Which Adobe XD alternative should you pick? Comparing 5 migration candidates from an XD user's perspective
“My Adobe XD subscription is going away — what should I move to?” “Everyone says Figma, but should I be looking at Sketch or Penpot too?” — ever since Adobe stopped new XD sales and put the product into maintenance mode, conversations like these have been popping up across the design community.
This article compares the five tools XD users most commonly evaluate when picking a successor — all from an XD user’s point of view. In most cases Figma will be the realistic answer, but depending on your situation other tools may fit better. The goal isn’t to push a predetermined conclusion — it’s to share the evaluation framework so you can find the right tool for your situation.
What you’ll get from this article
- The factors XD users should weigh when picking a migration target
- A fair comparison of the five major tools (Figma / Sketch / Penpot / Lunacy / Adobe Illustrator + Express)
- The data-grounded reasons “Figma is the realistic choice for most XD users”
- The situations where other tools genuinely fit better
- The next steps once you’ve chosen
Disclosure
We at Pixel Fine Converter make a plugin for migrating from Adobe XD to Figma. We try to compare fairly in this article, but please be aware that we’re part of the Figma ecosystem. We discuss every tool’s downsides candidly — Figma included.
Related reading
For XD’s support timeline and how to time your move, see How long will Adobe XD be supported?. For the actual migration steps once you’ve picked Figma, see the Adobe XD to Figma migration practical guide. This article sits one step earlier — it’s about which tool to pick in the first place.
📝 Introduction — picking the next tool after XD
Since Adobe stopped selling new XD subscriptions, “what to use next” has become a serious topic for XD users. Search around and you’ll find plenty of “5 best XD alternatives” / “what comes after XD” articles, but most stop at side-by-side feature checklists.
This article narrows in on the XD user’s perspective. Specifically, we work through the following questions:
- How much of your existing XD assets (your past files) can you actually carry over?
- Does the tool fit your team’s environment (OS / collaboration / hiring market)?
- What’s the learning curve and operational cost?
- Does the tool match your values (open source / cost / staying with Adobe)?
Rather than judging by feature count, we look at fit for the person doing the migrating.
📋 Factors XD users should weigh
Before comparing the tools themselves, let’s lay out the factors XD users should care about most. Not the generic “more features = better” — the factors that are specific to migrating from XD.
| Factor | Why XD users should care |
|---|---|
| Learning curve | The closer the tool feels to XD, the faster the whole team gets up to speed |
| Reusing existing XD assets | How well past XD files can be brought across (import support / converter availability) |
| Collaboration | How easy it is to share with other designers, engineers, and stakeholders |
| Adoption in your market | Hiring market, community size, localization, real-world case studies |
| Cost | Whether the pricing model fits individuals / small teams / large organizations |
| Ecosystem | Plugins, templates, fonts, learning resources — the surrounding material |
These factors directly determine the hurdles of switching to a new tool. The next sections walk through each tool with this lens.
🌐 Figma — the realistic first choice
A browser-based UI/UX design tool. As of 2026, Figma is the de facto standard in UI/UX design.
Strengths
- Massive community and ecosystem: Plenty of official and community plugins; templates and UI kits are abundant
- Collaboration features: Real-time co-editing, comments, developer-oriented Inspect mode — collaboration sits at the core of the product, not bolted on
- Adoption in the market: Hiring continues to grow with Figma as a standard requirement; localization is in place; active local communities (meetups, Slack/Discord) in many regions including Japan
- Plenty of XD conversion tools: Several third-party converters (including ours, Pixel Fine Converter) make it relatively easy to bring past XD assets across
- Modern font rendering: Figma uses browser-based rendering, which keeps the display consistent across operating systems
Caveats
- Internet connection required: Editing is limited offline (some offline support has been added, but collaboration features don’t work)
- Pricing changes over time: The plan structure has changed multiple times, which can be hard to predict for long-term contracts
- AI feature debates: There has been industry discussion around generative AI features, so it’s worth a deliberate decision on whether to use them
Pricing (as of April 2026)
- Free: Plenty for individuals and small groups
- Professional: $15 / editor / month (annual)
- Organization: $45 / editor / month, for larger teams
- Enterprise: $75 / editor / month, governance-focused
Who it fits
- Teams with heavy collaboration needs
- People who care about hiring market depth and learning materials
- Anyone who wants to bring existing XD files across via converters
- Teams who plan to operate a real design system
If you're going with Figma — what to read next
For comparing converters when you bring XD files into Figma, see XD→Figma conversion plugins compared. If you’re concerned about Japanese text rendering accuracy, How accurately can Japanese text move from Adobe XD to Figma? covers that as well.
💎 Sketch — the Mac-centric veteran
A Mac-only UI/UX design tool. Before Figma showed up, Sketch was the dominant UI-specialist tool.
Strengths
- Mature symbols and libraries: Years of refinement show in the polish
- Simple, focused UI: A deliberately limited surface area, which UI/UX-only designers tend to appreciate
- Third-party plugins: Plenty of fast, native Mac extensions
- File-based saves: Easy to manage with Git and similar version-control tools
Caveats
- Mac only: If your team has Windows or Linux users, Sketch puts them on the outside
- Collaboration is a later addition: Cloud-based co-editing exists, but it isn’t as real-time as Figma’s
- No direct XD file support: To open .xd files you typically have to go through another tool like Lunacy
- Limited reach in some markets: The Mac-only constraint means hiring pools and local communities are smaller than Figma’s, particularly outside the largest English-speaking markets
Pricing (as of April 2026)
- Standard: $10 / editor / month (annual) or $12 / month (monthly)
- Business: $20 / editor / month, with SSO and audit logs
Who it fits
- Teams that can run on 100% Mac
- UI/UX specialists, with no overlap into print or graphics work
- Teams who want file-based version control (Git)
🔓 Penpot — the open-source newcomer
An open-source UI/UX design tool. Available both as SaaS and self-hosted, which has earned it interest from people who would rather not depend on SaaS, or who value data sovereignty.
Strengths
- Fully open source: The code is public and developed by a community
- SVG-native: Files are based on web standards, which engineers tend to appreciate
- Self-hosting available: Run it on your own servers and keep data internal
- No direct .xd file import: Penpot’s officially recommended migration path is the SVG workaround (export from XD as SVG, then import the SVG into Penpot). Direct .xd file import has been requested by the community but is not implemented as of this writing
- Figma-compatible import: Can also import Figma files (partially)
Caveats
- Smaller community: Growing fast, but still smaller than Figma’s, particularly outside the largest English-speaking markets
- Less mature ecosystem: Plugins, templates, and learning material are still developing
- Basic collaboration: Real-time co-editing exists, but doesn’t match Figma’s experience in some scenarios
- Localization gaps: Multilingual support exists, but the latest features tend to lag in non-English UIs
Pricing (as of April 2026)
- SaaS (Penpot Cloud): Free plan + paid plans (for teams)
- Self-hosted: Free (with the operational cost on your side)
Who it fits
- Teams that prioritize open source and data sovereignty
- Teams that want to self-host
- Teams that want to avoid SaaS lock-in
🆓 Lunacy — free and surprisingly capable
A free cross-platform design tool from Icons8. Its strongest selling point is Sketch file compatibility.
Strengths
- Completely free: All features unlocked, no restrictions
- Mac / Windows / Linux: One of the few options that supports every major platform
- Opens Sketch files directly: Edit .sketch files without converting first
- Built-in asset library: Icons, photos, and illustrations from Icons8 are included
- Built-in AI features: Background removal, upscaling, and similar features are free
Caveats
- Less depth than the specialists: Doesn’t quite reach Figma or Sketch level as a UI/UX-focused tool
- Weaker collaboration: Cloud-based sharing exists, but real-time co-editing is more limited
- Vendor dependence: If Icons8 changes direction or shuts the product down, that’s a continuity risk
- No direct XD file support: Migration from XD has to go through another path (e.g. via Sketch)
- Limited localized resources outside English: For non-English markets, you’ll be relying mostly on English documentation
Pricing (as of April 2026)
- Free (some cloud features and premium assets are available as paid upgrades)
Who it fits
- Anyone who wants to keep cost as low as possible
- Windows / Linux users
- People who also need to open Sketch files
- Solo designers looking for a lightweight tool
🎨 Adobe Illustrator + Express — staying in the Adobe ecosystem
These aren’t UI/UX-specialist tools, but they’re worth a look as a way to stay on your existing Adobe license. The combination is Illustrator for precise vector design and Express for lightweight sharing and templates.
Strengths
- Zero additional cost if you already have Creative Cloud
- Strong for projects that span print and branding, where Illustrator excels
- Adobe Fonts and asset library integration
- Solid handoff with other Adobe tools like Photoshop and After Effects
Caveats
- Weak as a UI/UX-specific toolset: Components, Auto Layout, prototyping, and design handoff are noticeably behind UI specialists
- Not great for collaboration: Real-time co-editing experience doesn’t match the UI specialists
- Learning curve: Even though it’s still Adobe, XD and Illustrator feel quite different in practice
- Not file-compatible with XD: Illustrator centers on .ai format; .xd reproduction is limited
Pricing (as of April 2026)
- Creative Cloud All Apps: ~$60 / month (individual; varies by region) — includes Illustrator and Express; existing subscribers pay $0 extra
- Illustrator only: ~$23 / month (individual; varies by region)
Who it fits
- Teams that already have Creative Cloud
- Designers handling print and branding alongside UI
- Generalist designers, not UI/UX specialists
📊 At a glance — features, pricing, XD compatibility
Lining up the five tools side by side makes the strengths and trade-offs easier to read.
| Tool | Pricing (Apr 2026) | OS | Main strength | Caveats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figma | Free / $15+ /mo | Web / Mac / Win | Market share, collaboration, ecosystem | Internet required, pricing changes |
| Sketch | $10+ /mo | Mac only | UI specialist, mature symbols | Mac only, smaller in non-Mac markets |
| Penpot | Free (SaaS / self-host) | Web / self-host | OSS, data sovereignty, SVG-native | Smaller community, less mature ecosystem |
| Lunacy | Fully free | Mac / Win / Linux | Free, Sketch compatibility, AI features | Less depth, vendor risk |
| Illustrator + Express | $0 extra for CC subs | Mac / Win | Print-friendly, Adobe integration | Weak UI specialist features, weaker collaboration |
Pricing and features change over time
The table reflects the state as of April 2026. Pricing and feature sets update frequently — for the latest, follow the official-site links in each tool’s section above.
💡 Bottom line — Figma is the realistic answer for most XD users
Having compared the five tools fairly, here’s why Figma is the realistic choice for most XD users — and the situations where the others actually fit better.
Why we lean Figma (data-grounded)
- Market share and hiring: As of 2026, Figma is effectively the standard in UI/UX. Figma skills are quickly becoming a baseline hiring requirement, which broadens your team’s recruiting funnel
- Plenty of tools to reuse XD assets: There are several third-party tools that convert XD files to Figma, including ours — the options have matured
- Depth of ecosystem: Plugins, templates, UI kits, learning materials, communities — across the board, no alternative comes close in scale
- Active local communities: Meetups, Discord/Slack groups, books, and YouTube content keep growing in many languages, so learning resources aren’t a bottleneck
- Low XD-to-Figma learning cost: The frame / component / library concepts in XD map closely to Figma’s equivalents, which keeps the migration hurdle relatively low
When other tools genuinely fit better
That said, the situations below are where other tools fit better.
| Your situation | Worth considering |
|---|---|
| All-Mac team, UI specialist, heavy use of symbols | Sketch is worth a serious look |
| Open-source priority, can’t put data outside | Penpot (especially the self-hosted version) |
| Free is non-negotiable, must run on Windows / Linux | Lunacy |
| Existing Adobe CC subscription, mixed print + UI work | Illustrator + Express |
If “Figma is the standard” doesn’t sit right with you, run yourself against the table above. The realistic choice is the one that fits your constraints and values — and that answer isn’t always Figma.
💬 Frequently asked questions
Q: Are there free Adobe XD alternatives?
A: Yes — among the five tools compared here, three options are free or have a meaningful free tier:
- Figma has a Free plan that’s sufficient for individuals and small projects, with no time limit
- Penpot is fully open-source — both the SaaS and self-hosted versions are free
- Lunacy is completely free with no feature restrictions, including the built-in AI features
If “free, no exceptions” is a hard requirement, Lunacy is the strongest match. If you want a free alternative that scales to a serious team setup later, Figma’s Free plan is the most common starting point because of the ecosystem and learning resources.
Q: Why don’t you just say “Figma, period”?
A: Because Figma is realistic for most XD users, but it’s not the right answer for everyone. Sketch (all-Mac, UI specialist), Penpot (open source / self-hosting required), and Lunacy (truly free) all fit better in specific situations. Lumping everyone into “just use Figma” actually narrows people’s options.
Q: Do people migrate from Sketch to Figma?
A: Yes, a fair number. The reasons usually come down to “real-time collaboration”, “working with Windows teammates”, and “broader hiring market”. Going the other way (Figma → Sketch) is rarer, but does happen for needs like “I want file-based Git management” or “I want a snappier app”.
Q: Can I just keep buying the latest Adobe XD?
A: No. Since June 22, 2023, new standalone Adobe XD purchases have ended. Existing licenses still work, but from 2024 onward XD has moved into maintenance mode — new feature development has stopped, and end-of-support is expected eventually. For more, see How long will Adobe XD be supported?.
Q: Is Penpot ready for real production work?
A: It depends on the use case. For individuals and small-to-medium teams doing standard UI design, it’s usable. But for real-time collaboration experience or large-scale design system operation, it doesn’t yet match Figma. If open source is itself the value, it’s a strong candidate; if you need depth of features and learning materials, Figma is the safer pick.
Q: Once I’ve picked a target, what’s next?
A: If you chose Figma, the Adobe XD to Figma migration practical guide walks through the concrete steps. To convert XD files into Figma, XD→Figma conversion plugins compared compares the available converters.
✅ Wrapping up — what we’d suggest
We’ve compared five major Adobe XD alternatives from an XD user’s perspective.
Quick situational guide
| Your situation | First pick |
|---|---|
| Not sure, or you weigh future-proofing and ecosystem | Figma |
| All-Mac + UI specialist + heavy symbol use | Sketch |
| OSS / self-host / data sovereignty | Penpot |
| Truly free / Windows · Linux / Sketch compatibility | Lunacy |
| Existing Adobe CC subscription + print work alongside | Illustrator + Express |
In the end, the most important thing is to pick based on your own constraints and values, not because something is “the standard”. Figma will be the realistic choice for most XD users — and if it isn’t for you, picking one of the others is the longer-term win.
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Related
- How long will Adobe XD be supported? — What maintenance mode means and a framework for timing your migration
- Three ways to open Adobe XD files in Figma — Sort out the “open” step before tackling a real migration
- Adobe XD to Figma migration practical guide — Concrete steps once you’ve picked Figma
- XD→Figma conversion plugins compared — Pixel Fine Converter and Angel Converter compared on four points
- How accurately can Japanese text move from Adobe XD to Figma? — Real measurement data showing what aligns and what doesn’t
- How to use Adobe XD — basic operations and options for existing users — XD basics, current state, and the three options existing users have