Google Stitch vs Figma Make: AI Design

Quick verdict

Google Stitch, Figma Design, and Figma Make all use AI or natural language to help with interface design, but they solve different stages of the workflow.

Stitch is an AI-first starting point. Describe a screen and get a complete direction in seconds, before a formal design exists.
Figma Design is a professional design workspace. It handles precise editing, components and variables, design systems, multiplayer collaboration, prototyping, and developer handoff.
Figma Make is Figma’s AI generation layer. It turns prompts into interactive prototypes or web apps, with Figma design context available along the way.

The practical relationship is not replacement. It is a relay: Stitch for exploration, Figma Design for refinement and collaboration, Figma Make for turning a direction into an interactive prototype or code-backed product.

The three products, briefly

Google Stitch is Google Labs’ AI UI design tool. Official documentation describes it as a design canvas that moves from idea to interface: text or image to UI, multiple Design Modes, one to five variations, a Creative Range, Design to Prototype, and HTML/image export. It also carries design context into coding agents through DESIGN.md, MCP, the CLI, and Agent Skills.

Figma Design is Figma’s core design product, officially described as “design and prototype in one place.” It includes vector editing, auto layout, components, variables and modes, design systems, multiplayer collaboration, comments, prototyping, Dev Mode, plugins, and the Figma Community.

Figma Make is Figma’s AI product, positioned as “prompt to code anything you can imagine.” It generates code-backed, visually editable prototypes or web apps. It can use Figma designs, components, Make kits, attachments, and MCP connectors as context, and it supports Plan mode, custom skills, comments, version history, mobile access, and publishing.

Stitch and Figma Make both generate interfaces from descriptions, but Stitch leans toward UI direction exploration while Figma Make leans toward interactive prototypes and code-backed output.

Core differences

Dimension	Google Stitch	Figma Design / Figma Make
Core positioning	AI UI generation and exploration	Professional design workspace plus an AI generation layer
Form factor	Web	Desktop, web, and mobile
Text-to-UI	Strong, prompt-first	Figma Make is strong for interactive prototypes and apps
Design control	Basic; generation is the focus	Figma Design provides full vector editing, auto layout, components, and variables
Design systems	DESIGN.md and design context	Components, variables, modes, team libraries, and design-system governance
Collaboration	Limited; individual exploration	Multiplayer editing, comments, permissions, and reviews
Prototyping	Design to Prototype for checking interaction states	Figma Design’s advanced prototyping, animation, variables, and conditional logic
Design-to-code	HTML export, convertible to React/Vue and more; DESIGN.md, MCP/CLI/Skills	Dev Mode, code layers, MCP server; Figma Make generates code-backed prototypes
Plugins and ecosystem	Lightweight	Figma Community, plugins, templates, and UI kits
Pricing	Currently free	Starter free; paid seats and AI credits
Learning curve	Very low; type and generate	Figma Design is medium-to-high; Figma Make is lower but output still needs review

AI generation: Stitch is faster, Figma Make is more production-oriented

Stitch’s advantage is that it removes a step. You do not need to learn a design tool first. A sentence produces a complete screen, and follow-up prompts adjust layout, color, and information density.

Stitch also offers several Design Modes: Thinking with 3 Pro for complex logic and production candidates, Redesign for applying a specific aesthetic to an existing interface, 2.5 Pro for high-fidelity HTML and A/B comparisons, and Fast for rapid wireframing and Figma exports. It can generate one to five variations at a time and uses a Creative Range to control how far each option departs from the current design.

Figma Make’s AI is more about generating something that runs. You can prompt a functional prototype or web app, then bring in existing Figma designs, components, Make kits, PDFs, images, and videos as context. It supports Plan mode, custom skills, MCP connectors, comments, and version history. The result stays editable on the canvas and can also be copied into Figma Design as design layers.

A simple way to think about it:

To see what a page could look like, start with Stitch.
To build a clickable, interactive, code-backed prototype, Figma Make is more direct.
To bring that prototype into a formal design system and team process, return to Figma Design.

Editing and design systems: Figma is more complete

This is the biggest gap between the products.

Stitch focuses on generation and design context. Through DESIGN.md, it captures color, typography, spacing, and component rules in a format that AI tools can read. It also has Design to Prototype, which turns a screen into a scrollable, interactive prototype for checking hover states and other interactions.

But Stitch is not a traditional full design editor. It is not built for large-team component-library governance, permission management, or complex prototype logic.

Figma Design provides full vector editing, auto layout, components and variants, variables and modes, team libraries, and design-system capabilities. Multiple people can edit, comment, review, and hand off in the same workspace. Dev Mode turns designs into developer-ready annotations, code, and assets. For teams maintaining a design system over time, those capabilities matter more than a single generated mockup.

Collaboration, review, and prototyping

Stitch is better suited to individual or small-group exploration: generate quickly, compare directions, and settle on a direction. Collaboration is not its core selling point.

Figma Design is built for team collaboration: multiplayer editing, comments, sharing permissions, prototype reviews, component libraries, and Dev Mode handoff all live in one workspace. Figma Make also supports comments and sharing, which helps product, design, and engineering discuss around an interactive prototype.

For prototyping, Stitch’s Design to Prototype is useful for checking scrolling and basic interactions. Figma Design goes further with overlays, animation, variables, conditional logic, and more complex interaction flows.

Design-to-code and MCP

Stitch uses MCP, the CLI, and Agent Skills to pass design context to tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and Antigravity. Stitch’s HTML output can then be converted by LLMs into React, Vue, Angular, Jetpack Compose, Flutter, or SwiftUI. Its strength is turning prompts and design context into executable tasks.

Figma’s path treats the design file itself as a deliverable. Dev Mode provides annotations, code properties, assets, and developer handoff; the Figma MCP server lets AI agents read Figma context to generate code or modify designs; Figma Make generates code-backed prototypes and web apps directly. For teams already maintaining a design system in Figma, this chain is more natural.

Pricing and availability

As of October 28, 2026:

Stitch is currently free to use, but Google may change pricing and regional availability.
Figma offers a free Starter plan. Professional, Organization, and Enterprise plans are priced by Full, Dev, and Collab seats and use AI credits. Check Figma’s pricing page for current amounts.
Figma Make is part of Figma’s AI product surface. AI usage is affected by credits, and allowances vary by plan and seat.

On availability, Stitch depends on a Google account. Figma is a global product available on desktop, web, and mobile. Both vendors can change availability, pricing, and limits.

How to choose

Choose Google Stitch when:

You do not have a design yet and want to compare several UI directions quickly
You do not want to learn a full design tool first
You value prompt-first workflows, DESIGN.md, and the Google ecosystem
You mainly need concept validation rather than long-term design-system maintenance
You want to hand design context to a coding agent quickly

Choose Figma Design when:

You need precise vector editing, components, variables, and design systems
Your team needs multiplayer editing, comments, reviews, and permissions
You need complex prototypes, animation, and interaction testing
You need Dev Mode, code handoff, and a mature plugin ecosystem
You want to maintain design as a long-term asset

Choose Figma Make when:

You already have design context in Figma and want an interactive prototype quickly
You want to prompt a functional prototype or web app
You need to use designs, components, Make kits, and external tools as context
You want the result to remain editable on a canvas or move back into Figma Design

A combined workflow

A practical sequence looks like this:

Use Stitch to generate two or three screen directions and settle the information structure and visual tone.
Bring the chosen direction into Figma Design for components, variables, auto layout, and detailed design.
Use Figma Make to turn key flows into interactive prototypes and validate interaction and content.
Move into implementation through Figma Dev Mode, MCP, or a coding agent.

If you do not have a Figma workflow, you can also generate directions in Stitch and hand the HTML or DESIGN.md to a coding agent. The right choice depends on your existing design assets and how your team collaborates.

Common misconceptions

“Stitch will replace Figma.” It will not. Stitch is strong at generation and exploration; Figma is strong at precise design, design systems, and team collaboration.
“Figma Make is the same as Figma Design.” It is not. Make is focused on prompt-driven generation and code-backed prototypes; Design remains the full professional editor.
“AI output can ship directly.” Whether it comes from Stitch or Figma Make, generated output still needs human review for structure, interaction, accessibility, and code quality.
“The subscription price is the whole cost.” AI credits, seat types, and team size all affect the real cost.

Bottom line

Stitch, Figma Design, and Figma Make are not replacements for one another. They cover different stages: exploration, refinement, and prototyping/delivery.

To explore directions quickly: Stitch.
For professional design and team collaboration: Figma Design.
To turn a direction into an interactive prototype or code-backed product: Figma Make.
The most effective combination: Stitch → Figma Design → Figma Make / Dev Mode / coding agent.

Google Stitch vs Figma / Figma Make: AI Ideation or a Professional Design Workspace?