InVision
Zeplin
| Feature | InVision | Zeplin |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $7.95/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | design-teams, product-managers, stakeholder-reviews, legacy-users | design-teams, developers, agencies, product-teams |
| Founded | 2011 | 2014 |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Freehand Whiteboard | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Systems | ✓ | ✗ |
| Inspect Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Commenting | ✓ | ✗ |
| User Testing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Handoff | ✗ | ✓ |
| Style Guide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Components | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Snippets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Measurements | ✗ | ✓ |
| Version History | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Zeplin Pros
- Great handoff tool
- Developer-friendly
- Design system support
- Multi-platform
✗ Zeplin Cons
- Figma reducing need
- Limited design editing
- Fewer updates
The Verdict
InVision is built for design teams and product managers, with a focus on prototyping and freehand-whiteboard. Zeplin targets design teams and developers and leads with design-handoff and style-guide.
Pricing is close: InVision starts at $7.95/mo versus $12/mo for Zeplin — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Zeplin edges out on user ratings (4.2 vs 3.8). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for design teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Zeplin has a slight overall edge — but if excellent prototyping with hotspots and transitions matters most to you, InVision may still be the right call.