The no-brainer
alternative
to Dev Mode
Zeplin transforms design-dev workflows with more features and controls than design tools offer. Join millions on the platform that pioneered the “ready for dev” space, and ship beautiful products together — faster.
2x uplift in productivity
96% better team alignment
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.
See the difference for yourself
Watch this short video that highlights four key areas where Zeplin might be the better choice for your business
Watch this short video that highlights four key areas where Zeplin might be the better choice for your business
Zeplin is the world’s leading design delivery platform
Purpose-built to bridge the gap between product design and development.
Zeplin helps you build higher-quality products faster.
See the facts
$37K+
in annual time savings per team member
7+ million
ready-for-dev files published per month
93%
of teams experience
on‑time launches
97%
of teams ship higher quality products
Get more with Zeplin — one flat rate, unlimited users, all core features.
Simplify your workflows – and budget – with access to all of Zeplin’s core design-dev features in convenient plans tailored to your work. From annotations and user flows to version compare, two-way Jira sync, and pay-by-project or seat options. Get more of what you need, exactly how you need it.
FAQs
Does Zeplin work with Figma?
Yes! Zeplin is the original design-to-dev platform and it works great with Figma. Use Zeplin as your structured, separated workspace for your team to get design clarity, access requirements, and precise technical specs for development. Simply install Zeplin’s plugin for Figma in any Figma project and start publishing your frames to Zeplin.
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 each file layout can vary, depending on the designer. Zeplin arranges screens in a grid structure where sections have a clear hierarchy, with lots more features for design file organization – from tag filters, screen variant groups to a powerful global search.
Aren't “ready for dev" designs in Figma Dev Mode locked?
Dev Mode’s ready for dev label does not stop designers from editing work that’s supposed to be “frozen” for handoff. This can be a frustrating experience for your devs! As a workaround, many designers duplicate frames to new pages and continue iterating – but doing this erases prior change history of the frame.
On Figma’s higher tier plans, designers can change the “status” of containers previously marked as ready to show they are being edited, but the per-seat price is costly for most teams.
Does Dev Mode allow me to compare changes?
Figma’s strengths as a design tool – its live, multiplayer collaboration and DIY workflows – create an environment that complicates version control in Dev Mode. The entire file auto-saves, making it hard for devs to track changes at the frame or screen level. Also, the definition of what you’re comparing can shift when you have multiple duplicate frames. Overall, it’s easy to miss important updates, unless designers manually ping devs every time there’s a new design, or use the Status feature available on pricier plans.
Zeplin assures version control in the design process, minimizing confusion and rework for everyone. You can easily capture design versions in a git-like, concise way that mirrors popular dev processes. Zeplin automatically logs new design versions with their previous ones, which means you don’t have to go back and update design links in Jira, DevOps, approval requests, etc.
Another huge benefit: you can keep devs up-to-date on version activity that’s relevant to them with Zeplin’s Slack and Teams integrations.
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 find what they need in Figma, and designers often spend several hours a week maintaining and explaining their files.
Plus, Figma’s pricing can be hard to follow and justify per seat. Ready to take back control of your design-to-dev workflow and budget? Join the hundreds of teams moving to Zeplin for always transparent, predictable pricing and the ultimate value in design delivery.