Makeswift vs Figma: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Makeswift and Figma comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
Bottom line: Figma wins this matchup. Our overall UI/UX Design pick is Canva. Our free UI/UX Design pick is Babel. Pick Makeswift if you need website builders.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Makeswift
Empower marketers with visual freedom and developers with full control for modern frontends.
Best for you if:
- • You want empowers marketers with visual design capabilities without coding
- • You want maintains developer control and flexibility with custom components and API integrations
Figma
The collaborative design platform
Best for you if:
- • You want best-in-class real-time collaboration eliminates file versioning headaches
- • You want browser-based with no installation required, works on any OS
| At a Glance | ||
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Website Builders | UI/UX Design |
Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.2/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Makeswift or Figma?
Choose Makeswift if
Empower marketers with visual freedom and developers with full control for modern frontends.
- You want empowers marketers with visual design capabilities without coding
- You want maintains developer control and flexibility with custom components and API integrations
- Your work is website builders-shaped, not UI/UX design-shaped
Choose Figma if
The collaborative design platform
- You want best-in-class real-time collaboration eliminates file versioning headaches
- You want browser-based with no installation required, works on any OS
- Your work is UI/UX design-shaped, not website builders-shaped
| Feature | Makeswift | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| User Rating | ★4.2/5 12 reviews | ★4.2/5 3,131 reviews |
| Categories | Website BuildersUI/UX Design | UI/UX DesignPrototyping |
In-Depth Analysis
Makeswift
Empower marketers with visual freedom and developers with full control for modern frontends.
Makeswift's pricing is on the higher side, especially for the Starter tier at $79/month for only 20 publishes.
Watch out
Overage fees for exceeding monthly publishes are likely.
Strengths
- +Empowers marketers with visual design capabilities without coding.
- +Maintains developer control and flexibility with custom components and API integrations.
- +Facilitates real-time team collaboration and efficient content deployment.
- +Offers robust version control and publishing features.
- +Integrates with existing tech stacks and preferred tools.
Weaknesses
- -Specific integrations are mentioned, but a comprehensive list is not readily available on the main page.
- -Some advanced features like Branching and Approval Workflows are listed as 'Coming soon'.
Key features
Figma
The collaborative design platform
Figma's March 2025 pricing overhaul replaced per-product seats with unified seat types (Full/Dev/Collab/View), bundling FigJam and Slides into every paid seat.
Watch out
AI credit overages at $0.03/credit, heavy Figma Make users can burn 100+ credits per task, adding $50-200+/month for power users
Strengths
- +Best-in-class real-time collaboration eliminates file versioning headaches
- +Browser-based with no installation required, works on any OS
- +Generous free tier supports up to 3 projects with full editing features
- +Strong plugin ecosystem and active community resource library
- +Dev Mode bridges the design-to-development handoff gap effectively
Weaknesses
- -Requires stable internet connection; limited offline functionality
- -Performance degrades on very large files with hundreds of frames
- -Advanced prototyping still less powerful than dedicated tools like ProtoPie
- -Organization plan pricing jumps significantly from Professional tier
- -Learning curve for developers new to design tools despite Dev Mode
Key features
Pricing: Makeswift vs Figma
| Plan | Makeswift | Figma |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $0 Free | Free Starter |
| Tier 2 | $79/mo Starter | $15 /full seat/month (annual) Professional |
| Tier 3 | $299/mo Team | $55 /full seat/month (annual only) Organization |
| Tier 4 | Custom Enterprise | $90 /full seat/month (annual only) Enterprise |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Makeswift pricing and Figma pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Makeswift
Want the highest-rated option?
Makeswift: 4.2/5 (12 reviews). Figma: 4.2/5 (3,131 reviews).
Go with: Makeswift
Value user reviews?
Makeswift: 12 reviews (4.2/5). Figma: 3,131 reviews (4.2/5).
Go with: Figma
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Makeswift is a website builders tool. Figma is in UI/UX design. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
Both are rated 4.2/5.
Key Takeaways
Figma
- Larger review base (3,131 reviews)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
Makeswift
- Better fit for website builders
The Bottom Line
Figma wins this matchup. Our overall UI/UX Design pick is Canva. Our free UI/UX Design pick is Babel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Makeswift or Figma better?
Figma is rated in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Makeswift and Figma used for?
Makeswift: Empower marketers with visual freedom and developers with full control for modern frontends.. Figma: The collaborative design platform.
What does Makeswift cost vs Figma?
Makeswift is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Figma is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.
