If I have a subscription, can I use dev mode to inspect a project from someone's free account?

I work with many designers who use the free version of Figma, which I can’t use dev mode for. If I subscribe and have a professional team subscription, can I view the designs of these free accounts with dev mode, or does it only work if those accounts all subscribe individually?

Hey @Tamas3, thanks for reaching out! You’re correct that Dev Mode isn’t available on the Starter plan but it is on the Professional plan. On the Professional plan, subscriptions are team-based rather than individual.

If you subscribe to the Professional plan and have a full seat, you’ll be able to use Dev Mode. To collaborate with the designers you’re working with, you’d need to invite them to join your team. If you grant them edit access (a full seat), they’ll have access to Dev Mode as well, but please note that you’ll be billed for their seats as part of your team’s subscription.

Billing on the Professional plan is per team, covering all editors on the team as well as team files and projects. Here’s a bit more detail about managing seats and Professional plan billing for reference.

To answer your question directly—no, those designers don’t need to subscribe individually. They simply need to join your team and will have access to Dev Mode if you provide them with a full seat.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I’m happy to help!

Hey @Gayani_S I think you misunderstood - obviously the designers will not need dev mode, I need dev mode as I’m the developer. However they will have the designs on their Figma account, as they are the designer…
So, 1. Designer creates Figma designs on their FREE account, and invite me, as the developer, to view it. 2. I can’t use dev mode on their free accounts obviously. 3. Here is the question again - if I subscribe, so I can have dev mode, will I be able to view THEIR designs on THEIR account using my dev mode? Or they, the ones who have their designs on their account, will have to pay for a subscription?

Thank you for clarifying @Tamas3, and I apologize if my earlier response didn’t fully address your question. Let me break this down for you.

As mentioned before Dev Mode isn’t available for Starter teams, and subscriptions are set up per team rather than per individual. This means if you upgrade to a Professional plan, you’ll only be able to use Dev Mode within your Professional team—it won’t extend to files or teams on the Starter plan, even if you’re invited to view those files.

To access Dev Mode for the designers files in your specific situation, you’d need to duplicate or copy their files to your team (here’s a guide on how to do that) or move the files into a project under your Professional team (more details here).

If you want to collaborate seamlessly and use Dev Mode within a shared team, the designers would need to join your Professional plan. However, granting them edit access (a full seat) would add them to your team’s subscription, meaning you’d be billed for their seats.

Let me know if this helps clarify things, or if you have any further questions.

Hi Gayani, Ok I understand now, thank you for your response!