Zeplin Flows

Zeplin Flows adds journey mapping to a design handoff workspace, with diagrams for connecting screens and mapping decisions. It suits product, QA, and support teams that need to clarify how an experience works alongside its design documentation. Its strongest case is shared journey context; Flow Boards require a higher-tier plan, and the web app cannot upload designs.

Overview

Flows use connectors, labels, and shapes to show how screens relate. As screens are added or removed, diagram elements move with them, helping teams keep a journey map aligned with a changing design. Shapes can represent actions, decisions, and branches, giving product managers, QA, and support a shared way to identify gaps and add use cases.

Zeplin also provides a developer inspect view, design tokens, asset handoff, code snippets, and version history, and supports multiple design file types. Its integrations include Figma, Sketch, Jira, Storybook, VS Code, Azure DevOps, Slack, Microsoft Teams, its API, and webhooks. Zeplin was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco.

Key features

Group and share journeys

Flow Groups and Boards let teams cluster screens and flows, then share them through quick links. That organization can make a growing set of journeys easier to navigate, but Boards are reserved for Advanced and Enterprise. Free and Basic users can use Flows without that board-based structure.

Include reviewers and connect workflows

Advanced and Enterprise plans include unlimited free Reviewers, who can view and comment on designs and documentation such as flows. They cannot access developer specs, so this is useful for feedback from stakeholders who need context but not implementation details. Integrations span design, issue tracking, development, and messaging tools, making Zeplin a fit for teams already working across those services.

Pricing

Free

The Free plan costs nothing and includes 1 project, 100 screens, and unlimited members. It also includes 3 AI screen reviews and 3 AI Organize runs per week, but no Flow Boards. It is a reasonable starting point for one small project; the project and screen caps constrain teams with broader work.

Basic

Basic has custom pricing, with pricing varying by project pack. Packs cover 1, 3, 6, 9, or 12 projects, each with up to 1,000 screens and unlimited members per project. Annual plans get 1 month free. Basic raises the Free plan’s screen allowance, but still excludes Flow Boards, making it less suitable for teams that need board-based journey organization.

Advanced

Advanced costs $12 a month, billed Paid annually, and is also stated as $12 per seat per month. It includes 50 projects, unlimited screens, Flow Boards, and unlimited free Reviewers. This is the clearest fit for teams managing many screens and needing Boards, though the per-seat charge matters as the team grows.

Enterprise

Enterprise has custom pricing and includes unlimited projects and screens, Flow Boards, SSO, MFA, SCIM, and priority support with a 24-hour SLA. It suits larger organizations with complex projects and identity or support requirements; smaller teams may not need its added controls.

Free, Basic, and Advanced list chat and email support. Zeplin says connections are encrypted over HTTPS and customer data is hosted on AWS. Its SOC 2 Type II attestation was renewed for the period ending December 2023, with the next annual audit in preparation.

Platforms

Zeplin offers Mac and Windows desktop apps and a web app that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Linux users can access the service through the browser, but the web app does not support uploading designs. That makes Linux access possible, with a practical limitation for teams whose workflow depends on uploading there.

Who it's for

Flows is best for teams that need to explain screen-to-screen logic and keep product, QA, and support aligned with design documentation. Advanced is the stronger choice when unlimited screens and Flow Boards matter; Enterprise adds organization-wide scale and identity controls. Choose another tool if Linux-based design uploads or Flow Boards on a lower-cost plan are essential.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Dynamic connectors and shapes move when screens change, helping diagrams stay aligned with the journey.
• Action, decision, and branch mapping gives product, QA, and support a way to spot gaps and add use cases.
• Advanced and Enterprise allow unlimited free Reviewers to comment on flows and other documentation without developer-spec access.
• Advanced and Enterprise include Flow Boards, and Enterprise adds SSO, MFA, SCIM, and a 24-hour support SLA.

Cons

• Flow Boards are unavailable on Free and Basic, limiting how lower-tier teams can organize journeys.
• The Free plan is capped at 1 project and 100 screens, which is restrictive beyond a small project.
• The web app cannot upload designs, limiting the browser workflow for Linux users.
• Advanced is billed annually, and its per-seat pricing can raise costs as teams expand.

Alternatives

For a broader set of journey-mapping options, see User Flow Software. For a focus on design-to-development transfer, compare Developer Handoff Software; for a wider design-tool shortlist, see Web Design Software.

• Marvel is a freemium option with a free plan for 1 user and 1 project, plus a Pro plan at $12 a month billed yearly for one user and unlimited projects.
• Software Ideas Modeler supports Linux, macOS, and Windows; its Standard plan includes UML and basic diagrams and is free for non-commercial use.
• FlowSnap is available on Android, iOS, and macOS, with a free plan for up to 3 projects and PNG export with a watermark.
• Rheo is a mobile option for Android and iOS, with a free Indie plan that includes 1 app, 1 seat, and 400 MAU.
• BenchCanvas is a web and extension option whose Pro plan includes unlimited projects and screens, comments, annotations, and PDF/PNG export.
• Cairn is a macOS option with a free plan for 1 project and up to 2 scenarios, without file import or export.
• EVONX is a web option with a free Starter plan that includes 500 credits per month, 1 workspace, and 1 team seat.
• Figr is a web, API, and extension option with a free plan that includes 10 credits refreshed monthly and 3 canvases.

Verdict

Choose Zeplin Flows if your team needs journey diagrams integrated with design handoff and shared documentation; its connectors, branching shapes, and reviewer access support collaboration across product, QA, and support. Look elsewhere if you need Flow Boards without an Advanced or Enterprise plan, or if your Linux workflow must upload designs in the browser.