The Pros and Cons of Using Adobe XD for Team Collaboration

In today’s fast-paced digital design world, collaboration is everything. Whether you’re working in a startup, a mid-sized agency, or a large enterprise, the ability for design teams to seamlessly work together on projects can make or break productivity. That’s where design tools like Adobe XD have played a major role — or at least, they used to.

Adobe XD was once positioned as Adobe’s answer to the growing demand for a modern, UX/UI design platform. With a sleek interface and strong prototyping capabilities, it aimed to compete with design powerhouses like Figma and Sketch. For teams already embedded in the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem, XD felt like a natural extension — promising fluid design, easy prototyping, and collaboration features.

However, while Adobe XD did bring a few helpful tools to the table for team workflows, it also had its limitations — and in many cases, those gaps became more obvious when compared with the competition. Especially for teams working remotely or across time zones, collaboration features became a critical make-or-break factor.

Now, with Adobe announcing the discontinuation of XD’s standalone development and no longer promoting it as a flagship product, the question becomes even more relevant: Was Adobe XD ever truly a good tool for team collaboration? And for those still using it — is it worth continuing, or is it time to move on?

In this blog, we’ll break down the real pros and cons of using Adobe XD for team collaboration. From what it did right, to where it fell short, this guide will help you evaluate Adobe XD’s role in your team’s design process — and whether better options exist today.

Advantages of Using Adobe XD for Team Collaboration

Adobe XD may not have dominated the design collaboration space like Figma, but it still brought several strengths to the table — especially for teams already working within Adobe’s ecosystem. While its collaborative tools weren't perfect, some features made it a solid choice for certain workflows and team setups.

Seamless Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud

One of the biggest selling points of Adobe XD is how smoothly it connects with other Adobe apps. For teams that rely heavily on tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, or After Effects, Adobe XD fits in like a missing puzzle piece. Designers could easily import assets from Illustrator or Photoshop without worrying about compatibility issues, preserving design consistency across tools.

This integration allowed teams to maintain a streamlined workflow. For instance, a branding team working on visual assets in Illustrator could quickly pass their work to the UI/UX team using XD. Creative Cloud Libraries made it easier to share styles, logos, and components — a major plus for maintaining brand cohesion across large projects.

Prototyping and Real-Time Feedback Features

Adobe XD’s built-in prototyping tools were another highlight. Teams could create interactive prototypes directly within the design file, without switching to another platform. These prototypes could be shared via simple web links, allowing stakeholders and team members to view designs and provide feedback in one place.

The commenting system, though basic, supported a smoother review process. Reviewers could click on specific design elements and leave comments — helping bridge communication gaps between designers, developers, and product teams. While it lacked the advanced real-time editing found in tools like Figma, XD’s prototyping and feedback tools were still effective for smaller teams or linear design processes.

Clean Interface and Fast Learning Curve

Adobe XD’s interface is known for being clean, minimalist, and easy to learn — a huge advantage for teams bringing in new members or designers who are transitioning from other tools. It doesn’t feel bloated or overwhelming, which means designers can focus more on creativity and less on figuring out where things are.

For teams looking to onboard quickly or working under tight deadlines, this simplicity made a difference. The UI was consistent with other Adobe tools, so users already familiar with Photoshop or Illustrator could get up and running faster.

Limitations and Challenges of Adobe XD in Team Environments

While Adobe XD brought some useful features to the design world, its collaboration capabilities never quite matched up to what modern teams needed — especially in comparison to competitors like Figma. For many organizations, these shortcomings created friction and inefficiencies that were hard to ignore.

Lack of Real-Time Multi-User Editing

One of the most critical drawbacks of Adobe XD is its lack of real-time, multi-user editing — something that has become standard in tools like Figma. In Adobe XD, only one person could work on a file at a time, which meant team members had to coordinate carefully to avoid overwriting each other’s work or duplicating efforts.

This limitation slowed down the design process, especially for fast-moving teams or projects requiring frequent updates. While XD introduced coediting in later versions, it remained unreliable and often led to syncing issues or broken components. For distributed teams working remotely or across time zones, this was a major disadvantage.

Discontinued Development and Uncertain Future

Perhaps the most significant concern today is Adobe’s decision to discontinue XD’s active development. Following Adobe's failed acquisition of Figma in 2023, the company quietly pulled back on promoting and updating Adobe XD. It is no longer sold as a standalone product, and no major feature updates have been announced since.

This raises major questions for teams still using the tool. Without ongoing support or innovation, Adobe XD risks becoming obsolete. Relying on it for collaboration — especially in larger, long-term projects — may no longer be a wise investment. It’s also harder to attract new team members who want to work with modern, supported tools.

Limited Collaboration Tools for Larger Teams

Beyond real-time editing, Adobe XD’s overall collaboration toolkit remains underwhelming. It lacks integrated messaging, detailed version control, or advanced permissions. For example, managing feedback from multiple stakeholders often led to confusion, as XD didn’t offer a robust system to organize or prioritize comments.

Teams working on complex, multi-screen projects also struggled with performance issues, especially when sharing larger files. The plugin ecosystem, though growing, wasn’t as expansive or reliable as competitors’, making it harder to customize workflows or automate repetitive tasks.

In short, while Adobe XD may work for small, tightly coordinated teams, it lacks the scalability and flexibility that larger or more collaborative teams need.

Conclusion

Adobe XD had its moment in the spotlight — offering a clean, user-friendly interface, strong integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, and solid prototyping tools. For many design teams, especially those already within the Adobe ecosystem, XD felt like a natural and convenient choice. It allowed for quick asset sharing, consistent branding, and a relatively smooth design-to-prototype process.

However, as design teams evolved and collaboration became more dynamic and real-time, Adobe XD’s limitations began to show. Its lack of dependable multi-user editing, basic commenting features, and underwhelming support for complex team workflows made it a tough sell for fast-paced, collaborative environments. And with Adobe’s decision to discontinue active development of XD, the platform's future is more uncertain than ever.

If your team is still using Adobe XD, now is a good time to reassess. Consider what your collaboration needs are today — and what they’ll be in the future. Tools like Figma, Sketch (with plugins), and even newer platforms offer stronger, more scalable collaboration features, with robust support and active communities.

Adobe XD served its purpose, but design has moved forward. For teams that rely on seamless collaboration, real-time updates, and flexibility, it may be time to explore other options.

👉 Thinking about switching tools? Make a list of must-have features for your team and compare top design platforms head-to-head. It’s worth the investment in the long run.