How accurately does Figma generate code for code tools?
Can Figma to code tools handle complex, interactive designs?
What’s the learning curve for implementing Figma to code tools?
Are Figma to code tools suitable for enterprise-level applications?
Read More
Bridging the gap between design and development has always been a major hurdle. Figma to code tools are the game-changers you need, automating the conversion of stunning designs into functional, high-quality code.
🙂 This guide compares the top tools to help you streamline your workflow, eliminate manual errors, and ship products faster than ever.
Many designers create interfaces in Figma, and developers write code to build them. This manual process can be slow and error-prone. Figma to code tools automate this step, making the journey from design to a working product smoother.
These tools offer different ways to convert designs into code. Here, we compare some popular options and examine what they provide for designers and developers.
Why Do We Need Figma to Code Tools?
Consider a typical workflow: A designer finishes a Figma file and hands it to a developer. The developer inspects the design, measures spacing, notes colors, and then writes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This back-and-forth can be slow.
A Figma-to-code tool tries to speed this up. It reads your Figma design and generates code. This process often involves manually translating Figma designs, which can take time and introduce errors. Automating the translation of Figma designs into code is a significant advancement for software development, helping teams deliver development projects more efficiently.
Figma to Code Plugins
Figma-to-code plugins are important for teams looking to streamline development. They convert design elements into usable code. When choosing a plugin, consider its ability to generate code for multiple frameworks (React, Vue, HTML/CSS) and its support for auto layout to preserve responsive designs. Collaboration features are also beneficial.
Popular tools include Anima, Locofy, and DhiWise. These tools convert Figma designs into functional code, maintain code quality, and support design systems. The right plugin can speed up development and improve code standards.
How These Tools Work
Figma-to-code tools analyze your Figma designs—layers, components, and styles—and convert them into code. Some generate front-end code (HTML, CSS, React components), while others create more complete application frameworks. Effective tools often feature user-friendly interfaces.
Integrating Figma to Code Tools into the Design to Code Process and Workflow
Integrating Figma to code tools into your design and development workflow can significantly improve efficiency. Here's how to approach it:
Establish a Collaborative Workflow:
Encourage regular design reviews.
Maintain open feedback loops between designers and developers.
Support continuous iteration based on feedback.
Ensure clear communication regarding project requirements and user experience goals.
Leverage Tools at Various Stages:
It is used for rapid prototyping to test ideas quickly.
Apply for the final code export to get a head start on development.
Benefits of Integration:
Generate code for static and dynamic websites.
Create web and mobile applications.
Develop entire web platforms.
Maintain design integrity throughout the process.
Accelerate development from concept to production.
Improve consistency and quality across all deliverables.
The importance of Auto Layout and Design Systems in Figma to Code Conversion
Use Figma to code tools that support auto layout and design systems. These systems help build consistent, visually appealing, and functional products across devices.
Auto Layout: Helps create responsive designs in Figma that adapt to different screen sizes.
Design Systems: Provide consistent components, colors, and typography for cohesive applications.
Tools like DhiWise and Locofy help maintain these structures during conversion, leading to accurate and high-quality code.
Figma to Code Tool Comparison
Let’s examine several popular tools and highlight what they offer designers and developers. These tools differ in the types of code they generate, the level of control they offer, and how they fit into existing workflows. Pricing model and design quality are important factors when evaluating these tools.
1. DhiWise
DhiWise is a low-code platform that generates front-end UI code. It aims to generate complete, structured applications from Figma designs.
For Designers:
Designers upload their Figma design files to the DhiWise platform.
DhiWise then helps identify UI components, screens, and navigation flows automatically.
The focus for designers is on creating clear, well-organized Figma files.
For Developers:
DhiWise generates organized, production-ready code for various technologies, including React, Next.js, Node.js, Laravel, Kotlin, and Flutter.
DhiWise can also generate Flutter code for mobile app development, streamlining the process for cross-platform projects.
It follows established architectural patterns, which means the generated code is structured for maintainability, scalability, and performance, unlike simpler code generation tools that might produce flat, unorganized code.
It offers features for integrating APIs, setting up authentication, and configuring databases directly within the platform.
A significant feature is Rocket.new . With Rocket, developers can upload a Figma design and quickly get a boilerplate for a complete, working application. This includes pre-built features and integrations, greatly speeding up the initial setup phase for new projects. It transforms the Figma design into a full-stack starting point in minutes.
Example Scenario:
Your team is starting a new mobile banking application. You have detailed UI designs for Figma. DhiWise can take these Figma designs and generate the complete front-end (e.g., Flutter). DhiWise is suitable for various development projects, from web apps to mobile solutions.
This setup, especially with Rocket, provides a solid foundation, allowing your developers to focus immediately on implementing core banking logic and security features rather than spending weeks on boilerplate code. Professional developers trust DhiWise for its ability to generate high-quality, production-ready code.
Here is a simplified representation of DhiWise’s workflow:
graph TD
A[Designer Creates Figma Design] --> B{Upload Figma to DhiWise};
B --> C[DhiWise Identifies UI Elements and Screens];
C --> D[Developer Configures UI Code];
D --> E[DhiWise Generates Structured Code for Front-end];
E --> F[Working, Production-Ready Application];
2. Anima
Anima focuses on turning Figma designs into responsive HTML, CSS, and React code. It aims to provide a quick starting point for web projects.
For Designers:
Designers use Anima’s Figma plugin to add design constraints and breakpoints. This allows them to define how elements should behave on different screen sizes.
They can also add interactions, animations, and embed custom code directly within Figma.
Anima offers a live preview of the generated website, allowing designers to see their design as a functional webpage.
Anima supports using custom components, giving designers greater flexibility in design-to-code conversion.
For Developers:
Anima generates a zip file containing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and asset files.
It can also generate React components.
The free tier offers Anima's basic features, including creating a free account, using the Figma plugin, and generating code from Figma designs.
Anima supports integration with design systems, helping teams maintain consistency across projects.
The code is generally structured, but often serves as a base for developers to refine, integrate with backend logic, or adjust to match specific coding standards or framework versions.
Example Scenario: Anima can generate the initial HTML and CSS if your team needs to quickly build a marketing landing page or a simple static website based on a Figma design. Developers can then take this code and add dynamic content or integrate it into a content management system.
Locofy.ai is designed to generate production-ready front-end code from Figma and Adobe XD designs, helping translate Figma designs into production-ready code. It supports a range of modern frameworks.
For Designers:
LocofyAI plugin helps designers “tag” elements in their Figma file (e.g., as buttons, input fields, images). This tagging guides the code generation process, making the output more semantic.
It enables the creation of interactive prototypes directly from Figma designs, allowing for a seamless transition from static mockups to functional previews.
It provides a visual preview of the generated code within the plugin.
Designers can directly define states, props, and logic for components in the LocofyAI interface.
Locofy features a user-friendly interface, making it accessible for designers and developers.
For Developers:
It generates code for React, React Native, Next.js, Gatsby, HTML/CSS, and more.
The generated components aim to be well-structured and reusable.
Developers can download the code, which is organized into component files and styles. This makes it easier to integrate into existing projects or build upon.
Example Scenario: Consider a team building a new web application with a complex user interface, like a project management tool. LocofyAI can take the Figma designs for various UI components (cards, forms, navigation) and generate React components. Developers can connect these components to the application’s backend APIs and add business logic.
4. Quest AI
Quest AI focuses on creating interactive React components directly from Figma designs. It emphasizes handling component states and responsiveness.
For Designers:
Designers can use Quest AI to define different states for components (e.g., hover, active, disabled) and specify interactions.
It helps designers think about the dynamic behavior of their designs.
Designers can also define responsive layouts within Quest AI’s interface.
Quest AI supports the creation of custom components, enabling designers to build unique interface elements.
For Developers:
Quest AI generates React components that developers can export and integrate into their React projects.
The generated code is component-based, making it modular and reusable.
It aims to produce clean, well-organized JSX and CSS, emphasizing design quality to ensure the output matches the original design intent.
Example Scenario: If your team needs to develop a library of custom UI components (like a bespoke button with various states, a multi-step form, or an interactive slider) based on Figma designs, Quest AI can help generate the initial React component code. Developers can then add advanced logic or integrate these components into a component library.
Builder is a headless visual CMS that allows teams to build and optimize digital experiences visually. It includes a Figma plugin to convert designs into various code formats. Builder enables users to create and publish dynamic websites instantly using its powerful visual builder.
For Designers:
Designers can import their Figma designs directly into Builder.
They can then visually edit and optimize the content, creating different versions for A/B testing or personalization.
It allows non-technical users to make content and layout changes without developer involvement.
The visual builder is a core feature, enabling rapid creation and editing of web content.
For Developers:
The platform generates React, Vue, Svelte, Qwik, HTML/CSS, and more code.
It functions as a headless CMS, meaning developers pull content and UI components via API and integrate them into their existing codebases.
This approach separates content from code, giving developers control over the underlying application logic while designers and marketers manage the visual content.
It supports deployment across multiple platforms, making managing content in various digital environments easy.
It supports Tailwind CSS for styling web components, streamlining the development process.
Example Scenario: A marketing team frequently updates website landing pages or promotional sections. With this tool, designers can create these sections in Figma and import them. The marketing team can then make content changes using the tool without requiring a developer to deploy new code for every text or image update. Developers build the initial integration, and then content updates are managed visually.
6. TeleportHQ
TeleportHQ is an open-source platform for generating code from design. It emphasizes collaboration and code quality, supports multiple frameworks, and streamlines web development workflows.
For Designers:
Designers can import Figma files and visually build UIs.
It offers a rich interface for designers to add responsiveness, interactions, and component properties.
The platform provides immediate visual feedback for the changes.
For Developers:
TeleportHQ generates clean, framework-specific code for React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, and vanilla HTML/CSS.
It focuses on generating semantic and maintainable code.
TeleportHQ supports styled components, enabling modern CSS-in-JS styling within React projects.
TeleportHQ generates code optimized for search engines, helping improve website visibility and SEO.
Developers can export and integrate the code into their projects or use TeleportHQ’s CLI for more advanced workflows.
Being open-source means developers have transparency and control over the generated output.
Example Scenario: A startup is building a new product with a lean team. They use Figma for design and want to quickly generate the front-end for their MVP. TeleportHQ can help them generate the initial React or Vue codebase for their application’s UI, allowing their developers to quickly add the core business logic. The open-source nature also allows for customization of the code generation if needed.
Comparison Table: Figma to Code Tools
Tool
Primary Output
Target Audience
Key Features for Designers
Key Features for Developers
Notable Differentiation
Anima
HTML, CSS, React components
Designers, Front-end Developers
Constraints, breakpoints, animations, live preview in Figma
Generates zip file with HTML code, CSS code, React component export, supports design system integration
Focus on pixel-perfect HTML/CSS and responsive design, supports design system workflows
Selecting a Figma to code tool depends on your team’s specific context. Consider these factors:
Code Output Quality: How clean, maintainable, and production-ready is the generated code? Does it align with your team’s coding standards?
Supported Stacks: Does the tool generate code for the frameworks (React, Vue, Angular) your team uses?
Level of Automation: Are you looking for just UI component generation, or a more comprehensive application scaffolding (like DhiWise with Rocket.new )?
Customization and Extensibility: How easy is modifying the generated code, adding custom logic, or integrating with existing systems?
Designer Involvement: How much does the designer need to learn about code concepts or prepare their Figma files specifically for the tool? Consider whether the tool supports your design system to help maintain consistency across UI components.
Collaboration: How well does the tool support the handoff and collaboration between designers and developers?
Pricing Models: Does the tool offer a pricing model that fits your team's budget and usage needs (e.g., free, subscription, one-time purchase)?
Tool Selection Criteria
Evaluating Figma to code tools requires a systematic comparison across multiple dimensions. Consider your team's specific needs and workflows.
graph TD
A[Tool Selection Process] --> B[Evaluate Features]
A --> C[Test Code Quality]
A --> D[Check Framework Support]
A --> E[Assess Pricing]
B --> F[Basic Features]
B --> G[Advanced Features]
C --> H[Code Cleanliness]
C --> I[Performance]
D --> J[Frontend Frameworks]
D --> K[Mobile Support]
E --> L[Free Tier]
E --> M[Enterprise Options]
F --> N[Final Decision]
G --> N
H --> N
I --> N
J --> N
K --> N
L --> N
M --> N
Feature completeness varies significantly between tools. A comprehensive evaluation ensures the best fit for your needs.
Support quality often differentiates between similar tools. Responsive support teams can make or break tool adoption.
Community size and activity indicate tool longevity. Active communities provide resources and solutions to common challenges.
So what's next you need to consider?
Tool Integration and Collaboration
Effective Figma-to-code conversion depends on strong tool integration and collaboration features. Modern tools are built to support teamwork, allowing designers and developers to share Figma files, give feedback, and manage code conversion in real time.
Advanced Collaboration Features: Tools like DhiWise and TeleportHQ provide real-time commenting, @mentions, and version control features. These help teams stay coordinated, fix issues quickly, and keep clear records of design and code changes.
Seamless Development Integration: Connecting Figma to code tools with common development environments like GitHub and Visual Studio Code further streamlines the workflow, making the transition from design to deployment smoother.
Prioritizing tool integration and collaboration can reduce misunderstandings, minimize errors, and make the entire code conversion process more efficient and developer-friendly. This results in better quality outcomes and a more positive experience for everyone involved.
The Path Ahead for Figma to Code Tools
Figma-to-code tools are continuously evolving, driven by advancements in AI and a focus on user experience. We can anticipate even more sophisticated features that generate high-quality code with less manual input.
AI-Powered Advancements: AI will likely refine code output, tailor it to specific project needs, and support exporting code for various web platforms and frameworks.
Enhanced User Experience: The push for faster prototyping and iterative development leads to more intuitive and user-friendly plugins. Expect to see advanced visual editing, real-time code previews, and smoother integration with other design and development tools becoming standard.
Central Role in Workflow: These tools will play an increasingly central part in connecting design and development. Continued improvements in code quality, export options, and AI will change how digital products are built, making the process more accessible, collaborative, and effective.
Summing Up:
Figma-to-code tools are evolving rapidly. They aim to reduce manual translation work, speed up development cycles, and improve the collaboration between design and development teams. Various options, from simple HTML/CSS generators to full-stack application builders like DhiWise, fit different project needs. These tools transform web development by enabling teams to build and deploy content across multiple platforms efficiently. By carefully evaluating their features and how they fit into your workflow, teams can find a tool that helps them deliver products more quickly and efficiently.
Clean, framework-specific HTML code and CSS code, open-source, CLI integration, supports Tailwind CSS, design system integration
Open-source platform, emphasis on collaboration and code quality, supports Tailwind CSS and design system
