Particles UI

Overview

Particles UI is a cloud-hosted token management and governance platform for design and engineering teams. Its appeal is strongest for teams that need token changes reviewed before release; the trade-off is that key collaboration and Figma workflows sit behind paid plans.

Key features

Governed changes and accessibility

Token changes move through branches and review before reaching the main set, giving teams a controlled path for updating shared design decisions. Its WCAG AA contrast gate blocks changes from merging or publishing when contrast falls below the threshold, and the check can also run in CI. That makes accessibility enforceable during release, though the release gate is a Team-plan feature.

Broad token exchange

The CLI imports DTCG, Tokens Studio, CSS, SCSS, TypeScript and JavaScript token files. It exports to Tailwind v4, CSS, SCSS, Style Dictionary, DTCG, JSON, TypeScript, JavaScript and Flutter. This breadth makes Particles UI more practical for teams working across several code targets than a workflow tied to one output format. The MIT-licensed CLI also handles local token management and export without an account.

Design and agent connections

Listed integrations include Figma, Tailwind, GitHub, MCP and TypeScript. The Figma plugin requires desktop version 116 or later, or Figma in a Chromium-based browser; Safari is unsupported. Free users can pull tokens but cannot push them, and creating, editing or deleting tokens in the plugin requires Pro or higher.

For AI-agent workflows, the MCP server offers 42 tools covering token access and search, impact analysis, WCAG contrast, documentation, releases and governance. MCP requires Team or above, so it is not part of the lowest paid tier.

Security and access

Studio supports GitHub and Google OAuth 2.0 and email magic links, with organization roles and project-level authorization controlling API access. API traffic uses HTTPS/TLS, data is stored in managed PostgreSQL databases, project webhooks use HMAC-SHA256 signatures, and Stripe handles card data that Particles UI says it does not store as raw card numbers. The maker says it is not currently certified under SOC 2, PCI DSS, HITRUST, ISO 27001 or SSAE 18, a material consideration for organizations with formal certification requirements.

Pricing

Particles UI has a free plan and paid plans starting at 19.00 USD per month. The paid tiers are priced per editor where stated, and the distinction between viewers and editors matters for teams estimating the cost of broader adoption.

• Free — 0.00 USD per free (billed forever): One project, one main branch and three free viewers, with unlimited tokens, all export formats, releases and version pinning. It includes Figma pull, inspect and one theme. This is a useful way to maintain a small token set or evaluate exports, but the single project and branch limit constrain team workflows, and Figma push is unavailable.
• Pro — 19.00 USD per month (billed $19/ month; 1 seat): Five projects, five branches, unlimited themes and Figma variable modes, plus a token graph/DAG explorer. A 14-day free trial is included. It suits an individual editor needing more room for projects and themes, but the one-seat plan lacks the listed review, WCAG release gate and MCP capabilities reserved for Team.
• Team — 29.00 USD per month (billed $29/ editor / month): Adds token requests, review and three-way merge, a WCAG release gate, webhooks to release-to-PR, MCP and agent recipes, and unlimited free viewer seats. It is the clearest fit for collaborative governance, though editor costs rise with each additional editor.
• Business — 79.00 USD per month (billed $79/ editor / month): Adds a Foundation → Brand → Product hierarchy, pinned module releases and conflict review, a knowledge graph explorer, a four-hour SLA and onboarding, and a dedicated Slack channel. This is aimed at organizations managing layered design systems and requiring defined support; its per-editor price is substantially higher than Team.

Platforms

Particles UI supports Linux, macOS, web and Windows. Figma use has its own browser and version requirements, and Safari is not supported for the plugin.

Who it's for

Choose Particles UI if your team needs versioned tokens, review before release, broad code-format exchange and an accessibility gate integrated into governance. Free is adequate for a small, single-project setup; Pro suits a solo editor, while Team is the practical tier for shared review, MCP or WCAG release enforcement. Teams needing a recognized security certification, or only a lightweight export path without cloud governance, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Branch-based review gives token changes a controlled route into the main set.
• Pro: Extensive import and export formats support varied codebases, and the local MIT-licensed CLI works without an account.
• Pro: Team combines review, WCAG release checks, webhooks and MCP access, with unlimited free viewer seats.
• Con: Figma push is excluded from Free, and plugin editing requires Pro or above.
• Con: MCP and the WCAG release gate require Team, beyond the $19/month Pro tier.
• Con: The maker reports no current certification under SOC 2, PCI DSS, HITRUST, ISO 27001 or SSAE 18.

Alternatives

Zaklad is a freemium alternative with Android, iOS and web support. Vue Design System is a free option for macOS, self-hosted and web environments. Terrazzo is a free, MIT-licensed open-source option for iOS, macOS and web. Bezel offers a web-based freemium option, with its free plan capped at 75 AI credits, one project, one theme and 1,000 design tokens; it is not yet open for signup. Carbon Design System is a free, open-source web option with no paid tiers stated. Spec Layer is a freemium web alternative whose free plan allows one Figma file and 10 publishing updates per month. Supernova offers a freemium option across API, macOS and web, with its free tier covering up to five seats and one design system. Tokens Studio is a freemium extension and web option; its Variables plan is 17.00 EUR per month billed annually and includes one editor seat.

Verdict

Particles UI is a strong choice for teams that want design tokens treated as governed, versioned decisions rather than loose files, especially when review, accessibility checks and multiple export targets matter. Its principal reasons to look elsewhere are the Team-or-higher cost for core collaboration and MCP features, and the absence of the security certifications some organizations require.