The rise of no-code and low-code tools, web design has become more accessible than ever. Two of the leading players in this space are Figma and Webflow – but which one is right for your web design needs?
Ease of use
For beginners looking to create their first website, Webflow has a slight edge for its easy drag-and-drop interface. You don’t need any web development experience to build sites on Webflow. Its visual editor and built-in animations make web design intuitive. That said, Figma also prioritizes usability with its clean, friendly interface. Creating designs, icons, and prototypes is straightforward with its selection of vector design tools. Figma’s community of free UI kits jumpstart projects for new users. For simple websites, Webflow’s learning curve may be a little gentler. But Figma is also very usable for UI design thanks to its native features and community resources.
Design capabilities
As a dedicated interface design tool, Figma provides more advanced capabilities for UI/UX work. Its vector networks allow for more advanced design features like boolean operations, path manipulation, and shape layering. Figma also has powerful prototyping tools with triggers, overlays, and transitions to create detailed prototypes. Webflow’s design features are comparable to simpler interfaces. You build clean, modern sites with a large library of templates and components. But Figma provides finer control over the design for complex interfaces. So Figma is the winner if you need robust design features to create detailed app and website interfaces. For simpler websites and wireframes, Webflow works well.
Coding abilities
- A key advantage of figma to webflow is its integration of visual design tools with underlying code. Webflow writes clean, production-ready HTML and CSS for you as you design visually. Developers also write custom CSS, JavaScript, and HTML for finer control.
- In Figma, you inspect design elements to view the underlying CSS values. But you directly access or edit the code itself within Figma. To build a functioning site from a Figma design, developers will need to manually translate designs into code.
- So Webflow allows for a more seamless transition from design to development. Webflow sites don’t require separate coding work to go live. Figma designs require extra implementation effort.
- Creating animated micro-interactions is easier in Figma with its advanced prototyping tools. You build detailed transitions, overlays, scrolling effects, and conditional interactions. Figma also integrates with libraries like Framer for complex animations.
- In Webflow, animations are limited to simple hover interactions, transforms, and transitions. It works well for basic websites but achieves the complex prototypes and micro interactions possible in Figma.
- For creating detailed animated prototypes, Figma is the better choice here.
Handoff and collaboration
Figma makes it easy to collaborate with stakeholders and other designers in real time. You watch team members design live, inspect their work, or take control to make edits. Figma also has excellent design handoff features to share prototypes and style guides. Webflow also has solid collaboration capabilities like live previews and comments for feedback. But Figma’s live collaboration and advanced handoff features are better suited for cross-functional teams working on UI/UX projects together.
