Top 5 Figma to Code Plugins : Anima vs Locofy vs Hand-Coding
Figma has released plugins that allow designers and developers to convert their designs into front-end code quickly, often in less than 10 minutes. Despite this speed, many development teams are still unable to produce high-quality production code through automation and continue to struggle with responsiveness and having their developer teams adopt the new workflows.
This guide reviews the three most widely used Figma to code plugins available at the time of writing – Anima, Locofy, and traditional hand-coding – to help designers and developers find the quickest, most efficient way to get their design file from Figma into live code, while still producing maintainable code.
The Importance of Figma to Code
As teams are building more SaaS products that work across multiple devices and shipping more dashboard and marketing sites, automating design to code conversion has become a huge catalyst for productivity. Tools like Anima and Locofy take Figma files and convert them into usable code, such as React, HTML, CSS, Tailwind, Vue, and Flutter/React Native, closing the design to production gap between product teams.
More and more enterprises are treating these tools as low-code front-end jigsaws that quickly enable businesses to get an application started, while allowing the developer to subsequently connect business logic and APIs.
Agencies and product teams who have successfully used these plugins have concluded that AI-powered design-to-code conversion can dramatically decrease the front-end build time of a project if the original Figma file follows best practices like Auto Layout and has a good component structure.
Some of the best Figma to code Plugins
A quick glance at where these plugins reside in the Figma design ecosystem will help clear up any confusion, especially regarding Anima vs Locofy vs Coding from Scratch.
- Anima:
Figma plugin exporting to React, HTML, CSS & Tailwind with a focus on efficient development (developer-friendly exports) and AI-based support. - Locofy.ai:
Design-to-code Figma plugin with Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning Design Models (LDMs). Allows producing code in React, Next.js, React Native, HTML/CSS, Flutter, Vue and Angular. - TeleportHQ:
Exports Figma files as responsive code builds for HTML, React.js, Vue and even WordPress Experiences. - Builder.io:
AI-driven Figma plugin for turning designs into code for React, Vue, Tailwind and more with CMS Integrations. - CodeParrot/All Other AI Tools:
All unused general purpose Figma plugin exports and AI-based generated JavaScript Framework codes.
Anima Summary: Turn Your Figma File into Production-Ready React, HTML and more
Anima delivers on its promise to create production-ready, clean, and effective React/HTML/Tailwind/etc front-end code directly from your Figma designs. You can upload your designs directly from Figma or use a text prompt/image to start your projects with Anima. You also have the ability to create working and testable applications instead of just static markup.
Anima is built around a typical SaaS pricing model. It has free and paid plans starting at approximately $19 to $20 per individual per month, depending on whether you are a freelance developer or an agency working on multiple projects.
Anima supports enterprise-level clients by offering higher-level subscriptions with additional features for larger teams requiring more scalability and flexibility (i.e., SSO and SLA) to deploy Anima across a large organization. As such, Anima is accessible to both freelancers and agencies, as well as enterprise-level clients, who need to build scalable and flexible Anima applications.
Anima’s Figma to Code Plugin’s Core Functionality
Anima’s Figma Plugin exports responsive React, HTML/CSS, Tailwind, and popular UI libraries into a front-end developer’s work. This will reduce the amount of manual front-end scaffolding needed after Figma’s export. You can also use AI to assist in interpreting layouts and interactions, and provide output code to be inspected, edited, and incorporated into an existing repository.
Using integrative features like design inspection, code export, design-to-code workflows, and especially API / SDK-based automation, teams can incorporate Anima into their existing CI/CD pipelines or other in-house tools seamlessly. When this tool is enabled using Dev Mode in Figma, it creates a unified interface between product designers and product engineers within highly diverse companies.
Strengths and limitations of Anima
Though Anima provides a unique experience to Figma users who have author-created files that are organized with respect to component arrangement, spacing consistency, and accessibility, the benefit derived from cleaner code with significantly less refactoring leads to meaningful reductions in time in building front-end products for marketing sites, marketing and sales SaaS page designs, and product user interfaces that employ repetitive use of the same predictable designs.
Lastly, although case studies and user reviews confirm that code generated through AI (Anima) can be improved through manual coding, all such cases also report significant improvements in the overall product being delivered to the customer as the result of code generated through Anima.
Anima should be viewed as just a starting point or foundation for front-end developers. If your company builds highly scalable products or uses a significant amount of a design system to deliver its products, Anima is an excellent tool to supplement your current front-end development capabilities.
Overview of Locofy: The AI Design to Code Solution using Large Design Models (LDMs)
Locofy.AI was created to support designers utilizing AI and to aid in the transition from design to code using Large Design Models (LDMs), which are trained on millions of digital designs so they can comprehend and convert User Interface (UI) designs with exactness.
Additionally, they have the capability to turn Figma files into front-end developer-ready code for a variety of technologies including React, React Native, Next.js, HTML/CSS, Flutter, Vue, and Angular using their Figma plugin.
Locofy further enhances the export process with the addition of Locofy Builder, an environment in which users can collaborate, analyze, modify, and refine the exported code before uploading it to GitHub, Storybook, or their own repository through the use of Visual Studio Code’s GitHub Integration feature and smart merging capabilities. Because of these features, Locofy appears to be a low-code front-end toolset instead of just a Figma plugin.
The Main Features of the Locofy Figma Plugin
Locofy Lightning is the primary experience offered by the Locofy Figma plugin, automatically optimizing a designer’s Figma design for Auto Layout, grouping layers together, tagging components that are interactive, and mapping individual layouts to multiple screen resolutions, resulting in the creation of responsive User Interfaces (UIs).
The AI engine also identifies patterns in the design, suggests UI components to use, and reuses existing custom components when creating the modular code while keeping props and names clean and organized.
Based on our findings, we can assume that commissioned individuals to use the Locofy Figma plugin will experience and benefit from the ease of creating and exporting to front-end developer-ready code (at a minimum), in addition to providing the opportunity to create a responsive UI with minimal effort due to the automatic optimization, grouping, tagging, and mapping capabilities provided by Locofy Lightning.
The platform allows developers to configure their output preferences i.e. CSS Modules, Tailwind, or TypeScript and also be able to see real time preview of responsive prototypes built with live code prior to exporting. Features such as Data Binding, Conditional Rendering, Meta Tags and custom scripts can all be added to the Locofy Builder after exporting as the Builder bridges the gap between Static UI and Functional Front End.
Advantages / Disadvantages of Locofy
Locofy works particularly well for multi-screen front end applications (Dashboards, SaaS Applications and eCommerce flows) as its AI technology is capable of reusing components, working with complex layouts and pushing code into codebases iteratively.
The Locofy development team continues to conduct R&D reviews of the platform and the resulting feedback has shown many advantages with regards to Design Optimization, Collaborative Workflows, and the Increased Speed of Prototyping through utilizing actual code.
Disadvantages with Locofy usually appear when working with highly Custom UI Logic, Performance Tuning and Edge Case Responsiveness that still require Manual Refactoring by teams. Reviewers of Locofy have indicated that Chart-Heavy UIs, elaborate animations and deeply nested layouts, Locofy should be viewed as an Accelerator and not entirely replace Front-end Engineering Teams.
Hand Coding: A Traditional Front End Development Strategy
While many businesses prioritize speed when producing code, they ultimately plan to offer a product that meets stringent technical standards regarding quality, maintainability and performance over time. For this reason, businesses tend to hire experienced front-end developers to convert the Figma files into semantic html, encapsulated using CSS, Tailwind (utility first CSS) and component-based frameworks such as React or Vue.
With the hand coding strategy, front end developers have complete control over the structure of the markup, accessibility, performance optimization and architecture. Due to this level of control, hand-coded websites tend to be ideally suited for complex web applications and library’s that build upon design system principles, and products that must meet demanding technical requirements. While many agencies continue to treat Figma to Code plugins as optional additions, they still employ hand-code as their core method of production.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Manually Coding
Customized front-end technology provides developers with the means to adhere to methods such as semantic HTML, ARIA roles, performance budgets and code splitting with total assurance. As well, developers are able to get a complete understanding of and work intimately with back-end technology, API interaction, state management and the domain in which their app operates, where other automated technologies have not yet been able to excel.
Conversely, however, hand-coded applications may take longer to bring to market for numerous reasons including MVP development, rapid marketing campaigns and experimentation. For example, without the assistance of automated design-to-code plugins, engineers have had to devote hours of their own time reproducing existing layouts, spacing and responsive acts that nearly all contemporary plug-ins have some level of support for.
Anima vs Locofy vs hand-coding: feature comparison
Below is a high-level comparison to clarify when to choose each approach.
Utilizing plugins for Figma 2023-and-beyond vs. Handwriting
As a general guideline, utilize plugins to accelerate the development of “Commodity” UI components while reserving hand-coded development for ONLY those components of your product that require the utmost attention to detail, complexity, and performance.
Examples would include your marketing pages, simple dashboard layouts or CRUD Administration-style interfaces, all of which are prime candidates for Anima or Locofy assisted builds.
Conversely, high-complexity component libraries with a high degree of interactivity or mission-critical workflows will most likely benefit more from the use of handwritten components that have been fully integrated directly into the appropriate domain level logic.
Thus, many teams choose to implement a mixed approach, utilizing plugins to create base code, manually refactoring and then integrating into a single cohesive whole, and over time building towards a unified hand-coded and maintained solution.
Practical Workflow is Locofy or Anima Plus Developer Refinement
Recommended Workflow with Locofy:
- Preparing Your Figma File: Clean Up Your Layers, Remove Redundant Groups, Apply Auto Layouts and Ensure Your Spacing and Typography are Consistent so That the AI Has the Best Chance at Accuracy.
- Conversion & Preview: Run the Locofy Lightning Command; Auto Tag All of Your Interactive Elements; Set Your Breakpoints; Preview Your Responsive Prototypes with Real Code Behind Them.
- Refine Using the Builder: Take This Component(s) You Just Converted in the Above Steps and Refine Them Using Locofy Builders (Components, Props, Structure) and Then Sync Your Code to Either GitHub or Your Local Repository Using the VS Code Extension.
- Manually Refactor: There Will Be Many Edge Cases That the Developers Should Review and Fix to Ensure Proper Functionality. Developers Will Also Need to Connect APIs and State Management, Deploy to Production, and Collect Analytical Data.
Recommended Workflow with Anima:
- Design Structure: Make Sure Each Component, Style and Token Within Figma Are in a Consistent Manner So That the Quality of the Exports Are Better.
- Export Code: The Anima Plugin Will Export Your Design Systems as React code, HTML/CSS or Tailwind. You Will Also Be Able to Review Your Design Flow in A Re-Usable Fashion.
- Integrate & Optimize: Developers Will Download Your Code and Import It into Their Existing Projects, Conduct Accessibility Testing, Performance Optimization, Integration with Design Systems, and Connect to Back-End Services.
Real-world insights and expert opinions
Inside experts have noted that tools like Locofy are a good fit for R&D and commercial projects because they allow for the development of responsive prototypes from real code to help reduce risk during the design phase. The sources also note that collaborative workflows enable designers to modify their Figma files based on developer and AI feedback, which allows for easier handoff from Design to Development.
Likewise, independent evaluations of Anima show how valuable it can be for teams transitioning from static prototypes (which are often visually created in Figma or Adobe XD) to functional front-end applications that can run on client browsers without requiring designers to take on the added responsibility of learning full-stack development.
In both evaluations, the experts agree that using these plug-ins will accelerate iterative collaboration between Design and Engineering but will not replace the need to have ongoing collaboration to develop high-quality products.
Evaluating Figma to code plug-ins for your team
When evaluating Anima, Locofy, or other options, product teams should evaluate their options on criteria such as framework compatibility, code quality, ease of learning, price, and ability to work with existing technology. For instance, teams creating applications may prefer Locofy’s extensive framework compatibility and Builder environment, while marketing focused teams may find that Anima’s simpler plug-in based workflow works best.
Large businesses are levying increasingly higher expectations and require additional enterprise solutions and compliance features, namely Security, Governance, Single Sign-On (SSO), Service Level Agreements (SLA), and Application Programming Interfaces (API).
In addition to these solutions and features, enterprise businesses should also determine how well services integrate with their design tokens and structures, including whether or how these integrated services produce code compatible with the long-term architectures of the enterprise, rather than producing one-time use objects.
Services like Pixel Perfect HTML help to improve the quality and speed of the design-to-code
development process as a specialized front-end coding service. Through the use of a combination of manual and automated processes, Pixel Perfect HTML turns design files from programs like Photoshop, Figma, Sketch, or XD into responsive websites in HTML5, WordPress, WooCommerce, and Webflow by utilizing W3C-compliant, semantic markup (HTML), as well as SEO best practices.
For organizations that want the fastest possible design-to-code production time but prefer that a skilled human being refine each element of the final product, Pixel Perfect HTML provides a done-for-you solution that includes: on-time delivery, strict NDAs, dedicated project managers, a complete quality assurance program, and access to experienced coders for assistance with project-specific questions or issues.
For companies that require pixel-perfect, standard-compliant implementations of their products but do not have the internal bandwidth or highly-skilled front-end development teams, Pixel Perfect HTML is an excellent option.
Conclusion:
Finally, determining the best Fit For Product Based Solution (Figma to Code Solution) will ultimately depend on your Technology Stack, Team Maturity (levels) and Product Complexity.
As stated above, if you have a well-prepared design, both Locofy and Anima will help significantly cut down on the amount of time it takes to complete the front-end scaffolding phase of your Products. On the other hand, traditional hand coding is still the way to go when you’re building highly customized, high-performance or design-system-heavy Products.
