# Figma API + MCP vs Framelink MCP for Figma

> Framelink MCP for Figma scores 66.1 (B) to Figma's 63.4 (B) for design files. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-framelink-figma-mcp
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- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (the key docs and every listing in one file, at most 16 MB, about 4 million tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
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- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
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- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-11-07

Framelink MCP for Figma scores 66.1 (B) on agent readiness against Figma API + MCP's 63.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Figma API + MCP leads on security & auth, maintenance & community and transparency & trust. Both do design files.

- Figma API + MCP: grade B, 63.4/100, rank #515 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/figma-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/figma-mcp.json
- Framelink MCP for Figma: grade B, 66.1/100, rank #386 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/framelink-figma-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/framelink-figma-mcp.json
- Best design workspace and canvas APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/design/index.md
- All 120 design comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/design/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Figma API + MCP (B)

Good for: Design-to-code agents and teams already paying for Dev or Full seats.

Ahead on:
- Security & auth, 71 against 55
- Maintenance & community, 84 against 41
- Transparency & trust, 67 against 47

Also in its favour:
- A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install

Watch for: View and Collab seats get 20 MCP calls a month on every plan

### Framelink MCP for Figma (B)

Good for: Reading a Figma frame into a coding agent to build matching UI.

Ahead on:
- Agent ergonomics, 83 against 60
- Payments & pricing, 60 against 10

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine
- Open source

Watch for: Last release 0.13.2 on 18 June 2026, and still below 1.0


## Why the edge

### Payments & pricing: Framelink MCP for Figma +50

- Figma API + MCP (10): No x402 or other machine payment (0). Seat prices sit on www.figma.com/pricing, whose robots.txt disallows our crawler, so the 30 September reading is struck. MCP calls and the coming usage-based write tools have no per-call price on the developer pages (0 of 20). The help centre says "The Starter plan is a free Figma plan", but no readable page states whether a card is needed, so half the line, as anchor-browser's free tier with no card rule (10 of 20). View and Collab seats get 20 MCP calls a month. A person signs up in a browser and approves OAuth, and only catalogue clients can connect (0).
- Framelink MCP for Figma (60): By the self-hosted rule. A free MIT package with nothing to buy (20 + 20 + 20), and no payment protocol (0). Figma API use falls under the user's own Figma plan. 60.

### Maintenance & community: Figma API + MCP +43

- Figma API + MCP (84): REST changelog entry on 22 October 2026 (Teams, folder creation, file duplication and invite endpoints for Enterprise) (30). REST changelog entries on 10 August, 17 September and 22 October (20). Closed service with a public changelog and support. We didn't test support (12 of 15). com.figma.mcp/mcp is in the official registry under a DNS-verified namespace, latest 1.0.3 (15). @figma/rest-api-spec and Code Connect are maintained on npm. We didn't audit their dependencies (7 of 10).
- Framelink MCP for Figma (41): Last release 0.13.2 on 18 June 2026, 141 days before this check (10). No release in the 90 days since 8 August (0). The maintainer merged his own pull requests through June and closed four outside pull requests between July and September, but the three open issues filed since May have no reply and seven outside pull requests from July to October are open without one (8 of 25). In the official MCP registry under the GitHub-verified namespace io.github.GLips, with 0.13.2 as the latest entry (15). CI and tests exist, and the MCP SDK is pinned at 1.29.0 with current dependencies (8 of 10). 10 + 0 + 8 + 15 + 8 = 41.

### Agent ergonomics: Framelink MCP for Figma +23

- Figma API + MCP (60): REST file reads can be cut down with `ids` and `depth`. The MCP server lists 41 tools (18 read, 14 write, 9 Weave; 35 on 1 October), with some remote-only and others desktop-only, and we found no toolsets or read-only subset (15 of 25). Cursor pagination on comments, versions and folders (16 of 20). REST errors carry a status and message (13 of 20). We couldn't confirm readOnlyHint or destructiveHint on the closed MCP server, and REST writes have no idempotency keys. `weave_run_tool` stops with `cost_confirmation_required` until the caller acknowledges the credit cost (8 of 20). TypeScript types for REST and the Code Connect CLI, but no official REST client in two languages (8 of 15).
- Framelink MCP for Figma (83): Two compact tools (25). Output is sized by `nodeId` and `depth`, and the default `tree` format drops default values and auto-generated layer names and deduplicates repeated styles and subtrees. No pagination, which a single-file read rarely needs (16 of 20). Errors are written for a model to recover from, with Figma's 403 body surfaced and guidance for wrong node IDs from prototype, branch and FigJam links, per the 0.12.0 changelog (16 of 20). `get_figma_data` carries readOnlyHint and `download_figma_images` openWorldHint, with no destructiveHint on the tool that writes files and no note on overwriting (14 of 20). Only `fileKey` is required and one npx line starts it, but there is no SDK, which a two-tool local server doesn't need (12 of 15). 25 + 16 + 16 + 14 + 12 = 83.

### Transparency & trust: Figma API + MCP +20

- Figma API + MCP (67): Closed service. The terms sit on www.figma.com, whose robots.txt disallows our crawler; held at 15 as whatsapp-cloud-api's licence line was with its terms unread (15). The privacy policy and sub-processor list read on 1 October are on the same host and are struck. The help centre's content-training article says training is on by default for Starter and Professional teams and off for Organization and Enterprise, that third-party model providers must delete inputs and outputs after processing, and that Figma upholds its data processing agreements, but it gives no retention period and has no second readable document to agree with (12 of 30). Dated deprecation notices on the developer changelog, such as the v1 projects endpoints on 10 August 2026, but no removal dates (13 of 20). The help article links a sub-processor list for Figma AI that we can't read and mentions data residency commitments without naming locations (5 of 20).
- Framelink MCP for Figma (47): MIT licence in the repository and on npm (30). No privacy policy or terms on framelink.ai or the docs. Design data goes from Figma to the local model client, and the docs describe what telemetry sends, but there is no data statement to agree with (8 of 30). No deprecation policy. Breaking defaults are called out in the changelog (5 of 20). Telemetry to PostHog (us.i.posthog.com) has been on by default since 0.10.0 on 10 April 2026. The configuration page discloses it with three ways to opt out, while the README doesn't mention it, and an open issue of 16 April 2026 reports that `error_message` can include file keys and node IDs, which the source's redaction (credentials only) doesn't cover (14 of 20). 30 + 8 + 5 + 14 = 57.

### Security & auth: Figma API + MCP +16

- Figma API + MCP (71): OAuth 2 with per-resource scopes such as `file_content:read` and `file_comments:write` (the 22 October Teams endpoints add `teams:write`, `folders:write` and `team_members:write`), scoped personal access tokens, and plan access tokens with resource allowlists and expiry of up to a year. The MCP server signs in with OAuth and only catalogue-listed clients can connect (30). Read-only scopes give least privilege on REST. The MCP server has no documented read-only mode, and canvas writes such as `use_figma` run without a confirmation step (13 of 20). File content, layer names and comments written by collaborators reach the model as they are, and we found no prompt-injection guidance (3 of 15). Activity logs and an AI usage API for Enterprise (12 of 15). Figma runs a bug bounty programme on HackerOne (hackerone.com/figma, "Figma - Bug Bounty Program"). www.figma.com's robots.txt disallows our crawler on every path, so the security page's certifications read on 1 October are struck and security.txt stays unread. Graded as meta-marketing-api's 13 (bounty route confirmed elsewhere, the vendor's own security pages unread) (13 of 20).
- Framelink MCP for Figma (55): The credential is the user's own Figma token. Figma personal access tokens are scoped and revocable, and the docs say `file_content:read` is the one scope the server needs. OAuth tokens are accepted but not refreshed, and the token is passed in the client config's args or env, not a URL (25 of 30). The server only reads Figma. Its one write is image files, confined to `--image-dir`, and `--skip-image-downloads` removes that tool; the local HTTP mode has no authentication of its own and binds 127.0.0.1 by default (16 of 20). Layer names and text written by collaborators reach the model as they are, and no prompt-injection guidance was found (3 of 15). Logs go to the local console only, with no per-call audit record (3 of 15). SECURITY.md asks for private reports through GitHub security advisories with a 48-hour acknowledgement. No security.txt, bug bounty or certification (8 of 20). 25 + 16 + 3 + 3 + 8 = 55.

## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Figma API + MCP | Framelink MCP for Figma | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 64 | 68 | Framelink MCP for Figma +4 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 86 | 87 | Framelink MCP for Figma +1 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 60 | 83 | Framelink MCP for Figma +23 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 71 | 55 | Figma API + MCP +16 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 10 | 60 | Framelink MCP for Figma +50 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 84 | 41 | Figma API + MCP +43 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 67 | 47 | Figma API + MCP +20 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **63.4 · B** | **66.1 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Figma API + MCP | Framelink MCP for Figma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | MCP server |
| Vendor | Figma | Framelink (Graham Lipsman) |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.figma.com/v1` | no (local only) |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | stdio, Streamable HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth or key | Token |
| Pricing | Freemium | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | proprietary | MIT |
| Tools exposed | 41 | 2 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| MCP registry | `com.figma.mcp/mcp` | `io.github.GLips/Figma-Context-MCP` |
| Last release | 2026-10-22 | 2026-06-18 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-03-11 | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | no document linked |
| Customer content may train models | yes, with an opt-out | not read yet |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not read yet |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not read yet |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | not read yet |
| Popularity | 456k npm/wk | 16k stars, 162k npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (2) | none |

## How the scores have moved

### Figma API + MCP

- -2.7 on 1 November 2026: correction
- +0.1 on 28 October 2026: new evidence
- -0.1 on 8 October 2026: checklist

### Framelink MCP for Figma

No score change since it was listed.

## Verdicts

**Figma API + MCP.** OpenAPI spec, TypeScript types and an llms.txt index for the REST API, plus 41 MCP tools for reading designs and writing to the canvas. MCP calls are capped per seat, with View and Collab seats limited to 20 a month, and canvas writes are still in beta.

**Framelink MCP for Figma.** Two compact, typed tools return Figma layout and styles in a token-saving tree format and save image assets, with a read-only hint and a flag that removes the writing tool. There has been no release since 18 June 2026, issues and outside pull requests since July have gone unanswered, and telemetry is on by default.

## Before you call either

### Figma API + MCP

1. Pass `ids=` and `depth=` to `GET /v1/files/:key`. A whole file is large
2. `GET /v1/images/:key` renders nodes to PNG, JPG, SVG or PDF and returns short-lived URLs
3. On 429 read `Retry-After`. Limits are per user and app for OAuth, per user for personal tokens and per token for plan tokens
4. Use the v2 folders endpoints. The v1 projects endpoints were deprecated on 10 August 2026
5. Confirm the credit cost with the user when `weave_run_tool` returns `cost_confirmation_required`

### Framelink MCP for Figma

1. Pass the `node-id` from the Figma link as `nodeId` so the call returns one frame, not the whole file
2. Leave `depth` unset unless the user asks, as the tool description says
3. Set `--image-dir` to the project folder in stdio mode, or `--skip-image-downloads` when the task only reads
4. Set `FRAMELINK_TELEMETRY=off` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` in the server's env if the user's policy forbids usage reporting
5. On a 429 from Figma, wait and retry later; the limit is the user's Figma plan, not the server's

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Figma API + MCP or Framelink MCP for Figma?

Framelink MCP for Figma scores 66.1 (B) on agent readiness against Figma API + MCP's 63.4 (B), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Figma API + MCP leads on security & auth, maintenance & community and transparency & trust.

### Do Figma API + MCP and Framelink MCP for Figma need an API key?

Figma API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in. Framelink MCP for Figma needs an access token.

### Can an agent call Figma API + MCP and Framelink MCP for Figma without installing anything?

Figma API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.figma.com/v1. Framelink MCP for Figma runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed.

### Are Figma API + MCP and Framelink MCP for Figma open source?

No open-source release is listed for Figma API + MCP. Framelink MCP for Figma is open source (MIT).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-framelink-figma-mcp.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-framelink-figma-mcp.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "figma-mcp", "b": "framelink-figma-mcp"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare figma-mcp framelink-figma-mcp`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/figma-mcp.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/framelink-figma-mcp.json

## Other comparisons with Figma API + MCP or Framelink MCP for Figma

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- [Figma API + MCP vs Zeplin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-zeplin.md)
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- [Framelink MCP for Figma vs Magic Patterns](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framelink-figma-mcp-vs-magic-patterns.md)
- [Framelink MCP for Figma vs Melius](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framelink-figma-mcp-vs-melius.md)
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- [Framelink MCP for Figma vs Sketch](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framelink-figma-mcp-vs-sketch.md)
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- [Framelink MCP for Figma vs Zeplin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framelink-figma-mcp-vs-zeplin.md)
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