Design tool for creating animated and interactive UI prototypes on Mac
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TL;DR - Principle
- Principle is a Mac app for designing animated and interactive user interfaces
- It creates prototypes with timeline-based animations and interactions
- Subscription at $5/month or one-time purchase at $129
Pricing: Paid only
Best for: Enterprises & pros
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great for animations
- Easy timeline editor
- Native Mac performance
Cons
- Mac only
- No collaboration
Ratings Across the Web
5(4 reviews)
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
UI animationPrototypingTransitionsTimelinemacOS nativeSketch import
Pricing Plans
14-day Free TrialLicense
$129/one-time
- Per computer license
- 1 year of updates
- macOS native
- Figma/Sketch integration
What is Principle?
Principle is a native macOS application that enables designers to create animated and interactive user interfaces. The tool features a timeline-based animation system for creating polished motion effects, multi-screen workflow design, and custom interaction prototyping without pre-defined limitations. Principle imports directly from Figma and Sketch with intelligent merging for design updates. It supports device presets for mobile, web, and desktop, including hover events and mouse wheel scrolling. Export options include one-click web sharing (viewable on any device), video, and animated GIFs. Used by design teams at Apple, Google, Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft. Available for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs with full-screen mode, Retina support, and auto-save.
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Principle FAQ
How does Principle facilitate the design of multi-screen applications?
Principle allows users to design the flow of multi-screen apps with ease. Once completed, designers gain a comprehensive bird's-eye view of all their interconnected screens, simplifying the overall design process.
What import capabilities does Principle offer for existing design files?
Principle enables users to import designs directly from Figma or Sketch. If changes are made to the original files, re-importing them will intelligently merge the updates into the Principle project.
How does Principle support sharing and collaboration for designs?
Designs can be shared to the web with a single click, allowing others to interact with the prototype directly in their browser on various operating systems like Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, without needing to install any software.
What specific features are available for designing web and desktop prototypes?
Principle includes features like hover events and mouse wheel scrolling, which are crucial for creating web and desktop prototypes. These functionalities help make the prototypes feel more realistic and interactive.
What are the technical specifications for Principle's performance on macOS?
Principle is a native macOS application, ensuring a small download size and smooth performance on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. It also integrates standard Mac features such as full-screen mode, a Retina interface, and Auto Save.
What is the licensing model for Principle and how does it handle updates?
A Principle license costs $129 per computer and includes all new features released within one year of purchase. Users can continue using the software indefinitely, but access to new features after the first year requires a renewal, which costs $99 per computer.
Source: principleformac.com