What is the difference between Adobe XD and Spline?

Adobe XD is best for Designers in the Adobe ecosystem, while Spline is best for Designers who want 3D on the web. Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo and Spline starts at Free.

Is Adobe XD or Spline cheaper?

Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo. Spline starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Adobe XD?

Yes, Spline offers a free tier (Free for 2 projects).

Adobe XD vs Spline

Adobe XD is UI/UX design and prototyping tool from Adobe, integrated with Creative Cloud, while Spline is 3D design tool for the web with real-time collaboration and easy export to web formats. The biggest difference up front: Spline is free, while Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo. Adobe XD is built for designers in the adobe ecosystem, whereas Spline targets designers who want 3d on the web.

At a glance

	Adobe XD	Spline
Best for	Designers in the Adobe ecosystem	Designers who want 3D on the web
Starting price	$9.99/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
3D Design	—	✓
Auto-Animate	✓	—
Components	✓	—
Creative Cloud	✓	—
Interactions	—	✓
Prototyping	✓	—
Real-Time Collab	—	✓
Web Export	—	✓

Adobe XD

Strengths

Interactive prototyping with transitions so stakeholders can click through realistic mockups
Auto-Animate creates smooth transitions between artboards without manual keyframing
Affordable at $9.99/mo — one of the lower-priced options in the design category
Includes components alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

No free plan — you need to pay $9.99/mo from day one to use it
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Output quality depends on your design skills — templates only go so far
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Adobe XD → Full review

Spline

Strengths

Browser-based 3D design — no heavy software install required
One-click export to web formats (HTML, React, iframes) for production use
Free for 2 projects — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes interactions alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Output quality depends on your design skills — templates only go so far
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Spline → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Spline is completely free (Free for 2 projects), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Adobe XD starts at $9.99/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Adobe XD offers Auto-Animate, Components and Creative Cloud that Spline lacks. Spline brings 3D Design, Interactions and Real-Time Collab that Adobe XD does not have.

Team fit: Adobe XD is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Spline is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Adobe XD's biggest strengths are: interactive prototyping with transitions so stakeholders can click through realistic mockups. auto-animate creates smooth transitions between artboards without manual keyframing. Spline's biggest strengths are: browser-based 3d design — no heavy software install required. one-click export to web formats (html, react, iframes) for production use.

Watch out for: With Adobe XD, users commonly note that no free plan — you need to pay $9.99/mo from day one to use it. With Spline, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Adobe XD if...

You need a tool built for designers in the adobe ecosystem
You specifically need Auto-Animate and Components
You care about auto-animate creates smooth transitions between artboards without manual keyframing
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Adobe XD is designed for

Choose Spline if...

You need a tool built for designers who want 3d on the web
Budget is a hard constraint — Spline is free, Adobe XD is not
You specifically need 3D Design and Interactions
You care about one-click export to web formats (html, react, iframes) for production use
Your team size fits the small teams profile Spline is designed for