Figma vs Photopea
Figma is browser-based collaborative design tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design systems, while Photopea is free online photo editor compatible with PSD, XCF, Sketch, and other formats. The biggest difference up front: Photopea is free, while Figma starts at $12/editor/mo. Figma is built for design teams that need real-time collaboration, whereas Photopea targets anyone needing photoshop-like editing in the browser.
At a glance
|
Figma
|
Photopea
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Design teams that need real-time collaboration | Anyone needing Photoshop-like editing in the browser |
| Starting price | $12/editor/mo | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Auto Layout | ✓ | — |
| Browser-Based | — | ✓ |
| Components | ✓ | — |
| Dev Mode | ✓ | — |
| Layers | — | ✓ |
| PSD Support | — | ✓ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | — |
| RAW Support | — | ✓ |
| Real-Time Collab | ✓ | — |
Figma
Strengths
- Real-time collaboration — multiple designers, one file
- Browser-based, works on any OS
- Excellent component and design system support
- Strong developer handoff features
Weaknesses
- Per-editor pricing gets expensive for large teams
- Browser-based means no offline support
- Performance can lag with very large files
- Limited vector editing compared to Illustrator
Photopea
Strengths
- PSD file support lets you open and edit Photoshop files directly
- Includes Browser-Based as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
- Free with ads — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Established product with 13+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem
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
The bottom line
Pricing: Photopea is completely free (Free with ads), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Figma starts at $12/editor/mo, but 3 projects, 3 pages per project. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Figma offers Auto Layout, Components and Dev Mode that Photopea lacks. Photopea brings Browser-Based, Layers and PSD Support that Figma does not have.
Team fit: Figma is geared toward any size teams, while Photopea is aimed at individual users and small setups. 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: Figma's biggest strengths are: real-time collaboration — multiple designers, one file. browser-based, works on any os. Photopea's biggest strengths are: psd file support lets you open and edit photoshop files directly. includes browser-based as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows.
Watch out for: With Figma, users commonly note that per-editor pricing gets expensive for large teams. With Photopea, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Figma if...
- You need a tool built for design teams that need real-time collaboration
- You specifically need Auto Layout and Components
- You care about browser-based, works on any os
- Your team size fits the any size profile Figma is designed for
- The free tier works for you: 3 projects, 3 pages per project
Choose Photopea if...
- You need a tool built for anyone needing photoshop-like editing in the browser
- Budget is a hard constraint — Photopea is free, Figma is not
- You specifically need Browser-Based and Layers
- You care about includes browser-based as a core feature, purpose-built for design workflows
- Your team size fits the individuals profile Photopea is designed for
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