Figma MCP server vs Outclass MCP: which do you need?
Figma's MCP server gives coding agents your Figma designs as context. Outclass's turns what an agent designs into Figma layers. When to use each, or both.
"Figma MCP" usually means Figma's own MCP server. It and the Outclass MCP server both connect AI agents like Claude Code and Cursor to Figma, but they solve opposite problems. Figma's server mainly gives an agent your Figma designs so it can write matching code. Outclass's takes a screen the agent designed and puts it in Figma as editable layers.
At a glance
| Figma MCP server | Outclass MCP server | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Design context for writing code from Figma files | Sending screens your agent designs to Figma as layers |
| Reads your Figma files | Yes: frames, variables, components, Code Connect | No |
| Puts designs into Figma | Yes, writing to the canvas through the remote server (in beta) | Yes, through a Copy to Figma link the agent returns |
| Where it runs | Remote at mcp.figma.com, or locally through the Figma desktop app | Remote at outclass.design/mcp, or locally |
| Figma seat needed | Desktop server: a Dev or Full seat on a paid plan. Writing outside drafts: a Full seat | None; paste into any Figma file you can edit |
| Price | Writing to the canvas is free during the beta, then usage-based | Converting to Figma uses no credits |
| Clients | Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and many more | Claude Code, Claude, Cursor, VS Code and ChatGPT |
When you want Figma's MCP server
Your team already designs in Figma and you want code that matches. Select a frame, and the agent gets its layout, variables and components, plus your real components through Code Connect. This is the design-to-code direction, and Figma's own server is the best tool for it.
Its newer write tools let an agent create and change frames, components and variables in your files. That needs the remote server, and a Full seat to write outside your drafts.
When you want the Outclass MCP server
The screen starts in your editor. You asked Claude Code or Cursor for a settings page, and now a designer needs it in Figma. Outclass puts it there as text, auto layout, vector icons and named layers, saves it as a project in your Outclass account, and returns a link with a Copy to Figma button. No Figma seat or plugin is involved, and sending to Figma uses no credits.
Using both
They fit together. An agent can design a screen and send it to Figma through Outclass; a designer polishes it there; later, Figma's server gives the agent that polished frame to build from.
Set up the Outclass MCP server
Run this for Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user outclass https://outclass.design/mcp
Setup for Claude, Cursor, VS Code and ChatGPT is on the MCP server page.
Sources: Figma's MCP server guide and developer docs.
Details about other tools were checked on 9 November 2026 on each tool's own site and help pages. Products change quickly, so check there for current features and prices.