Is Figma or Confluent Cloud better?

Neither clearly leads. Figma starts at Free and Confluent Cloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Figma or Confluent Cloud?

Figma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Figma and On request for Confluent Cloud.

Does Figma or Confluent Cloud run on more platforms?

Figma runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Confluent Cloud runs on Web.

Can I use Figma for free?

Yes. Figma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Confluent Cloud starts at On request.

What is Figma best used for?

Figma is most often used for ui/ux design, design systems, prototyping, design collaboration. Of those, ui/ux design and design systems are not what Confluent Cloud is typically brought in for.

What can Figma do that Confluent Cloud cannot?

Figma covers Real-time collaboration, Vector networks, Auto-layout, Components & variants.

Technology · head to head

Figma vs Confluent Cloud

Figma

Technology

The collaborative interface design tool

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Confluent Cloud

Technology

The data streaming platform built on Apache Kafka, delivered as a fully managed cloud service

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Figma has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Figma no offline editing capability, can only view and create new files when disconnected; Confluent Cloud basic tier caps at 1,500 partitions and 5TB storage per confluent.io pricing page (Aug 2026); Standard clusters start around $385 per month before usage

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Figma and Confluent Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Figma and Confluent Cloud differ
Attribute	Figma	Confluent Cloud
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android	Web
Founded	2012	Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Technology).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Figma

Real-time collaboration
Vector networks
Auto-layout
Components & variants
Prototyping
Design systems
Developer handoff
Version control

Only in Confluent Cloud

Nothing recorded that Figma does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Figma

UI/UX designnot Confluent Cloud
Design systemsnot Confluent Cloud
Prototypingnot Confluent Cloud
Design collaborationnot Confluent Cloud
Developer handoffnot Confluent Cloud

Confluent Cloud

No use cases recorded yet. See the Confluent Cloud review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Figma

No offline editing capability, can only view and create new files when disconnected
Mobile apps are read-only, cannot edit designs on iOS or Android
No self-hosted option, requires cloud connectivity and internet access
Performance degradation with large files containing thousands of layers
Library components and unloaded pages not accessible offline

Confluent Cloud

Basic tier caps at 1,500 partitions and 5TB storage per confluent.io pricing page (Aug 2026); Standard clusters start around $385 per month before usage
Enterprise tier eCKU-hour rate runs $1.75 to $2.25 versus $0.14 on Basic, per confluent.io, an over tenfold jump to reach mission critical features

Pricing, plan by plan

Figma

Free

StarterFree
- Unlimited drafts
- 3 Figma files
- 3 FigJam boards
Professional$12/month
- Unlimited files and folders
- Team libraries
- Advanced prototyping
Organization$55/month
- Unlimited teams
- Shared libraries
- Design system theming
Enterprise$90/month
- Custom workspaces
- API access
- SCIM seat management

Confluent Cloud

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Confluent Cloud review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Figma if

You need real-time collaboration.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
You also want vector networks.

Figma review

Choose Confluent Cloud if

Nothing in the data separates Confluent Cloud from Figma on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Confluent Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Figma or Confluent Cloud better?: Neither clearly leads. Figma starts at Free and Confluent Cloud at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Figma or Confluent Cloud?: Figma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Figma and On request for Confluent Cloud.
Does Figma or Confluent Cloud run on more platforms?: Figma runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Confluent Cloud runs on Web.
Can I use Figma for free?: Yes. Figma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Confluent Cloud starts at On request.
What is Figma best used for?: Figma is most often used for ui/ux design, design systems, prototyping, design collaboration. Of those, ui/ux design and design systems are not what Confluent Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Figma do that Confluent Cloud cannot?: Figma covers Real-time collaboration, Vector networks, Auto-layout, Components & variants.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Figma: What's included in Figma's free tier?

Figma's Starter plan is free forever and includes unlimited drafts, up to 3 Figma files, 3 FigJam boards, core design features (vector editing, auto layout, components, prototyping), basic developer handoff (inspect), and 150 AI credits per day up to 500 per month. Maximum 2 editors per file.

Source

Figma: Does Figma work offline?

Figma has very limited offline support. You can create one new file and edit currently loaded pages, but cannot open previously created files, access new pages, search for library components, or see real-time collaboration. Changes are cached locally for up to 30 days and sync when you reconnect.

Source

Figma: Can you self-host Figma?

No. Figma is a closed, cloud-only platform with no option to self-host or run on your own servers.

Source

Figma: What export formats does Figma support?

Figma exports to PNG, JPEG, SVG (at 1x scale only), and PDF (at 1x scale only). Export settings allow customization of resolution, quality, and scale.

Source

Figma: What platforms does Figma support?

Figma is available as a web app (all platforms), desktop apps for macOS and Windows, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Linux users can access Figma through the web browser only.

Source

Figma: What are Figma's integrations?

Figma integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Asana, Linear, Notion, VS Code, Zapier, and hundreds of other tools. Integration categories include collaboration, project management, developer handoff, prototyping, and AI/code generation.

Source

Figma vs Confluent Cloud

Figma

Confluent Cloud

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Figma

Only in Confluent Cloud

What people use each for

Figma

Confluent Cloud

Where each one falls short

Figma

Confluent Cloud

Pricing, plan by plan

Figma

Confluent Cloud

Which should you pick?

Choose Figma if

Choose Confluent Cloud if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Figma

More on Confluent Cloud

Keep looking

Other head to heads