Software Alternatives & Startups

Figma VS visualOS

Compare Figma VS visualOS and see what are their differences

Figma

Team-based interface design, Figma lets you collaborate on designs in real time.

Rating
4.5 · 4 reviews
visualOS

Infinite canvas and moodboard maker that saves real files

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium $12.99 / One-off (Pay once. Use forever.)
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Figma seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 114 times since March 2021.

social mentions
114 vs 0
Design Tools popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 12

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Figma
visualOS
Website figma.com visualos.app
Pricing —
Freemium $12.99 / One-off (Pay once. Use forever.)
Platforms —
MacOS iOS Browser iPad +1
Company Startup from the United States Startup from Germany · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in

About Figma and visualOS

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Figma
visualOS

No description of Figma yet.

visualOS is an infinite canvas for people who think visually: notes, Markdown documents, to-dos, images, PDFs, colour swatches and freehand drawing, with boards nested inside boards. It is local-first: every board is a real folder on your disk, documents are Markdown files, and sync runs through...

Read more about visualOS

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Figma 6 features
visualOS 12 features
  • Real-time Collaboration
    Figma allows multiple users to work on a design simultaneously, making it easy for teams to collaborate and provide real-time feedback without the need for constant file exchanges.
  • Cloud-Based
    Being cloud-based means that designers can access their projects from any device with an internet connection, enhancing flexibility and ensuring that the latest versions of files are always available.
  • Cross-Platform
    Figma is accessible on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, which makes it versatile for teams with diverse software environments.
  • Prototyping and Design in One Tool
    Figma integrates both design and prototyping features, reducing the need for additional tools and streamlining the design process from concept to final product.
  • Easy Handoff
    Developers can easily inspect elements, get CSS properties, and export assets directly from the design files, making the handoff process to development smooth and efficient.
  • Frequent Updates
    Figma regularly introduces new features and improvements, ensuring that users have access to the latest tools and functionalities in design.

Possible disadvantages

  • Internet Dependency
    Since Figma is cloud-based, a stable internet connection is necessary to access and edit projects. This can be a constraint in environments with poor internet connectivity.
  • Performance Issues
    With large files or complex projects, Figma can sometimes exhibit performance lags or slowdowns, which can impact productivity.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    Although some offline features are available, they are limited. Users may find it challenging to work without an internet connection, especially for collaborative efforts.
  • Cost
    While Figma offers a free tier, advanced features and higher usage limits require a paid subscription, which might be a barrier for freelancers or small teams with limited budgets.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    New users, especially those transitioning from other design tools, might face a learning curve to fully grasp Figma's interface and functionalities.
  • Limited Advanced Vector Editing
    Compared to more specialized vector graphic tools like Adobe Illustrator, Figma’s vector editing capabilities might seem limited for complex, intricate designs.
  • Infinite canvas
    Zoomable canvas for notes, images, Markdown documents, to-dos, tables, PDFs, videos, links, shapes, arrows and drawings
  • Boards inside boards
    Nest boards to any depth, with breadcrumbs to keep your place
  • Real files on your disk
    Connect a folder: every board becomes a folder, documents become Markdown files, images stay image files
  • Works offline
    No server; the iPhone, iPad and Mac app works fully offline
  • No account
    Open the web app and start working, no sign-up
  • Sync via your own cloud
    Put the folder in iCloud Drive or Dropbox to sync across devices
  • Moodboard tools
    Drag, drop or paste images, crop and caption them, collect colour swatches with names and codes
  • Apple Pencil
    Pen tray, precise eraser, hold-to-shape and handwriting search in the iPad app
  • Version history
    Automatic rolling versions (about 30) for connected folders, restore with one click
  • Search
    Full-text search across all boards (Cmd/Ctrl+F)
  • Export
    Export any view as a 2x PNG; JSON backup and import
  • Languages
    English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Polish, Swedish

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Figma
visualOS

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Figma is considered a highly effective and versatile design tool that caters to the needs of designers, developers, and project managers alike. Its robust set of features and cloud-based architecture make it a top choice for many teams.

Why this product is good

  • Figma is highly regarded for its user-friendly interface, real-time collaboration features, and powerful design tools that allow for seamless teamwork and efficient design processes. It operates entirely in the browser, which means no installation is necessary and it works across different operating systems. Figma is also praised for its extensive library of plugins and the ability to easily share design systems and prototypes.

Recommended for

  • UI/UX designers
  • Product teams
  • Remote design teams
  • Web and mobile app developers
  • Design educators and students

No analysis of visualOS yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Figma 2 videos + Add
visualOS 1 video + Add

Figma UI Design Tutorial: Get Started in Just 24 Minutes!

More videos

  • - What is Figma

visualOS - Free Infinite Canvas and Moodboard App

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Figma
visualOS
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
98% 98%
2% 2%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Figma and visualOS.

What makes your product unique?

visualOS's answer:

visualOS stores your work as real files. Connect a folder and every board on the canvas becomes a folder on your disk, every document a Markdown file and every image an ordinary image file. There is no server and no account, so your boards work offline, sync through your own iCloud Drive or Dropbox, and stay readable even if you stop using visualOS.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

visualOS's answer:

Choose visualOS if you work alone and want your boards to stay yours. Compared with Milanote, there is no 100-note limit and no subscription: the web app is free and complete, and the iPhone, iPad and Mac app is a one-time purchase. Compared with Miro or Apple Freeform, you get boards nested to any depth, stored as plain files, and the app works offline. If your team needs real-time collaboration, comments or share links, Milanote or Miro fit better.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

visualOS's answer:

People who think visually and work on their own: designers, photographers, illustrators and artists who build moodboards and project boards, plus students, writers and researchers who organise ideas on a canvas. Users often come from Milanote, Apple Freeform or Kosmik and want an offline tool without a subscription.

What's the story behind your product?

visualOS's answer:

We're Sarah Dorweiler and Gerald Reimertz, a husband-and-wife team from Nuremberg, Germany, who have been building things together for more than 20 years. As creatives we always organised our projects on visual canvas tools, but our files and ideas were tied to cloud services. We wanted the same visual overview for the files on our own devices: offline and private. That became visualOS, launched in 2026. We build it as a two-person team.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

visualOS's answer:

The app is written in plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript, with no framework and no build step. The canvas is drawn with the Canvas 2D API and stays fast with thousands of elements. Data lives in IndexedDB or, through the File System Access API, in a folder the user chooses. The native iPhone, iPad and Mac app uses Capacitor plus Swift plugins built on UIKit, PencilKit (shape recognition) and Apple's Vision framework (handwriting search).

User comments

Share your experience with using Figma and visualOS. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Figma 4.5 · 4 reviews
visualOS no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Figma 114 mentions
visualOS 0 mentions
  • The Interview Prep Stack I Used as a Senior Software Engineer Targeting Big Tech
    Category Tool URL How I used it General AI assistant ChatGPT Https://chatgpt.com Breaking down concepts, simulating interviewers, reviewing answers AI writing / reasoning Claude Https://claude.ai Refining behavioral stories and... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • A Map for the First-Time Software Creator
    Figma is the most widely used sketching tool in the industry and has a generous free tier. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • How to Track AI Spending as a Solo Developer
    Design Tools (152 EUR/month): Adobe Creative Cloud at 63 EUR, Maxon One at 50 EUR, Figma at 15 EUR, Spline at 7 EUR, Envato Elements at 17 EUR. This is where the real money goes. Adobe alone is a third of my total design spend. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago

View more

Tracking visualOS since Sep 2026.

Alternatives to Figma and visualOS

When comparing Figma and visualOS, you can also consider the following products.