If you were hoping to buy Adobe XD, the app for designing and prototyping user interfaces, you’re out of luck. Adobe has pulled the plug on Adobe XD as a standalone app. According to Wikipedia, Adobe XD was discontinued as a purchasable item on June 22, 2023. This means that you can only use Adobe XD if you subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan, which costs a whopping $54.99 per month and includes over 20 other Adobe apps.

But why did Adobe kill Adobe XD? And what are your options as a designer who wants to create and test user interfaces?

The Figma Factor

The main reason why Adobe decided to axe Adobe XD is because they bought Figma, a web-based app that does pretty much the same thing as Adobe XD. As The Verge reported, Adobe announced that they were buying Figma back in September 2022, in a deal that was worth over $10 billion.

Figma has been a huge hit among designers, especially because it offers a free plan, a collaborative online platform, and a more flexible and powerful set of features than Adobe XD. According to a study by UX Tools, Figma was crushing 77 percent of the UI design market back in 2021, and it has only grown more popular since then.

By buying Figma, Adobe is basically admitting that their own app for design and prototyping was not good enough to compete with Figma’s innovation and user satisfaction. Instead of spending more money and time on developing and improving Adobe XD, Adobe decided to focus on bringing Figma into their Creative Cloud ecosystem and using their existing user base and brand name.

The Future of Adobe XD

So what does this mean for you if you already use Adobe XD? Will you be able to keep using the app or will you have to switch to Figma or another app?

According to an Adobe person who answered a question on the Adobe Support Community forum, Adobe will still support Adobe XD for existing users. This means that if you already have an Adobe XD subscription or if you are part of the Creative Cloud All Apps plan, you can still use the app as usual.

However, we don’t know how long this support will last or how often Adobe will update or improve the app. It is possible that Adobe will eventually get rid of Adobe XD completely and move its users to Figma or another app. It is also possible that Adobe will keep Adobe XD as an old app for users who like it better than Figma or who have invested a lot of time and money into it.

The Alternatives for Designers

If you are a new user who wants to use a design and prototyping app but you don’t want to pay for the Creative Cloud All Apps plan or you don’t like Figma, what can you do?

Luckily, there are many other apps available for designers who want to create and prototype user interfaces. Some of the most popular ones are:

• Sketch: A design app that works on Mac devices and has a lot of plugins and resources. Sketch costs $99 per year for a personal license or $9 per month for a team license.

• Visily: An A.I design platform helps you create beautiful app wireframes and prototypes fast and easy using AI. No design skills needed. Try it for free today.

• InVision: A prototyping app that lets you create interactive mockups and work with your team and clients. InVision has a free plan for up to 3 projects or a paid plan starting from $15 per month.

• Protopie: A prototyping app that lets you create realistic animations and interactions using code-like expressions. Protopie costs $129 per year for an individual license or $49 per month for a team license.

• Balsamiq: A wireframing app that helps you create low-fidelity sketches of your ideas quickly and easily. Balsamiq costs $9 per month for up to 2 projects or $49 per month for unlimited projects.

These are just some of the options that you can try if you are looking for a design and prototyping app other than Adobe XD or Figma. Of course, each app has its own pros and cons, so you should do your own research and testing before choosing one that fits your needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Adobe XD, once a promising and popular design and prototyping app, has been discontinued as a purchasable item by Adobe. This is likely because of the acquisition of Figma, a more successful and innovative competitor in the same market. Existing Adobe XD users will still be able to use the app, but new users will have to subscribe to the Creative Cloud All Apps plan or use another app. There are many alternatives available for designers who want to create and prototype user interfaces, such as Sketch, Visily, InVision, Protopie, and Balsamiq.