Figma Code Layers Are Free to Edit on Paid Plans Only Until November 4, Then They Use AI Credits

Figma opened code layers in open beta on October 15, and creating or editing them is free on paid plans only through November 4, 2026. After that date the feature draws on AI credits, according to Figma's launch post.

The same day Figma opened Specs, a Markdown document type that lives on the canvas, to paid plans in open beta. Both were announced at Config India in Bengaluru, per Entrackr, which also reported 20 new partners for Figma's MCP ecosystem.

What a code layer does to the handoff

A code layer puts a coded prototype on the same canvas as the design. Figma's post says a team can convert an existing design into code, import a prototype from a third-party tool, a local folder or GitHub, or capture a live website with the Chrome extension. A GitHub import stays connected to its repository.

The task this changes is the review loop. Before, a designer who built in a coding tool had to screenshot or deploy to show anyone. Maria Gaston, a Figma designer quoted in the post, said: "Working in the coding tool made it hard to share work and iterate."

On the canvas, a layer can be duplicated to compare two directions side by side, commented on, and annotated for the Figma agent. Changes can be pushed to a branch and reviewed through a pull request. An Extract designs action turns screens back into editable frames.

Specs puts the requirements next to the work

Figma's Specs post, written by Luke Zhang, Johnny Dallas and Aosheng Ran, describes a container for project context. A spec can embed FigJam files, frames and any canvas node, and can connect outside sources such as the GitHub and Hex connectors.

Pressing D, or dragging a Markdown file onto the canvas, creates one. The Figma agent can read and reply to comments in a spec, and a spec can be handed to a coding agent through Figma's MCP server along with frames, diagrams, code layers and Code Connect snippets.

Kat Busch, a Figma software engineer, said in the post: "It's the easiest way to be able to collaborate with an agent on something I want to share broadly." Specs runs on web, desktop and mobile.

The numbers on cost and access

Feature	Status on October 15	Cost stated
Code layers	Open beta	AI credits; free to create and edit on paid plans through Nov. 4
Specs	Open beta, paid plans	Pricing not stated
Payload in Figma Make	Rolling out to all accounts	Included in plans; hosting in beta, free for now

The Payload post says Figma will announce pricing and packaging for Payload hosting before it takes effect. Payload is an open-source headless CMS that Figma acquired in 2025 according to Entrackr, and Figma said its downloads grew 6x over the past 12 months.

The Specs post does not give a price, usage limit or export format beyond Markdown. The code layers post does not say how many credits a prompt or an edit consumes, which framework code layers support, or how many seats a team needs.

What is still open

The credit rate is the number a team lead needs before November 4. A designer who edits layers all day will notice the end of the free window sooner than one who opens a layer only to comment.

Coding-agent tools were already moving prototypes through MCP, and Figma's pitch is to keep the review on its canvas. How the agents on the other end of that connection perform is a separate question; the Parsimony benchmark measured how much code coding agents add to a fix, and Figma's posts publish no equivalent measure. The open-source REA agent project shows how quickly agent tooling spreads when it is free.

Code layers open to paid plans on October 15 and the free editing window ends November 4, 2026. The Specs and Payload posts both say access widens over the coming weeks.