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Technology · head to head

Whimsical vs Zeplin

Whimsical logo

Whimsical

Technology

Where great ideas take shape

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zeplin logo

Zeplin

Design

Design handoff and developer collaboration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Whimsical the free plan is capped at 3 team boards, 3 teams and 10 guest seats; Zeplin the free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • They diverge on capability: Whimsical covers Flowcharts, Zeplin covers Design specs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Whimsical and Zeplin actually diverge.

Attributes where Whimsical and Zeplin differ
AttributeWhimsicalZeplin
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryTechnologyDesign
Founded20172014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), 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 Whimsical

  • Flowcharts
  • Wireframes
  • Mind maps
  • Sticky notes
  • Docs
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Templates
  • Keyboard shortcuts

Only in Zeplin

  • Design specs
  • Asset export
  • Code snippets
  • Design tokens
  • Comments
  • Version control
  • Handoff workflow
  • Accessibility checks

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • Slack
  • Figma
  • Jira
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • 2FA

What people use each for

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

Whimsical

  • Product planningnot Zeplin
  • UI/UX designnot Zeplin
  • Brainstormingnot Zeplin
  • Process documentationnot Zeplin
  • Project visualizationnot Zeplin

Zeplin

  • Handing off design specs from Figma or Sketch to developersnot Whimsical
  • Sharing screens, assets and style guides with an engineering teamnot Whimsical
  • Reviewing and commenting on design versionsnot Whimsical

Where each one falls short

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

Whimsical

  • The free plan is capped at 3 team boards, 3 teams and 10 guest seats
  • File uploads are limited to 5MB per file and 1GB in total on the free plan
  • Version history on the free plan goes back 7 days
  • Voting, the timer, private teams, the GitHub integration, password-protected files and watermark removal all need Pro at $10 per editor per month
  • SSO and SAML are Business tier only at $20 per editor per month

Zeplin

  • The free plan is limited to 1 project and 100 screens and works only in a personal workspace
  • Free plan AI reviews are capped at 3 per week
  • Role based permissions require the Advanced plan or higher
  • Single sign on, multi factor authentication, activity logs and invoiced billing are Enterprise only
  • Priority 24 hour support is Enterprise only
  • Basic plan caps screens at 1,000 per project and is priced per project rather than per seat
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Whimsical

Free
  • StarterFree
    • Up to 4 boards
    • Unlimited viewers
    • 7-day version history
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited boards
    • Unlimited version history
    • Advanced permissions
  • Org$20/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • SSO
    • User management

Zeplin

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 project
    • 1 workspace
    • Basic specs
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Multiple workspaces
    • Advanced specs
  • Professional$49/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Team collaboration
    • Admin controls

Which should you pick?

Choose Whimsical if

  • You need flowcharts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want wireframes.
Whimsical review

Choose Zeplin if

  • You need design specs.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want asset export.
Zeplin review

Questions people ask

Is Whimsical or Zeplin better?
Neither clearly leads. Whimsical starts at Free and Zeplin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Whimsical or Zeplin?
Whimsical starts at Free and Zeplin at Free.
Does Whimsical or Zeplin run on more platforms?
Whimsical runs on Web. Zeplin runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Whimsical for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Whimsical best used for?
Whimsical is most often used for product planning, ui/ux design, brainstorming, process documentation. Of those, product planning and ui/ux design are not what Zeplin is typically brought in for.
What can Whimsical do that Zeplin cannot?
Whimsical covers Flowcharts, Wireframes, Mind maps, Sticky notes. Zeplin covers Design specs, Asset export, Code snippets, Design tokens. Both handle GitHub, Slack, Figma, Jira.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Whimsical: What are Whimsical's pricing tiers?

Whimsical offers three plans: Free at 0 dollars per month per editor, Pro at 10 dollars per month per editor, and Business at 20 dollars per month per editor.

Source
Zeplin: How much does Zeplin Advanced cost?

Advanced costs $12 per seat per month when paid annually, with annual subscriptions offering 2 months off versus monthly rates.

Source
Whimsical: What is included in the Free plan?

The Free plan allows creation of up to 50 board objects and 50 doc blocks per month, includes watermarked exports, and provides 7-day version history. Storage is limited to 1GB.

Source
Zeplin: What's the difference between Free and Basic plans?

Free covers 1 project with 100 screens and 30-day version history. Basic offers 1-12 projects with practically unlimited screens per project and 1-year version history.

Source
Whimsical: What features unlock in the Pro plan?

The Pro plan removes the object creation limits, provides unlimited board objects and doc blocks, removes watermarks from exports, extends version history to 90 days, and offers 100GB of storage.

Source
Zeplin: Can I add unlimited team members?

Yes, Free and Basic plans allow unlimited team members. Advanced/Enterprise assign roles with Reviewers being free and unlimited.

Source
Whimsical: What security and team features come with Business?

The Business plan adds private teams, SAML single sign-on, SCIM and advanced security controls, unlimited version history, priority support, and a dedicated success manager. Storage starts at 2TB.

Source
Zeplin: What can Reviewers do?

Reviewers can view designs and documentation and approve requests, but lack access to developer specs.

Source
Whimsical: Do discounts apply for annual billing?

Yes, annual billing offers a 17 percent discount compared to monthly rates. Additionally, nonprofits receive a 20 percent discount and students and teachers get full access.

Source
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