I spent a month converting the same Figma design with 5 different AI tools. Here's the honest truth about which ones are worth your time.
🎯 The Challenge
I took a mid-complexity e-commerce product page (header, image gallery, product details, reviews section) and converted it using 5 popular tools. Same design. Same requirements. Different results.
What I tested:
- Code quality and cleanliness
- Responsiveness out of the box
- Time from design to working prototype
- How much manual fixing needed
- Ease of use
🏆 The Results (Ranked)
1. Locofy.ai - Best Overall
What it does: Converts Figma/Adobe XD to React, Next.js, HTML/CSS
The Good:
- Generated the cleanest, most modular code
- Automatic component detection worked surprisingly well
- Built-in responsive breakpoints
- Real-time preview shows actual code (not a simulation)
- Best at understanding design systems and reusable components
The Bad:
- Needs well-organized Figma files (messy designs = messy code)
- Some manual refinement still required
- Learning curve for optimization features
Real Results:
- Time saved: 4-5 hours of coding → 30 minutes of tweaking
- Code accuracy: 75-80%
- Would I use it again? Yes, daily
Best for: Developers who want production-ready code quickly
2. Builder.io Visual Copilot - Most Flexible
What it does: AI-powered Figma plugin that generates code with your styling library
The Good:
- Lets you choose styling (Tailwind, Styled Components, CSS Modules)
- Can map to your existing component library (Material UI, etc.)
- Learns your coding style if you provide samples
- Custom prompts to refine output
- One-click generation
The Bad:
- Sometimes overcomplicates simple layouts
- Need to be specific about what you want
- Can generate verbose code for simple elements
Real Results:
- Time saved: 3-4 hours → 45 minutes
- Code accuracy: 70-75%
- Best feature: Component mapping to existing libraries
Best for: Teams with established design systems
3. Anima - Best for Prototyping
What it does: Figma/Adobe XD/Sketch to HTML, React, Vue
The Good:
- Excellent for high-fidelity interactive prototypes
- Good for designer-developer handoff
- Generated code is readable
- Works well for landing pages and marketing sites
- Fast prototype-to-code workflow
The Bad:
- Code often needs significant developer cleanup
- Not ideal for complex applications
- Limited customization options
- Can struggle with nested components
Real Results:
- Time saved: 3 hours → 1 hour (but more cleanup needed)
- Code accuracy: 65-70%
- Best use case: Quick prototypes and client presentations
Best for: Designers who want interactive prototypes without developers
4. Figma Dev Mode + AI Features - Built-in Convenience
What it does: Figma's native design-to-code with AI enhancements
The Good:
- Already built into Figma (no extra plugins)
- Good for simple components
- Clean inspector for CSS values
- Understands Figma's Auto Layout well
- No learning curve if you use Figma
The Bad:
- Very basic code generation
- No framework-specific output (just CSS/HTML)
- Requires significant manual translation to React/Vue
- Limited AI capabilities compared to specialized tools
Real Results:
- Time saved: 2 hours → Still 2+ hours of manual work
- Code accuracy: 50-60%
- Better as a reference than a generator
Best for: Developers who prefer manual coding with design specs
5. DhiWise - Mobile-First Option
What it does: Figma to React, Flutter, iOS, Android
The Good:
- Strong mobile app code generation
- WiseGPT AI assistant for code refinement
- Supports multiple mobile frameworks
- Good for cross-platform apps
The Bad:
- Steeper learning curve
- Web development not its strength
- Less community support
- Documentation could be better
Real Results:
- Time saved: Varies significantly by project type
- Code accuracy: 60-70% for mobile, 50-60% for web
- Best for mobile apps, not web
Best for: Mobile app developers building Flutter or React Native apps
📊 Quick Comparison
For production web apps: Locofy.ai
For design system integration: Builder.io
For quick prototypes: Anima
For mobile apps: DhiWise
For staying in Figma: Figma Dev Mode
💡 What I Learned
1. Your Figma file organization matters MORE than the tool
Clean layers, proper naming, consistent spacing = better code output from ANY tool. Messy designs produce messy code, regardless of AI.
2. No tool is 100% production-ready
Expect to spend 20-30% of the time you saved on code cleanup. Think of these tools as smart junior developers, not senior engineers.
3. Different tools for different projects
- Landing pages? → Anima or Builder.io
- Complex web app? → Locofy.ai
- Mobile app? → DhiWise
- Just need design specs? → Figma Dev Mode
4. ROI is real for the right use cases
On a typical project, Locofy saved me 15-20 hours across multiple components. The time savings add up quickly.
🎯 My Actual Workflow Now
Step 1: Design in Figma with clean organization (proper naming, grouped layers)
Step 2: Use Locofy.ai for initial code generation
Step 3: Review and refine (fix spacing, optimize responsive behavior)
Step 4: Connect to backend and add business logic
Step 5: Test and deploy
Time saved per project: 10-15 hours on average
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Expecting perfect code on first try
❌ Not organizing Figma layers before conversion
❌ Using complex nested components without testing
❌ Forgetting to set responsive breakpoints in Figma
❌ Not reviewing generated code for accessibility issues
✅ Start with simple components first
✅ Clean up your Figma file before converting
✅ Test the output before committing to a tool
✅ Always review for accessibility and semantic HTML
✅ Treat AI output as a starting point, not the finish line
🚀 Getting Started (My Recommendations)
If you're new to design-to-code:
- Start with Figma Dev Mode (free, already there)
- Try Locofy.ai free tier on a simple component
- See the difference and decide if you want to explore more
If you're ready to dive deeper:
- Try Locofy.ai for production projects - best ROI
- Consider Builder.io if you have an existing component library
- Skip DhiWise unless you're building mobile apps
If you're a designer (not coding):
- Use Anima for interactive prototypes
- Hand off cleaner code to developers
- Reduce back-and-forth on implementation details
💬 Want Help Choosing?
Drop a comment with:
- What type of project you're building (web app, mobile, landing page)
- Your tech stack (React, Vue, vanilla HTML)
- Your biggest pain point (speed, code quality, learning curve)
I'll recommend the best tool for YOUR specific situation!
📚 Tool Links
- Locofy.ai: locofy.ai
- Builder.io: builder.io
- Anima: animaapp.com
- Figma Dev Mode: Built into Figma
- DhiWise: dhiwise.com
🔄 Update (December 2025)
Some tools have released major updates recently:
- Locofy now supports Tailwind CSS better
- Builder.io added better TypeScript support
- Anima improved React component generation
I'll continue testing and update this post with new findings!
Which tool are you using? Share your experience below! 👇
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