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Design · head to head

Principle vs Xara Designer Pro+

P

Principle

Design

Animate your ideas, design better apps

From
$129/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Xara Designer Pro+ logo

Xara Designer Pro+

Design

Desktop publishing, web design, photo editing and graphic design in one workspace

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Principle macOS only with no Windows or Linux editor available; Xara Designer Pro+ compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Principle and Xara Designer Pro+ actually diverge.

Attributes where Principle and Xara Designer Pro+ differ
AttributePrincipleXara Designer Pro+
Starting price$129/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
PlatformsmacOSWeb
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

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 Xara Designer Pro+

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 Xara Designer Pro+
  • Micro-interactionsnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Animation designnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • User flow designnot Xara Designer Pro+
  • Gesture-based interfacesnot Xara Designer Pro+

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Desktop publishing and professional layout workflowsnot Principle
  • Web design and e-commerce site creation without codenot Principle
  • Photo editing and image retouching for visual projectsnot Principle
  • Graphic design and illustration in single workspacenot Principle
  • Multi-discipline creative work with unlimited flexibilitynot 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

Xara Designer Pro+

  • Compatible with Windows only; the product page states no Mac version

Pricing, plan by plan

Principle

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

Xara Designer Pro+

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Xara Designer Pro+ review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Principle if

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

Choose Xara Designer Pro+ if

Nothing in the data separates Xara Designer Pro+ from Principle on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Xara Designer Pro+ review

Questions people ask

Is Principle or Xara Designer Pro+ better?
Neither clearly leads. Principle starts at $129/one-time and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Principle or Xara Designer Pro+?
Principle starts at $129/one-time and Xara Designer Pro+ at On request.
Does Principle or Xara Designer Pro+ run on more platforms?
Principle runs on macOS. Xara Designer Pro+ runs on Web.
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 Xara Designer Pro+ is typically brought in for.
What can Principle do that Xara Designer Pro+ 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
Xara Designer Pro+: Does Xara Designer Pro offer a free trial?

Yes, Xara Designer Pro offers a free trial download, allowing users to test the software before purchasing.

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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