The best web design software of 2026: Expert tested
Designers already know Figma as the go-to for prototyping and collaboration, but with the launch of Figma Sites, it steps directly into the website builder space. Imagine sketching a navigation bar, setting it to auto layout, and then publishing it straight to a live site without exporting or re-coding. As someone who has spent hours switching between design apps and builders, the smoother workflow here was nothing but a sigh of relief.
For more advanced needs, code layers let you inject React or Tailwind right into the design. That means you are not boxed into presets. If you need a stock ticker, you can create it once and reuse it as a component across the site. The balance here is important: non-technical teams can stick to blocks and embeds, while developers can extend the canvas into something close to a custom app.
The learning curve is still there. You can't just hop onto Figma if you're planning to launch a site tomorrow. For such ease, you will likely find Wix or Squarespace simpler. But if your focus is collaboration, clean responsive design, and moving smoothly from design to code, Figma gives you that.
Figma Sites comes with paid plans starting at $20/month, with full seat options for the Professional plan.
Why we like it: Figma finally bridges design and live publishing. Its auto-layouts, shared libraries, and new Sites feature make collaboration effortless. You design once and see it work instantly, no messy exports, no waiting on developers. It's built for creative teams that think in pixels but ship in real time
In Figma, you can drop in things like parallax effects, scrolling animations, or hover states without touching code. It makes a site feel alive, closer to a product interface than a static page.
Who it's for:
-Freelancers building responsive websites for clients
-Agencies handling multiple projects with shared libraries
-Teams that want design and development in the same workspace
-Designers who want to go from concept to code without switching tools
Who should look elsewhere:
-Beginners who only need a quick drag-and-drop builder
-Users with limited internet access, since Figma is cloud-based
-Teams that rely entirely on WordPress-style CMS management
-Businesses that prefer turnkey e-commerce or bookings out of the box
Figma features: Shared component libraries | Real-time collaboration | Figma Sites for live publishing | Integrated code layers (React, Tailwind) | FigJam and community templates | Advanced commenting and feedback system
Pros
- Easy export to other builders
- Auto layout keeps designs responsive
- Excellent tutorials and community support
- Shared libraries ensure brand consistency
- Steeper learning curve for beginners
- Limited built-in business integrations
Designers already know Figma as the go-to for prototyping and collaboration, but with the launch of Figma Sites, it steps directly into the website builder space. Imagine sketching a navigation bar, setting it to auto layout, and then publishing it straight to a live site without exporting or re-coding. As someone who has spent hours switching between design apps and builders, the smoother workflow here was nothing but a sigh of relief.
For more advanced needs, code layers let you inject React or Tailwind right into the design. That means you are not boxed into presets. If you need a stock ticker, you can create it once and reuse it as a component across the site. The balance here is important: non-technical teams can stick to blocks and embeds, while developers can extend the canvas into something close to a custom app.
The learning curve is still there. You can't just hop onto Figma if you're planning to launch a site tomorrow. For such ease, you will likely find Wix or Squarespace simpler. But if your focus is collaboration, clean responsive design, and moving smoothly from design to code, Figma gives you that.
Figma Sites comes with paid plans starting at $20/month, with full seat options for the Professional plan.
Why we like it: Figma finally bridges design and live publishing. Its auto-layouts, shared libraries, and new Sites feature make collaboration effortless. You design once and see it work instantly, no messy exports, no waiting on developers. It's built for creative teams that think in pixels but ship in real time
In Figma, you can drop in things like parallax effects, scrolling animations, or hover states without touching code. It makes a site feel alive, closer to a product interface than a static page.
Who it's for:
-Freelancers building responsive websites for clients
-Agencies handling multiple projects with shared libraries
-Teams that want design and development in the same workspace
-Designers who want to go from concept to code without switching tools
Who should look elsewhere:
-Beginners who only need a quick drag-and-drop builder
-Users with limited internet access, since Figma is cloud-based
-Teams that rely entirely on WordPress-style CMS management
-Businesses that prefer turnkey e-commerce or bookings out of the box
Figma features: Shared component libraries | Real-time collaboration | Figma Sites for live publishing | Integrated code layers (React, Tailwind) | FigJam and community templates | Advanced commenting and feedback system
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