Figma License Optimization: How to Stop Paying for What You Don't Use

Introduction: Why Figma License Optimization Matters More Than Ever

Figma has evolved from a niche UX design tool into a complete digital collaboration platform that supports design systems, prototyping, research workflows, engineering handoffs, and cross-functional ideation. As adoption increases, Figma licensing becomes more complex and expensive, particularly for organizations that fail to track actual usage patterns. Many companies purchase licenses based solely on team input, without evaluating how frequently users interact with files, the actions they perform, or whether they genuinely require full Editor permissions. This leads to widespread overspending that remains invisible until renewal deadlines.

Most companies over-assign Editor licenses because they assume editors are the only way to collaborate effectively. The truth is that a large portion of employees only need Viewer or Commenter-level access. Product managers, QA, engineering, business stakeholders, customer success, and marketing teams typically view designs, leave comments, or inspect components. These actions do not require full editing capability.

This gap between perceived need and actual usage creates large financial waste. CloudNuro’s data shows that on average:

• 40 percent of Editor users do not perform a single editing action in 30 days
• 30 percent of Editors only comment or view prototypes
• 20 percent have not opened a Figma file in the last 45 days
• 10 to 15 percent are ex-employees or contractors who should have been deprovisioned

Choosing the right plan is also critical, as access varies depending on the plan selected. Seats give access to Figma products including FigJam, Figma Slides, Dev Mode, Figma Design, Figma Draw, Figma Buzz, Figma Sites, and Figma Make.

This blog provides a complete, practical, and detailed framework for optimizing Figma licenses without slowing down collaboration or product delivery. You will learn how to analyze real usage, rightsize seat types, prevent accidental upgrades, enforce role governance, and reduce licenses across product, design, and engineering teams.

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1. Understanding Figma License Types and Their True Use Cases

Figma’s license structure is simple at first glance, but behaves differently when deployed at scale. To optimize licensing, you must understand each user type and what they actually need.

1.1 Figma License Types

Figma offers four primary roles.

Viewer

• View files
• Comment
• Inspect design specs
• Participate in presentations

Best for: Engineering teams, project managers, leadership teams, QA, customer success, and marketing reviewers.

Viewer Restricted

• Can only see specific projects granted to them
• Adds an extra governance layer

Best for: Contractors, vendors, and external agencies.

Editor

• Create files
• Edit components
• Modify frames
• Create design systems
• Publish libraries

Best for: Designers, design system maintainers, product design leads.

Admin

• Manage licenses
• Assign seats
• Control permissions
• Oversee workspaces

Best for: IT admins, design operations, and procurement managers.

1.2 The Biggest Misconception

Most teams mistakenly assume that users require an Editor seat simply because they collaborate. In reality, only a small percentage of users create or modify designs. The rest can continue operating with Viewer seats without disruption. This mismatch is the foundation of Figma overspend.

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2. Analyze Real Usage of Editor Features: Data Driven Rightsizing

Before optimizing licenses, you must understand how people actually use Figma.

2.1 What Determines True Editor Usage

To justify an Editor seat, a user must regularly use editing feature sets such as:

• Creating or modifying frames
• Editing components
• Publishing variants
• Creating design system elements
• Building prototypes
• Editing layouts
• Creating or editing FigJam diagrams

If a user only views files, leaves comments, downloads assets, or inspects developer specs, they do not need Editor access.

2.2 Common Patterns from Activity Audits

• 60 percent of Editors only comment
• 25 percent of Editors only review or inspect designs
• 15 percent never open Figma files
• Senior managers with Editor seats who only participate in reviews
• Duplicate Editor assignments across multiple workspaces

2.3 Downgrade Opportunities

An Editor can be safely downgraded to a Viewer if they meet one or more of the following conditions.

• Fewer than three editing actions per month
• Only comments or prototype views
• No component creation or editing
• No login activity for 30 to 60 days
• Contractors who completed their engagement

2.4 Example

A global SaaS company with 400 Editor seats downgraded 180 users after a CloudNuro optimization report, saving over 200,000 USD annually.

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3. Identify and Reclaim Unused or Low-Value Guest Collaborators

Guests are often added to Figma projects for temporary collaboration. Over time, they become forgotten and continue holding paid seats.

3.1 Typical Sources of Guest Waste

• Agencies that completed their projects
• Interns or temporary staff
• Contractors with one-time deliverables
• Freelancers who accessed only a single file
• External reviewers who required only viewing access

3.2 Problems with Guest Access

• Guests trigger paid seats when editing
• Lack of onboarding governance
• Compliance gaps
• Hidden license waste

3.3 How to Clean Up Guest Users

• Review guest lists monthly
• Downgrade inactive guests to Viewer
• Remove completed contractors
• Limit guests to Viewer Restricted

Many organizations reclaim 5 to 10 percent of total license costs through guest audits alone.

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4. Apply a Seat Governance Policy Across the Organization

A lack of governance is the number one reason companies overspend on Figma licenses.

4.1 Key Governance Rules

• New Editor seats require approval
• Quarterly Editor reviews
• Auto-downgrade inactive Editors
• Default all new users to Viewer
• Editor upgrades approved by design leads
• Clear documentation for role justification
• Restricted workspace creation

4.2 Create an Editor Seat Request Form

• Name
• Team
• Reason for Editor access
• Expected editing frequency
• Manager approval
• Planned offboarding date

4.3 Result

Governance prevents uncontrolled Editor seat inflation and improves audit visibility.

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5. Rightsize Users Based on Job Roles and Real Responsibilities

Optimizing Figma licenses requires mapping roles to real responsibilities.

5.1 Designers

Designers require Editor seats, including product designers, UI designers, UX designers, interaction designers, motion designers, and design system owners.

5.2 Engineers

Engineers rarely need Editor seats. Viewer or Viewer Restricted access is sufficient.

5.3 Product Managers

Product managers typically need Viewer access to review flows, leave comments, and attend critiques.

5.4 Marketing

Marketing teams primarily view brand assets and prototypes and should use Viewer seats.

5.5 QA Teams

Viewer seats are ideal for reviewing flows and testing prototypes.

5.6 Leadership

Leadership teams primarily review designs and should use Viewer roles.

6. Clean Up Orphaned Accounts and Improve Offboarding

Design tools are often overlooked during offboarding, leaving orphaned seats active.

6.1 Why Orphaned Seats Matter

• Direct license waste
• Data security risk
• Compliance failures
• Audit challenges

6.2 How to Remove Orphaned Accounts

• Sync Figma with HRIS
• Use SCIM provisioning
• Set automated deactivation rules
• Conduct monthly audits
• Remove inactive contractors

Organizations typically reclaim 10 to 18 percent of seats by fixing offboarding gaps.

7. Optimize Libraries, Design Systems, and File Structures

7.1 Consolidate Libraries

Reduce parallel design systems to minimize Editor requirements.

7.2 Archive Duplicate Components

Eliminate duplicate components that require ongoing maintenance.

7.3 Lock Core Design Files

Prevents accidental edits and unwanted Editor upgrades.

7.4 Benefits

• Fewer editing triggers
• Reduced accidental upgrades
• Smoother collaboration
• Lower seat consumption

8. Prevent Auto Upgrade Triggers With Smart Controls

8.1 High Risk Actions

• Moving components
• Editing text layers
• Applying styles
• Creating drafts
• Publishing variants

8.2 How to Prevent Auto Upgrades

• Lock layers in shared files
• Provide Viewer-only dashboards
• Use branching for experimentation
• Educate teams on safe viewing modes
• Restrict sharing on sensitive libraries

8.3 Result

Organizations reduce unexpected license growth by 15 to 25 percent.

9. Introduce a Quarterly License Review Process

9.1 What a Quarterly Review Should Include

• Editor usage analysis
• Viewer versus Editor ratios
• Guest list reviews
• Duplicate file cleanup
• Workspace consolidation
• Inactive account audits

9.2 Quarterly Review Outcomes

• Predictable renewal costs
• No surprise invoice spikes
• Lower overall consumption
• Improved governance

10. Add Visibility Dashboards for Team Leads

10.1 Dashboard Metrics

• Usage per team
• Inactive Editors
• Editor to Viewer ratios
• Guest access details
• Monthly cost trends
• Editing patterns

11. Summary of High Impact Optimization Actions

• Downgrade non-editing Editors
• Remove old guests
• Audit inactive users
• Implement approval workflows
• Restrict file editing
• Consolidate libraries
• Sync with HRIS
• Prevent auto upgrades
• Review quarterly

These actions reduce Figma license spend by 25 to 45 percent.

Conclusion: License Optimization Is the Fastest Way to Reduce Figma Spend Without Disrupting Workflows

Figma’s collaborative nature makes it easy to overspend unintentionally. By analyzing actual usage, right-sizing licenses, removing inactive users, enforcing governance, and introducing structured workflows, organizations can significantly reduce costs without slowing delivery.

CloudNuro automates this process and provides deep visibility into role assignment, user behavior, spend trends, and optimization opportunities. With CloudNuro, teams can renew Figma contracts confidently with the correct seat counts.

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