Marvel is entirely cloud-based with no offline functionality. Users must be constantly online to use the tool, which doesn't work for designers who prototype on the go, during commutes, or in areas with poor connectivity. This limitation restricts Marvel to office-bound workers only.

Marvel offers mostly basic clickable prototypes with limited animations and transitions. Users expecting advanced prototyping features like micro-interactions, complex transitions, or component states find the tool restrictive compared to Figma or Framer. The tool prioritizes simplicity over power.

Users who have been paying for 2+ years report there's almost nothing new - the same designs and placeholders remain unchanged. Marvel hasn't evolved much compared to competitors like Figma and Adobe XD. The product feels stagnant while the market has moved forward.

The absence of modern features like AI-powered design assistance and auto layout limits Marvel's appeal for complex projects. Competitors have added these features while Marvel has lagged behind, making it feel outdated for advanced design workflows.

Marvel's free plan allows only 1 project with no trial for Pro features. Users can barely test the platform's capabilities before hitting the paywall. Multiple users expressed frustration that they can only create 'two prototypes' (or just one according to current pricing) before being forced to pay.

Marvel does not offer refunds when you cancel or if you have an unused account. Payments are non-refundable and they do not provide refunds or credits for any partial-month subscription periods. Downgrades are immediate with no pro-rated refunds.

Depending on project complexity, it can take a long time to set up prototypes and wait for everything to load, especially on the free edition. Large prototypes with many screens cause noticeable performance degradation. Historically, the prototype player loaded all images upfront which worsened user experience.

One user reported spending over 3 hours creating and linking prototype images, only to find the next day that ALL links had been moved and resized. While Marvel fixed this within a week, such data corruption bugs undermine trust in the platform for critical projects.

Marvel doesn't offer simultaneous editing where multiple team members can work in a file at the same time. Instead, it offers asynchronous collaboration only. Teams used to Figma's real-time cursors and instant syncing find Marvel's collaboration model outdated.

As of July 2022, Marvel User Testing was sunsetted on Marvel Free plans. New user tests can no longer be created on free plans, pushing a key feature behind the paywall. Users must upgrade or use Marvel's separate Ballpark tool for testing.

The user experience can feel somewhat rigid, as the interface lacks the flexibility seen in other design tools. While clean and simple, some users find the onboarding process steeper than other platforms despite Marvel's focus on simplicity.

Users report problems with the Marvel Sketch plugin, including failed artboard uploads in certain Sketch versions. General Marvel App connecting issues and slow upload performance have been documented. Some data may be lost when importing from Figma to Marvel.

Marvel's Handoff feature generates CSS, Swift, and Android XML code but won't support PSDs (Photoshop files). Teams with Photoshop-heavy workflows cannot use Marvel's developer handoff for those assets, requiring workarounds or additional tools.

Marvel's support team is based in the UK while customers are spread globally, leading to response time issues. The company acknowledges it's not always instant to get back to support tickets and has experimented with SupportBots to address time zone gaps.