TL;DR
- Adobe confirmed it is no longer investing in XD — it’s in maintenance mode and not sold as a standalone app to new customers.
- Figma remains the industry-standard choice for UI/UX design and prototyping, with active development and a Professional plan from $12/editor/mo (annual).
- If you’re learning UI/UX design in 2026, learn Figma. There’s no realistic case for starting fresh on XD.
What actually happened to Adobe XD
In early 2024, Adobe confirmed it would stop investing further in Adobe XD, its vector design and prototyping tool. XD is now in maintenance mode: Adobe will keep patching bugs and security issues for existing Creative Cloud subscribers, but there’s no new feature development, and XD is no longer sold as a standalone app to new customers. It joins a list of Adobe products wound down or deprioritized over the years, including Muse and Fuse.
Why this matters if you’re choosing a tool to learn
Design tools live and die by their ecosystems — plugins, community tutorials, job listings, and file-sharing conventions all follow wherever the active user base is. Figma has become the de facto standard for UI/UX and product design work, which means job postings, freelance briefs, and team workflows overwhelmingly expect Figma files, not XD files.
Figma pricing (2026)
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | Up to 3 files, unlimited viewers |
| Professional | $12/editor/mo (annual) or $15/mo (monthly) | Unlimited files, version history, team libraries |
| Organization | $45/editor/mo (annual) | Design systems, branching, org-wide libraries |
Should you switch existing XD projects to Figma?
If you have active client work or a team relying on XD, you don’t need to panic — existing Creative Cloud subscribers can keep using it, and Adobe is still patching security issues. But for any new project, and especially if you’re building skills for freelance or job-market purposes, start in Figma. Most import tools can bring XD files into Figma reasonably cleanly for a one-time migration.
FAQ
Is Adobe XD dead?
Not fully shut down, but effectively end-of-life: Adobe confirmed in 2024 it’s no longer investing in new features, XD is in maintenance mode, and it’s no longer sold as a standalone app to new customers.
Should I learn Figma or Adobe XD in 2026?
Figma. It’s the active industry standard with ongoing development, a large plugin ecosystem, and far more job listings and freelance briefs expecting Figma files.
How much does Figma cost?
Figma’s Starter plan is free for up to 3 files. The Professional plan is $12/editor/month billed annually ($15/month billed monthly).