Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Dash for macOS VS Anima App

Compare Dash for macOS VS Anima App and see what are their differences

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Dash for macOS logo Dash for macOS

Dash is an API Documentation Browser and Code Snippet Manager. Dash searches offline documentation of 200+ APIs and stores snippets of code. You can also generate your own documentation sets.

Anima App logo Anima App

Design, get feedback, convert to code, publish, iterate.
  • Dash for macOS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-22
  • Anima App Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-19

Create High-Fidelity Prototypes in Figma, Adobe XD and Sketch. Convert your designs into HTML, CSS and React Use open source react components straight from Figma

Dash for macOS features and specs

  • Comprehensive Documentation Library
    Dash offers an extensive collection of API documentation sets for a wide range of programming languages and frameworks, making it a one-stop solution for developers who need quick access to reference materials.
  • Offline Access
    Dash allows users to download documentation for offline use, which is invaluable when working in environments without internet access or when attempting to reduce dependency on online resources.
  • Snippets Manager
    Dash includes a snippets manager that enables users to store and organize code snippets, which can significantly accelerate coding by reusing previously written code.
  • Integration with IDEs
    Dash integrates seamlessly with a variety of popular integrated development environments (IDEs) and code editors, like Xcode, Atom, Sublime Text, and more, streamlining the development workflow.
  • Custom Docsets
    Users can create and manage their own custom docsets, allowing for documentation customization specific to internal libraries or less common technologies.

Possible disadvantages of Dash for macOS

  • Paid Software
    Dash is a paid application, which may be a deterrent for some users who prefer free solutions or developers working with tight budgets.
  • macOS Only
    Dash is exclusive to macOS, which excludes users on other operating systems like Windows or Linux from utilizing its features.
  • Initial Set-Up Time
    Initial setup of Dash and downloading the necessary documentation sets can be time-consuming, especially for users who require multiple docsets.
  • Limited Cloud Syncing
    Dash doesn't offer robust cloud syncing options for documentation sets or snippet repositories, meaning users need to manually manage these files if working across multiple devices.

Anima App features and specs

  • High-Fidelity Prototypes
    Anima allows for the creation of high-fidelity prototypes that are almost indistinguishable from the final product, providing a more accurate representation of the end-user experience.
  • Code Export
    It provides the ability to export HTML, CSS, and React code directly from the design, which can significantly speed up the development process by bridging the gap between designers and developers.
  • Design-to-Code Workflow
    Anima automates the conversion of design files into code, which helps in maintaining design consistency and reducing manual coding errors.
  • Collaboration Tools
    The platform supports collaborative features that allow designers and developers to work together seamlessly, improving communication and project management.
  • Responsive Design
    Anima includes features for creating responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes, which is crucial for modern web development.

Possible disadvantages of Anima App

  • Learning Curve
    New users may find the tool complex and may need some time to fully understand and leverage all its features.
  • Limitations in Custom Code
    While the code export is helpful, it might not cover all custom design needs, necessitating additional manual coding.
  • Pricing
    The app can be relatively expensive, especially for small teams or individual freelancers, potentially limiting its accessibility.
  • Browser Compatibility
    There can be issues with browser compatibility, meaning that how designs appear in Anima may vary slightly from how they render in different web browsers.
  • Dependency on Design Tools
    Anima heavily relies on integration with specific design tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD, which could be a limitation for teams using other design software.

Analysis of Dash for macOS

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Dash for macOS is considered an excellent tool for developers seeking efficient and reliable access to offline documentation.

Why this product is good

  • Dash is highly regarded for its extensive offline documentation for numerous programming languages, frameworks, and APIs. Its speed and ease of use make it a valuable tool for developers who need quick access to documentation without an internet connection. The application allows users to create their own docsets and keep all documentation up to date effortlessly.

Recommended for

  • Software Developers
  • Programmers
  • Web Developers
  • Mobile App Developers
  • IT Professionals

Analysis of Anima App

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Anima App is a valuable tool for teams that aim to enhance collaboration between designers and developers. Its real merit lies in its ability to save time and reduce errors during the design handoff process. While some advanced customization might still require manual coding, the platform greatly improves workflow efficiency for most standard projects. Users generally find it to be a worthwhile investment, especially for teams working in web design and development.

Why this product is good

  • Anima App is considered good by many users due to its ability to streamline the design-to-development process. It allows designers to convert their Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch designs into developer-friendly HTML, React, or Vue code, which can significantly reduce the handoff time between design and development teams. The app is praised for its ease of use, efficiency, and the ability to maintain design precision during the conversion process. Additionally, it supports real-time design updates and automatic code generation, making it a powerful tool for rapid prototyping and iterative design workflows.

Recommended for

  • Designers and developers looking for a smoother handoff process.
  • Teams using Figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch for design.
  • Projects that require rapid prototyping and frequent iterations.
  • Organizations aiming to bridge the gap between their design and development teams.

Dash for macOS videos

Dash for macOS

Anima App videos

I transform designs into React code with Anima

More videos:

  • Review - From Design to Code with Anima | What is Anima?
  • Review - Convert Web Design To Real Website Prototype FAST (HTML & CSS)
  • Tutorial - Convert Figma to HTML Automatically with Anima
  • Tutorial - Adobe XD to HTML CSS Automatically | Anima App
  • Tutorial - How to host, add a custom domain and publish your website with Anima
  • Tutorial - Figma to React: Building a bank app using Ant + Strapi CMS as backend | Anima App

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Dash for macOS and Anima App)
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Design Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Software Development
100 100%
0% 0
Design Collaboration
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Dash for macOS and Anima App

Dash for macOS Reviews

  1. Stan
    · Founder at SaaSHub ·
    One of my favourite productivity tools as a software developer

    Once you get use to it, you won't be able to imagine your life without Dash. It will save you a bit of time every day. Many times.

    As a bonus you can use the "snippets" feature as a generic text-expander. That saves me tons of time when writing emails, too.

    p.s. aText is not exactly a direct competitor; however, I replaced it through the snippets feature of Dash.

    🏁 Competitors: aText

Best Text Expander apps for MacOS
Dash offers one of the most simplistic ways to start adding your own snippets. Dash 3 offers a set of language documentation at the side and this is something that will help you with rules and references. The tool allows you to create snippets by simply copying the phrase. Alternatively, you can also create custom snippets using keyboard commands. Dash allows users to setup...
Source: techwiser.com
What's a good alternative to Textexpander for Mac?
14DashView Productajimix4Written 4y agoIf you are a developer, Dash is your choice. It also does text-expanding and works great!🙏 helpful 3CommentsShare

Anima App Reviews

We have no reviews of Anima App yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Dash for macOS seems to be a lot more popular than Anima App. While we know about 90 links to Dash for macOS, we've tracked only 6 mentions of Anima App. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Dash for macOS mentions (90)

  • Man pages are great, man readers are the problem
    Https://kapeli.com/dash for MacOS supports man pages just like any of its many other documentation sources. Just prefix the search query with `man:`. Absolute hall of fame app IMO. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Why "alias" is my last resort for aliases
    Yeah, I do something kind of similar, using Dash [1] snippets which expand to full commands. Since I'm almost always on my mac, it means they're available in every shell, including remote shells, and in other situations like on Slack or writing documentation. I mostly use § as a prefix so I don't type them accidentally (although my git shortcuts are all `gg`-consonant which is not likely to appear in real typing).... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Patterns for Personal Web Sites (2003)
    Yeah, I keep thinking that CHM was the peak format for offline docs. Today we have Kiwix [0] and Dash/Zeal [1] – both amazing projects, but somehow they feel more complex, and the formats they use aren’t as ubiquitous. [0]: https://kiwix.org/en/ [1]: https://kapeli.com/dash for macOS, https://zealdocs.org/ for others. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: What is one software product that boosted your productivity?
    Dash https://kapeli.com/dash Mac app. A native standardised search and browsing interface for the documentation of almost every programming language out there (and in some cases, their third-party libraries too). - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Rerun: Visualize Multimodal Data over Time
    Rerun is great. I wish they prioritize rerun_sdk build for iOS and/or Android - so that you can log remotely from mobile devices. Serializing and streaming images, depthmaps, sensors data in own code is a pain and rerun has done great work with that. A little worrying for me that rerun seems getting more complicated and verbose and API changes frequently. The whole vizualization code can clutter algorithm/code... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
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Anima App mentions (6)

  • Figma to React instantly: Introduction Anima app
    You will need to log in/sign up on the Anima app website and to use the figma plugin. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Wordpress to React
    There will be more solutions in the future, currently animaapp.com does figma/adobeXD to React code, also uizard.io does image to design (figma like but I think they do not support Figma). However I supose OP did not have Figma files for the work done. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Image to Code
    There are many not recently launched. animaapp.com and https://www.copycat.dev/product does figma to react code there are some others but idk how good in the figma plugin marketplace. These are just based on figma API. Source: about 2 years ago
  • I'm building a scaffolding tool that works this way: you define just the data models/ database and it generates in one command GraphQL API, admin interface and custom React hooks for list, create, edit views. Should it be a CLI or VSCode plugin?
    Is it would be similar. Only onusegenerated.com I provide the react hooks hooks(data fetching) and you need to use another solution like animaapp.com or something to get the react components as well, and manually connect the hooks to the React presentational components. On the backend however with a NestJs and Prisma app I might get a more robust solution I guess. Source: over 2 years ago
  • You're looking at an automatically-generated Figma component that was generated (automatically, I repeat) from Storybook using Anima. Oh, and it's responsive with Figma's native auto layout.
    Me again! We (animaapp.com) worked on this one for quite some time - we sync Storybook and Figma to create a single source of truth. Or in other words - it turns your storybook into a Figma library in a single click. If you're intrigued - join the beta! https://form.typeform.com/to/eNOueDoh. Source: almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Dash for macOS and Anima App, you can also consider the following products

Zeal - Zeal is an API Documentation Browser.

Framer - 🔥 Design real websites right on the canvas.

DevDocs - Open source API documentation browser with instant fuzzy search, offline mode, keyboard shortcuts, and more

Locofy.ai - Locofy.ai helps builders launch 4-5x faster by converting designs to production ready code.

AttendanceBot - Time & attendance tracking for distributed teams

Auto-Layout for Sketch - Responsive design for Sketch