Adobe Photoshop vs Figma

by Gralio Feb 03, 2025

Photoshop and Figma cater to different creative needs. Photoshop is the go-to for detailed image editing, while Figma excels in collaborative interface design. Choose Photoshop for pixel-perfect visuals and Figma for streamlined team-based design workflows.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 6350 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 11 hours, 46 minutes of reading.

Adobe Photoshop

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Figma

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About

Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard software for editing and manipulating images. Photoshop offers advanced features like layers, masks, and filters that give you fine-grained control over your visuals. While powerful, it's also accessible for beginners who want to make quick edits. Photoshop promises professional-quality results for print and digital media.

Figma is an online design platform that helps teams design and build digital products. It allows for real-time collaboration between designers, developers and others, making it easier to create and test designs, gather feedback, and ensure everyone is working from the same information. Figma streamlines the design process, from wireframing and prototyping to handing off designs to developers. It's used by various sizes and types of companies for web design, app design, and more.

Summary

Main difference

Adobe Photoshop excels in image editing and manipulation with advanced features for pixel-perfect control, suitable for professionals needing detailed visual adjustments. Figma shines in collaborative interface design and prototyping, ideal for teams building and iterating on web or app designs together.

Relative strengths of Adobe Photoshop (compared to Figma)

Superior image editing and manipulation capabilities.
Extensive color correction and grading tools.
Wide range of filters and effects.

Relative weaknesses of Adobe Photoshop (compared to Figma)

Limited real-time collaboration features.
Primarily focused on image editing, not interface design.
Subscription-based pricing can be expensive.

Who is using Adobe Photoshop and Figma?

No data

Olesia Krilyshyn

Sales Acceleration Specialist at Reply.io

Andrew Charlton

SEO Consultant, Founder of SEO tool companies

Who should use Adobe Photoshop VS. Figma

Adobe Photoshop is the industry-standard image editing software for businesses of all sizes. Users praise its innovative AI features like Generative Fill and extensive toolset for professional results. However, some find the subscription model expensive and new features difficult to learn. Photoshop is ideal for those needing advanced image manipulation capabilities.

Figma is a collaborative design platform ideal for teams of all sizes. Users love its intuitive interface and real-time collaboration features, especially for prototyping. However, some have noted performance issues with large files and frustration with paid Dev Mode access.

Best for small, medium, and large businesses seeking professional image editing.
Ideal for various industries, including marketing, e-commerce, media, and more.

Best for small, medium, and large businesses.
Ideal for software, professional services, and various other industries.

Adobe Photoshop and Figma features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Inventory history tracking

Not supported

Photoshop does not support inventory tracking.

Not supported

Figma does not support inventory tracking.
Design System Management

Not supported

Photoshop is not designed for managing design systems. Use Adobe XD instead.

Supported

Figma supports design system management with components, styles, and shared libraries.
Prototyping

Partially supported

Photoshop itself does not support prototyping, but integration with Adobe XD does.

Supported

Figma allows designers to create interactive prototypes to test user flows and interactions.
Real-time Co-editing

Partially supported

Real-time co-editing is supported via the Live Co-editing feature, currently in beta.

Supported

Figma allows multiple users to edit designs simultaneously and leave comments.
Filters and Effects

Supported

Adobe Photoshop offers a wide range of built-in filters and effects, confirmed by multiple sources.

Supported

Figma offers built-in effects like shadows and blurs, complemented by plugins for additional effects. While not a dedicated photo editor, its layer blending modes and fills enable versatile image filter creation.
PSD Support

Supported

Adobe Photoshop natively supports importing and exporting PSD files.

Not supported

Figma does not natively support PSD import or export, requiring workarounds or third-party tools.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.78

Strongly negative sentiment

-0.38

Rather negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.26

Neutral sentiment

+0.16

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.38

Rather positive sentiment

+0.81

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.31

Rather positive sentiment

-0.12

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

-0.41

Rather negative sentiment

+0.38

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

-0.17

Neutral sentiment

+0.27

Neutral sentiment

Adobe Photoshop and Figma Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-0.78

See full Pricing page

Figma offers different pricing plans for teams of varying sizes and needs. Viewers are always free. Figma Slides will be generally available and included in the new Full, Dev, and Collab seats starting on March 11, 2025.

Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.38

See full Pricing page

Adobe Photoshop and Figma review insights

6350 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Generative fill is a game-changing feature
The "AI features are getting increasingly more useful and innovative."
Industry-standard software for image manipulation
Offers advanced features for professional-quality results

Real-time collaboration features are praised for their effectiveness.
Figma is widely appreciated for its intuitive and user-friendly interface.
The prototyping features are powerful and easy to use.
The extensive library of plugins and integrations is a major advantage.

Users dislike

The subscription model is expensive and not ideal for those who want a one-time purchase
New features are not always intuitive and can be difficult to learn
Can be slow and resource-intensive, especially on older computers
The mobile app has limited functionality

Performance can suffer with large files, leading to lag and slow loading times.
Paying for Dev Mode access is frustrating for many users.
Offline access is very limited.
Advanced features can have a steep learning curve.

Adobe Photoshop and Figma Ratings

Glassdoor

4.3/5

(10097)

Company health

Employee growth

4% increase in the last year

28% increase in the last year

Web traffic

1% decrease in the last quarter

6% increase in the last quarter

Financing

June 1984 - $3M

April 2024 - $749M

How does Figma's real-time collaboration compare to Photoshop's file-based workflow?

Figma's real-time collaboration allows multiple users to simultaneously edit a design, fostering a dynamic and iterative workflow. Conversely, Photoshop employs a file-based system where typically one user works on a file at a time, requiring explicit saving and sharing for others to contribute, leading to a more linear and potentially slower process.

Which product better supports a design system for UI/UX consistency?

Figma better supports a design system for UI/UX consistency. It offers features specifically for design system management, including components, styles, and shared libraries, which enable teams to create, maintain, and distribute consistent design elements across projects. While Photoshop is a powerful image editing tool, it lacks these built-in design system features.

What are the advantages of Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is the industry-standard image editing software, offering advanced features like layers, masks, and filters for precise manipulation and professional-quality results. It supports a wide range of color spaces and file formats, including RAW image processing and PSD files. While powerful, it's also accessible for beginners making quick edits. Photoshop's generative fill AI features are highly praised for their innovative capabilities.

What are the disadvantages of Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop's subscription model is a common complaint, being seen as expensive compared to one-time purchase options. Some users find new features difficult to learn, and the software can be resource-intensive, potentially causing slow performance on older machines. Finally, the mobile app's limited functionality is a drawback for those seeking a comprehensive mobile editing experience.

Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop and Figma

Photoshop Elements

Photoshop Elements is photo editing software designed for non-professionals. It offers a range of tools for enhancing, organizing, and sharing photos, balancing ease of use with powerful features. It's ideal for individuals who want to improve their photos without needing advanced design skills. Photoshop Elements helps you achieve professional-looking results with automated options and guided edits.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD is a design platform for creating interactive prototypes of websites and mobile apps. It allows you to visually design screens, connect them to simulate user flow, and then share those prototypes for feedback or testing. You can create designs from scratch or bring in assets from other Adobe applications like Photoshop or Illustrator. Adobe XD integrates with other work tools and offers collaborative features.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration platform designed for businesses. It offers chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and integration with other Microsoft Office apps. Aimed at improving teamwork and productivity, Teams centralizes communication and provides a hub for all work-related activities.

DesignFiles

DesignFiles is a cloud-based software designed for interior design businesses. It provides tools to manage projects, create 2D and 3D design boards, generate quotes, and process payments. The platform allows users to build a library of products, including their own, and share designs with clients. DesignFiles aims to increase productivity and profitability for interior design professionals.

Capture One Pro

Capture One Pro is professional photo editing software developed for photographers who demand the highest quality results. This powerful tool offers advanced color editing, precise image adjustments, and efficient file management. Capture One Pro is known for its exceptional color accuracy and its ability to handle large, complex photo shoots, making it ideal for professional photographers and studios.

Marvel

Marvel is a design platform that helps teams create digital products. It offers tools for wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and handoff to developers, all without needing coding skills. Marvel integrates with other popular tools and is used by companies of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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