Terrazzo

Terrazzo is an open-source toolkit for turning design tokens into production code and checking them for quality. It is best suited to design-system teams comfortable with token files, command-line tools, and CI pipelines. The central trade-off is clear: broad, self-hosted automation at no cost, but an experimental Swift path and a less visual workflow.

Overview

Terrazzo brings token management, design-tool synchronization, code synchronization, and versioning into a self-hosted workflow. Its MIT-licensed tools are free to use forever, making it a strong option for teams that want design-system infrastructure close to their repositories rather than in a paid hosted workspace.

The project began as Cobalt in 2021 and is built by Drew, Nick, and other contributors. Design Lab is marked as coming soon, so it should not be treated as a current visual design environment. A GitHub Security page exists, but no security certification or compliance program is stated.

Key features

Generation and linting

The CLI consumes DTCG design-token JSON and generates CSS, Sass, JavaScript, or TypeScript. It can run manually or in continuous integration, allowing token generation and validation to become part of an existing build process. This suits engineering-led systems that need repeatable outputs; teams wanting a browser-based authoring experience may find the command-line emphasis limiting.

Lint rules check token formats, naming consistency, duplicate values, color gamut, and accessibility requirements including minimum contrast and font size. Those checks catch common design-system defects before they reach products, making Terrazzo more than a format converter. The value is greatest when a team already has standards it wants enforced automatically.

Formats, integrations, and starting points

Configuration accepts JSON, JSONC, and YAML token files. Documented outputs and integrations cover CSS, JavaScript, JSON or native output, Sass, Tailwind, and Vanilla Extract. The Tailwind plugin creates a Tailwind v4 theme from DTCG tokens, which is particularly useful for teams standardizing utility classes from a shared source.

The CLI can initialize projects from Adobe Spectrum, Apple Human Interface Guidelines, GitHub Primer, IBM Carbon, Figma Simple Design System, Salesforce Lightning, Shopify Polaris, and Radix. That gives new systems a practical starting structure instead of requiring every token and rule to be created from scratch.

Figma and Swift workflows

Terrazzo can export Figma Variables and Styles to resolver JSON. The import command requires a Figma account and authentication token, so organizations with strict identity or credential policies should account for that setup. Swift output generates Swift asset catalogs, but the plugin is described as experimental; iOS teams needing a dependable Swift pipeline should validate it carefully or choose a more mature alternative.

Pricing

Terrazzo costs free on the Terrazzo plan. It is free to use forever and includes MIT-licensed open-source tools, with self-hosted hosting, token management, design-tool sync, code sync, and versioning. There are no paid tiers, seat charges, quotas, or trial-to-renewal terms stated. This is an unusually straightforward fit for individuals and teams that can operate their own tooling; organizations expecting vendor-hosted administration or a paid support tier will need a different model.

Platforms

Terrazzo is available on iOS, macOS, and the web. Its core workflow is a CLI, so platform availability matters most for where teams run and manage the surrounding tools rather than for a single desktop editor.

Who it's for

Choose Terrazzo if your team maintains design tokens in files, wants generated code for several front-end targets, and can place a CLI in local or CI workflows. It is especially compelling for open-source-minded organizations that want no license cost and control over hosting. Look elsewhere if your priority is a polished visual workspace today, a fully established Swift integration, or a workflow that avoids Figma authentication requirements.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Free, MIT-licensed tools remove seat and subscription barriers for teams of any size.
• Pro: One CLI combines code generation with linting for naming, duplicates, color gamut, and accessibility.
• Pro: Outputs and integrations span CSS, Sass, JavaScript or TypeScript, Tailwind v4, and Vanilla Extract.
• Pro: CI support makes token quality checks repeatable in an engineering pipeline.
• Con: The workflow is command-line and self-hosted, which is less suitable for teams seeking a managed graphical workspace.
• Con: Figma import needs an account and authentication token.
• Con: Swift generation is experimental, so it is a riskier foundation for iOS-first systems.
• Con: Design Lab is not yet available.

Alternatives

Particles UI is a better fit when you want a freemium, cross-platform option whose MIT-licensed CLI supports local token management and export without an account.

Zaklad suits readers seeking a freemium design-system tool across Android, iOS, and the web.

Supernova is the stronger choice for teams that need a hosted freemium workspace with a published free allowance of up to five seats and one design system.

Superposition is worth considering for a free desktop app on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with a separate paid design-system generator extension.

Bezel is a web-based freemium alternative with a free tier centered on AI credits, projects, themes, and token limits.

Carbon Design System is a free, open-source system for teams that want to use and contribute to an established design system rather than assemble a token CLI.

Design Tokens fits Figma-focused users who want variable sync, CSS/Sass export, W3C JSON exchange, and defined workspace and user caps on its free plan.

Fenly is another free extension-and-web option with paid Pro and Team plans potentially planned for the future.

Browse more options in Design System Software.

Verdict

Terrazzo is a strong recommendation for engineering-oriented design-system teams that want open-source token generation and enforceable linting in local or CI workflows without subscription costs. Its broad integrations and starter systems make it flexible, but teams that require a mature Swift pipeline, a visual workspace now, or a Figma-free import process should look elsewhere.