Best design collaboration tools — and how to actually pick one that fits

Comparison table: Best design collaboration tools

| Category | Tool | Use case | Key features | |---------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Brainstorming and ideation | Miro | Collaborative whiteboarding | Infinite zoomable canvas, UX-focused templates, Integrations with Slack, Figma, Jira, MS Teams | | | Otter.ai | Automated meeting notes | Real-time transcription, Keyword highlights, Export options, Integrations with Zoom, Google Meet, Dropbox | | | AI chat products | Conversational design sparring | Context-aware ideation, Code/design plugin ecosystem, Voice-chat support | | Design and prototyping | Figma | High-fidelity UI & real-time design | Auto Layout, Shared team libraries, 1,500+ community plugins | | | Framer | Interactive prototypes | React-based design-to-code canvas, CMS/data binding, Publish to custom domains | | | Webflow | Prototyping complex user flows | Visual CSS editor, Dynamic animations, Built-in CMS and e-commerce | | | Galileo AI | Generating UI from text prompts | Natural-language prompt parsing, Pre-styled components library, AI-powered style variations | | | UIzard | Turning wireframes into UI | AI-guided style suggestions, Drag-and-drop component library, Convert screenshots to UI designs | | Feedback and review | Loom | Asynchronous video feedback | Video recording, Timestamped reactions, Chrome extension | | | Pastel | Annotating live sites & assets | On-page comments, Versioned screenshots, Integrations with Figma, GitHub | | | Maze | Remote usability testing | Prototype import, Task flows, Heatmaps, Shareable reports | | Handoff and dev collaboration| Figma Dev Mode | Developer-focused design specs | Auto code snippets, Design tokens, Version history, Integrations with GitHub, Jira | | | Zeplin | Documenting UI & code snippets | Styleguides, Auto-generated specs, Asset export, Integrations with Slack, Teams, GitHub | | | Supernova | Managing design systems | Component code export, Live version control, Role-based access, Integrations with Figma |

Miro

Use case: Collaborative whiteboarding
Key features: Infinite zoomable canvas, Pre-built templates, Integration with Slack, Figma, Jira
Pricing: Free tier available, Starter plan from $8/month

Otter.ai

Use case: Automated meeting notes
Key features: Real-time transcription, Keyword summaries, Export options, Integrations with Zoom, Google Meet
Pricing: Free tier available, Pro plan from $10/month

AI chat products

Use case: Conversational design sparring
Key features: Context-aware ideation, Code/design plugin ecosystem, Voice-chat support
(Note: Various options available, specific features may vary)

Figma

Use case: High-fidelity UI & real-time design
Key features: Auto Layout, Shared team libraries, 1,500+ community plugins
Pricing: Free plan available, Professional plan from $12/month per editor

Framer

Use case: Interactive prototypes
Key features: Design-to-code editor, Publishing options, Real-time collaboration
Pricing: Free plan available, Pro plan from $5/month per site

Webflow

Use case: Prototyping complex user flows
Key features: CSS editor, Dynamic animations, Built-in CMS and e-commerce
Pricing: Standard plan from $16/month

Galileo AI

Use case: Generating UI from text prompts
Key features: Natural-language prompts, Pre-styled components library, AI-powered style variations
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided

UIzard

Use case: Turning wireframes into UI
Key features: AI-guided suggestions, Drag-and-drop components, Screenshot-to-UI conversion
Pricing: Free tier available, Pro plan from $12/month

Loom

Use case: Asynchronous video feedback
Key features: Video recording, Timestamped reactions, Chrome extension
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided

Pastel

Use case: Annotating live sites & assets
Key features: On-page comments, Versioned screenshots, Integrations with Figma, GitHub
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided

Maze

Use case: Remote usability testing
Key features: Prototype import, Heatmaps, Shareable reports
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided

Figma Dev Mode

Use case: Developer-focused design specs
Key features: Auto code snippets, Design tokens, Version history, Integrations with GitHub, Jira
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided

Zeplin

Use case: Documenting UI & code snippets
Key features: Styleguides, Auto-generated specs, Asset export, Integrations with Slack, Teams, GitHub
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided

Supernova

Use case: Managing design systems
Key features: Component code export, Live version control, Role-based access, Integrations with Figma
Pricing: Specific pricing details not provided