Figma

The industry-standard interface design tool — runs in the browser, no install needed

Visit Website Free for individuals, Pro from $15/mo

Figma is where most of the internet gets designed these days. It runs in the browser, which means no installing heavy software — just open a tab and start designing. The free tier gives you 3 projects with unlimited files, which is enough for most solo founders.

Even if you are not a designer, Figma is worth learning because the community files are incredible. Need a landing page design? There are hundreds of free templates. Need icons? Plugins handle it. The learning curve is real if you have never used design tools, but a weekend of tutorials gets you to a productive level for basic UI work.

What's good

  • Free tier is fully functional for individual use — not a crippled trial
  • Massive plugin ecosystem for everything from icons to wireframing
  • Runs in the browser, so it works on any machine

Watch out for

  • Performance suffers with large files (100+ frames)
  • Real learning curve if you have never used a design tool before
  • Dev Mode (for developer handoff) now requires a paid seat

Alternatives

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