Magic Patterns vs Subframe (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Magic Patterns and Subframe share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and Magic Patterns starts cheaper, at $17 a month for each person against $20 a month for each person.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Magic Patterns
AI prototyping tool that builds product UIs from prompts
Subframe
Design canvas, coding agent and browser in one desktop app
Which one is for you
Pick Magic Patterns if
- Fits if you need clickable screens to show a team before building
- Makes sense if you work in Figma and GitHub already
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a deployed app: it makes prototypes
- Tight if you stay free: the allowance is small and the page doesn't say how small
- Pricey if the team grows: prices are per seat, and Business is $85
- Watch out: SSO and usage reporting need Business, and unused credits roll over only once
Pick Subframe if
- Fits if you already pay for Claude Code or Codex and work in React
- Works for designers and developers sharing one canvas
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: one project only
- Watch out: more than one project needs Pro at $20 per editor
- Watch out: AI credits apply only in the web version or in place of your own Claude or Codex plan
- Not for you if you want a tier above Pro: none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAMagic PatternsFair | 2.2GPASubframeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$17 a seat a month billed yearly sits just above the category's cheaper quarter. Business is $85 a seat and the price grows with the team. | C$20 per editor a month, the category's middle price. The page doesn't say if that is monthly or yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan exists but the page gives no credit number, so you can't tell how far it goes. | CFree: one project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, or your own Claude or Codex plan. One project is a firm cap. |
| Features | CPrompt to prototype, GitHub sync, MCP and Figma export. It makes prototypes, not deployed apps, and design-system import is Enterprise. | CCanvas with components and tokens, a built-in browser, an agent and comments. The vendor says it is aimed at React. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You write prompts and iterate, and credits scale with request size. | CNo store rating on record. It is a desktop app that needs a running dev server and a Claude or Codex subscription. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb app with GitHub, Figma and MCP connections. | BMac, Windows and web, with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, GitHub and Mobbin connections. |
| Best for | AI prototypes of product screens | a design canvas wired to your coding agent |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Magic Patterns and Subframe. How we grade
Price against what you get
Magic Patterns starts at $17 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Subframe starts at $20 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Magic Patterns starts $3 a month lower. Of the other AI app builders on the chart, 7 score higher than Magic Patterns for less, and 12 score higher than Subframe for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Magic Patterns also covers no-code.
- Subframe also covers AI agents.
At a glance
| Magic Patterns | Subframe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $17 per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | $20 per editor / month |
| Free plan | Free plan with a small monthly credit allowance; the page does not give the number. | One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | North Park Labs, Inc. | Subframe |
| Price read from | magicpatterns.com | subframe.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Magic Patterns
- Free-plan credits are small; the page does not give the figure.
- Unused monthly credits roll over once and then expire after one month.
- SSO and usage reporting need Business at $85 per seat / month billed annually.
- Prices are per seat, so cost scales with team size.
Subframe
- The Free plan allows one project; unlimited projects need Pro at $20 per editor / month.
- The vendor says it works best with React, though the browser and canvas work with anything that renders on the web.
- AI credits are used only in the web version or when you use them instead of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
- The pricing section does not say whether $20 is billed monthly or annually, and lists no plan above Pro.
Key features
Magic Patterns
- Prompt to prototype
- Describes screens in text and generates a multi-page interactive prototype; credits scale with the size of the request.
- Export options
- Starter and above list MCP, GitHub sync and Figma exporting.
- Team workspaces
- Starter includes team workspaces for 10 users; Business is listed for more than 10.
- On-demand usage
- When monthly credits run out, paid plans can keep prompting at a fixed per-credit rate billed on the next invoice.
- Design system import
- Enterprise lists a custom import of a company design system.
Subframe
- Design canvas
- Components with props, slots and variants, plus themes and design tokens across light and dark modes, synced with the design system in your codebase.
- Built-in browser
- Preview and edit your running app inside Subframe, with detected local dev servers listed in the browser panel.
- Coding agent
- Uses an existing Claude Code or Codex subscription as the internal agent. Other agents such as Cursor or Gemini connect through MCP.
- Prompting on the canvas
- Ask for designs or repetitive changes without leaving the canvas, then hand the result to the agent to implement in code.
- Multiplayer and comments
- Share a canvas link and comment in threads with teammates or the agent, then turn feedback into changes.
Plans
Magic Patterns
Free$0
Free monthly credits for trying the tool; the allowance is not stated on the page.
Starter$17
per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
1,000 monthly credits, watermark removed on previews, GitHub sync, MCP and on-demand usage.
Business$85
per seat / month, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)
5,000 monthly credits, SSO, usage reporting and shared workspaces for more than 10 users.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom credit pools, SCIM, priority support and a dedicated account manager. Annual commitment.
Subframe
Free$0
One project, unlimited viewers and editors, limited AI credits, and use of your own Claude or Codex subscription.
Pro$20
per editor / month
Unlimited projects, 6x the AI credits of Free, and multiple themes per project. Billing basis (monthly or annual) is not stated.
Ways to pay less
Magic Patterns
- Annual discount
15% off with annual billing
The pricing toggle shows Annual at 15% off: Starter $17 versus $20 monthly, Business $85 versus $100.
Subframe
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Magic Patterns or Subframe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Magic Patterns is cheaper to start with: $17 a month for each person, against $20 a month for each person for Subframe. Magic Patterns starts at $17 per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly), and Subframe starts at $20 per editor / month.
Which has a free plan, Magic Patterns or Subframe?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Magic Patterns and Subframe have a free plan.
Which platforms do Magic Patterns and Subframe run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Subframe lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.