Dropbox Paper
Zeplin
| Feature | Dropbox Paper | Zeplin |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $11.99/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | small-teams, startups, dropbox-users, creative-teams | design-teams, developers, agencies, product-teams |
| Founded | 2015 | 2014 |
| Collaborative Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Task Lists | ✓ | ✗ |
| Timelines | ✓ | ✗ |
| Media Embedding | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✓ | ✗ |
| Presentations | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Handoff | ✗ | ✓ |
| Style Guide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Components | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Snippets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Measurements | ✗ | ✓ |
| Version History | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Dropbox Paper Pros
- Clean interface
- Good for teams
- Embedded media
- Free with Dropbox
✗ Dropbox Paper Cons
- Limited formatting
- Tied to Dropbox
- Basic features
✓ Zeplin Pros
- Great handoff tool
- Developer-friendly
- Design system support
- Multi-platform
✗ Zeplin Cons
- Figma reducing need
- Limited design editing
- Fewer updates
The Verdict
Dropbox Paper is built for small teams and startups, with a focus on collaborative-editing and task-lists. Zeplin targets design teams and developers and leads with design-handoff and style-guide.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($11.99/mo for Dropbox Paper, $12/mo for Zeplin), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.