The design to code landscape has transformed with AI-powered tools promising to bridge the gap between visual design and production-ready code.
With 82% of developers now using AI coding assistants daily or weekly, the demand for effective design-to-code solutions has never been higher1 .
Results
As a result of our testing across 15 leading design-to-code tools, we found significant variations in feature completeness, code quality, and developer experience. Each tool demonstrates distinct strengths aligned with specific use cases and development workflows.
- Enterprise-grade solutions (Figma MCP Server, Builder.io, Supernova) excel in design system integration and team collaboration features
- AI-powered development platforms (Lovable, Bolt.new, v0) prioritize rapid prototyping and full-stack capabilities
- Traditional design handoff tools (Zeplin, Avocode, InVision) maintain focus on designer-developer collaboration workflows
Our testing revealed that modern AI-enhanced tools provide substantially different capabilities compared to traditional design handoff solutions, reflecting the evolution toward automated code generation workflows.
Design-to-code tools features comparison
| Tool | Direct Figma Integration | AI-Powered Generation | Multiple Framework Support | Backend Integration | Design System Management | Version Control Integration | Custom Code Integration | Mobile App Generation | TypeScript Support | Component Library Creation | Design Token Extraction | Interactive Prototyping | Code Review Features | Plugin Ecosystem | Screenshot-to-Code | API Access | Sketch Import Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Figma MCP Server | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Lovable | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Builder.io | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| v0 by Vercel | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Bolt.new | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Anima | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| InVision | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Uizard | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Zeplin | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Adobe XD | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Avocode | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Clutch | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Grida | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Locofy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Supernova | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| TeleportHQ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Visily | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Tool-Specific Analysis
It represents the native approach to design-to-code conversion, offering direct access to design data through Model Context Protocol integration. Key characteristics include:
- Requires Figma desktop application setup and MCP server configuration
- Provides comprehensive design token extraction and component hierarchy preservation
- Current implementation remains in beta with ongoing feature development
- Requires significant initial configuration effort
2. Lovable
It operates as a full-stack development platform that integrates with Builder.io for Figma import functionality. The platform features:
- Workflow involves installing Builder.io’s Figma plugin and exporting selected designs
- Transferring to Lovable’s AI-assisted development environment
- Emphasizes rapid prototyping with backend integration capabilities
- Supports natural language code modification
- Requires multi-step integration processes and subscription-based access
3. Builder.io Visual Copilot
It functions as an established design-to-code platform with mature enterprise features and multiple framework output support. Platform capabilities include:
- Integration through their Figma plugin for selecting design elements
- Configure framework preferences and generate code with component mapping
- Supports responsive code generation and design system integration
- Requires learning investment for advanced functionality
4. v0 by Vercel
It focuses specifically on React component generation without direct Figma integration, requiring manual design requirement descriptions. The platform offers:
- Emphasizes modern JavaScript patterns and performance optimization within React ecosystem
- Provides strong typing integration and Vercel deployment pipeline connectivity
- Usage limited to component-level development rather than full application generation
5. Bolt.new
It provides a full-stack development environment with real-time preview capabilities and application-level code generation. Key features include:
- Operates without direct Figma integration, requiring manual design input
- Complete application scaffolding capabilities
- Supports backend integration and real-time development iteration
- Covers multiple technology stacks
- Lacks version control integration and uses file regeneration approaches
6. Anima
It serves as a traditional design-to-code conversion tool supporting multiple design platforms, including Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. The platform provides:
- Converts static designs into responsive HTML, CSS, and React code
- Basic interaction capabilities
- Integration involves plugin installation and direct export functionality
- Output often requires significant manual refinement for production use
7. InVision
It operates primarily as a prototyping and collaboration platform with limited code generation capabilities. The tool focuses on:
- Design workflow management and stakeholder feedback collection
- Basic design specification delivery
- Code generation features remain basic compared to specialized conversion tools
8. Uizard
It utilizes AI-powered design-to-code conversion with support for multiple input methods, including screenshots and hand-drawn sketches. Platform capabilities include:
- Generates responsive HTML, CSS, and React code from various design inputs
- Emphasizes rapid prototyping and iteration capabilities for non-technical users
9. Zeplin
It functions as a design handoff platform connecting designers and developers through design specification delivery and basic code snippet generation. The tool provides:
- Design token extraction, asset management, and collaboration features
- Requires manual code implementation by development teams
10. Adobe XD
It includes native design-to-code features through Creative Cloud integration, supporting HTML, CSS, and various framework outputs. The platform provides:
- Design specification delivery and asset export capabilities
- Basic code generation capabilities integrated within Adobe’s creative workflow ecosystem
11. Avocode
It serves as a design inspection and handoff tool supporting multiple design file formats with code generation capabilities. The platform features:
- Extracts design specifications and generates CSS code snippets
- Provides asset export functionality
- Focuses on traditional design-to-development handoff workflows
12. Clutch
It operates as a React Native focused design-to-code platform, converting design files into native mobile applications. The tool emphasizes:
- Mobile-first development with component generation
- State management integration specific to React Native development workflows
13. Grida
It provides automated design-to-code conversion with Flutter and React support, utilizing AI-powered analysis for responsive layout generation. Platform capabilities include:
- Direct Figma integration support
- Emphasizes cross-platform development capabilities with component library generation
14. Locofy
It focuses on production-ready code generation from design files with multiple framework support, including React, Next.js, and React Native. The platform emphasizes:
- Component optimization and responsive design conversion
- Integration with existing development workflows through plugin-based architecture
15. Supernova
It operates as a design system platform with integrated code generation capabilities, supporting design token management and component library synchronization. The tool emphasizes:
- Design system consistency
- Provides code generation aligned with established design patterns and organizational standards
Shared features of design-to-code tools
All evaluated tools provide specific baseline capabilities that have become standard in the design-to-code ecosystem:
- Basic Design Import: Support for importing design files or design specifications
- HTML/CSS Generation: Ability to generate fundamental web markup and styling
- Responsive Layout Support: Basic responsive design implementation capabilities
- Component Recognition: Identification and conversion of common UI elements (buttons, forms, cards)
- Asset Export: Extraction and optimization of images, icons, and other design assets
- Preview Functionality: Live preview or demonstration of generated code output
- Code Export Options: Multiple output formats or download capabilities
- Documentation Access: User guides, tutorials, or help resources
- Update Mechanisms: Regular platform updates and feature enhancements
FAQ
Why Figma Integration Matters for Design-to-Code Tools?
Figma has established itself as the industry standard for UI/UX design, with virtually all UI/UX designers using this platform for their design work. This monopoly-like dominance makes direct Figma integration crucial for design-to-code tools effectiveness.
When tools can directly import from Figma, they gain access to the complete component hierarchy, design tokens, and structural relationships that designers have carefully crafted. This direct access enables developers to receive a well-structured starting point that significantly accelerates the design-to-code conversion process, rather than working from flat screenshots or manual descriptions.
Tools with native Figma integration can preserve design intent, maintain component relationships, and provide more accurate code generation that aligns with the original design system architecture.
Do design-to-code tools generate production-ready code?
Most design-to-code tools generate functional code that serves as a strong foundation, but typically require developer review and refinement for production use. The code quality varies significantly between tools, with some producing cleaner, more maintainable output than others.
Can design-to-code tools handle complex applications?
Advanced tools like Figma Dev Mode MCP Server, Builder.io Visual Copilot, and Bolt.new can handle complex applications including multi-page layouts, component libraries, and interactive elements. However, complex business logic and advanced functionality typically require manual development.
What’s the difference between AI-powered and traditional design-to-code tools?
AI-powered tools use machine learning to understand design intent, generate more sophisticated code structures, and enable natural language modifications. Traditional tools follow rule-based conversion processes and typically require more manual refinement of the output.
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