Flowova vs Figma: Which Tool for Your Flowcharts in 2025?

Figma dominates the design world. It's where teams create interfaces, prototypes, and increasingly—diagrams. With FigJam, Figma's whiteboard tool, you can sketch flowcharts alongside your design work. But if flowcharts are your primary need, is a design-first platform the right choice?

Flowova takes a different approach: AI-native flowchart generation. Instead of drawing shapes manually, you describe your process and get a structured diagram. This comparison helps you decide which fits your workflow.

The core difference

Figma (and FigJam) evolved from a design tool. It excels at visual collaboration, design systems, and creative work. Flowcharts are one of many things you can create—but the tool wasn't built specifically for process documentation.

Flowova was built from the ground up for flowcharts. The AI understands process flows, decision points, and sequential logic. You input text, documents, or even images, and get properly structured diagrams without learning shape libraries or connector routing.

Feature comparison

Capability	Flowova	Figma/FigJam
AI flowchart generation	Core feature—text, docs, images	Limited AI features in FigJam
Manual editing	Visual editor with drag-and-drop	Full canvas editor with shapes
Learning curve	Minimal—describe and generate	Moderate—learn tools and shortcuts
Collaboration	Share links, comments	Real-time multi-user editing
Design integration	Export-focused (PNG, SVG)	Seamless with Figma designs
Template library	30+ flowchart templates	Community templates, varied quality
Mermaid support	Import and export	Via plugins only
Pricing	Free tier, $10/mo Pro	Free tier, $15/user/mo Pro

When Flowova makes sense

Speed is your priority. Describing a process in plain text and getting a flowchart in seconds beats manually placing shapes. If you create flowcharts regularly—documenting SOPs, visualizing code logic, mapping customer journeys—the time savings compound.

You're not a designer. Figma rewards design expertise. Knowing how to use auto-layout, component variants, and styling takes time to learn. Flowova requires no design skills—you focus on the process, not the tool.

Your content already exists. Have a process documented in a Word file, PDF, or wiki page? Flowova can ingest it directly and generate a flowchart. No need to manually re-enter each step.

Mermaid integration matters. Developers often document flows in Mermaid syntax for version control. Flowova supports round-trip editing—import Mermaid, edit visually, export back. This keeps technical documentation in sync.

You need standalone flowcharts. If flowcharts are the deliverable—not part of a larger design file—Flowova's focused workflow makes more sense than opening a design tool.

When Figma makes sense

Flowcharts live alongside designs. If you're mapping user flows that connect directly to UI mockups, having everything in one Figma file has clear benefits. Link flowchart steps to actual screens, keep context together.

Real-time collaboration is essential. Figma's multi-cursor collaboration is industry-leading. If your team brainstorms flowcharts together in real-time, Figma's live editing is smoother than async workflows.

You're already in the Figma ecosystem. If your team lives in Figma—design files, component libraries, FigJam boards—adding another tool introduces friction. Keeping flowcharts in FigJam means one less login, one less context switch.

Visual polish matters more than speed. Figma gives you complete control over typography, colors, spacing, and styling. If your flowcharts appear in client presentations or published materials where aesthetics are crucial, Figma's design capabilities help.

You need more than flowcharts. Wireframes, journey maps, sitemaps, mood boards—FigJam handles many diagram types. If flowcharts are just one of many visual artifacts you create, a general-purpose tool may be more practical.

Pricing breakdown

Flowova offers a generous free tier for basic AI generation. The Pro plan at $10/month (or $60/year) removes limits and adds features like SVG export and watermark-free sharing. A $169 lifetime option exists for those who prefer one-time payment.

Figma provides free access to FigJam with some limitations. The Professional plan costs $15/user/month (billed annually) and includes unlimited FigJam files plus full Figma design access. For teams, costs scale with seat count.

For individuals focused on flowcharts, Flowova is typically more economical. For design teams already paying for Figma, FigJam is included—making it effectively free for flowchart use.

The AI question

Both tools now incorporate AI, but the implementations differ significantly.

Flowova's entire architecture centers on AI generation. You provide input in natural formats—text descriptions, uploaded documents, pasted code—and the AI produces structured flowcharts. Decision points, parallel processes, and loops are identified automatically. This isn't an add-on feature; it's how the tool fundamentally works.

Figma added AI features to FigJam (like AI-generated sticky notes and summaries) but these assist the manual diagramming process rather than replacing it. You still build flowcharts by placing shapes and drawing connectors. The AI helps around the edges but doesn't generate complete diagrams from descriptions.

If AI-assisted creation is your primary interest, Flowova's focused implementation produces better results with less friction.

Real-world scenarios

Scenario: Documenting an API integration workflow

With Flowova, paste your integration steps into the prompt: "User authenticates via OAuth, app requests access token, if valid call API endpoint, handle response or retry on failure." Generate, review, export to Mermaid for the developer docs. Done in 5 minutes.

With Figma, open FigJam, drag in shapes for each step, label them, draw connectors, adjust layout for readability, style consistently. Maybe 20-30 minutes if you're proficient.

Scenario: Creating user flow diagrams for a design project

With Figma, build the user flow in FigJam, then link directly to your Figma design frames. Present both in the same file. The integrated experience makes sense here.

With Flowova, you'd generate the flowchart, export as SVG, and import into your Figma file. Extra steps, but the flowchart creation itself was faster.

Scenario: Quick process documentation for a meeting

With Flowova, describe the process verbally while the AI generates. Share the link immediately. Ideal for fast documentation needs.

With Figma, you'd need to build manually or use templates. Faster if you have existing templates, slower if starting fresh.

Making the choice

Choose Flowova if:

• Creating flowcharts quickly matters most
• You're not a designer and don't want to become one
• Existing documentation should convert to diagrams
• Mermaid workflow integration is valuable
• Flowcharts are your primary diagram type

Choose Figma if:

• Flowcharts connect to design work
• Real-time team collaboration is essential
• You're already embedded in Figma
• Visual polish and customization are priorities
• You need varied diagram types beyond flowcharts

Many teams use both: Flowova for fast process documentation, Figma for design-integrated flows. The tools aren't mutually exclusive.

Try Flowova free

Ready to create flowcharts faster with AI? Start creating with Flowova – no signup required for your first flowchart. Or explore our template gallery to see examples across different use cases.

Related resources

• Browse all flowchart templates – Ready-to-use templates for every use case
• How to make a flowchart – Complete beginner guide
• Flowova vs Miro – How Flowova compares to Miro
• Flowova vs Canva – How Flowova compares to Canva