Best Adobe XD Alternatives in 2026

Collaborative interface design tool built for the browser

• Primarily browser-based with real-time co-editing as a core feature, unlike XD's more limited co-editing.
• Offers a robust free tier for 3 projects, while XD's free version is more restricted.
• Has a stronger plugin ecosystem and community resources focused specifically on UI/UX workflows.

Best for: Teams doing collaborative UI/UX design

Verdict: Choose Figma if your team prioritizes real-time, browser-based collaboration for UI/UX design.

Native macOS design tool for UI/UX work

• Exclusive to macOS, whereas XD supports both macOS and Windows.
• Uses a one-time purchase model for its macOS app ($99/year) compared to XD's subscription-only model.
• Relies on a separate web app for collaboration, unlike XD's integrated co-editing within the desktop app.

Best for: Mac-only designers who prefer native performance

Verdict: Choose Sketch if you are a Mac-exclusive designer who prefers a native app and a one-time purchase model.

Web-based drag-and-drop graphic design platform

• Focuses on drag-and-drop template-based design for non-designers, not professional UI/UX vector design and prototyping.
• Its Pro plan at $15/month is cheaper than the full Creative Cloud subscription required for XD.
• Excels at marketing graphics and social media content, not complex interactive prototypes.

Best for: Non-designers and marketers creating visual content quickly

Verdict: Choose Canva if you are a non-designer or marketer who needs to create visual content quickly using templates.

Digital product design platform for prototyping and collaboration

• Historically stronger as a dedicated platform for prototyping, user testing, and gathering stakeholder feedback.
• Its free plan allows for one prototype, similar to XD's limited free tier.
• Paid plans start at a lower price point ($7.95/month) than the full Creative Cloud suite.

Best for: Teams that need rapid prototyping and stakeholder feedback

Verdict: Choose InVision if your primary need is a streamlined platform for creating prototypes and collecting feedback.

Design and publish responsive websites without code

• Specializes in creating and publishing fully responsive, production-ready websites directly from the design tool.
• Its free tier includes publishing to a framer.com subdomain, which XD does not offer.
• More focused on web design and interactive prototypes that function like real sites.

Best for: Designers who want to ship production websites directly

Verdict: Choose Framer if you are a designer who wants to design and publish responsive websites without writing code.

Open-source design and prototyping tool

• Fully open-source and self-hostable, offering data privacy and control that XD's cloud service does not.
• Uses open web standards (SVG) for its files, unlike XD's proprietary format.
• Completely free for both cloud and self-hosted use, with no paid tiers.

Best for: Teams that want open-source, privacy-first design tooling

Verdict: Choose Penpot if your team requires an open-source, privacy-focused design tool you can host yourself.

Professional vector and raster design app — one-time purchase

• Offers a one-time purchase license ($69.99) instead of a recurring subscription.
• A professional-grade vector and raster design app, more comparable to Adobe Illustrator than XD's UI/UX focus.
• Lacks the integrated prototyping and dedicated UI component management found in XD.

Best for: Professionals who want Illustrator-quality without a subscription

Verdict: Choose Affinity Designer if you are a professional graphic designer seeking a powerful, subscription-free alternative to Illustrator.

Free design tool with built-in assets and AI features

• Completely free with no project limits, unlike XD's free tier.
• Works offline as a native Windows desktop app, while XD's collaboration features require connectivity.
• Includes built-in graphic assets and AI tools for image generation and object removal.

Best for: Solo designers wanting a free, offline-capable design tool

Verdict: Choose Lunacy if you are a solo designer on Windows looking for a fully-featured, completely free design tool.