: 50MB

Limits: Only 2 prototypes total, 2 scenes per prototype max, Watermarked exports, No team collaboration, Limited storage

Watermark on all prototypes, No local saving, Cannot remove branding

Basic

$25/mo

Users: 1 seat

Storage: 500MB

Limits: Single seat only, No team libraries, Limited to 20 prototypes, 10 scenes per prototype, No offline/local saving

Billed annually ($300/year), No team features, Connect Core costs $20/mo extra

Pro

Popular

$47/mo

Users: Per editor

Storage: 5GB

Limits: No SSO, No smartwatch support, No private server, No custom hardware integrations

Billed annually (~$564/year), Connect Core $20/mo/user extra, Minimum seats may apply

Enterprise

$2000/yr

Users: Minimum 3 seats

Storage: Custom

Limits: Requires annual commitment, Lengthy sales process, Pricing not transparent

Minimum 3 seats required ($6,000-$7,500/year minimum), Implementation fees, Custom pricing per organization

Connect Core Add-on

$20/mo

Users: Per user

Storage: N/A

Limits: Only available for Basic/Pro plans, Full Connect features require Enterprise

Required for many advanced features, Adds up quickly with team size

Feature Comparison

Feature	Principle	ProtoPie
Animation
Timeline-based animation Core strength - intuitive keyframe animation
Core
No-code prototyping Formula system requires some technical thinking
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration No collaborative features
Team collaboration Pro and Enterprise
Developer handoff Interaction recordings, specs via link
Platform
Windows support Mac only
macOS app
Windows app
iOS Player
Android Player
Apple Watch support Only Wear OS supported
Wear OS support Enterprise only
Mobile
Android preview iPhone only via Principle Mirror
Integrations
Adobe XD import
Sketch import Some properties flatten to images
Figma import Some layer properties not preserved
Development
Code export No CSS, Xcode, or React Native export
Advanced
Hardware integration Via ProtoPie Connect, Arduino support
Variables and logic Animation only, no conditional logic
Interactions
Sensor triggers Accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone
Conditional logic Variables, states, formulas
Auto-animate Requested feature, not implemented
Export
Video export MP4 and GIF export supported
Design
Responsive/autolayout Major missing feature
Built-in design tools Import-only, no asset creation
Sharing
Share to web View shared prototypes in browser
Pricing
Free tier 14-day trial only
Usability
Offline mode Pro and Enterprise only, with local saving
Security
SSO Enterprise only

Signals Comparison

Usability

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)

ProtoPie

No autolayout or responsive design features(8/10)
Missing basic interaction functionality(6/10)
No built-in design tools(5/10)
Slow editor development pace(4/10)

Integrations

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)

ProtoPie

Figma and Sketch import issues(7/10)
Font issues when sharing prototypes(4/10)

Reliability

Principle

Slow update frequency and stagnant development(6/10)

ProtoPie

Software bugs and crashes(6/10)

Onboarding

Principle

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

ProtoPie

Steep learning curve for beginners(7/10)
Limited tutorials and documentation(5/10)

Mobile

Principle

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

ProtoPie

No native Apple Watch support(7/10)

Support

Principle

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

ProtoPie

No signals

Pricing

Principle

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

ProtoPie

Expensive subscription pricing(8/10)
Essential features locked behind Enterprise tier(7/10)
Student and plan downgrades without warning(7/10)
Expensive developer handoff and viewer seats(5/10)

Performance

Principle

No signals

ProtoPie

Studio performance lag on complex prototypes(6/10)

Pricing Comparison

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.

ProtoPie

Free

Users: 1 user

Storage: 50MB

Limits: Only 2 prototypes total, 2 scenes per prototype max, Watermarked exports, No team collaboration, Limited storage

Watermark on all prototypes, No local saving, Cannot remove branding

Basic

$25/mo

Users: 1 seat

Storage: 500MB

Limits: Single seat only, No team libraries, Limited to 20 prototypes, 10 scenes per prototype, No offline/local saving

Billed annually ($300/year), No team features, Connect Core costs $20/mo extra

Pro

Popular

$47/mo

Users: Per editor

Storage: 5GB

Limits: No SSO, No smartwatch support, No private server, No custom hardware integrations

Billed annually (~$564/year), Connect Core $20/mo/user extra, Minimum seats may apply

Enterprise

$2000/yr

Users: Minimum 3 seats

Storage: Custom

Limits: Requires annual commitment, Lengthy sales process, Pricing not transparent

Minimum 3 seats required ($6,000-$7,500/year minimum), Implementation fees, Custom pricing per organization

Connect Core Add-on

$20/mo

Users: Per user

Storage: N/A

Limits: Only available for Basic/Pro plans, Full Connect features require Enterprise

Required for many advanced features, Adds up quickly with team size

Feature Comparison

Feature	Principle	ProtoPie
Animation
Timeline-based animation Core strength - intuitive keyframe animation
Core
No-code prototyping Formula system requires some technical thinking
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration No collaborative features
Team collaboration Pro and Enterprise
Developer handoff Interaction recordings, specs via link
Platform
Windows support Mac only
macOS app
Windows app
iOS Player
Android Player
Apple Watch support Only Wear OS supported
Wear OS support Enterprise only
Mobile
Android preview iPhone only via Principle Mirror
Integrations
Adobe XD import
Sketch import Some properties flatten to images
Figma import Some layer properties not preserved
Development
Code export No CSS, Xcode, or React Native export
Advanced
Hardware integration Via ProtoPie Connect, Arduino support
Variables and logic Animation only, no conditional logic
Interactions
Sensor triggers Accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone
Conditional logic Variables, states, formulas
Auto-animate Requested feature, not implemented
Export
Video export MP4 and GIF export supported
Design
Responsive/autolayout Major missing feature
Built-in design tools Import-only, no asset creation
Sharing
Share to web View shared prototypes in browser
Pricing
Free tier 14-day trial only
Usability
Offline mode Pro and Enterprise only, with local saving
Security
SSO Enterprise only