Principle

Principle is a Mac app for designing animated, interactive user interfaces. You draw or import screens, then animate them with a visual timeline, adding transitions, gestures, and scrolling effects. The result is a prototype that shows how an interface moves, which is hard to communicate with static mockups.

Key Features

• Visual timeline for UI animation
• Gestures, scrolling, and transitions
• Import from Figma and Sketch
• Record prototypes as video or GIF
• Interactive sharing on Mac and iPhone
• One-time purchase, no subscription

Pricing

Prices as listed in 2026 research. Always check the official site for the latest price — plans change. Free plan: No free plan — paid plans only.

How it works

It is popular with designers who want to present motion ideas to a team or client without learning a video tool. You can record a prototype as a video or GIF, or share it as an interactive file that others can tap through on a Mac or iPhone.

Principle costs $129 as a one-time purchase, with a free trial and no subscription. It is a focused tool: it does animation and interaction well, and leaves the rest to your design app.

Pros and Cons

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