Why look beyond InVision

InVision has been a prominent tool in the design and prototyping space, particularly noted for its interactive prototyping capabilities and collaboration features. Its Design System Manager (DSM) also provides a centralized solution for managing design systems. However, as the design landscape evolves, teams may seek alternatives for several reasons. Some users might find InVision's core design capabilities less comprehensive compared to tools that integrate design and prototyping into a single canvas, potentially streamlining workflows. Performance for large files or complex prototypes can also be a consideration for some users.

The shift towards more integrated design workflows, where design, prototyping, and even developer handoff occur within a single application, has driven the adoption of newer platforms. While InVision offers robust collaboration, some alternatives provide real-time, multi-user editing directly within the design canvas, which can further enhance team efficiency. Additionally, pricing models and the availability of specific features, such as advanced animation controls or robust plugin ecosystems, can influence a team's decision to explore other options that better align with their current and future project requirements.

Top alternatives ranked

  1. 1. Figma โ€” Collaborative design and prototyping in one browser-based tool

    Figma is a web-based design and prototyping tool that emphasizes real-time collaboration. It allows multiple users to work on the same design file simultaneously, providing a shared canvas for design, prototyping, and feedback. Figma integrates vector editing capabilities with advanced prototyping features, enabling designers to create interactive flows directly within the same file. Its component-based approach supports the creation and management of design systems, making it suitable for teams of all sizes. The platform also offers FigJam, an online whiteboard for brainstorming and ideation, complementing its design workflow. Figma's plugin ecosystem extends its functionality, allowing users to automate tasks, integrate with other tools, and enhance their design process.

    • Best for: Real-time collaborative design, interactive prototyping, design system management, developer handoff, web-based accessibility.

    Learn more about Figma or visit the official Figma website.

  2. 2. Adobe XD โ€” Integrated design, prototyping, and collaboration within the Adobe ecosystem

    Adobe XD is a vector-based user experience design platform developed and published by Adobe Inc. It is designed for prototyping user interfaces and user experiences for web and mobile applications. XD offers tools for wireframing, visual design, interaction design, prototyping, and sharing. Its integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, allows for a seamless workflow for designers already using Adobe products. Adobe XD supports responsive resizing, content-aware layout, and repeat grids to accelerate design processes. Prototyping features include voice prototyping, component states, and auto-animate, enabling the creation of micro-interactions and animated transitions. Collaboration features facilitate design reviews and stakeholder feedback, with options to share prototypes and design specs for development teams.

    • Best for: UI/UX design, interactive prototyping, animation, voice prototyping, integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.

    Learn more about Adobe XD or visit the official Adobe XD website.

  3. 3. Sketch โ€” Mac-native vector editor for UI/UX design with a rich plugin ecosystem

    Sketch is a vector graphics editor for macOS, primarily used for UI/UX design of websites and mobile apps. It focuses on screen design, offering a streamlined interface and features tailored to digital product design. Sketch's symbol system allows designers to create reusable components, facilitating the maintenance of design consistency and the efficient creation of design systems. Its robust plugin ecosystem significantly extends its capabilities, enabling integrations with prototyping tools, developer handoff solutions, and other utilities. While Sketch itself is a desktop application, it offers Sketch Cloud for sharing designs and prototypes and for collaborative feedback. The platform is known for its performance and native macOS integration, appealing to designers working within the Apple ecosystem.

    • Best for: UI/UX design (macOS), design system creation, extensive plugin ecosystem, developer handoff via integrations.

    Learn more about Sketch or visit the official Sketch website.

  4. 4. Flutter โ€” UI toolkit for natively compiled applications across platforms from a single codebase

    Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit created by Google. It is used for developing cross-platform applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Flutter utilizes Dart as its programming language and offers a rich set of customizable widgets that adhere to Material Design and iOS Human Interface Guidelines. Its 'hot reload' feature allows developers to instantly see changes made to the code, accelerating the development and iteration process. While primarily a development framework, Flutter's declarative UI approach and extensive widget library make it a viable option for designers who want to directly build and prototype highly interactive and visually rich user interfaces that closely match the final product. It offers pixel-perfect control and high performance, making it suitable for creating complex animations and custom UIs.

    • Best for: Building high-fidelity prototypes, cross-platform UI development, custom animations, direct designer-developer collaboration on UI.

    Learn more about Flutter or visit the official Flutter website.

  5. 5. React Native โ€” JavaScript framework for building native mobile apps with a web development approach

    React Native is an open-source framework for building native mobile applications using JavaScript and React. It allows developers to use their existing web development skills to create iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. React Native focuses on delivering a native user experience by rendering actual native UI components, rather than web views. Its component-based architecture facilitates modular and reusable code, making it efficient for rapid prototyping and iterative development. While primarily a development tool, designers can leverage React Native for creating functional prototypes that behave very closely to the final product, allowing for early user testing and feedback on actual device performance. The framework also benefits from a large community and a vast ecosystem of libraries and tools.

    • Best for: Rapid functional prototyping, cross-platform mobile app development, leveraging JavaScript skills, integrating with existing React web projects.

    Learn more about React Native or visit the official React Native website.

  6. 6. Expo โ€” Framework and platform for universal React applications, simplifying React Native development

    Expo is a framework and platform built around React Native, designed to simplify the development of universal React applications. It provides a set of tools and services that abstract away much of the complexity of native mobile development, allowing developers (and designers who code) to build, deploy, and iterate on React Native apps more rapidly. Expo includes a large library of pre-built components and APIs for common device functionalities, reducing the need for direct native module development. Its 'Expo Go' app allows for instant testing on physical devices without complex build processes. For designers, Expo can be a powerful tool for quickly translating designs into functional, testable prototypes that can be shared easily with stakeholders, enabling quicker feedback loops and validation of user flows and interactions on actual devices.

    • Best for: Rapid React Native prototyping, simplified mobile app development, over-the-air updates, JavaScript developers building mobile apps.

    Learn more about Expo or visit the official Expo documentation.

  7. 7. SwiftUI โ€” Declarative UI framework for all Apple platforms

    SwiftUI is Apple's declarative UI framework for building apps across all Apple platforms, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Introduced in 2019, it provides a modern approach to UI development using Swift, focusing on readability and maintainability. SwiftUI allows designers and developers to describe their UI using Swift code, with automatic synchronization between the UI and the underlying data. Its live preview feature in Xcode enables designers to see changes immediately as they code, facilitating a tight design-development loop. For prototyping, SwiftUI offers a direct way to build highly accurate and interactive prototypes that run natively on Apple devices, providing a realistic user experience for testing and feedback. This makes it particularly strong for teams deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem who prioritize native performance and platform adherence.

    • Best for: Native Apple platform UI prototyping, declarative UI development, integrating with Swift features, high-fidelity native prototypes.

    Learn more about SwiftUI or visit the official SwiftUI documentation.

Side-by-side

Feature InVision Figma Adobe XD Sketch Flutter React Native Expo SwiftUI
Primary Focus Prototyping, Collaboration, DSM Design, Prototyping, Collaboration UI/UX Design, Prototyping UI/UX Design (macOS) Cross-platform UI Development Cross-platform Mobile UI Simplified React Native Dev Native Apple UI Development
Platform Web Web, Desktop Desktop macOS Cross-platform Dev Cross-platform Dev Cross-platform Dev Apple Platforms Dev
Real-time Collaboration Yes (Freehand, comments) Yes (Design, Prototyping) Yes (Coediting, comments) Limited (Sketch Cloud) Via dev tools Via dev tools Via dev tools Via dev tools
Design System Management Yes (DSM) Yes (Components, Libraries) Yes (Components, Libraries) Yes (Symbols, Libraries) Code-based components Code-based components Code-based components Code-based components
Interactive Prototyping High fidelity High fidelity High fidelity Via plugins/Sketch Cloud High fidelity (code) High fidelity (code) High fidelity (code) High fidelity (code)
Developer Handoff Yes (Inspect) Yes (Inspect) Yes (Design Specs) Via plugins Direct code Direct code Direct code Direct code
Pricing Model Freemium, Subscription Freemium, Subscription Subscription (Creative Cloud) One-time purchase, Subscription Free (open source) Free (open source) Freemium, Subscription Free (part of Xcode)
Primary Language/SDK N/A (Design Tool) N/A (Design Tool) N/A (Design Tool) N/A (Design Tool) Dart JavaScript/React JavaScript/React Swift
Ecosystem & Plugins Integrations Extensive Good Extensive Growing Vast Good Native Apple

How to pick

Choosing the right InVision alternative depends on your specific needs, team structure, and existing toolchain. Consider these factors to guide your decision:

  1. For integrated design and prototyping: If you're looking for a single tool that handles both visual design and interactive prototyping seamlessly, Figma or Adobe XD are strong contenders. Figma excels in real-time browser-based collaboration, making it ideal for distributed teams. Adobe XD integrates well within the broader Creative Cloud ecosystem, which is beneficial if your team already uses other Adobe products.

  2. For macOS-centric design teams: If your team primarily works on macOS and values a native application experience with a rich plugin ecosystem, Sketch remains a popular choice. While it requires third-party tools or Sketch Cloud for advanced collaboration and prototyping, its core design capabilities are robust.

  3. For high-fidelity, code-based prototyping: If your goal is to create prototypes that are very close to the final product, or if you have designers who are comfortable with coding, consider development frameworks. Flutter and React Native allow for building cross-platform, pixel-perfect UIs with native performance. Expo simplifies the React Native development process, making it quicker to get functional prototypes running. For Apple-specific projects, SwiftUI offers a modern, declarative approach to building native UIs with tight integration into the Apple ecosystem.

  4. For design system management: All top alternatives offer robust features for managing design systems. Figma's component-based approach and shared libraries are very effective for maintaining consistency across large projects. Adobe XD and Sketch also provide similar capabilities with their component/symbol systems. If your primary need is a dedicated design system manager, assess how each tool's approach integrates with your overall workflow.

  5. For collaboration and feedback: Evaluate how each tool facilitates team collaboration and stakeholder feedback. Figma's real-time co-editing is a significant advantage for highly collaborative environments. Adobe XD and Sketch also offer robust sharing and commenting features, but their real-time editing capabilities might differ. For code-based prototypes, collaboration often shifts to version control systems and code reviews.

  6. For developer handoff: Consider how easily developers can access design specifications and assets. Figma and Adobe XD provide excellent developer handoff features directly within the platform. Sketch relies on plugins or its cloud service for this. With code-based prototyping tools, the prototype itself becomes the specification, streamlining the handoff process significantly.

Ultimately, a trial period with a few top contenders will provide the most accurate assessment for your team's specific needs and workflow.