InVision
Polotno
| Feature | InVision | Polotno |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $7.95/mo | Free / from $20.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Best For | design-teams, product-managers, stakeholder-reviews, legacy-users | developers, saas-builders, budget-designers, quick-design-needs |
| Founded | 2011 | 2021 |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Freehand Whiteboard | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Systems | ✓ | ✗ |
| Inspect Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Commenting | ✓ | ✗ |
| User Testing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Image Generation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Background Removal | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sdk Embedding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Text Effects | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export Options | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ InVision Pros
- Excellent prototyping with hotspots and transitions
- Freehand whiteboarding for brainstorming
- Design system manager (DSM) for consistency
- Good stakeholder review and commenting workflow
✗ InVision Cons
- Company has pivoted and scaled down significantly
- Studio product was discontinued
- Most teams have migrated to Figma
✓ Polotno Pros
- No account required to start
- SDK for embedding in your own app
- AI background removal and generation
- Clean and fast interface
✗ Polotno Cons
- Smaller template library than Canva
- Limited brand kit features
- Community-driven content
The Verdict
InVision is built for design teams and product managers, with a focus on prototyping and freehand-whiteboard. Polotno targets developers and saas builders and leads with templates and ai-image-generation.
On pricing, InVision is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $7.95/mo compared to $20.99/mo for Polotno. That $13.04/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
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.