# Figma API + MCP vs Subframe

> Figma scores 66 (B) to Subframe's 39.7 (E) for design files. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-subframe
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-subframe.md (~2,150 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-subframe.min.md (~730 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-subframe.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

Figma API + MCP scores 66 (B) on agent readiness against Subframe's 39.7 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Both do design files.

- Figma API + MCP: grade B, 66/100, rank #303 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/figma-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/figma-mcp.json
- Subframe: grade E, 39.7/100, rank #915 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/subframe.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/subframe.json
- Best design workspace and canvas APIs for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/design/index.md
- All 49 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:
- Reliability, 59 against 19
- Schema & documentation, 86 against 54
- Agent ergonomics, 60 against 47
- Security & auth, 74 against 44
- Maintenance & community, 84 against 65
- Transparency & trust, 73 against 57

Also in its favour:
- No incidents deducted, where Subframe loses 3 points for them

Watch for: View and Collab seats get 6 MCP calls a month on paid plans

### Subframe (E)

Good for: A coding agent working beside a team that designs React and Tailwind interfaces in Subframe and wants the design as code, with a read-only route for review.

Watch for: 46 tools are documented with no toolsets, and the vendor's `design` skill that explains them is about 55 KB of text


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Figma API + MCP | Subframe | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 59 | 19 | Figma API + MCP +40 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 86 | 54 | Figma API + MCP +32 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 60 | 47 | Figma API + MCP +13 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 74 | 44 | Figma API + MCP +30 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 33 | Subframe +3 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 84 | 65 | Figma API + MCP +19 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 57 | Figma API + MCP +16 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |
| **Total** | | **66 · B** | **39.7 · E** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Figma API + MCP | Subframe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | MCP server |
| Vendor | Figma | Atomic Design Inc |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.figma.com/v1` | `https://mcp.subframe.com/mcp` |
| Transports | HTTP, Streamable HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | proprietary | Proprietary service under Atomic Design's terms of service. `@subframe/cli` and `@subframe/core` are marked ISC in their package files and the Claude Code plugin MIT in its manifest, with no licence file in the repository |
| Tools exposed | 35 | 46 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| MCP registry | `com.figma.mcp/mcp` | not listed |
| Last release | 2026-09-24 | 2026-10-08 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-03-11 | 2026-01-22 |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-01-22 |
| Customer content may train models | yes, with an opt-out | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | not found in the text |
| Popularity | 456k npm/wk | 435 stars, 1k npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (2) | none |

## Verdicts

**Figma API + MCP.** OpenAPI spec, TypeScript types and an llms.txt index for the REST API. View and Collab seats get 6 MCP calls a month on paid plans.

**Subframe.** An agent can read and change pages, components, snippets and themes in a Subframe project through a hosted MCP server with OAuth, and Viewer accounts get a read-only server. The server lists 46 tools, and no status page, rate limits, changelog or security contact were found. Three tools were renamed in September 2026 with no notice found.

## 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`

### Subframe

1. Connect with an MCP client that supports OAuth. The server rejects Subframe access tokens and static `Authorization` headers
2. Pass `projectId` on every call. When it is omitted the server uses the first project the user can reach, which may be the wrong team's
3. After `design_page`, `design_component` or `edit_component`, call `wait_for_jobs` with the `jobId` before reading the result. Earlier reads return stale content
4. Ask the owner before any delete tool or a theme token deletion. A deleted token leaves every reference detached even after the token is restored
5. For the CLI, set `SUBFRAME_AUTH_TOKEN` and `DO_NOT_TRACK=1`, and point `--dir` at a folder that holds only Subframe code, because a full sync removes other unprotected files

## Questions

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

Figma API + MCP scores 66 (B) on agent readiness against Subframe's 39.7 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories.

### Do Figma API + MCP and Subframe need an API key?

Both take an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

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

Yes. Figma API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.figma.com/v1 and Subframe at https://mcp.subframe.com/mcp.


## For agents

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

## Other comparisons with Figma API + MCP or Subframe

- [Figma API + MCP vs Framer Server API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-framer.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs Melius](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-melius.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs Miro API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-miro.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs pen.dev](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-pen-dev.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs Penpot API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-penpot.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs Sketch](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-sketch.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs Zeplin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-zeplin.md)
- [Framer Server API vs Subframe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-subframe.md)
- [Miro API + MCP vs Subframe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/miro-vs-subframe.md)
- [pen.dev vs Subframe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pen-dev-vs-subframe.md)
- [Penpot API + MCP vs Subframe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/penpot-vs-subframe.md)
- [Sketch vs Subframe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sketch-vs-subframe.md)
- [Subframe vs Zeplin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/subframe-vs-zeplin.md)
- [Melius vs Subframe](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/melius-vs-subframe.md)