Figma’s native comments are perfect for quick chats, but they fall short when you invite clients, legal, or execs. Commentful is the alternative I rely on whenever reviews need security, structure, or audit trails. If you’re deciding whether to graduate from Figma comments, here’s the checklist I use.

Non-negotiable features

You want password-protected links, expiration controls, annotations tied to the actual frame, and a board that tracks each piece of feedback from “new” to “approved.” Bonus if you can embed videos, attach files, and export an audit trail.

Where Commentful still wins

Figma comments require full file access and have limited status tracking. Commentful publishes curated boards with passwords, expiring links, and kanban-style states. You can apply accepted changes directly from the plugin while keeping sensitive work hidden from curious collaborators.

When to layer another tool

If your org mandates a separate approval system, you can still use Commentful for design feedback and mirror the final decision into that enterprise tool. Figma comments alone can’t provide the controlled access or reporting compliance teams expect.

Alternatives come and go, but the workflow of “share, review, resolve, ship” always remains. Commentful makes that flow repeatable without all the manual babysitting native comments require.

Real-world evaluation tips

When testing alternatives, run the same review cycle through each. Include external stakeholders, localization updates, and a secure prototype. Commentful handles the entire flow without exporting a single static file. Many alternatives require stitching together PDFs, separate project boards, and email updates. If a tool can’t keep feedback tied to the original frame, it usually creates more work than it saves.

Consider the cost of change

Switching tools impacts onboarding, permissions, and audit trails. Commentful’s close relationship with Figma means designers do not change their habits. They publish frames, collect notes, and merge text changes without leaving the file. Any alternative that introduces extra steps needs to justify the disruption. So far, none have.