Softwr

Design · head to head

Principle vs Sourcegraph

P

Principle

Design

Animate your ideas, design better apps

From
$129/one-time
Free plan
No
Visit PrincipleFull review
Sourcegraph logo

Sourcegraph

Developer Tools

Code search and intelligence platform for large codebases with Cody AI assistant

From
$16000/year
Free plan
No
Visit SourcegraphFull review

The short version

  • Sourcegraph is an enterprise code intelligence platform.
  • Principle starts at $129 one-off, Sourcegraph at $16000/yr.
  • Where Principle falls short: macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available.
  • Where Sourcegraph falls short: enterprise pricing starting at $16k annually creates significant barrier for small teams.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Principle and Sourcegraph actually diverge.

Attributes where Principle and Sourcegraph differ
AttributePrincipleSourcegraph
Starting price$129/one-time$16000/year
PlatformsmacOSWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: free tier (No).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Principle, founded for Sourcegraph.

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 Principle

  • Timeline-based animation
  • Interactive prototypes
  • Touch gestures
  • Component reuse
  • Video export
  • Sketch import
  • Figma import
  • Driver animations

Only in Sourcegraph

Nothing recorded that Principle does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Principle

  • Mobile app prototypesnot Sourcegraph
  • Micro-interactionsnot Sourcegraph
  • Animation designnot Sourcegraph
  • User flow designnot Sourcegraph
  • Gesture-based interfacesnot Sourcegraph

Sourcegraph

  • Large-scale code migrations across hundreds of repositoriesnot Principle
  • Enterprise governance and code ownership trackingnot Principle
  • AI-assisted bug hunting and security pattern detectionnot Principle
  • Onboarding engineers into large unfamiliar codebasesnot Principle
  • Regulatory compliance and code audit trailsnot Principle

Where each one falls short

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

Principle

  • macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available
  • No vector morphing capability for complex shape transformations
  • Limited asset creation tools; cannot create vectors or shapes directly within Principle
  • Sketch import flattens certain properties including paths, fills, borders, masks, blur effects, and text layers
  • Limited variable support, logical loops, and data input capabilities compared to tools like ProtoPie or Origami

Sourcegraph

  • Enterprise pricing starting at $16k annually creates significant barrier for small teams
  • No free tier or standard plan published; all options require custom sales engagement
  • Complex enterprise-only positioning limits adoption compared to GitHub Copilot's pervasiveness
  • Requires indexing entire codebase; not suitable for small or ephemeral projects

Pricing, plan by plan

Principle

$129/one-time
  • License$129 one-off
    • One year of upgrades
    • Full access to all features
  • Upgrade License$99/yr
    • Annual renewal for ongoing upgrades

Sourcegraph

$16000/year
  • Enterprise$16,000/yr
    • Scales with team size
    • Credits for AI features per user
    • Deep Search

Which should you pick?

Choose Principle if

  • You need timeline-based animation.
  • You work on macOS.
  • You also want interactive prototypes.
Principle review

Choose Sourcegraph if

  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
Sourcegraph review

Questions people ask

Is Principle or Sourcegraph better?
Neither clearly leads. Principle starts at $129/one-time and Sourcegraph at $16000/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Principle or Sourcegraph?
Principle starts at $129/one-time and Sourcegraph at $16000/year.
Does Principle or Sourcegraph run on more platforms?
Principle runs on macOS. Sourcegraph runs on Web, Self-hosted.
What is Principle best used for?
Principle is most often used for mobile app prototypes, micro-interactions, animation design, user flow design. Of those, mobile app prototypes and micro-interactions are not what Sourcegraph is typically brought in for.
What can Principle do that Sourcegraph cannot?
Principle covers Timeline-based animation, Interactive prototypes, Touch gestures, Component reuse.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Principle: Does Principle run on Windows or Linux?

No. Principle is macOS only and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. There is no Windows or Linux editor available; however, prototypes can be shared and viewed on any platform via web link.

Source
Principle: What is the cost of Principle?

Principle costs $129 for a one-time purchase with 1 year of upgrades included. After 1 year, upgrade licenses cost $99/year. A 14-day free trial is available with all features included.

Source
Principle: Can I import designs from Figma or Sketch into Principle?

Yes. Principle supports importing designs from Figma and Sketch with intelligent merging of re-imported files. Some Sketch properties such as paths, fills, borders, blur effects, masks, and text layers are flattened upon import.

Source
Principle: How do I share Principle prototypes with others?

Prototypes can be shared via web link with one click (File > Export > Share to Web). Recipients can view and interact with prototypes in any browser on any platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS. No installation required.

Source
Principle: Can I create vector shapes and morphing animations in Principle?

Principle does not support vector morphing, where vector objects transform into other vector shapes. It also has limited asset creation capabilities and editing is restricted to basic operations like scale and rotate.

Source
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