Adobe XD Alternatives
1. Sketch
Sketch pioneered the UI design software market with a dedicated Mac app launch in 2010. It remains the crowd-favorite tool to date. I have seen many clients asking designers to create UI designs in Sketch-only. Sketch offers all the tools that you can ask for in their UI design software. Years of development work are also evident in the final product as the software is natively built for the Mac platform and everything feels smooth and fluid right from the go. Being the oldest bunch, you get to enjoy hundreds of plugins and a huge number of Sketch-supported templates from the web. Sketch recently added sharing functionality and right now, the team is working to bring the software to the web. Pros
Excellent Mac appHuge plugin storeIndustry-wide acceptance No shortage of guides and tutorials
Cons
Not available on WindowsOnly one month of a free trial
Price $99 per year. Visit Sketch
2. Figma
Figma is basically Google Docs for design. Figma is my personal favorite due to a couple of reasons. The sharing is seamless and it works as flawlessly as advertised. Secondly, Figma is available on the web. Meaning, you can use it across all desktop OS including Windows, Mac, Chrome OS, and Linux. Due to its cross-platform availability, Figma is getting traction among the design community. The company recently closed the gap with rivals by introducing plugin support. The software is feature-rich with all the bells and whistles. The UI feels slightly outdated compared to Sketch though. Figma allows you to install the software as PWA (Progressive Web App) as well. Pros
Best sharing capabilities among any design softwareExcellent community support Huge numbers of templates available Works across all platforms
Cons
PWA is there but nothing beats a native appThe quality of plugins leave a lot to desire
Price The free version allows you to work with up to 2 editors and 3 projects with 30-day version history. After that, it costs $12 per editor per month. Vist Figma
3. InVision
Used by many Fortune 500 companies, InVision is one of the popular Adobe XD alternatives for Windows and Mac. Similar to Figma, it offers iOS and Android apps to mirror designs and prototype for live feedback on the go. Some unique features include the ability to style layers to create eye-catching designs and access to robust asset libraries to create unique and stand-out UI designs. InVision also offers an add-on for popular video calling software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Using that, you can brainstorm ideas with InVision whiteboard and sync them to the main software. Pros
Multi-user collaboration is smoothSuperior Vector editing – can replace Adobe Illustrator as wellA large community of users for knowledge sharingAdvanced tools to add animations and dynamic effects
Cons
Limited free versionThe web version requires contact internet connection
Price $7.95 per user per month. Visit InVision
4. UXPin
UXPin is yet another robust prototyping Adobe XD rival. It takes the unique approach of designing from the code end. Meaning, you can use code components to build the design the way you want. The flexibility makes prototypes far more dynamic than merely being simple transition links between screens or artboards. Cross-platform availability isn’t an issue here. UXPin is available on both Windows and Mac. You can also use iOS and Android mirror apps that let you view design and prototypes just by scanning a QR code. Pros
Built-in library for material design and iOS componentsAdvanced prototyping
Cons
No free plan, only free trialFeatures like conditional logic are not included in the Basic planLacks web app
Price $19 per editor per month. Visit UXPin
5. Draftium
Draftium is an excellent Adobe XD alternative that covers the majority of functions and design capabilities. By default, it comes with over 300 prototype templates and around 200 blocks. The software also offers real-time cloud collaboration. Draftium is suitable for beginners. The easy-to-use interface makes it easy for anyone to pick up a template and create a prototype. Add content, elements, and start collaborating with team members. Pros
Built-in template library to get startedInteractive prototypesEnhanced design-developer coordination with annotations and comments
Cons
Free version comes with Draftium brandingLack of native apps on the desktop
Price $99 per year. Visit Draftium
Ditch Adobe XD for Alternatives
While Adobe XD is an excellent UI/UX software, it forces you to stay in the Adobe ecosystem and deal with Creative Cloud. Go through the software list above and pick up the perfect Adobe XD alternative for your next design project.
