Looking for a
Dev Mode alternative?
Zeplin pioneered the separate “ready for dev” space. Millions of devs, designers, and PMs prefer Zeplin as their source of truth for documenting designs, managing workflows, and building beautiful products – faster.
Choose Zeplin to build products right,
the first time
Zeplin does everything that Dev Mode does and much more – with unique capabilities proven to increase production speed and accuracy. Here’s the difference:
Separate “ready-to-build” and “in‑progress” clearly
Zeplin is a dedicated space for collaborating on committed designs. “Ready for dev” sections in Figma are just containers on the canvas that can change at any given time.
Manage design versions — just like Git
Versioning in Zeplin is structured like Git, giving you detailed change tracking. Figma’s versions are automatically saved for the entire file, making comparisons tough to spot.
Standardize design organization
Zeplin’s built-in file structure saves time with consistent organization. Figma’s custom organization is non-standard and can lead to wasted time searching for files.
Document designs in context
Zeplin documents design behavior, user flows, and product requirements for each screen with clarity — without extra layers cluttering the file.
Make the ever-evolving design system accessible to all
Zeplin surfaces relevant design system information on every screen, like component variants and version history so devs can see exactly what changed and when. This minimizes the risk of the wrong elements in production.
Trusted to deliver excellent products at scale
50%
of Zeplin users are developers
93%
of teams launched products on time
97%
of teams ship higher quality products
Dev Mode will require a paid seat – are you ready?
Starting in 2024, developer seats in Figma will no longer be free. Design finalization, custom code, version compare, and plugins will require paid Figma seats. Zeplin offers competitive pricing, more mature features, and intuitive workflows to unite your entire product crew.
Zeplin vs. Figma Dev Mode:
A side‑by‑side comparison
Learn how Figma Dev Mode and Zeplin compare. See why BP, Salesforce, and Chipotle developers prefer Zeplin for product development and cross-functional collaboration.
Zeplin’s impact on
team productivity
$37K+
In annual time savings per team member
7+ million
Ready-to-build-design files published per month
2x
Uplift in production speed
96%
Improvement in team alignment
FAQs
Is Zeplin a design tool?
No, Zeplin is not a design tool. Zeplin is a separate collaboration space where developers (and the entire product team) get design clarity, organization, and precision that's not natively available in Figma.
Isn’t it easier for my entire team to work in one tool?
Figma is a designer-first tool, leaving significant gaps in the workflow for non-designers. It's time-consuming for developers to navigate and find what they need in a Figma file, and designers must also constantly maintain their files and explain where to look and what's relevant.
Aren't “ready for dev" designs in Figma Dev Mode locked?
No. You can still make changes to frames inside a “ready for dev” section, which makes it impossible to know if you’re looking at the correct design version.
Does Dev Mode allow me to compare changes?
There is a "compare changes” feature in Figma, but nothing prevents further changes while you compare. In fact, “compare changes” doesn’t work at all when designers copy-and-paste updated frames into the design, because this resets the version history you were comparing. Zeplin documents locked versions of every screen, allowing devs to compare versions precisely and at the screen level (using Version Diff).
Do Dev Mode sections allow me to organize my canvas?
Marking sections in your Figma file as “ready for dev” can serve as a way to organize the canvas, but the constant fluidity of the infinite canvas can create confusion on build-ready files. Zeplin arranges screens in a grid structure, with additional organization options, such as pinned annotations, screen variants, status tags, global search, and more.