Introduction
The dream of turning designs directly into production code has been around since the early days of web design. In 2026, we're closer than ever — but the truth is nuanced. Some tools generate excellent code for specific use cases, while others produce unmaintainable spaghetti.
After testing every major Figma-to-code tool on real projects, here are the ones that actually deliver value.
Locofy: Best Overall
Locofy has emerged as the most mature Figma-to-code solution. It generates React, Next.js, Vue, and even React Native code with impressive accuracy:
- Smart component detection — automatically identifies reusable components, buttons, inputs, and cards in your designs
- Responsive output — generates proper Flexbox/Grid layouts that adapt to different screen sizes
- Design system aware — maps your Figma styles to Tailwind classes or CSS custom properties
- Interactive tagging — tag elements in Figma as links, inputs, or dynamic content zones before export
In our testing, Locofy produced code that was 80-90% production-ready for marketing pages and 60-70% ready for complex interactive components. The remaining work is mostly adding business logic and API integrations.
Builder.io: Best for Design Systems
Builder.io takes a different approach — instead of one-time code export, it creates a living bridge between Figma and your codebase:
- Two-way sync — changes in Figma automatically update in your code, and vice versa
- Visual editor — non-developers can make content and layout changes without touching code
- Framework agnostic — supports React, Vue, Svelte, Angular, and even native mobile
- Performance optimized — generates code with built-in lazy loading, image optimization, and minimal bundle size
Builder.io is the best choice when you need ongoing designer-developer collaboration, not just a one-time export.
Anima: Best for Prototypes
Anima excels at converting Figma prototypes into functional HTML/CSS with interactions intact:
- Animation preservation — Figma transitions and animations are converted to CSS animations
- Form handling — input fields, dropdowns, and checkboxes generate proper HTML form elements
- Code quality — produces clean, semantic HTML with BEM-style class naming
Anima is ideal for quickly turning prototypes into clickable demos or landing pages, but the generated code usually needs significant refactoring for production use in complex applications.
Figma Dev Mode: The Native Solution
Figma's built-in Dev Mode isn't a code generator — it's an inspection tool. But it's become indispensable for the handoff process:
- Code snippets — view CSS, iOS (SwiftUI), and Android (Jetpack Compose) code for any selected element
- Variable inspection — see design token values mapped to your code variables
- Component documentation — view props, variants, and usage guidelines without leaving Figma
- VS Code integration — link Figma components directly to their code counterparts
Best Practices for Design-to-Code
- Structure your Figma file for export — use auto-layout everywhere, name layers semantically, use components and variants consistently
- Establish a design token system — colors, spacing, typography, and shadows should all use variables that map to your CSS custom properties or Tailwind config
- Don't export everything — use code generation for layouts and static components; write interactive logic by hand
- Treat generated code as a starting point — always review, refactor, and add proper accessibility attributes
- Automate the repetitive parts — use code generation for the 80% that's boilerplate, spend your time on the 20% that requires human judgment
Conclusion
Figma-to-code tools have matured significantly, but they're best understood as productivity accelerators, not replacements for developers. Use Locofy for one-time exports, Builder.io for ongoing collaboration, and Figma Dev Mode for daily handoff work. The teams that use these tools most effectively are the ones that understand their limitations and play to their strengths.
