figma-use vs Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp)

A side-by-side comparison of two Design & Media servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	figma-use Control Figma from the terminal or as an MCP server — full read/write: create shapes, text, components, render JSX, export images. Unverified HTTP (remote) No auth TypeScript	Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) Popular community server that feeds Figma layout data to coding agents via a Figma API token. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Design & Media	Design & Media
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	HTTP (remote)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	571	15k
Last commit	2 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npm install -g figma-use`	`npx -y figma-developer-mcp --stdio`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick figma-use if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Pick Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine.

Add figma-use

Install / run

npm install -g figma-use

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figma-use": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:38451/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop connects to remote servers through the `mcp-remote` proxy (installed on first run via npx). Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Add Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp)

Install / run

npx -y figma-developer-mcp --stdio

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figma-context-mcp-figma-developer-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "figma-developer-mcp",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FIGMA_API_KEY": "<your-figma-api-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

figma-use or Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) — which is better?

Pick figma-use if you want a hosted/remote server with nothing to install, and you want zero-setup with no API key. Pick Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine.

Can I use both figma-use and Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp)?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do figma-use and Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View figma-use →View Figma Context MCP (figma-developer-mcp) →More comparisons →