Top 10 Free Alternatives to Zeplin in 2025: A Comprehensive Comparison

As Zeplin remains a popular tool for design handoff, the year 2025 brings a variety of powerful free alternatives that offer unique features and capabilities. This article explores the top 10 free alternatives to Zeplin, comparing them on key data points such as core functions, handoff features, collaboration capabilities, and availability of free plans.

Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.

We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.

👉 Get featured now!

1. Figma

Core Function: A cloud-based design and prototyping tool offering robust design handoff capabilities.
Handoff Features: Provides built-in developer handoff, including access to code snippets (CSS, iOS, Android), assets, and specs.
Collaboration: Real-time collaboration allows multiple users to work on the same design simultaneously.
Prototyping: Strong interactive prototyping features for testing user flows.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan with limitations on projects, collaborators, and version history. Learn more about Figma

2. Abstract

Core Function: Design management platform focusing on version control and collaboration.
Handoff Features: Supports design handoff with specs, assets, and integration with development tools.
Collaboration: Facilitates team collaboration on design projects and enables shared libraries.
Version Control: Provides git-like versioning for design files.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for personal use with limited features. Learn more about Abstract

Get your FREE Landing Page Analysis!

Insert your landing page link and get a super useful analysis and easy fixes to get more clicks!

👉 Get Your Analysis Here!

3. Marvel

Core Function: Prototyping and design platform for web and mobile apps.
Handoff Features: Generates starter code (CSS) and assets from mockups, making handoff easier.
Prototyping: Offers tools for wireframing and creating interactive prototypes.
Collaboration: Enables collaboration and feedback within a shared environment.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan with limitations on projects and users. Learn more about Marvel

4. Miro

Core Function: A virtual whiteboard and remote collaboration tool.
Handoff Features: While not primarily a handoff tool, it supports visualizing and sharing design ideas, along with the ability to provide feedback and comments.
Collaboration: Enables cross-functional teams to ideate, visualize, and share ideas.
Integrations: Offers integrations with popular business tools.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan with limitations on boards and users. Learn more about Miro

5. Mockplus

Core Function: All-in-one design tool focusing on prototyping and collaboration.
Handoff Features: Allows for syncing designs from various tools (Sketch, Adobe XD, etc.) for collaboration, specs, assets, and code snippets.
Prototyping: Provides rapid prototyping features.
Collaboration: Enables teams to share, review, and comment on designs.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan with limitations. Learn more about Mockplus

Validate your startup idea with the unique borrowed authority approach: we publish articles about your product in our blog and you get traffic and testers for your MVP

Prove Market Demand: See real organic traffic and waitlist conversions

Unlock High-Potential Keywords: Receive a curated list of top-performing keywords directly from Google Search Console data.

Estimate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Gain financial foresight with an estimated CAC based on real keyword performance data.

🔗 Start validating your startup now

6. Penpot

Core Function: Open-source design tool for UI design and prototyping.
Handoff Features: Aims to connect designers and developers, with no handoff friction, providing code and assets.
Prototyping: Includes prototyping functionality.
Collaboration: Designed for collaboration between designers and developers.
Open Source: Completely free and open-source. Learn more about Penpot

7. InVision

Core Function: Digital product design platform for prototyping, collaboration, and design handoff.
Handoff Features: Helps design and developer teams create interactive prototypes.
Prototyping: Offers robust interactive prototyping features.
Collaboration: Supports real-time collaboration and feedback.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for individuals with limited features. Learn more about InVision

8. Handoff (Open Source)

Core Function: Open-source tool for extracting design tokens from Figma and building developer documentation.
Handoff Features: Automates the delivery of design tokens to developers with various export options (SASS, CSS, etc.).
Figma Integration: Specifically designed to work with Figma.
Customization: Offers flexibility with transformers for generating different code formats.
Open Source: Completely free and open-source. Learn more about Handoff (Open Source)

9. Adobe XD

Core Function: UX/UI design tool that allows the creation of designs for web and mobile.
Handoff Features: Provides design specs, assets, and code snippets for developers.
Prototyping: Offers interactive prototyping for testing.
Collaboration: Enables real-time collaboration.
Free Plan: Offers a free starter plan with limitations. Learn more about Adobe XD

10. Sympli

Core Function: Design version control and handoff tool.
Handoff Features: Supports syncing UI elements from design tools and integrates with IDEs (Xcode, Android Studio).
Collaboration: Allows team collaboration with commenting and context.
Integration: Integrates with popular prototyping tools.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for small projects with some limitations. Learn more about Sympli

Important Considerations:

"Free" Often Means Limited: Be aware that most free plans have restrictions on the number of projects, users, or features.
Integration: Ensure the tool integrates with your existing design and development workflows.
Specific Needs: Consider your specific handoff requirements (code snippets, assets, specs) when choosing a tool.

I hope this detailed list provides a solid starting point for your research. Remember to verify the information on the respective websites before making any final decisions.

Join ElonaHunt (like ProductHunt but for women) and explore the coolest women-focused startups out there!

Discover your next big inspiration and connect with like-minded female entrepreneurs!

👉 Join the Hunt Here

FAQ

1. What are some free alternatives to Zeplin for design handoff?

There are several free alternatives to Zeplin, including Figma, Adobe XD, and Sympli. These tools offer varying features for design handoff, collaboration, and prototyping. Discover Figma | Explore Adobe XD | Learn about Sympli

2. How does Figma facilitate design handoff?

Figma provides built-in developer handoff capabilities, including access to code snippets (CSS, iOS, Android), assets, and design specs, along with real-time collaboration features. Discover Figma

3. Is there an open-source alternative to Zeplin?

Yes, Penpot is an open-source design tool that provides UI design and prototyping functionality, aiming to bridge the gap between designers and developers. Learn more about Penpot

4. Which tool offers the best version control for design files?

Abstract offers robust version control for design files, with git-like versioning, team collaboration, and shared libraries. Discover Abstract

5. What does Mockplus offer for design collaboration?

Mockplus provides an all-in-one design tool for rapid prototyping and collaboration, including syncing designs from various tools and facilitating review and comments on designs. Learn more about Mockplus

6. How does Marvel support web and mobile app design?

Marvel offers tools for wireframing, creating interactive prototypes, and generating starter code (CSS) and assets, facilitating collaboration and feedback within a shared environment. Explore Marvel

7. What collaboration features does Miro offer for design teams?

Miro is a virtual whiteboard that enables cross-functional teams to ideate, visualize, and share ideas in real time, with integrations with popular business tools. Learn about Miro

8. Are there any free tools that integrate well with Figma?

Handoff is an open-source tool designed to work specifically with Figma, automating the delivery of design tokens to developers with various export options. Explore Handoff

9. What features does Adobe XD offer for prototyping and handoff?

Adobe XD allows the creation of interactive prototypes and provides design specs, assets, and code snippets for developers, along with real-time collaboration features. Discover Adobe XD

10. Does Sympli integrate with other design tools?

Sympli supports syncing UI elements from various design tools and integrates with IDEs like Xcode and Android Studio, facilitating design version control and handoff. Learn about Sympli

References

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.