If you are choosing a design tool in 2026, the real question is not "Figma or not Figma" — it is how much of the journey from idea to running code a tool can actually do for you. Starry, Figma, Google Stitch, and Sketch all sit in the same neighborhood but pull the work in very different directions. Here is the breakdown.
At a glance
| Capability | Starry | Figma | Google Stitch | Sketch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generate UI from prompts | Yes (AI-native) | Plugins / Make | Yes | No built-in AI |
Import native Figma .fig |
Yes | Native | No | Import via plugin |
| Export production code | HTML + React (JSX) | Plugins only | Code snippets | Plugins only |
| MCP server for your editor | Yes (Cursor, Claude Code, Codex) | No | No | No |
| Local-first files | Plain .pen on disk |
Cloud | Cloud | Mac local app |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux | Web | macOS only |
| AI coding-agent integration | MCP + ACP | No | No | No |
Starry — the AI-native option
Starry is built around a simple premise: design is code, and the AI should work directly on the canvas, not just chat about it. You describe an interface in plain language and Starry builds real, editable, auto-layout layers. Then it exports code your project actually owns.
What it exports
- HTML — semantic markup with Tailwind arbitrary-value classes plus inline CSS fallback.
- React (JSX) — two styles: a compact Starry attribute syntax, or React + Tailwind.
- SVG, design tokens, and bitmaps (
PNG / JPG / WEBP). - Reads and writes native Figma
.figand Starry.penfiles.
Because files are plain .pen documents on disk, Starry is local-first: your work does not leave your machine unless you choose to share it, and real-time collaboration runs peer-to-peer over WebRTC with no server or account required to start designing.
Figma — the collaboration standard
Figma is the default collaborative design canvas for a reason: multiplayer editing, a massive plugin ecosystem, and teams that already live in it. Where it stops is code. Figma produces a design, and getting that design into production still means handoff — a developer rebuilds it, or you lean on third-party plugins for imperfect code.
Where Figma wins: organization-wide design systems, stakeholder review, and a workflow your whole team already knows. Where Starry complements it: Starry imports your .fig files, so you can keep Figma for review and use Starry to turn artboards into real components and shipping code.
Google Stitch — prompt-to-UI, early days
Stitch generates UI from prompts and is the clearest "AI designs it for you" entrant from Google. It is promising for quick mockups. The gap versus Starry is depth: Stitch outputs code snippets rather than full, editable, export-ready projects, has no Figma import, and exposes no MCP server — so your AI coding agents cannot read or write the canvas.
Sketch — the Mac-native craft tool
Sketch remains a favorite for Mac-based product designers who want a fast, native app licensed per editor (about $10 per editor / month). It is polished and local, but it has no built-in AI and no MCP server. For teams that want AI to generate and ship UI, Sketch is a design tool; Starry is a design-to-code tool.
Migrating to Starry (without throwing anything away)
- From Figma: open your
.figfile directly in Starry — layers, components, and auto-layout come across as editable nodes. No re-draw. - From Sketch: export to
.fig(or use a Figma-import step), then open in Starry. - To code: select a frame, export to React (JSX) or HTML, and drop it into your project. With the MCP server, Cursor or Claude Code can pull the canvas context straight into your editor.
- Keep your system: design systems are Markdown specs Starry injects into every generation — write yours once and reuse it everywhere.
Frequently asked
For UI generation and code handoff, yes — Starry turns prompts into real components and ships clean code your project owns, while also importing your existing .fig files so you are never locked in.
Both generate UI from prompts, but Starry also exports editable React (JSX) and HTML, imports Figma, and runs an MCP server so AI coding tools can read and write your canvas. Stitch outputs snippets with no Figma import and no MCP.
Sketch is a native Mac app licensed per editor; Starry is AI-first with direct code export and an MCP server. Sketch has no built-in AI and no MCP.
HTML, React (JSX) in two styles, SVG, design tokens, and bitmaps, plus native .fig / .pen round-trip. No Vue or Svelte.
