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Figma vs Restate

Figma logo

Figma

Technology

The collaborative interface design tool

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Restate logo

Restate

Developer Tools

Durable execution engine in Rust with a free tier and low-latency workflows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Figma no offline editing capability, can only view and create new files when disconnected; Restate the runtime is under a Business Source Licence rather than an open source licence, so building a competing managed offering on it is prohibited and some procurement functions will reject it on licence grounds alone.
  • They diverge on capability: Figma covers Real-time collaboration, Restate covers Durable execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Figma and Restate actually diverge.

Attributes where Figma and Restate differ
AttributeFigmaRestate
Pricing modelUnknownPer month by durable action count
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidLinux, macOS, Web
CategoryTechnologyDeveloper Tools
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Restate

  • Durable execution
  • Virtual objects
  • Single binary runtime
  • Multi-language SDKs
  • Workflows and sagas
  • Restate Cloud

What people use each for

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

Figma

  • UI/UX designnot Restate
  • Design systemsnot Restate
  • Prototypingnot Restate
  • Design collaborationnot Restate
  • Developer handoffnot Restate

Restate

  • Payment or order flows where a crash between two external API calls must not double-charge or lose the ordernot Figma
  • AI agent loops that call tools over minutes or hours and must survive a deployment mid-runnot Figma
  • Replacing hand-rolled retry, idempotency key and outbox code across a set of microservicesnot Figma
  • A small team that wants durable workflows without operating a Temporal cluster and its databasenot Figma

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

Restate

  • The runtime is under a Business Source Licence rather than an open source licence, so building a competing managed offering on it is prohibited and some procurement functions will reject it on licence grounds alone.
  • Restate Cloud jumps from a free fifty thousand actions straight to 300 US dollars a month for twenty million, so a workload sitting at a few hundred thousand actions pays enterprise-shaped money for hobby-shaped volume.
  • It is a young project against Temporal’s established base, so hiring engineers who already know it is unrealistic and the answer to most questions is in the docs rather than on Stack Overflow.
  • The programming model requires structuring code around durable handlers and virtual objects, which is a genuine rewrite for existing services rather than a library you add.
  • The single-binary simplicity that makes small deployments cheap also means fewer operational knobs at very large scale than a system designed as separable components.

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

Restate

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Fifty thousand durable actions per month
    • No credit card required
    • Community support
  • Starter$300/month
    • Twenty million actions per month
    • Two hundred actions per second, bursting to one thousand
    • Twenty GB storage
  • Pro$1000/month
    • Fifty million actions per month
    • Five hundred actions per second, bursting to two thousand
    • Fifty GB storage
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Negotiated volume
    • Twenty-four seven P0 support
    • 99.99 per cent SLA

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 Restate if

  • You need durable execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Web.
  • You also want virtual objects.
Restate review

Questions people ask

Is Figma or Restate better?
Neither clearly leads. Figma starts at Free and Restate at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Figma or Restate?
Figma starts at Free and Restate at Free.
Does Figma or Restate run on more platforms?
Figma runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Restate runs on Linux, macOS, Web.
Can I use Figma for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Restate is typically brought in for.
What can Figma do that Restate cannot?
Figma covers Real-time collaboration, Vector networks, Auto-layout, Components & variants. Restate covers Durable execution, Virtual objects, Single binary runtime, Multi-language SDKs.

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
Restate: Is Restate open source?

The SDKs are MIT. The runtime is under a Business Source Licence, which permits self-hosting but not offering it as a competing service.

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
Restate: How does it compare with Temporal?

Same problem, different shape: one Rust binary with embedded storage instead of a server plus database plus workers, and lower per-step latency.

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
Restate: Is there a free tier?

Yes, fifty thousand durable actions a month on Restate Cloud with no card required.

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
Restate: Which languages are supported?

TypeScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, Python and Rust.

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
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