Spline vs Figma for 3D design

Last updated October 2026

Spline and Figma occupy very different positions in the design tool landscape. Spline was built from the ground up for 3D design, with a browser-based editor purpose-made for creating interactive 3D scenes, animations, and web-ready exports. Figma is the dominant collaborative UI design tool, built for 2D interface work, that has started moving toward 3D through plugins and a recently announced (but not yet shipped) 3D transforms feature.

The comparison here is not between two equivalent 3D tools. It is between a specialized 3D platform and a 2D platform that offers limited 3D functionality through third-party plugins and forthcoming native features. If your project centers on 3D content, the two tools serve fundamentally different roles.

This page lays out what each one offers so you can decide whether you need a dedicated 3D environment or whether Figma's 2D-first approach with light 3D extensions is enough.

Spline

What it does

Spline is a browser-based 3D design tool built for creating interactive 3D content that runs on the web. It provides a full 3D editor with modeling, materials, lighting, animation, physics, and real-time collaboration. The tool is aimed at designers and developers who want to build 3D experiences without the steep learning curve of traditional 3D software like Blender or Cinema 4D.

Spline positions itself at the intersection of design and development. You build a 3D scene in the editor, add interactions (hover states, click events, scroll-based animations), and export the result as an embeddable web component, a standalone viewer link, or a code snippet. The entire workflow stays in the browser, with no desktop application required.

3D capabilities

Spline's 3D feature set is broad for a web-based tool. The editor supports parametric 3D shapes, boolean operations, path-based modeling, and imported geometry. Materials use a physically based rendering pipeline with support for custom shaders, and the lighting system includes environment maps, HDRIs, and real-time shadows.

Animation in Spline covers keyframe-based motion, state-based transitions, and physics simulations. You can set up interactions where objects respond to mouse movement, clicks, scrolling, or device orientation without writing code. The tool also includes an AI-assisted workflow: you can describe objects, textures, or animations in natural language, and the system generates editable 3D content from those prompts.

Real-time collaboration is native. Multiple designers can work in the same 3D scene simultaneously, similar to how Figma handles collaborative 2D editing. Scenes export as GLTF files for use in other 3D pipelines, as lightweight code embeds for websites, or as high-resolution PNG renders. Paid plans unlock video export and native mobile exports for iOS and Android.

Pricing

Spline offers five tiers, all per seat:

• Free: no cost, suitable for personal projects and exploration. Limited active projects and AI generations, exports may carry watermarks.

• Hobby: $15/month ($12/month billed annually). Removes watermarks and allows unlimited files.

• Pro: $30/month ($25/month billed annually). Adds video export, Apple and Android exports, and team collaboration features.

• Max: $70/month ($60/month billed annually). Includes 10,000 AI credits per month and higher media generation limits.

• Enterprise: custom pricing with SSO, centralized billing, and dedicated onboarding.

AI credits are available as an add-on at $5 per seat per month for plans that do not include them.

Limitations

Spline is optimized for web-quality 3D, not production-grade rendering. If your work requires photorealistic architectural visualization, film-quality character animation, or detailed mechanical modeling, you will hit its ceiling. Geometry is kept lightweight for browser performance, which means fine surface detail and high polygon counts are not its strength.

The AI generation features, while useful for rapid prototyping, can be unreliable with complex objects. Mechanical parts, intricate organic forms, and scenes with many interacting elements often need multiple attempts or significant manual cleanup. Character rigging exists but is limited compared to dedicated animation tools. Realistic facial animation and advanced physics setups still require substantial hands-on work.

Spline also runs entirely in the browser, which means performance depends on your machine's GPU and available memory. Large scenes with many lights and high-resolution textures can slow down on mid-range hardware.

Figma

What it does

Figma is a collaborative interface design tool built for 2D work: UI design, prototyping, design systems, and developer handoff. It is the standard tool for product design teams, with real-time multiplayer editing, a robust plugin ecosystem, and deep integration into modern design-to-development workflows.

Figma was not built for 3D. Its core editor works on a 2D canvas, and its prototyping engine handles screen-based interactions, not spatial ones. That said, Figma has acknowledged demand for 3D capabilities: at Config 2026, the company announced a forthcoming 3D transforms feature that will allow designers to apply depth and perspective to 2D elements directly in the editor. As of October 2026, that feature is on a waitlist and not yet generally available.

3D capabilities

Figma's 3D story today is almost entirely driven by third-party plugins. Several community plugins allow designers to create 3D-like effects within the Figma canvas. Vectary offers a plugin that lets you insert and manipulate 3D objects, then render them as 2D images inside your Figma file. Icons8 provides 3D illustration assets that can be customized and dropped into designs. Other plugins generate isometric views, perspective mockups, and pseudo-3D text effects.

These plugins produce static renders or pre-baked assets, not interactive 3D content. You cannot build an interactive 3D scene in Figma, add physics, or export a real-time 3D experience for the web. The plugins are useful for adding 3D-looking visuals to interface mockups, product presentations, and marketing pages, but they do not replace a 3D design environment.

The upcoming 3D transforms feature, announced at Config 2026, promises to let designers rotate and position layers in three dimensions and combine those transforms with Figma's motion tools. This would bring some depth and perspective capability into Figma natively, but based on what has been shown, it is a 2.5D presentation layer on top of Figma's existing 2D objects, not a full 3D modeling or scene-building environment.

Pricing

Figma's pricing is structured around editor seats across its full platform (not 3D-specific):

• Starter: free, up to 2 editors, 3 Figma files with 3 pages each, 30-day version history, and 150 AI credits per day (capped at 500/month).

• Professional: $16/editor/month billed annually (roughly $20/month on monthly billing). Unlimited files and version history, team libraries, advanced prototyping, and Dev Mode.

• Organization: $55/editor/month billed annually. Org-wide libraries, branching and merging, admin controls, and design system analytics.

• Enterprise: $90/editor/month billed annually. SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, advanced governance, audit logs, and regional hosting.

Figma also offers reduced-rate Dev and Collab seats at each tier. Most third-party 3D plugins are free or carry their own separate pricing.

Limitations

The core limitation is straightforward: Figma is not a 3D tool. Its canvas is 2D, its prototyping is screen-based, and its rendering engine does not handle real-time 3D. The 3D plugins available today produce static outputs, not interactive experiences. You cannot create a scene with lighting, animate an object along a 3D path, or export something a user can rotate and interact with on a website.

The forthcoming 3D transforms feature may narrow this gap for presentation-layer use cases, but it appears designed for adding depth to UI mockups rather than building 3D content from scratch. Figma's strength remains in 2D interface design, and its 3D story is supplementary to that core.

For teams that need both 2D interface design and 3D content, Figma and Spline serve complementary roles rather than competing ones. Many teams use Figma for their UI work and a separate tool for 3D, embedding the 3D output into their Figma mockups as static assets or linking to interactive 3D prototypes hosted elsewhere.

Comparison table

How to choose

If your project requires interactive 3D content for the web, Spline is the clear choice. It handles the full pipeline from modeling through animation to embeddable export, all within a single browser-based tool. Figma cannot produce interactive 3D output at all, regardless of which plugins you install.

If you need 3D-looking visuals for UI mockups or presentations, Figma's plugin ecosystem may be sufficient. Tools like Vectary and Icons8 let you insert pre-made or lightly customized 3D assets into your Figma designs as static renders. The results look polished enough for mockups and pitch decks without requiring you to learn a separate 3D tool.

If you are a product design team building both interfaces and 3D experiences, you will likely use both tools. Figma handles the UI design, design system management, and developer handoff. Spline handles the 3D scenes, animations, and interactive elements. The two tools do not compete in this scenario; they fill different roles in the same workflow.

If you are evaluating based on learning curve, Spline is significantly easier to pick up than traditional 3D software like Blender, but it still requires learning 3D concepts (camera positioning, lighting, materials, depth). Figma's 2D canvas is more familiar to most designers. If you only need occasional 3D elements and your team already uses Figma, plugins might save you from adopting a new tool entirely.

If cost is a primary factor, both tools offer free tiers that are worth trying before committing. Spline's free plan lets you explore 3D creation with some limitations on projects and exports. Figma's free plan covers basic UI design with limited files. The paid tiers are comparably priced at the entry level ($15/month for Spline Hobby vs $16/editor/month for Figma Professional), though they cover entirely different feature sets.

Related comparisons

• Spline vs Blender

• Spline vs Three.js

• Best 3D design tool

Frequently asked questions

Can Figma do 3D design?

Figma is not a 3D design tool. It operates on a 2D canvas and does not include native 3D modeling, lighting, or animation capabilities. Third-party plugins like Vectary allow you to insert and render 3D objects within Figma, but these produce static 2D images rather than interactive 3D content. Figma announced a 3D transforms feature at Config 2026 that will add depth and perspective to 2D layers, but this is a presentation enhancement, not a 3D modeling environment.

Is Spline better than Figma for 3D?

For 3D work, Spline is the stronger tool by a wide margin. It was built specifically for 3D design and includes modeling, materials, animation, physics, and interactive export features that Figma does not offer. Figma excels at 2D interface design and collaborative prototyping, but it is not designed to compete with dedicated 3D tools.

Can I use Spline and Figma together?

Yes, and many teams do. A common workflow is to design interfaces in Figma and create 3D elements in Spline, then embed the Spline scenes into the final product. You can also render 3D assets in Spline and import them into Figma as static images for use in mockups and presentations.

Does Spline require coding knowledge?

No. Spline's editor is visual, and its interaction system lets you set up click events, hover states, scroll-based animations, and other behaviors without writing code. When you export a scene for the web, Spline generates the embed code for you. Developers who want more control can work with the exported GLTF files or use Spline's code export options to integrate scenes into custom codebases.

Is Spline free to use?

Spline has a free tier that lets you create 3D scenes, use basic AI generation features, and export content with some restrictions. The free plan limits the number of active projects and may add watermarks to exports. Paid plans start at $15/month for the Hobby tier, which removes watermarks and allows unlimited files.

What 3D plugins does Figma have?

The most notable 3D-related Figma plugins include Vectary (insert and customize 3D objects, render as 2D images), Icons8 3D illustrations (pre-made customizable 3D assets), and various isometric and perspective mockup generators. These plugins are useful for adding 3D-looking elements to 2D designs but do not turn Figma into a 3D design tool.

Can Spline export for mobile apps?

On the Pro plan and above, Spline supports exports for iOS and Android. These allow you to embed interactive 3D content in native mobile applications. The free and Hobby plans are limited to web-based exports and static image renders.

What file formats does Spline support?

Spline exports to GLTF (the standard format for web-ready 3D), high-resolution PNG, and embeddable web components. Paid plans add video export. You can also import common 3D file formats into Spline for editing.

Is Figma's 3D transforms feature available yet?

As of October 2026, Figma's 3D transforms feature is on a waitlist and not generally available. It was announced at Config 2026 and described as a way to add depth and dimension to designs by rotating and positioning layers in three dimensions. Figma has indicated it will combine with their motion tools, but the full scope and timeline for general availability have not been confirmed.

How does Spline compare to Blender for web 3D?

Spline is purpose-built for web 3D and makes it straightforward to create interactive scenes that embed directly into websites. Blender is a far more powerful 3D tool overall, with advanced modeling, sculpting, rendering, and animation capabilities, but it requires more technical skill and an additional pipeline to get content onto the web. For a deeper look at this comparison, see Spline vs Blender.

Can I create animations in Spline?

Yes. Spline supports keyframe animation, state-based transitions, and physics-driven motion. You can animate object properties like position, rotation, scale, and material settings over time. The tool also includes AI-assisted animation, where you describe a movement and the system generates editable keyframes. These animations can be interactive, responding to user input like mouse position or scroll depth.

Which tool is better for a design portfolio?

It depends on what you want to show. If your portfolio is focused on UI and product design, Figma is the standard tool and your work will be presented in the format reviewers expect. If you want to showcase 3D design, motion, or interactive web experiences, Spline lets you embed live 3D scenes directly into a portfolio site, which can make your work stand out compared to static screenshots.