Figma MCP Server vs Figma MCP

When to pick Figma MCP Server

• Choose Figma MCP Server when your implementation needs the variables behind a design. get_variable_defs returns names and values for styles such as color, spacing and typography, giving your agent explicit tokens to reference in code.
• Pick it when your team uses Code Connect to link Figma components to existing code components. The documented workflow supports reusing those components, and the plugins include skills for component connections and design system rules.
• Use it when you need several views of the same selection. get_design_context supplies structured design information, get_metadata helps identify nodes, and get_screenshot supplies a visual reference for checking the implementation.
• Choose the remote server when the task includes creating or changing native Figma content. With the appropriate skills, agents can update frames, components, variables and auto layout. The guide limits canvas writing to the remote server.

When to pick Figma MCP

• Choose Figma MCP when your Cursor workflow starts with a link to a Figma file, frame or group. The server fetches Figma metadata for the agent to use while implementing the design.
• Pick it when you want the Figma API response reduced before it reaches the model. It simplifies and translates that response around relevant layout and styling information, including typography, colors and component information.
• Use it when you want your MCP client to launch a local Node process over stdio. Its documented configuration uses npx, with a Figma access token supplied as an argument or through FIGMA_API_KEY.
• Pick it for a workflow centered on reading design data and downloading images. Its listed tools are get_figma_data and download_figma_images, matching those two tasks directly.

Main differences

• Figma MCP Server offers a hosted endpoint and a local endpoint through the Figma desktop app, both over Streamable HTTP. Figma MCP uses a local Node process over stdio in the supplied configuration; that process requests data from the Figma API.
• Both require authentication. Figma MCP explicitly requires you to create a Figma access token and configure it yourself. Figma MCP Server connects to Figma's authenticated service; its supplied manual connection command contains the endpoint rather than an API key argument.
• Figma MCP Server's get_design_context returns a React and Tailwind representation that the agent can translate into your project's framework and conventions. Figma MCP describes its output as simplified layout and styling context derived from the API.
• Figma MCP Server documents Code Connect, separate variable extraction, screenshots and remote canvas writing. Figma MCP's supplied documentation focuses on fetching design context, with image downloading also listed among its tools.
• Figma MCP Server documents read limits tied to the user's plan and seat. Its guide describes canvas writing as free during beta, with usage-based payment planned. Figma MCP has an MIT license, but its supplied documentation does not establish service pricing or separate API allowances.

Setup

For Figma MCP Server, connect Claude Code with claude mcp add --transport http figma https://mcp.figma.com/mcp. The guide also recommends claude plugin install figma@claude-plugins-official for MCP settings and workflow skills, or /add-plugin figma in Cursor. In VS Code, add the HTTP endpoint; the documented workflow requires GitHub Copilot.

For Figma MCP, configure your client to launch npx -y figma-developer-mcp --figma-api-key=YOUR-KEY --stdio, replacing the placeholder with your Figma access token. You can instead supply FIGMA_API_KEY through the configuration's env field. On Windows, the documented configuration launches the command through cmd /c.