Figma Sites just launched, are handoffs finally dead?

If you're building a startup, there’s a good chance you’re already using Figma.

From early-stage wireframes to final pitch decks, Figma has become the default tool for modern teams. It’s fast, browser-based, and built for collaboration. No installs, no version control issues, just a clean, shared space where everyone can work together. That’s exactly what startups need when speed is everything.

Figma beat older design tools like Sketch by offering real-time collaboration and cloud-based workflows. It replaced clunky mockups and static handovers. For many, it even replaced the whiteboard. But as powerful as Figma is, it’s always been one part of the stack. You still needed to hand off designs to developers or rebuild them in tools like Webflow or Framer.

That might be about to change. With the launch of Figma Sites, design and build finally come together in one place. And if it lives up to its promise, this could reshape how startups launch their products online.

What Figma Sites lets you do

Figma Sites allows you to turn your Figma designs directly into live websites, without ever leaving the tool. Once your design is ready, you can paste it into the Sites interface, add breakpoints for mobile, tablet, and desktop, and adjust layouts accordingly. You can also apply built-in animations, including hover effects, scroll interactions, and even conditional triggers.

What makes this different is that you can preview everything in real HTML and CSS, not just a static prototype. Once it’s ready, you can publish your site to a custom domain straight from Figma.

There’s also more on the way. A lightweight CMS is set to launch later this year, aimed at simplifying how you manage dynamic content like blogs or team pages. And then there’s Figma Make, a feature that lets you generate code using prompts. You can build custom components with AI, then drop them right back into your project.

It’s early, but the direction is clear: one space for the whole product lifecycle, from first sketch to live site.

Why this matters for startups

Startups move fast. They need to test ideas quickly, build prototypes that feel real, and get them in front of users without delay. Every extra tool, every handoff, and every layer of friction slows things down.

That’s what makes Figma Sites so interesting. It removes a major step in the process. Instead of designing in one tool and building in another, your team can now design, build, and launch all in the same space. For early-stage startups with limited resources, that could save hours of dev time and make it easier to run fast, iterative experiments.

It also lowers the barrier for non-technical founders. If you’re a solo builder or part of a lean team, you no longer need to wait on a developer—or learn a whole new tool like Webflow. If you can design in Figma, you’re halfway to going live.

What’s not there (yet)

Let’s be clear: this is still a beta release, and it shows.

We looked at some of the templates created with Figma Sites, and there are issues. Components break across screen sizes. Animations feel clunky. Some UI elements don’t work as expected. The code output also needs work, it’s heavy on divs, light on structure, and missing basic SEO elements like heading tags and semantic layout.

The animation tools, while easy to use, are mostly limited to pre-made effects. They’re great for quick interactions, but not yet flexible enough for more custom or advanced projects.

That said, it’s an early version, and Figma is known for moving fast. If they can improve code quality and give designers more control, this could become a serious option for real-world launches.

Our take

Figma has always been where startup ideas begin. Now, it’s trying to be where they ship, too.

The idea of removing handoffs and building directly from design is compelling, especially for founders working with small teams and tight timelines. While the product isn’t quite ready for full production use, the potential is clear. If Figma pulls this off, it could become a powerful all-in-one platform for fast-moving teams.

Right now, it’s not a Webflow replacement. But it’s heading in that direction. And for many startups, especially those focused on speed and iteration, that might be exactly what they need.

We’re excited to keep testing, and to see what startups start building with it next.