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.

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 needCategory that fitsWhat to know
A picture to look at or shareImage-first generatorsThese 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.
Screens I can edit by handPrompt-to-editable-UI toolsThese 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.
A running prototype or codePrompt-to-prototype and app toolsThese 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.
Help inside my design toolAssistant features inside your design toolWhether 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 FigmaAny categoryBringing 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 systemAny categoryWith 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.

Claims about named products checked on .

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 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:

  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, or use the UI prompt builder to assemble one.

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