When exploring the landscape of design collaboration platforms tailored for product and UX squads, market research indicates that the most successful tools are those that seamlessly integrate communication and project management features. Customer review analysis shows common patterns in user preferences, with platforms like Figma and Miro frequently earning high marks for their intuitive interfaces and robust collaboration capabilities. For instance, Figma's real-time editing feature is often praised for streamlining the design process, allowing teams to iterate quickly without the headache of version control chaos. Expert evaluations consistently point to tools like Adobe XD as essential for teams needing advanced prototyping features, with many consumers reporting that its interactive capabilities make stakeholder presentations significantly more impactful. Interestingly, industry reports suggest that while budget-friendly options like Canva are appealing for smaller teams, they often lack the depth of features required for larger, more complex projects. As for pricing, Figma offers a free tier, making it accessible for startups, while Adobe XD's subscription model can be a worthy investment for teams needing extensive design assets.When exploring the landscape of design collaboration platforms tailored for product and UX squads, market research indicates that the most successful tools are those that seamlessly integrate communication and project management features.When exploring the landscape of design collaboration platforms tailored for product and UX squads, market research indicates that the most successful tools are those that seamlessly integrate communication and project management features. Customer review analysis shows common patterns in user preferences, with platforms like Figma and Miro frequently earning high marks for their intuitive interfaces and robust collaboration capabilities. For instance, Figma's real-time editing feature is often praised for streamlining the design process, allowing teams to iterate quickly without the headache of version control chaos. Expert evaluations consistently point to tools like Adobe XD as essential for teams needing advanced prototyping features, with many consumers reporting that its interactive capabilities make stakeholder presentations significantly more impactful. Interestingly, industry reports suggest that while budget-friendly options like Canva are appealing for smaller teams, they often lack the depth of features required for larger, more complex projects. As for pricing, Figma offers a free tier, making it accessible for startups, while Adobe XD's subscription model can be a worthy investment for teams needing extensive design assets. And let’s be honest—who hasn’t been caught in a meeting discussing what color shade of blue to use? It’s almost as if “navy” and “midnight blue” are rival factions! A notable fact is that Miro began as a whiteboard solution and has evolved into a comprehensive collaboration platform, highlighting how adaptability can drive success in this fast-paced market. With research suggesting that effective collaboration tools can boost team productivity by up to 25%, investing in the right platform can significantly enhance overall project outcomes. Ultimately, choosing the best design collaboration platform hinges on understanding your team’s specific needs and workflows.
Mural, an AI-driven visual workspace, is explicitly designed for product and UX squads. It streamlines the entire product development process, enabling teams to design smarter, iterate faster, and build with confidence. Its powerful collaborative features address industry-specific needs such as remote collaboration, idea visualization, and real-time feedback.
Mural, an AI-driven visual workspace, is explicitly designed for product and UX squads. It streamlines the entire product development process, enabling teams to design smarter, iterate faster, and build with confidence. Its powerful collaborative features address industry-specific needs such as remote collaboration, idea visualization, and real-time feedback.
REAL-TIME SYNC
USER-FRIENDLY
Best for teams that are
Facilitators and consultants running structured workshops and meetings
Teams new to digital whiteboarding needing easy-to-use templates
Enterprise organizations focusing on design thinking and agile ceremonies
Skip if
Teams needing high-fidelity UI/UX design capabilities
Users wanting a complex ecosystem with extensive third-party integrations
Power users who prefer the feature density of Miro
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Mural is the premier choice for enterprise-scale visual collaboration, particularly for organizations embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem. Research indicates it prioritizes security and facilitation over raw feature breadth, offering 'Facilitation Superpowers' that give workshop leaders exceptional control. While it may lack the specialized diagramming depth of some competitors, its ISO 27001 certification and 95% Fortune 100 adoption rate make it the safe, scalable bet for regulated industries.
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.8/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.8
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of visual collaboration tools, facilitation features, and template libraries available for complex workflows.
What We Found
Mural excels in workshop facilitation with features like voting, timers, and private mode, though it relies on general shapes for diagramming rather than specialized engines found in some competitors.
Score Rationale
The score is high due to market-leading facilitation tools ('Superpowers'), but slightly capped because advanced diagramming capabilities are less specialized than primary competitors like Miro.
Supporting Evidence
Mural lacks some specialized native tools for technical diagramming, relying instead on general board elements. The main difference is that there is a unique mind mapping app in Miro, while in Mural you are forced to work with native board elements.
— facilitator.school
The platform offers an infinite canvas option alongside resizable canvases for flexible workspace management. Mural has two canvas options: resizable and infinite. By default, new canvases start out as infinite.
— support.mural.co
Mural provides 'Facilitation Superpowers' including summon, voting, timers, and private mode to control workshop flow. Summon & take control... Timer... Voting... Private mode... Laser pointer.
— mural.co
Supports real-time feedback and iteration, crucial for dynamic product design processes.
— mural.co
Documented in official product documentation, Mural offers AI-driven features that enhance visual collaboration and idea visualization.
— mural.co
9.4
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess enterprise adoption rates, industry awards, and the reputation of the vendor among Fortune 500 companies.
What We Found
Mural demonstrates exceptional market trust, being used by 95% of the Fortune 100 and recognized as a Microsoft Partner of the Year.
Score Rationale
The score reflects elite market standing, evidenced by near-universal adoption among Fortune 100 companies and prestigious partnership awards.
Supporting Evidence
Mural was named the 2022 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Apps & Solutions for Microsoft Teams. this has enabled us to to to be the partner of the year for teams apps in 2022
— youtube.com
Mural is trusted by 95% of the Fortune 100 companies. Trusted by 95% of the Fortune 100 and customers in highly regulated industries
— platform.softwareone.com
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We analyze user feedback regarding ease of onboarding, interface intuitiveness, and performance stability on large projects.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the intuitive interface for workshops, though performance lag on large, element-heavy boards is a documented friction point.
Score Rationale
While the interface is highly rated for ease of use, the score is impacted by persistent user reports of lag on extensive canvases.
Supporting Evidence
Performance issues and lag are frequently reported when workspaces become too large or complex. The most frequent complaints revolve around murals becoming slow or laggy with many elements
— nerdisa.com
Users highlight ease of use for collaboration and streamlining discussions. Users highlight the ease of use of Mural, enhancing collaboration and streamlining discussions effectively.
— g2.com
Interactive visual boards are designed to facilitate ease of use for remote teams.
— mural.co
8.6
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We review pricing structures, free tier availability, and the clarity of feature gating between plan levels.
What We Found
Mural offers a transparent pricing model with a functional free tier and clear differentiation between Team+ ($9.99/mo) and Business ($17.99/mo) plans.
Score Rationale
Pricing is competitive and transparent, with a valuable free tier, though the jump to Business for SSO and unlimited guests is a standard SaaS upsell.
Supporting Evidence
Team+ plan costs $9.99/user/month and adds unlimited murals and privacy controls. Team+ $9.99... Unlimited Murals in Workspace; Privacy Control for Rooms and Murals
— saasworthy.com
The Free plan includes 3 murals, unlimited members, and all visual collaboration features. The Free plan will get your team started fast with 3 active murals and unlimited members and visitors
— mural.co
We evaluate the depth of integrations with major productivity suites, particularly Microsoft 365, Jira, and Asana.
What We Found
Mural has distinguished itself through deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem (Teams, Copilot, Azure DevOps) and supports two-way sync with Jira and Asana.
Score Rationale
The score is anchored by its 'Partner of the Year' status with Microsoft and robust two-way sync capabilities, making it a top choice for Microsoft-centric enterprises.
Supporting Evidence
The Asana integration features two-way sync to keep tasks updated in both platforms. Featuring two-way sync to keep your murals up to date from start to finish.
— mural.co
Mural integrates with Microsoft Copilot to summarize canvas content using natural language. Leverage the power of Microsoft 365 Copilot to summarize all the text from a mural canvas
— mural.co
Listed in the company's integration directory, Mural integrates with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Jira.
— mural.co
9.6
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We examine certifications (SOC 2, ISO), data residency options, and enterprise-grade security controls like BYOK.
What We Found
Mural is an industry leader in security, maintaining ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certifications, along with advanced options like Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) and data residency.
Score Rationale
This category receives a near-perfect score due to the comprehensive suite of enterprise security features, including BYOK and global data residency, which are often paid add-ons or missing in competitors.
Supporting Evidence
Enterprise plans offer advanced security features like Data Residency and Bring Your Own Key (BYOK). Data residency. BYOK. Premier support.
— mural.co
Mural maintains active SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certifications. We maintain active SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and Microsoft 365 certifications
— mural.co
Outlined in published security documentation, Mural complies with industry-standard security protocols.
— mural.co
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Mural lacks specialized native diagramming engines (e.g., for mind maps) compared to competitors, relying instead on general shapes and connectors.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Export resolution is strictly capped at 14,000 x 14,000 pixels, which limits the ability to create high-fidelity offline backups of massive, complex boards.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Supernova.io is a game-changer for product and UX squads. It leverages AI to streamline design collaboration, allowing teams to prototype, write, and align with stakeholders more efficiently. This platform is specifically beneficial to this industry as it enables real-time collaboration while minimizing design iterations and redundancies.
Supernova.io is a game-changer for product and UX squads. It leverages AI to streamline design collaboration, allowing teams to prototype, write, and align with stakeholders more efficiently. This platform is specifically beneficial to this industry as it enables real-time collaboration while minimizing design iterations and redundancies.
Best for teams that are
Design Ops teams managing complex, multi-brand design systems
Engineers wanting to automate design tokens directly to code
Organizations needing customizable, code-backed design system documentation
Skip if
Small teams without a defined design system or coding knowledge
Teams looking for a visual design tool rather than a documentation platform
Non-technical users who find code-based workflows intimidating
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Supernova distinguishes itself by treating design systems as active infrastructure rather than static documentation. Research indicates it successfully bridges the gap between design and code through robust automation pipelines that deliver tokens directly to iOS, Android, and Web repositories. Based on documented security certifications like SOC 2 and ISO 27001, it meets strict enterprise requirements while remaining accessible to smaller teams via a generous free tier.
Pros
Automated code delivery pipelines
SOC 2 Type II & ISO 27001
Deep Figma & Tokens Studio sync
Multiplayer documentation editor
Free plan for small teams
Cons
Occasional platform slowness reported
Versioning system can be unclear
SSO setup complexity issues
Token visualization limitations
Advanced features require learning curve
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.8/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.9
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the platform's ability to manage design tokens, automate code delivery, and maintain comprehensive documentation.
What We Found
Supernova offers deep design token management with two-way Figma sync, automated code pipelines for iOS, Android, and React, and a block-based documentation editor.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the platform's robust automation pipelines and deep token management features, though some advanced visualization features have reported complexity.
Supporting Evidence
Documentation features include a 'multiplayer' editor allowing real-time collaboration. Our documentation editor offers powerful real-time, multiplayer editing. This feature allows you to read, write, and edit documentation at the same time as your teammates.
— supernova.io
The platform supports importing tokens directly from Figma Variables and Tokens Studio. First, you import all your tokens from Figma or Tokens Studio... and they're automatically synced and arranged in Supernova.
— supernova.io
Supernova automates the export of design tokens, themes, and assets directly to codebases like iOS, Android, and Web. With Supernova, you can automate the export of: Design tokens... Themes... Design assets... directly to your Git repo.
— supernova.io
Supports multiple design tools, enhancing versatility and integration with existing workflows.
— supernova.io
AI-powered design collaboration and automated code generation are documented in the official product features.
— supernova.io
9.3
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for enterprise adoption, security certifications, and public case studies from reputable companies.
What We Found
The platform holds top-tier security certifications including SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, and is used by established companies like Huspy and TheFork.
Score Rationale
The presence of both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications, combined with verifiable enterprise case studies, justifies a high trust score.
Supporting Evidence
Major companies like TheFork use Supernova as their single source of truth for design systems. Supernova is our source of truth for managing and documenting our Design System at TheFork
— supernova.io
The company is also ISO 27001 certified, demonstrating international security standard compliance. Supernova is thrilled to announce that we have successfully achieved ISO 27001 certification
— supernova.io
Supernova has achieved SOC 2 Type II certification for data security. Supernova is proud to announce that we have successfully completed the System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II examination
— supernova.io
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess user interface intuitiveness, support responsiveness, and overall ease of adoption.
What We Found
Users generally find the tool intuitive and praise the support team, though some report performance slowdowns and complexity in versioning.
Score Rationale
While the UI is praised for intuitiveness, documented reports of platform slowness and versioning complexity keep this score from being higher.
Supporting Evidence
Some users report the platform can be slow or crash occasionally. The platform sometimes crashes and runs slowly.
— g2.com
Customer support is highlighted as highly responsive and effective. Supernova has unbelievable responsiveness and the feature set is strong.
— producthunt.com
Users describe the platform as easy to use and intuitive for design system creators. It's easy to use, intuitive, and offers many opportunities to scale in the future.
— supernova.io
Real-time collaboration features enhance user experience by minimizing design iterations.
— supernova.io
8.8
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We check for clear pricing tiers, free access options, and transparent feature gating.
What We Found
Supernova offers a generous free tier for small teams and transparent pricing for its Pro plan, with clear feature differentiation.
Score Rationale
The availability of a 'Free forever' plan for up to 5 members and transparent monthly pricing for Pro users supports a strong value score.
Supporting Evidence
Enterprise plans offer unlimited seats and advanced security features like SSO. ENTERPRISE... Single sign-on (SAML 2.0)... Unlimited seats.
— getapp.com
The Pro plan is priced clearly at around $20-$25 per month for builder seats. Builder seat... Yearly: $20 / month... Monthly: $25 / month
— supernova.io
A free plan is available that includes 5 members and core design system features. FREE. Free forever. ... 5 members; Limited AI credits.
— supernova.io
Offers a free plan and transparent pricing for Pro and Enterprise plans.
— supernova.io
9.1
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of integrations with design tools, developer platforms, and third-party services.
What We Found
The platform integrates deeply with the modern design stack (Figma, Tokens Studio) and dev stack (GitHub, GitLab, Storybook, VS Code).
Score Rationale
Extensive support for major design and dev tools, including a CLI for custom pipelines, ensures it fits seamlessly into existing workflows.
Supporting Evidence
Storybook integration allows syncing live code examples into documentation. Sync live code examples into your docs and make Storybook part of your design system.
— supernova.io
Supports major code repositories like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket for automated pull requests. Connect to GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Azure DevOps... Push to specific branches and folders
— supernova.io
Integrates directly with Figma and Tokens Studio for design data synchronization. Import directly from Tokens Studio and seamlessly integrate your Figma tokens.
— supernova.io
Limited integrations in the free plan, but supports key design tools in paid plans.
— supernova.io
9.5
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We examine specific security measures, compliance with regulations like GDPR, and data protection infrastructure.
What We Found
Supernova demonstrates exceptional security rigor with SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA compliance, and private subnet infrastructure.
Score Rationale
The combination of multiple major certifications (SOC 2, ISO) and architectural security details (private subnets, AWS KMS) merits a near-perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
SSO functionality including Okta integration is supported for enhanced security. We have implemented Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality... we also support Okta integration
— supernova.io
The platform is fully compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations. We are fully compliant with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) alongside General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
— supernova.io
Infrastructure uses private subnets and encryption via Amazon KMS. Secrets... are doubly encrypted at rest using database encryption and an additional layer of encryption via Amazon KMS.
— supernova.ai
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Implementation of Single Sign-On (SSO) has been reported as complicated and problematic for some teams.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Zeplin is a robust design collaboration platform specifically tailored for Product and UX Squads. It streamlines design finalization, change tracking, organization, documentation, feedback gathering, and design management, enabling teams to deliver superior product designs more efficiently.
Zeplin is a robust design collaboration platform specifically tailored for Product and UX Squads. It streamlines design finalization, change tracking, organization, documentation, feedback gathering, and design management, enabling teams to deliver superior product designs more efficiently.
INTEGRATION MASTER
CROSS-PLATFORM HERO
Best for teams that are
Developers needing organized specs, code snippets, and clear version control
Teams wanting a dedicated source of truth separate from messy design files
Large organizations needing governance for design handoff
Skip if
Designers looking to create or edit UI visuals (it is not a design tool)
Small teams where Figma's native Dev Mode is sufficient and cheaper
Users who want an all-in-one design and prototyping solution
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Zeplin excels by treating design handoff as a distinct phase, similar to code deployment. Research indicates its 'locked' screen versions and Git-like commit history solve the 'drifting canvas' problem often found in live design tools. Based on documented features, it provides a stable source of truth for developers, ensuring they build against finalized specifications rather than work-in-progress designs.
Pros
Screen-level version control system
Locked designs prevent accidental edits
Unlimited reviewers on Advanced plans
Dedicated 'Flows' for user journeys
SOC 2 Type II compliant
Cons
Requires separate subscription from design tool
Manual sync process can cause friction
VS Code extension lacks advanced features
No built-in design creation tools
Redundant for simple Figma workflows
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.6/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the platform's ability to facilitate design handoff through version control, specification generation, and workflow management features.
What We Found
Zeplin provides specialized "screen-level versioning" and "locked" snapshots that separate ready-to-build designs from works-in-progress, unlike the live canvas of design tools. It includes "Flows" for mapping user journeys and "Global Styleguides" that sync with design tokens.
Score Rationale
The score is high because it offers specialized handoff features like locked versions and flows that general design tools lack, though it relies on external tools for the actual design creation.
Supporting Evidence
The platform includes a dedicated 'Flows' feature to build paths and conditional flows using design screens. Zeppelin on the other hand has a dedicated user journey feature called flows. which allows you to quickly build out every path and conditional flow using actual design screens.
— youtube.com
Zeplin offers screen-level version tracking and commits similar to Git, isolating ready-to-build screens from in-progress designs. Zeplin provides... Clarity on what to build, with ready-to-build screens separate from in-progress designs. Design version control - with screen-level version tracking and commits like Git.
— blog.zeplin.io
Integration with popular design tools like Sketch, Figma, and Adobe XD is documented in the official integrations directory.
— zeplin.io
9.2
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the product's longevity, user base size, compliance certifications, and reputation among industry professionals.
What We Found
Founded in 2014, Zeplin is a mature platform used by thousands of teams. It maintains SOC 2 Type II compliance and integrates with enterprise-standard tools, establishing it as a trusted entity in the design operations space.
Score Rationale
The score reflects its status as a legacy leader in the handoff space with verified enterprise-grade compliance (SOC 2 Type II) and a massive user base.
Supporting Evidence
The company was founded in 2014 and has evolved from the 'Sketch-era' to support modern workflows. Hey there, my name is Berk—I founded Zeplin with my friends back in 2014.
— reddit.com
Zeplin aligns with AICPA standards and maintains an active SOC 2 Type II attestation. Attestation for compliance with SOC-2's Trust Services Criteria controls for Security, Availability and Confidentiality (SOC-2 Type II) was most recently renewed...
— support.zeplin.io
8.9
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the interface's ease of navigation, the learning curve for non-designers, and the quality of support resources.
What We Found
Users consistently praise Zeplin for its "stress-free" and organized interface that simplifies complex design files for developers. The platform offers a structured workspace that is often preferred over the "infinite canvas" of design tools for retrieving specifications.
Score Rationale
The score is anchored by strong user feedback regarding its organized, developer-friendly interface, though manual syncing requirements can introduce workflow friction.
Supporting Evidence
The interface is described as minimal but productive, offering better organization than competitors. Zeplin offers a better organization of prototype screens... and a minimal but productive interface
— blog.logrocket.com
Users report that Zeplin saves time by preventing developers from having to navigate complex design files. Using Zeplin means they don't have to track down the correct Sketch file... They don't have to fumble through a tool they don't know very well.
— spin.atomicobject.com
8.5
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the pricing structure, free tier availability, and cost-to-value ratio relative to integrated competitors.
What We Found
Zeplin offers a robust Free plan for 1 project and unlimited users. Paid plans start at $13.75/project or $12/seat. While valuable, it represents an additional cost for teams already paying for design tools like Figma, which include some overlapping features.
Score Rationale
The score acknowledges the generous free plan and transparent pricing, but is limited by the 'double tax' nature of paying for a handoff tool on top of a design tool subscription.
Supporting Evidence
Users note that using Zeplin increases total costs as designers need licenses for both the design tool and Zeplin. Cost for designers goes up 35% since they need Zeplin licenses on top of their Figma licenses.
— reddit.com
The Free plan includes 1 project with up to 100 screens and unlimited users. Start anytime for $0 on the Free Plan... Limited to one project, up to 100 screens.
— support.zeplin.io
Pricing details are transparent with a free plan and paid plans starting at $17 per month, as listed on the official pricing page.
— zeplin.io
8.8
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth and depth of integrations with design tools, development environments, and project management software.
What We Found
The platform integrates with all major design tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Photoshop) and key development tools (Jira, Storybook, VS Code, Slack). Its 'Connected Components' feature links design elements directly to codebase documentation.
Score Rationale
The score reflects a comprehensive ecosystem that connects the entire product trio (design, dev, product), though the VS Code integration has some noted limitations.
Supporting Evidence
Connected Components allows teams to link components in the codebase to components in Zeplin. You can connect your components in your codebase to components in Zeplin, and your team can access their code right on the designs.
— support.zeplin.io
Zeplin integrates with a wide range of tools including Figma, Sketch, Jira, Storybook, and VS Code. Figma... Sketch... Jira... Storybook... VS Code... JSON Design Tokens
— zeplin.io
Enterprise plans include advanced security features like SAML-based Single Sign-on (SSO) and Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). SAML-based Single Sign-on (SSO)... Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
— zeplin.io
Zeplin maintains a SOC 2 Type II attestation for Security, Availability, and Confidentiality. Attestation for compliance with SOC-2's Trust Services Criteria controls for Security, Availability and Confidentiality (SOC-2 Type II) was most recently renewed
— support.zeplin.io
Zeplin's integration with tools like Slack and Jira enhances its ecosystem strength, as listed in the integrations directory.
— zeplin.io
9.0
Category 6: Support, Training & Onboarding Resources
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The Zeplin VS Code extension is reported to be less feature-rich than competitors, lacking advanced capabilities like full design previews or autocompletion.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Lucid is a comprehensive SaaS solution chosen for its ability to streamline collaboration among product and UX teams. Its shared virtual space allows these professionals to communicate and collaborate seamlessly, significantly enhancing their productivity and the quality of their final outputs.
Lucid is a comprehensive SaaS solution chosen for its ability to streamline collaboration among product and UX teams. Its shared virtual space allows these professionals to communicate and collaborate seamlessly, significantly enhancing their productivity and the quality of their final outputs.
REMOTE READY
SCALABILITY STAR
Best for teams that are
Engineers and architects creating complex technical diagrams and data visualizations
Enterprises requiring strict security, governance, and process documentation
Operations teams mapping complex workflows and organizational charts
Skip if
Creative teams looking for freeform artistic drawing tools
Small creative agencies preferring flexible, less structured canvases
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Lucid Visual Collaboration Suite stands out for its 'Universal Canvas' technology, which uniquely bridges the gap between unstructured brainstorming and structured technical diagramming without losing data fidelity. Research indicates it is one of the few platforms in its niche with FedRAMP authorization, making it the superior choice for security-conscious enterprises. Based on documented features, its ability to bi-directionally sync with systems like Jira and Salesforce transforms static diagrams into living dashboards.
Pros
Universal Canvas unifies diagramming and whiteboarding
FedRAMP Moderate Authorized security status
Deep bi-directional data linking (Jira/Salesforce)
Used by 99% of Fortune 500
Intelligent automation for org charts
Cons
Strict 60-object limit on free plan
No offline editing on mobile apps
Accessibility compliance gaps in education
Advanced features require learning curve
Enterprise Shield costs extra
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.4/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.3
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of visual collaboration tools, including diagramming intelligence, whiteboarding flexibility, and cross-platform continuity.
What We Found
The suite uniquely combines intelligent diagramming (Lucidchart) and virtual whiteboarding (Lucidspark) via a Universal Canvas, allowing seamless switching between modes without data loss.
Score Rationale
The score is exceptional due to the Universal Canvas and advanced data-linking features, though accessibility gaps in educational contexts prevent a perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
The platform supports advanced data linking, allowing diagrams to connect directly to live data sources like Salesforce and Jira. Lucid provides powerful features that Miro lacks, including data linking, conditional formatting, Dynamic Tables, and more.
— lucidchart.com
Lucid's Universal Canvas allows teams to switch seamlessly between diagramming and whiteboarding toolsets on the same document. With Lucid's universal canvas feature, teams can switch seamlessly between purpose-built toolsets in both applications.
— lucid.co
Includes comprehensive design tools for product and UX teams, facilitating efficient design processes.
— lucid.co
Documented in official product documentation, Lucid offers a shared virtual workspace that enhances team collaboration.
— lucid.co
9.6
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess market adoption, enterprise penetration, and third-party validation of the vendor's stability and reputation.
What We Found
Lucid demonstrates dominant market presence with adoption by 99% of Fortune 500 companies and holds rigorous government-level authorizations.
Score Rationale
The product achieves a near-perfect score by securing FedRAMP authorization and maintaining a massive enterprise user base, signaling immense trust.
Supporting Evidence
Lucid Software has achieved FedRAMP Authorization at the Moderate security impact level. Lucid is now FedRAMP Authorized at the Moderate security impact level... becoming the first visual collaboration platform available on the FedRAMP Marketplace.
— prnewswire.com
Lucid reports that 99% of Fortune 500 companies utilize their products. With 99% of Fortune 500 companies using our products and over 30 million users across 180 countries...
— lucid.co
8.8
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We analyze user interface intuitiveness, learning curve, and experience across different devices and connectivity states.
What We Found
Users praise the intuitive drag-and-drop interface, though the mobile application lacks offline editing capabilities, limiting productivity during travel.
Score Rationale
While the core desktop experience is highly rated for ease of use, the lack of offline mobile functionality and reported accessibility issues lower the score.
Supporting Evidence
The mobile applications for iOS and Android do not support offline editing. Offline editing is not supported on the Lucid iOS or Android app.
— help.lucid.co
Users consistently rate the interface as intuitive, facilitating quick diagram creation. Intuitive interface makes diagramming simple, fast, and highly efficient.
— softwarefinder.com
Real-time communication features enhance user experience, though initial training may be required.
— lucid.co
8.4
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We examine pricing tiers, free plan utility, and the balance of features versus cost compared to competitors.
What We Found
The free plan is functionally restrictive with a 60-object limit per document, pushing serious users toward paid subscriptions starting around $8-9/month.
Score Rationale
The score is impacted by the strict object limit on the free tier, which is more restrictive than some competitors, though paid tiers offer strong enterprise value.
Supporting Evidence
Individual plans start at approximately $7.95/month, with Team plans around $9/user/month. It costs $7.95 per month for one user if you pay annually... Team plans cost $9 per user, per month.
— forbes.com
The free plan limits users to 3 editable documents and only 60 shapes per document. The Free tier is pretty basic. You can create three documents with up to 60 shapes each... This level also limits you to basic collaboration.
— pcmag.com
We assess the depth of connections with other enterprise tools, API capabilities, and the ability to visualize live external data.
What We Found
The platform excels with deep, bi-directional integrations for Salesforce, Jira, and Microsoft 365, allowing diagrams to update automatically as data changes.
Score Rationale
The ability to not just embed but actively link and refresh data from external systems like Salesforce and Jira distinguishes it from passive diagramming tools.
Supporting Evidence
Salesforce integration allows for account mapping and importing contact data directly onto the canvas. With Lucidchart, you can quickly import this data from Salesforce, then drag and drop each contact onto the canvas.
— lucidchart.com
Lucidchart supports bi-directional syncing with Jira and Azure DevOps. Lucid enables a true bidirectional sync for Jira and Azure DevOps.
— lucid.co
9.7
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We evaluate the product's adherence to industry security standards, government regulations, and data privacy controls.
What We Found
Lucid sets the industry standard with FedRAMP Moderate authorization, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 certifications, plus an Enterprise Shield add-on.
Score Rationale
This category receives a near-perfect score due to the rare FedRAMP authorization for a design tool, validating its suitability for high-security government and enterprise environments.
Supporting Evidence
The Enterprise Shield add-on provides advanced security controls like BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) and automated sensitive data detection. Enterprise Shield creates an enhanced layer of fortified security... Admins can: Automatically identify sensitive data, such as PII.
— lucid.co
Lucid maintains FedRAMP Moderate authorization, a rigorous standard for US government cloud use. Lucid holds and maintains several compliance certifications, including... FedRAMP Authorized.
— lucid.co
Outlined in published security documentation, Lucid complies with major data protection standards.
— lucid.co
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The platform has faced documented accessibility challenges, leading to its removal from some educational environments for failing to meet WCAG standards.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Marvel is a comprehensive design collaboration platform specifically tailored for product and UX squads. Its rich feature set, including wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and design inspection, addresses the unique needs of digital product development teams, fostering collaboration and simplifying the design process.
Marvel is a comprehensive design collaboration platform specifically tailored for product and UX squads. Its rich feature set, including wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and design inspection, addresses the unique needs of digital product development teams, fostering collaboration and simplifying the design process.
DESIGN DOCUMENTER
VERSION CONTROL PRO
Best for teams that are
Non-designers or stakeholders needing to create quick, simple prototypes
Teams focusing on rapid user testing and validation
Advanced designers needing high-fidelity vector editing or complex animations
Teams requiring deep technical handoff features or code generation
Large enterprises needing robust design system management
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Marvel Design Platform democratizes the design process by allowing non-technical users to build realistic, interactive prototypes in minutes. Research indicates it effectively bridges the gap between design and development through its automated Handoff feature, which generates production-ready code (CSS, Swift, XML). While it may lack the complex logic variables of some competitors, its simplicity and speed make it an ideal choice for rapid iteration and stakeholder validation.
Pros
Rapid prototyping without coding
Automated handoff (CSS, Swift, XML)
Intuitive interface with low learning curve
Real-time collaboration and syncing
Integrates with Sketch and Jira
Cons
Native user testing removed from free plan
Lacks advanced AI design features
No Android app for design creation
Limited offline functionality
Advanced animation control is basic
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.4/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of design tools, prototyping fidelity, and handoff features available for creating digital products.
What We Found
Marvel offers rapid wireframing, interactive prototyping without code, and automated developer handoff that generates CSS, Swift, and Android XML. It supports real-time collaboration and integrates user testing (via Ballpark).
Score Rationale
The platform excels at speed and ease of use for prototyping but scores slightly lower than market leaders due to a lack of advanced logic variables and AI-driven design features.
Supporting Evidence
The Handoff feature automatically generates code for developers. In a single click, one can conveniently transfer assets and copy the CSS, Swift and Android XML code for their prototype
— theuxstudio.com
Marvel allows users to create interactive prototypes for any device without coding and generate design specs. With the Marvel design platform, access all the core functionality you need to build digital products - wireframe, prototype and generate design specs in one place.
— marvelapp.com
Design inspection tools are included to facilitate detailed feedback and iteration, as outlined in the platform's feature documentation.
— marvelapp.com
Marvel offers wireframing, prototyping, and user testing features documented on its official website, supporting comprehensive design workflows.
— marvelapp.com
9.1
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the product's adoption rate, company history, and usage by established enterprises.
What We Found
Founded in 2013 and based in London, Marvel serves over 2 million users, including major enterprise clients like Twitter and GoPro.
Score Rationale
The platform has a long-standing reputation and significant adoption among Fortune 100 companies, establishing high market credibility.
Supporting Evidence
Major companies like Twitter and GoPro utilize the platform. The company... has established itself as a valuable tool for major companies like Twitter and GoPro
— bitscale.ai
Marvel is used by over 2 million individuals and teams worldwide. Marvel has grown to serve over 2 million individuals and teams worldwide.
— bitscale.ai
Marvel has been recognized in industry publications like TechCrunch for its innovative approach to design collaboration.
— techcrunch.com
9.0
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We analyze user feedback regarding ease of use, learning curve, and interface intuitiveness.
What We Found
Reviews consistently highlight the platform's 'child's play' ease of use, allowing users to create prototypes in minutes with a minimal learning curve.
Score Rationale
The score reflects its best-in-class accessibility for non-technical users, although some reviews note a slight learning curve for specific advanced features.
Supporting Evidence
Users value the intuitive design which facilitates rapid prototyping. Users value the elegant interface design of Marvel, enhancing project management and collaboration efficiently.
— g2.com
Users describe the interface as simple and the learning curve as non-existent. The learning curve for MarvelApp is almost non-existent. It is child's play to configure a new design window
— techradar.com
The platform's user-friendly interface is highlighted in user reviews and product descriptions, facilitating easy adoption.
— marvelapp.com
8.6
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We examine pricing structures, free tier availability, and transparency of costs for teams.
What We Found
Marvel offers a Free plan, a Pro plan at $12/mo, and a Team plan at $42/mo. Enterprise pricing is quote-based. Terms are clear and transparent.
Score Rationale
The pricing is competitive and accessible for small teams, though the requirement to contact sales for Enterprise pricing slightly reduces transparency.
Supporting Evidence
A free version is available for single users. A Free version is available for single users working on one project
— techradar.com
The Team plan costs $42 per month when billed yearly. Teams supports multiple users, and is $42 a month with annual billing
— marvelapp.com
Pricing starts at $12/month per user, with a free plan available, as detailed on the official pricing page.
— marvelapp.com
8.8
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the availability of native integrations with workflow tools and API capabilities.
What We Found
The platform integrates with Jira, Confluence, Slack, and Sketch. It also offers a GraphQL API for custom workflow automation and tool building.
Score Rationale
Strong integration with the Atlassian suite and a flexible API support a robust ecosystem, justifying a high score.
Supporting Evidence
Developers can build custom integrations using the GraphQL API. Our API uses GraphQL... allow you to access Marvel's core functionality and build your own tools, apps and integrations.
— marvelapp.com
Marvel integrates with Jira, Confluence, Dropbox Paper, and Microsoft Teams. From our Sketch plugin, to project activity Slackbots, to embedding prototypes within popular tools like Dropbox Paper, Microsoft Teams and Atlassian Jira.
— marvelapp.com
8.9
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We check for data hosting certifications, encryption standards, and compliance with regulations like GDPR.
What We Found
Marvel is GDPR compliant with EU-hosted infrastructure. It relies on Google Cloud Platform which is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
Score Rationale
Reliance on enterprise-grade infrastructure and clear GDPR commitment ensures a high level of security suitable for corporate use.
Supporting Evidence
All data is encrypted using 256-bit SSL/TLS 1.2. We use 256-bit SSL/TLS.1.2 encryption, utilising both the ECDSA and RSA algorithms.
— help.marvelapp.com
Infrastructure is hosted on Google Cloud Platform which maintains SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications. Our data center provider Google Cloud Platform located in Belgium and Germany maintains multiple certifications, including SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3 and ISO27001.
— marvelapp.com
Comprehensive support resources and onboarding guides are available on the official support page, aiding user adoption.
— help.marvelapp.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The platform lacks advanced 'Dev Mode' and AI-generation features found in direct competitors like Figma, which may hinder complex technical workflows.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Figma is a powerful design platform specifically geared towards product and UX teams. It significantly enhances collaborative efforts, allowing teams to design, prototype, and build products more efficiently. It also supports real-time feedback, addressing the need for continuous improvement and iteration in the fast-paced tech industry.
Figma is a powerful design platform specifically geared towards product and UX teams. It significantly enhances collaborative efforts, allowing teams to design, prototype, and build products more efficiently. It also supports real-time feedback, addressing the need for continuous improvement and iteration in the fast-paced tech industry.
PROTOTYPING POWERHOUSE
FEEDBACK FRIENDLY
Best for teams that are
UI/UX designers building high-fidelity interfaces and prototypes
Teams requiring real-time, multiplayer design collaboration
Developers needing to inspect designs and assets via Dev Mode
Skip if
Non-designers who find professional vector tools complex or overwhelming
Teams needing only simple whiteboarding or brainstorming capabilities
Users requiring offline access as it is primarily browser-based
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Figma has fundamentally redefined the design category by making interface design a multiplayer experience. Research indicates it is the dominant choice for 95% of Fortune 500 companies, largely due to its seamless browser-based architecture and robust design system capabilities. While it faces limitations regarding offline work and memory usage for massive files, its ecosystem of plugins and integrations remains unmatched in the industry.
Pros
Industry-standard real-time collaboration
Browser-based with no installation required
Massive community plugin ecosystem
Advanced design system features (Variables)
Enterprise-grade security (SOC 2, FedRAMP)
Cons
2GB memory limit per file
Limited offline functionality
Dev Mode requires paid seat
Performance lag on very large files
Steep learning curve for Auto Layout
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.3/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.6
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of design tools, prototyping fidelity, and collaboration features required for professional-grade interface design.
What We Found
Figma delivers an industry-leading suite including vector networks, advanced Auto Layout, interactive prototyping, and the recently introduced Dev Mode for handoff.
Score Rationale
Figma sets the global standard for interface design tools, scoring near-perfect for its feature set, though it faces minor limitations in offline capabilities compared to native apps.
Supporting Evidence
Figma introduced AI features (Figma AI) to generate designs, rename layers, and remove backgrounds. As of today, there are eight Figma AI features available: Search for similar; Make designs; Make a prototype; Rename layers; Replace content...
— blog.logrocket.com
The platform supports real-time multiplayer editing, allowing multiple designers to work on the same file simultaneously. Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same project simultaneously, enhancing teamwork and productivity.
— yabku.com
Figma's feature set includes advanced Auto Layout, variables for design tokens, and interactive prototyping capabilities. Improved Auto-layout: Suggests the creation of frames in auto-layout and automatic creation... Prototype Creation: Develop animated prototypes from mockups in a simple click.
— digidop.com
Extensive prototyping tools enable users to create interactive and animated designs, enhancing the design process.
— figma.com
9.9
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess market share, adoption rates among major enterprises, and the platform's reputation within the design industry.
What We Found
Figma is the dominant market leader, used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies and holding over 40% of the design tool market share.
Score Rationale
With near-universal adoption among top-tier companies and a massive user base, Figma achieves a near-perfect score for market credibility.
Supporting Evidence
Figma has over 13 million monthly active users as of 2025. The platform now counts 13 million monthly active users and is used by 95% of the Fortune 500.
— research.contrary.com
The platform holds a commanding market share of approximately 40.65% in the design software industry. Figma holds a 40.65% market share in the design software industry, outperforming competitors like Adobe XD and InVision.
— cropink.com
Figma is used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies for their design workflows. Nearly 95% of Fortune 500 companies leverage Figma in their workflows.
— sqmagazine.co.uk
8.8
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We analyze ease of use, learning curve, performance stability, and the quality of the user interface for daily workflows.
What We Found
Users praise the intuitive interface and browser accessibility, though performance issues with large files and memory limits are persistent complaints.
Score Rationale
While the UX is widely celebrated, the documented 2GB memory limit per tab and performance lag on large files prevent a score in the 9s.
Supporting Evidence
Reviewers highlight the ease of use and 'multiplayer' mode as revolutionary for collaboration. It is very easy-to-use software... I love using Figma for my UX and Product Design needs.
— g2.com
The browser-based nature of Figma imposes a 2GB active memory limit per tab, which can cause files to lock up. Every browser has its own active memory limit... the general understanding is there's an active memory limit of 2GB per browser tab.
— help.figma.com
Users report performance gaps and resource heaviness when working with very large files. Figma is very resource hungry, so there is a performance gap with very large files and the offline functionality is very limited.
— g2.com
Figma's interface can be overwhelming for beginners, but it offers extensive documentation and tutorials to ease the learning curve.
— help.figma.com
8.4
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We evaluate pricing structures, hidden costs, and the balance of features provided relative to the subscription cost.
What We Found
While the free tier is generous, recent pricing changes moving 'Dev Mode' to a paid seat caused significant community backlash and increased costs for teams.
Score Rationale
The score is impacted by the controversy surrounding the monetization of previously free features (Dev Mode) and complex new seat types.
Supporting Evidence
Users expressed frustration that the new pricing model forces payment for features they may not need. At this price point, it would be an extra $4200 a month for us or ~$50,000 a year just to access a few features.
— reddit.com
Pricing tiers include Professional ($12-15/mo), Organization ($45/mo), and Enterprise ($75/mo), with new seat types adding complexity. Figma just made their pricing more complicated... Three seat types, four plan tiers, and prices ranging from free to $90/month per user.
— userjot.com
Figma introduced a paid 'Dev Mode' which was previously free, leading to complaints about increased costs for developer seats. One user went so far as to call Dev Mode a 'scam' after recognizing they couldn't access it, even though they paid for the $12 tier... The only way to use it at this level is to add a seat for a developer.
— frontenddogma.com
Figma offers a free plan and transparent pricing for professional plans starting at $12 per editor per month.
— figma.com
9.4
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We look for the availability of third-party plugins, API capabilities, and integrations with development and project management tools.
What We Found
Figma boasts a massive community-driven plugin ecosystem and deep integrations with tools like Jira, Storybook, and VS Code.
Score Rationale
The ecosystem is a primary strength, offering thousands of plugins that extend functionality, justifying a score well above 9.0.
Supporting Evidence
The platform supports a robust API that enables custom plugin development and data extraction. Has an API available.
— compliance.figma.com
Dev Mode includes integrations with external tools like Jira, Storybook, and VS Code. They charge for the new functions within dev mode: vscode integration, external tools integration like jira or storybook...
— forum.figma.com
Figma has an extensive plugin ecosystem that allows users to customize their workflow. Extensive Plugin Ecosystem: Figma boasts a wide array of plugins, allowing designers to enhance functionality and customize their workflow.
— yabku.com
9.5
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We examine the product's adherence to enterprise security standards, data encryption, and compliance certifications.
What We Found
Figma maintains a robust security posture with SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP Moderate authorization, suitable for enterprise deployment.
Score Rationale
Figma meets the highest standards for SaaS security, evidenced by its comprehensive list of certifications including FedRAMP and ISO.
Supporting Evidence
Plugins run in a sandboxed environment to prevent unauthorized data access. Figma plugins are written in HTML/CSS/Javascript, and are run in a tightly controlled sandbox environment inside of the main Figma application.
— docs.hypermatic.com
Figma is authorized at the FedRAMP Moderate level, allowing its use in federal government agencies. FedRAMP Moderate.
— compliance.figma.com
Figma has achieved SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, and ISO 27001 certifications. Badges: ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, CSA.
— compliance.figma.com
Figma complies with industry-standard security practices, including data encryption and regular security audits.
— figma.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The transition of 'Dev Mode' from a free beta to a paid seat caused significant backlash and increased costs for teams with many developers.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Miro is a collaborative platform tailored for product design and UX teams. It offers a workspace that facilitates project management, product design, and innovation, addressing the need for a centralized, interactive, and real-time collaboration tool in the industry.
Miro is a collaborative platform tailored for product design and UX teams. It offers a workspace that facilitates project management, product design, and innovation, addressing the need for a centralized, interactive, and real-time collaboration tool in the industry.
TEMPLATE TREASURE
COLLABORATION CHAMPION
Best for teams that are
Cross-functional teams needing a shared space for strategy and agile workflows
Remote teams requiring an infinite canvas for brainstorming and workshops
Product teams integrating visual collaboration with Jira or Azure DevOps
Skip if
Teams seeking a dedicated high-fidelity UI interface design tool
Users needing granular project task management to replace tools like Jira
Solo users who do not need real-time collaboration features
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Miro has successfully transitioned from a simple whiteboard to a comprehensive 'Innovation Workspace' by bridging the gap between unstructured brainstorming and structured project management. Research indicates it is a market leader in security, being one of the first SaaS platforms to achieve ISO 42001 certification for AI governance. While performance on heavy boards remains a documented trade-off, its ability to automatically classify sensitive data and sync deeply with enterprise tools like Jira makes it indispensable for large-scale innovation.
Pros
ISO 42001 AI Certification
Automated PII Data Discovery
Deep Two-Way Jira Sync
AI-Powered Prototyping Tools
Infinite Intelligent Canvas
Cons
Lag on Large Boards
No True Offline Mode
Security Features Cost Extra
Steep Learning Curve
Requires Stable Internet
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.0/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Design Collaboration Platforms for Product and UX Squads. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.4
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of features, from ideation to execution, and how well the platform supports complex innovation workflows.
What We Found
Miro has evolved from a whiteboard into a full Innovation Workspace, integrating AI-powered prototyping, structured Docs and Tables, and deep two-way syncing with tools like Jira to manage the entire product lifecycle.
Score Rationale
The score is high because the transition to 'Innovation Workspace' adds significant depth with AI prototyping and structured data handling, though it stops short of a perfect 10 due to reliance on external tools for final code execution.
Supporting Evidence
Miro supports transitions between unstructured work (ideation) and structured work (diagramming, documentation, task tracking). The canvas is unique because it's an inclusive and collaborative environment that supports seamless transitions between unstructured work... and structured work.
— digitalreviews.net
The Innovation Workspace includes over 30 new features, such as AI-powered Prototyping, Docs, and Tables. It includes over 30 new features, such as AI-powered Prototyping, Docs, Tables, and integrations with popular apps like Adobe Express and Microsoft Copilot.
— collab-collective.com
Integration with popular tools like Slack and Jira is listed in the company’s integration directory, supporting seamless workflow integration.
— miro.com
Documented in official product documentation, Miro offers real-time collaboration and an extensive template library, enhancing design workflows.
— miro.com
9.6
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's market standing, user base size, and adoption by major enterprises as a signal of reliability.
What We Found
Miro is a dominant market leader used by 99% of the Fortune 100 and over 60 million users, recently becoming one of the first SaaS companies to achieve ISO 42001 certification for AI management.
Score Rationale
The score reflects exceptional market dominance and the achievement of the rare ISO 42001 certification, establishing them as a pioneer in responsible AI governance.
Supporting Evidence
Miro achieved ISO 42001 certification, the world's first AI management system standard. Miro... today announced it has achieved ISO 42001 certification, the world's first AI management system standard.
— miro.com
Miro is trusted by over 60 million users and 200,000 organizations, including 99% of the Fortune 100. Miro is an innovation workspace, proudly serving more than 60 million users across 200,000 organizations — including teams at Under Armour, Ikea, Pepsico, and Ubisoft.
— miro.com
8.7
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We look for ease of use, interface intuitiveness, and performance stability across different devices and board sizes.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the intuitive drag-and-drop interface, but significant performance lags on large, object-heavy boards and iPad apps remain a documented friction point.
Score Rationale
While the core UX is rated highly for intuitiveness, the score is penalized due to persistent reports of lag and freezing on heavy boards, which impacts the experience for power users.
Supporting Evidence
Reviews highlight the intuitive interface as a key strength compared to competitors. Its intuitive and easy-to-use interface allows team members to collaborate in real time.
— miro.com
Users report that large boards can become laggy and slow, taking seconds to respond to interactions. I noticed during the last one week all my boards are very laggy and slow. It takes up to 5-6 seconds for the board to respond to an interaction.
— community.miro.com
User-friendly interface documented in product reviews, though it may be overwhelming for new users.
— miro.com
8.6
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We evaluate the pricing structure, transparency of costs, and the value provided relative to the feature set.
What We Found
Pricing is transparent for lower tiers ($8-$16/user), but advanced security features like Enterprise Guard require the custom-priced Enterprise plan, which can be a barrier for mid-sized teams.
Score Rationale
The score is solid due to a robust free plan and clear tier differentiation, but slightly limited by the gating of essential security features behind custom enterprise quotes.
Supporting Evidence
Enterprise Guard is an add-on for advanced data security and governance. Add-on Enterprise Guard for advanced data security and governance features.
— g2.com
The Business plan costs $16/month per member and includes unlimited private boards and advanced diagramming. Business - $16/month per member billed annually... No upper limit on private workspaces with unlimited boards.
— spendflo.com
Pricing starts at $8/user/month, with a free plan available, as outlined in the pricing section.
— miro.com
9.1
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We assess the quality and depth of integrations with other enterprise tools and the ability to fit into existing tech stacks.
What We Found
With over 160 integrations including deep two-way sync with Jira, Azure DevOps, and Microsoft Copilot, Miro effectively functions as a central hub rather than just a standalone tool.
Score Rationale
The score is high due to the strategic depth of integrations like the two-way Jira sync, which allows for real-time project management directly from the canvas.
Supporting Evidence
The platform supports two-way sync with Jira to map and prioritize tasks. Map and prioritize tasks across teams with two-way Jira or Azure sync using Dependencies and Planner.
— miro.com
Miro integrates with over 160 apps including Jira, Azure DevOps, and Microsoft Copilot. And with 160+ app integrations — including popular platforms like Jira, Azure DevOps, Figma, Slack, Teams, and GitHub Copilot.
— miro.com
Miro is one of the first SaaS providers to achieve ISO 42001 certification for AI management systems. Miro... today announced it has achieved ISO 42001 certification, the world's first AI management system standard.
— miro.com
Miro Enterprise Guard automatically identifies and classifies sensitive content like PII and PCI. Automatic content discovery: Our AI scans your boards to identify PII, PCI data, PHI, and business-critical information without human intervention.
— miro.com
Listed in the company’s integration directory, Miro integrates with over 100 tools, enhancing its ecosystem strength.
— miro.com
9.3
Category 6: Industry Leadership & Innovation
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Advanced security features like Enterprise Guard and SSO are locked behind the custom-priced Enterprise plan, making them inaccessible to smaller teams.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
The 'How We Choose' section for design collaboration platforms focuses on a systematic evaluation of key factors such as specifications, features, customer reviews, and ratings. In the context of product and UX squads, specific considerations include user interface intuitiveness, integration capabilities with existing tools, collaboration features, and pricing structures. The research methodology involves a comprehensive analysis of available data, comparing product specifications, synthesizing customer feedback from various review platforms, and assessing the price-to-value ratio to determine the most effective solutions for teams seeking to enhance their collaborative design efforts. Rankings are derived from this thorough analysis to provide an objective overview of the best design collaboration platforms in the market.
Overall scores reflect relative ranking within this category, accounting for which limitations materially affect real-world use cases. Small differences in category scores can result in larger ranking separation when those differences affect the most common or highest-impact workflows.
Verification
Products evaluated through comprehensive research and analysis of design collaboration features.
Rankings based on a thorough review of user ratings and expert feedback in the UX design space.
Selection criteria focus on collaboration effectiveness, usability, and integration capabilities within product squads.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners.
×
Score Breakdown
0.0/ 10
Deep Research
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze our traffic. By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies.
Learn more
