Design and diagrams decision
Figma
A competent engineer can build a single-user vector editor with prototyping and export, but reproducing Figma’s real-time collaboration, scale, enterprise features, plugins ecosystem, and brand-led trust is not practical for a small self-build.
Visit website↗Open-source builds that already do this
Every project below is open source and already does this job today. Fork one, self-host it, or take the parts you need - the build prompt further down assumes an empty file, and this is the shortcut past that. Licences differ; check the one on each card before you ship. All Figma alternatives, with the arithmetic →
What a replacement has to do
- Provide a minimal web-based vector design editor that lets a user create shapes/text, arrange layers, create simple interactive prototypes, export assets (PNG/SVG), and store files in a user account.
What it still won’t have
- Real-time multiplayer collaboration and presence
- Enterprise governance, SCIM, and admin controls
- Large-scale uptime/scale and brand trust
- Plugins ecosystem and Figma Community templates
- Advanced AI features, team-shared AI credits/Weave, and built-in design system analytics
What remains hard
- Brand trust
95% 95 % 95% of the Fortune 500 uses Figma
First-year cost
Keep paying
Paying is—cheaper in year one.
On cash alone, building overtakes the subscription at 1 seat.
Money you would actually spend
Time you would spend
—
What you would spend
What we assumed
The verdict above measures whether you could build it. This one is only about money.
Runnable build prompt
Build a minimal single-user web-based vector design editor and prototyping app using React (TypeScript) on the frontend, a Node.js + Express API, Postgres for metadata, and S3-compatible storage for file blobs. Implement: (1) an editable SVG/Canvas surface with shapes, text, selection, transform (translate/scale/rotate), and a layer stack; (2) persistent user accounts (email/password) and per-user file save/load with autosave; (3) simple prototype linking between frames and a preview mode; (4) export to PNG and SVG and import of SVG files; (5) REST API endpoints, server-side validation, and unit/integration tests for core flows. Out of scope: real-time multi-user presence, plugin system, enterprise SSO/SCIM, advanced AI generation, and a public community marketplace. Include error handling, input validation, and CI that runs tests and linting.
How we checked
How the score was reached
- Partly verdict base52
- An open-source build was found+5
- 5 cited sources+3
- Price verified on pricing page+3
- 3/3 assessment runs agreed+4
- Evidence score67
The base comes from the verdict. Everything under it is a check that either happened or did not, and each one is a fact frozen in this record rather than a judgement made at render time - so the same evidence always produces the same number.
How scoring works →Cited sources · 5
Every page the run actually retrieved.
- official productFigma (homepage)
- official pricingFigma Plans & Pricing
- official productFigma for product development
- open sourceGraphiteEditor/Graphite
- open sourcemethodofaction/Method-Draw
Integrity checks
What held up, and what did not.
