Framelink Figma MCP compared with FigmaMCP
Framelink Figma MCP, the GLips/Figma-Context-MCP project, gives an AI coding agent the layout and style of a design so it can build it. FigmaMCP is a free Mac app that lets Claude Code or Codex read and edit the file open in Figma. They do different jobs. Facts about Framelink come from its GitHub README, checked 2026-11-13.
| Framelink (Figma-Context-MCP) | FigmaMCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Provides Figma layout information to AI coding agents | Lets an agent read and edit the open Figma file |
| How it gets data | You give it a link to a file, frame or group; it fetches metadata from Figma | Reads the file open in Figma desktop through a local plugin |
| Access token | Needs a Figma access token | No API token |
| Writes to Figma | Its README describes fetching only | Yes, with guardrails |
| Named client | Cursor; README says other clients use a similar config | Claude Code and Codex |
| License | MIT, per its repository | Free Mac app |
| Platform | Not stated on the page we read | macOS only |
Source: Figma-Context-MCP README, checked 2026-11-13. These may change.
Which one to choose
- Framelink: you want a coding agent to turn a design into code from a link, and you do not need to change the Figma file. It trims what the Figma API returns down to layout and styling for the model, per its README.
- FigmaMCP: you want the agent to change the file: create frames, edit text, adjust styles. It works on the file open in Figma desktop, on a Mac, with Claude Code or Codex.
The two are not exclusive. A read-only context tool and an editing tool answer different questions: “what does this design look like?” and “change this design.” Some people use one for handoff to code and the other for working on the design itself.
FigmaMCP does not ask for an API token and has no call quota from FigmaMCP. Edits only happen where the plugin’s “AI can edit this file” switch is on, and with that switch off the file is read-only. Each edit names its target layer, and the name must match.
Download for Mac Version 0.1.10
See also other Figma MCP alternatives, the Figma REST API, tools and setup.
