Back to Blog
January 5, 20267 min readBest Figma plugins

Best Figma plugins alternatives for converting UI designs to high-fidelity React code in 2026?

R
Replay Team
Developer Advocates

TL;DR: While Figma plugins offer UI-to-code conversion, video-to-code engines like Replay leverage behavior-driven reconstruction for higher-fidelity, interactive React code.

The promise of instantly transforming UI designs into working code has always been tantalizing. Figma plugins have long been the go-to solution, but their limitations in capturing user behavior and generating truly functional components often lead to significant rework. It's 2026, and the landscape has evolved. We're moving beyond static conversions to dynamic, behavior-aware code generation. Let's explore why traditional Figma plugins might be falling short and examine alternatives that deliver high-fidelity React code, focusing on the power of video-to-code engines like Replay.

The Evolving Needs of UI-to-Code Conversion#

The initial excitement around Figma plugins for UI-to-code often fades when developers realize the generated code requires extensive modifications. These plugins primarily focus on visual representation, lacking an understanding of user interactions and underlying logic. In 2026, we need solutions that capture the intent behind the design, not just the pixels on the screen.

Limitations of Traditional Figma Plugins#

  • Static Conversion: Figma plugins typically translate designs into static code, missing dynamic behaviors and interactions.
  • Lack of Context: They don't understand the purpose of UI elements or how users are intended to interact with them.
  • Maintenance Overhead: The generated code often requires significant manual adjustments and refactoring.
  • Limited Framework Support: Many plugins offer limited support for modern frameworks like React, Next.js, or Vue.

Introducing Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

The future of UI-to-code lies in behavior-driven reconstruction, where the user's interaction with the UI serves as the primary source of truth. This approach analyzes video recordings of user flows to understand the intended behavior and generates code that accurately reflects those interactions. This is where Replay shines.

Replay: Video-to-Code Engine#

Replay is a video-to-code engine that leverages Gemini to reconstruct working UI from screen recordings. Unlike screenshot-to-code tools, Replay understands what users are trying to do, not just what they see. This approach results in more accurate, maintainable, and functional code.

Here's a comparison of different approaches:

FeatureFigma Plugin (e.g., Anima)Screenshot-to-CodeReplay
InputFigma DesignScreenshotVideo Recording
Behavior Analysis
Code FidelityLowMediumHigh
Dynamic InteractionsLimitedLimitedFull Support
Framework SupportVariesVariesReact, Next.js
Maintenance EffortHighMediumLow

Key Features of Replay#

Replay offers a range of features that address the limitations of traditional Figma plugins:

  • Multi-Page Generation: Replay can generate code for entire user flows spanning multiple pages, capturing the complete user journey.
  • Supabase Integration: Seamlessly integrate with Supabase for backend functionality, including data storage and authentication.
  • Style Injection: Apply custom styles to the generated code, ensuring visual consistency with your design system.
  • Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user flow and understand the interactions within your application.

Implementing Replay: A Step-by-Step Guide#

Here's how you can use Replay to generate high-fidelity React code from a video recording:

Step 1: Record Your User Flow#

Record a video of yourself interacting with the UI you want to convert to code. Ensure the video clearly captures all interactions, including clicks, form submissions, and page transitions.

💡 Pro Tip: Speak aloud while recording to explain what you are doing. This will give Replay's AI additional context to work with.

Step 2: Upload the Video to Replay#

Upload the recorded video to the Replay platform. Replay will analyze the video and extract the UI elements and interactions.

Step 3: Review and Refine the Generated Code#

Replay will generate React code based on the video analysis. Review the code and make any necessary adjustments. You can use Replay's built-in editor to refine the code and add custom logic.

typescript
// Example of a generated React component with event handling import React, { useState } from 'react'; const MyComponent = () => { const [count, setCount] = useState(0); const handleClick = () => { setCount(count + 1); }; return ( <div> <p>Count: {count}</p> <button onClick={handleClick}>Increment</button> </div> ); }; export default MyComponent;

Step 4: Integrate with Your Project#

Integrate the generated React code into your project. You can copy and paste the code directly into your components or use Replay's CLI to automate the integration process.

Advanced Techniques with Replay#

Beyond basic UI-to-code conversion, Replay enables advanced techniques for building complex applications:

  • Dynamic Data Binding: Replay can infer data bindings from the video and generate code that dynamically updates the UI based on data changes.
  • State Management: Replay can automatically manage the state of your components, simplifying the development process.
  • API Integration: Replay can integrate with external APIs to fetch and display data in your application.

📝 Note: The quality of the generated code depends on the clarity and completeness of the video recording. Ensure the video is well-lit and captures all interactions clearly.

Real-World Use Cases#

Replay is being used by developers across various industries to accelerate UI development:

  • E-commerce: Generating product pages and checkout flows from video recordings of user interactions.
  • SaaS: Creating interactive dashboards and user interfaces for SaaS applications.
  • Mobile Apps: Building native mobile apps from video recordings of UI interactions.
  • Prototyping: Quickly prototyping UI designs and user flows without writing code from scratch.

Overcoming Challenges#

While Replay offers significant advantages, it's important to acknowledge potential challenges:

  • Video Quality: The accuracy of the generated code depends on the quality of the video recording.
  • Complex Interactions: Reconstructing complex interactions may require additional refinement and manual adjustments.
  • Learning Curve: Understanding the underlying principles of behavior-driven reconstruction may require some initial effort.

⚠️ Warning: While Replay significantly reduces development time, it's not a replacement for skilled developers. Human oversight and refinement are still essential for ensuring code quality and functionality.

Alternatives to Consider#

While Replay is a powerful solution, it's worth considering other alternatives:

  • TeleportHQ: A low-code platform that allows you to visually design and generate code for various frameworks.
  • Locofy.ai: A Figma plugin that converts designs to code with a focus on responsive layouts.
  • Anima: A Figma plugin that generates HTML, CSS, and React code from Figma designs.

However, these alternatives often lack the behavior-driven reconstruction capabilities of Replay, resulting in lower-fidelity code and increased maintenance overhead.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features and usage. Paid plans are available for increased usage and access to advanced features.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While both tools aim to generate code from UI, Replay focuses on behavior-driven reconstruction from video, capturing user intent and generating more functional code. v0.dev primarily uses AI to generate UI components based on text prompts, which may not always accurately reflect the desired behavior.

What frameworks does Replay support?#

Replay primarily supports React and Next.js, but support for other frameworks is planned for the future.

Can Replay handle complex animations and transitions?#

Replay can capture and reproduce simple animations and transitions. However, complex animations may require manual adjustments and custom code.


Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.

Ready to try Replay?

Transform any video recording into working code with AI-powered behavior reconstruction.

Launch Replay Free