# How to Choose an AI Design Tool: A Decision Guide by Output Type Source: https://chat2.design/guides/choose-an-ai-design-tool/ Updated: November 6, 2026 Category: AI Design > Choose an AI design tool by the output you need, not by brand. Image-first generators return flat pictures, editable-UI tools return screens you can change, and prompt-to-prototype tools return running prototypes or code. Answer three questions below to see which category fits, with sources for every named product claim. ## Which category of AI design tool do I need? Answer the three questions in the guide below. It runs in your browser, stores nothing, and shows the category that fits, with notes for Figma and design-system users. If JavaScript is off, read the table of every outcome underneath. _(An interactive version of this guide is on the web page; the table below has every outcome.)_ ## What are the outcomes at a glance? This table is the same decision guide in static form. It describes categories of tool, not a ranking of products. | If you need | Category that fits | What to know | | --- | --- | --- | | A picture to look at or share | Image-first generators | These return flat pictures, in the same family as PNG or JPG files. They suit mood boards and exploring visual directions. Because a flat image has no editable shapes, you rebuild the screen by hand in your design tool. [Export formats reference](/reference/ai-design-export-formats/) | | Screens I can edit by hand | Prompt-to-editable-UI tools | These aim to return editable screens rather than a flat picture. As one documented example, Uizard describes an Autodesigner that creates an editable, multi-screen design from a text prompt. Before you commit to any tool, check what it exports (layers, SVG or only images) against the export reference. [Uizard: designing with text prompts](https://uizard.io/blog/create-ui-designs-using-text-prompts/) [Export formats reference](/reference/ai-design-export-formats/) | | A running prototype or code | Prompt-to-prototype and app tools | These return a running prototype or code. Figma describes Figma Make as a prompt-to-app tool that turns Figma designs into interactive prototypes and can produce code-level changes. Treat generated code as a draft for a developer to review. [Figma blog: Introducing Figma Make](https://www.figma.com/blog/introducing-figma-make/) [Figma Help: Create a Figma Make file](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/31304485164695-Create-a-Figma-Make-file) | | Help inside my design tool | Assistant features inside your design tool | Whether your tool has built-in generation, and what it can do, varies by vendor and changes often. We have not verified a list, so check your tool's own help center for the current features and limits. | | Also: bringing the result into Figma | Any category | Bringing the result into Figma: Figma converts an imported SVG into editable vector layers, while PNG and JPG arrive as image fills. Prefer a tool that exports SVG or layers; if it only exports images, treat them as references to rebuild from. | | Also: a team with a design system | Any category | With a design system: plan a mapping step to rebuild the draft with your real components and tokens. Figma's help says you can attach Figma designs to a Figma Make prompt for context, so check each tool's documentation for the same. | ## How do the categories differ? The first question, what you need the tool to give you, matters most because the output decides what you can do next. - **A flat image** is quick to produce and good for exploring direction, but it has no editable shapes. You rebuild it. - **Editable screens** save the rebuild, but only if the tool's export keeps layers or vector shapes. That is a question for the tool's documentation, and our [export formats reference](/reference/ai-design-export-formats/) explains what each format means. - **A prototype or code** lets you test an idea in a browser. Treat the code as a draft: it needs developer review and, if you have a design system, a mapping step. ## What should I check before I choose a specific tool? Use the same questions for any product, ours or anyone else's. They come from our [editorial policy](/editorial-policy/): 1. Does it do the job you need, with realistic effort? 2. Can you edit, regenerate and export the result? 3. Is the pricing, and any free plan, clear on the vendor's own site? 4. Who owns the output, and what happens to what you upload? 5. Is it maintained, with documentation and a way to get help? For how prompts shape results, read [AI prompts for UI design](/guides/ai-prompts-for-ui-design/), or use the [UI prompt builder](/tools/ui-prompt-builder/) to assemble one. ## Sources - [Uizard: Designing with text prompts](https://uizard.io/blog/create-ui-designs-using-text-prompts/): Autodesigner described as creating an editable, multi-screen design from a prompt (checked 29 October 2026). - [Figma blog: Introducing Figma Make](https://www.figma.com/blog/introducing-figma-make/): described as a prompt-to-app tool for interactive prototypes (7 May 2025; checked 29 October 2026). - [Figma Help: Create a Figma Make file](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/31304485164695-Create-a-Figma-Make-file): prompting and attaching Figma designs. - [Figma Help: Add images and videos to designs](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040028034-Add-images-and-videos-to-designs): SVG becomes editable vector layers; PNG and JPG arrive as images. - [Figma Help: Export formats and settings for static designs](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/13402894554519-Export-formats-and-settings-for-static-designs) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the main difference between AI design tools? The kind of output. Some return flat images, some return editable screens, and some return interactive prototypes or code. That decides what you can do with the result. ### Do I need a tool that exports to Figma? Only if your team works in Figma. Figma converts an imported SVG into editable vector layers, while PNG and JPG arrive as image fills, so check the tool's export options first. ### Does this guide rank AI design tools? No. It describes categories and routes you to the one that fits your need. Where a named product is mentioned, the claim links the vendor's own documentation and shows a checked-on date. ### How often is this guide updated? Product claims were checked on 29 October 2026. The page shows when it was last updated.