Adobe XD vs Framer: Which Should You Use in 2026?

A factual comparison of Adobe XD and Framer for UI design and prototyping, including pricing, features, and migration steps now that Adobe XD is being phased out.

Updated 2026-10 · 2026

Adobe XD

Vector UI/UX design and prototyping tool from Adobe

Included free with Creative Cloud subscriptionper user/month (bundled, not sold standalone)

Strengths

+Tight integration with Photoshop and Illustrator assets
+Mature auto-animate and prototyping features
+Familiar interface for existing Creative Cloud users

Weaknesses

-Adobe officially announced XD's end-of-life; no new feature development
-No standalone purchase option since 2023 — requires a Creative Cloud plan
-Weaker code export and no native responsive/publish-to-web capability

Best for

Teams already paying for Adobe Creative Cloud who need basic prototyping without adopting a new tool, short-term.

Framer

Design and publish production-ready websites directly from the editor

Free plan available; paid plans from $5/moper site/month (billed annually)

Strengths

+Design-to-published-website workflow with no code required
+Real CMS, SEO fields, and custom domains built in
+Fast-growing template and component marketplace

Weaknesses

-Free plan only supports framer.site subdomains, not custom domains
-Pricing is per published site, which adds up for agencies
-Smaller footprint for pure app/mobile UI prototyping vs. XD or Figma

Best for

Teams and freelancers who want to design and ship a live website, not just a prototype handed to developers.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Adobe XD	Framer
Free tier	No (requires Creative Cloud)	Yes, with framer.site subdomain
Standalone pricing	Discontinued, bundled only	Yes, from $5/mo per site
Vector editing	Strong	Basic
Prototyping/animation	Strong (auto-animate)	Strong (interactions + code overrides)
Publish live website	No	Yes, native hosting + CMS
Code export	Limited	React code, copy/paste components
Real-time collaboration	Yes (Creative Cloud)	Yes
Plugin/template ecosystem	Smaller, mostly legacy	Growing, actively maintained
Ongoing product development	Discontinued, EOL announced	Active, frequent updates
Custom domains	N/A	Yes, on paid plans
Offline desktop app	Yes	No (browser-based)

The Verdict

Adobe XD is on its way out — Adobe has confirmed end-of-life and stopped standalone sales, so building new work in it is a risk. Framer is the stronger long-term pick if you want design and live website publishing in one tool, though pure prototyping-only teams may still prefer Figma. For most small teams, switching to Framer now avoids being stuck on an unsupported tool later.

How to switch from Adobe XD to Framer

1In Adobe XD, go to File > Export > Export As and export each artboard as SVG or PNG to preserve layout and visual assets.
2Create a free Framer account at framer.com and start a new project matching your site's page structure.
3Import exported SVG/PNG assets into Framer as reference layers, then rebuild layouts using Framer's native components and auto-layout (Stack) tools.
4Recreate interactions and animations using Framer's interaction panel, replacing XD's auto-animate transitions with Framer's event-based triggers.
5Reconnect any automations (forms, analytics, CMS data) using Framer's built-in integrations or Zapier/Make, since XD had no equivalent publishing layer.
6Once the rebuilt site is reviewed, publish it in Framer under a custom domain and redirect your team to the new live URL, keeping the XD file archived for reference only.

Adobe XD vs Framer: common questions

How do I export my files from Adobe XD?+

Use File > Export > Export As and save your artboards as SVG, PNG, or PDF depending on what you need. XD doesn't have a direct Framer import format, so for complex multi-screen projects you'll manually rebuild layouts using exported assets as reference. There's no automated one-click migration tool between the two.

What features do I lose moving from Adobe XD to Framer?+

You lose precise vector pen-tool editing and some advanced auto-animate prototyping behaviors that XD handles natively. You gain live publishing, CMS, and SEO tools XD never had. Most teams compensate by pairing Framer with a separate vector tool like Illustrator or Figma for icon/asset work.

Is Framer's free plan enough for a small team?+

The free plan works for testing the editor and personal projects, but it only publishes to a framer.site subdomain with Framer branding. For a real small-team site with a custom domain, you'll need at least the paid Mini or Basic plan starting at $5–$15/mo per site.

Does Framer integrate with the tools we already use?+

Framer supports CMS data imports, Zapier/Make automation, and common embeds (forms, analytics, Figma file import for design handoff). It doesn't integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud directly, so Illustrator/Photoshop assets need to be exported as images first.

Will switching to Framer cost more over time than Adobe XD?+

Since Adobe XD is no longer sold standalone, you're already paying for Creative Cloud regardless of XD usage — so switching doesn't add a new line item if you're keeping Creative Cloud for other apps. Framer costs scale per published site (from $5–$30/mo), which is often cheaper than hosting + a separate design tool combined if you were planning to build a real website anyway.