Google Web Designer vs Zeplin Flows
Google Web Designer
webdesigner.withgoogle.com
Zeplin Flows
zeplin.ioSide by side
| Figure | Google Web Designer | Zeplin Flows |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 9 |
| Spec score · Web Design Software | 8.7 (#6) | 8.6 (#10) |
| Company legal name | Crunchbase identifies the maker as Google LLC, a sub-organization of Alphabet. | The current terms identify the provider as Zeplin, Inc. |
| Founded | 1998 | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California, United States | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Purpose | Google Web Designer lets businesses create HTML5 ads, images, videos, and other web content using visual and code interfaces. | Zeplin describes Flows as a way to map complete user journeys and clarify design intent. |
| Rating on G2 | 3.8 out of 5 from 280 reviews. | 4.4 out of 5 from 117 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.3 out of 5 from 40 reviews. | 4.4 out of 5 from 54 reviews |
| Self-hosting | The product is installed locally and publishes files for local storage or upload to a host; Google does not document a self-hosted server edition. | Zeplin states that compute and data hosting use AWS, indicating a hosted service rather than a self-hosted deployment. |
| What it does | Google Web Designer is a desktop tool for creating HTML5 advertisements, images, videos and other business web content through visual and code interfaces. | Zeplin is a design-delivery workspace for documenting finalized designs, organizing workflows, and coordinating designers, developers, and product teams. |
Plans
Zeplin Flows
- FreeFree
- Advanced$12 a month
- Basic (1 project)$13.75 a month
- Basic (3 projects)$35.75 a month
- Basic (6 projects)$63.25 a month
- Basic (9 projects)$90.75 a month
- Basic (12 projects)$118.25 a month
- BasicPrice not published
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Google Web Designer
Google Web Designer is desktop software for creating HTML5 ads, images, videos, and other web content through visual and code interfaces. Its timeline, drawing tools, text, and 3D objects support animation. Code view edits CSS, JavaScript, and XML with syntax highlighting and autocomplete. Components add functions such as galleries, maps, and visual effects, while events can respond to user actions or run at set times. For video ads, the software can edit video and audio clips. Layouts can adapt to different screen sizes, and dynamic bindings can personalize ads using data feeds. Integrations include Studio, Display & Video 360, Campaign Manager 360, Ads Creative Studio, and Google Drive. Some publishing, upload, preview, and asset-library functions require Google Account sign-in. The software is free to download and use for business, and Google describes it as intended for professional business use only. An internet connection is required. Listed requirements include Windows 10 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.0 or later, or specified 64-bit Linux distributions; minimum memory is 2 GB, with 4 GB recommended.
Zeplin Flows
Zeplin Flows helps teams map user journeys and make design intent clearer across screens. Diagrams use labels, shapes, and connectors that reposition when screens are added or removed. Teams can group screens and flows into Flow Groups and Boards, then share them through quick links. Shapes can represent actions, decisions, and branches, helping product, QA, and Support teams identify gaps and add use cases. Flows are included across plans, while Flow Boards are available on Advanced and Enterprise. The Free plan is free and includes one project, 100 screens, unlimited members, and no Flow Boards. Advanced costs $12 a month, billed annually. Zeplin offers Mac and Windows desktop apps and a web app that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux; the web app does not support uploading designs. Listed integrations include Figma, Sketch, Jira, Storybook, VS Code, Azure DevOps, Slack, Microsoft Teams, an API, and webhooks. Developer inspect view, design tokens, asset handoff, code snippets, and version history are listed.