Figma has been an essential tool for my daily work as a solo UI/UX designer. However, the recent bundling of AI Credits into the Professional plan has significantly increased the subscription cost, even for users who never use AI features.
Previously, I was paying around USD 20/month for the Professional plan. After the Config 2026 changes, the cost increased to approximately USD 55/month because AI Credits are now included by default. There is currently no option to disable AI Credits or choose a lower-cost Professional plan without them.
This creates a real problem for independent designers, freelancers, and small businesses. We subscribe to the Professional plan because we need features like:
- Unlimited design files
- Components and Libraries
- Variables
- Advanced prototyping
- Version history
- Team collaboration
These are the reasons we pay for Professional—not necessarily for AI.
Forcing every Professional user to pay for AI, regardless of whether they use it, feels unfair. Many of us already rely on other AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Cursor, and don't need Figma AI.
As a result, I'm considering downgrading to the free Starter plan to avoid the increased cost, even though it means losing important Professional features like Team Libraries, Shared Variables, Dev Mode, and unlimited team files. I shouldn't have to give up core design features simply because I don't want AI.
Suggested improvements:
- Offer a Professional (Core) plan without AI Credits at the previous price.
- Make AI Credits an optional add-on instead of bundling them with every Professional seat.
- Allow workspace admins to disable AI and remove the associated cost.
- Let users purchase AI Credits only when they actually need them.
Figma is an outstanding design platform, and I want to continue using the Professional plan. However, the current pricing model forces users to pay for a feature they may never use.
Please reconsider this pricing approach and provide more flexibility for users who only need the core design capabilities.