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U.S. Web Design System

Free plan Self-hostedWeb

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U.S. Web Design System's own site

What U.S. Web Design System is

U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) is a free, open source toolkit for building accessible, mobile-friendly government websites. It brings together principles, guidance, code, components, design tokens, utilities, patterns, and page templates. Components come with user experience, accessibility, and implementation guidance. Developers can install and compile USWDS, then adapt projects using its components and design tokens; the recommended setup uses Node and npm, and the system can be installed as a project dependency. Design kits for Figma and Sketch are available to download. USWDS says its guidance and code address Section 508 and 21st Century IDEA requirements from the start. Version 3.0 supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but not Internet Explorer 11. The team reports dependency checks with Snyk and JavaScript pull-request analysis with GitHub CodeQL, and includes a security and vulnerability report with each release. Security patches are released for the 1.x and 2.x branches. Questions can go to GitHub Discussions or the USWDS team by email.

Who it suits

USWDS suits government teams building websites who want accessible, mobile-friendly design guidance and code. It is also relevant to developers who work with Node and npm and want customizable components and design assets.

What it does well

  • Free and open source, with code and design assets to download.
  • Includes components, patterns, tokens, utilities, and page templates.
  • Design kits are available for Figma and Sketch.
  • Guidance addresses Section 508 and 21st Century IDEA requirements.

What to know first

  • Version 3.0 does not support Internet Explorer 11.
  • The listed platforms are self-hosted and web.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
USWDSOpen source design system · Code and design assets available to downloadFree

As designsystem.digital.gov lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Visit https://designsystem.digital.gov/.
  2. Choose code or design assets to download.
  3. For a developer setup, use Node and npm.
  4. Install USWDS as an npm project dependency.
  5. Install and compile the system, then customize the project with components and design tokens.
  6. Use the Figma or Sketch design kits if they fit your design workflow.

Verdict

USWDS combines reusable design guidance, code, and downloadable assets for government websites. Check its browser support and Node/npm setup against your project requirements.

Questions

How much does USWDS cost?

The USWDS plan is free. It is an open-source design system with code and design assets available to download.

Is there a free plan or trial?

There is a free plan. No free trial is offered.

Which browsers does version 3.0 support?

The developer guide says version 3.0 supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It no longer supports Internet Explorer 11.

Can I use USWDS with Figma or Sketch?

The download page offers design kits for Figma and Sketch.

How can developers add USWDS to a project?

The recommended developer setup uses Node and npm. USWDS can be installed as a project dependency through npm.

Where can users ask for support?

Users can ask questions in GitHub Discussions or email the USWDS team at [email protected].

Facts from U.S. Web Design System's own pages

Accessibility and compliance
USWDS says its principles, guidance, and code address Section 508 and 21st Century IDEA requirements from the start. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Audience and community
USWDS is designed for government teams and is maintained by an open source community whose contributors support dozens of agencies and nearly 200 sites. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Browser support
The developer guide says version 3.0 supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, and no longer supports Internet Explorer 11. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Components
The system includes components with user experience, accessibility, and implementation guidance. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Customization
Developers can install and compile the system, then customize projects with components and design tokens. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Design assets
The download page offers design kits for Figma and Sketch. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Founded
2015 · designsystem.digital.gov, 28 Sept 2026
Integrations
The recommended developer setup uses Node and npm, and the system can be installed as a project dependency through npm. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Patterns and design tools
USWDS provides pattern guidance, design tokens, utilities, and page templates. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Purpose
USWDS is a toolkit of principles, guidance, and code for building accessible, mobile-friendly government websites. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Security
The team reports using Snyk for dependency vulnerability checks and GitHub CodeQL for JavaScript static analysis on pull requests. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Security releases
USWDS says it includes a security and vulnerability report with each release and releases security patches for the 1.x and 2.x branches. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026
Support
Users can ask questions in GitHub Discussions or email the USWDS team at [email protected]. · designsystem.digital.gov, 8 Oct 2026

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