UX Caffè

From Figma to Live Website: How Sites, the New Tool for Publishing Online, Works

Is Figma Sites the new Webflow killer? Let’s find out what it can do, what it’s missing, and whether it’s worth trying.

2025-05-26

Anyone working in web design knows that Figma has become a standard for interface design. But now, Figma has taken a bold new step with Sites, its newly launched tool for turning designs into fully functional, publishable websites—without needing to use external platforms like Webflow, Framer, or WordPress.

But... does it really work? And more importantly: can it replace the others?

In this article, you’ll get a simple and practical overview of what Figma Sites can (and can’t) do—so you can decide whether it’s just a toy for curious designers or a real tool ready for the production world.

What is Figma Sites?

Figma Sites is a native feature within Figma (currently in private beta) that allows you to create and publish websites directly from a Figma file. The concept is similar to Webflow or Framer: take a static design and bring it to life online—without writing a single line of code.

Everything starts with a classic Figma design: frames, components, prototypes. With Sites, you can add interactivity, define sections, set custom URLs, add sticky elements and light animations, and publish with a single click.

What You Can (Already) Do with Sites

• Publish a site directly from Figma, with no need for exports or third-party tools.
• Add basic interactivity: links, hover effects, scroll animations, smooth transitions.
• Set up your page structure: home, subpages, anchor links, menus.
• Handle responsive layouts: Figma Sites builds on Figma’s Auto Layout system and adapts it for the web.
• Use reusable components to avoid duplicated work.
• Built-in hosting: you can publish to a figma.site domain or connect your own custom domain.

What It Can’t Do (Yet)

• No dynamic content: no CMS, no database—so you can’t build a blog or e-commerce site.
• Limited SEO controls: currently, there’s little to no control over meta tags, sitemaps, or SEO performance.
• No custom code: you can’t yet add JavaScript, embeds, or custom logic.
• Performance still untested: the sites look nice, but real-world benchmarks on speed and accessibility are still scarce.

Who It’s Best For

Figma Sites is ideal for:

• Freelance designers who want to publish a portfolio quickly
• Agencies that need to validate a concept with clients without technical overhead
• Small, temporary projects, MVPs, or simple landing pages

If you’re working with dynamic content, complex flows, advanced SEO, or technical customizations… you’ll still need Webflow, Framer, or WordPress (for now).

Is It Worth Trying?

If you’re already working in Figma and often need to present "fake-but-functional" prototypes or concepts—absolutely yes. It’s fast, lightweight, and deeply integrated.

But if you're looking for a fully-fledged alternative to mature no-code tools... we’re not there yet.

That said, the future is promising: if Figma manages to integrate CMS features, SEO controls, and dynamic flows, Sites could become a real game-changer for designers.