The Figma plugins most designers end up installing cover a handful of jobs: icons, stock photos, device mockups, placeholder text and data, background removal and importing a live website. Pick one plugin per job, then check its Last updated line and any In-app purchase tag on its Figma Community page before you build a project around it.
The Figma plugins worth installing first are the ones that save you a trip out of Figma: icons, photos, mockups, placeholder content and imports. I've chosen ten of the most installed on Figma Community and described each by the job it does.
They're listed in no particular order. User counts come from each plugin's Figma Community listings, as of Oct 2026, and the descriptions are the makers' own words. Curious how the company behind the tool markets itself? My piece on Figma's marketing strategy is a quick read.
How I chose these ten plugins
I went by what each Figma Community page shows: how many people use the plugin, when it was last updated, who made it and whether it carries an In-app purchase tag. The pages also show a heart icon with no label, so I've left that out. The free plan column says Yes only where the listing names a free plan or a free tier, as of Oct 2026. Not stated means it didn't say, which isn't the same as no.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Reel | Content palette | Shared text, images and icons for layouts | Not stated |
| Feather Icons | Icon set | Quick access to one open source icon set | Not stated |
| html.to.design | Website importer | Turning a live website into editable Figma layers | Yes |
| Iconify | Icon set collection | Many open source icon sets in one search | Not stated |
| Icons8 | Icon, illustration and photo library | Icons, illustrations and photos without leaving Figma | Yes |
| Lorem Ipsum | Placeholder content | Placeholder text, images and fake data | Not stated |
| Material Design Icons | Icon set | Material icons in five styles, as PNG or SVG | Yes |
| Mockup Plugin | Mockup generator | Device, print and branding mockups | Yes |
| Remove BG | Background remover | One-click image background removal | Not stated |
| Unsplash | Stock photo plugin | Stock photos dropped straight into your designs | Not stated |
Ten Figma plugins and the job each one does
Content Reel
Best for: Building layouts from one palette of text strings, images and icons, and sharing your own content collections with other Figma users.
Feather Icons
Best for: Getting quick access to one open source icon set inside Figma, from a plugin whose code is published for anyone to contribute to.
html.to.design
Best for: Importing an existing website's HTML into fully editable Figma designs, so you start from a live page instead of rebuilding every element by hand.
Iconify
Best for: Searching over 250k icons from 200+ open source sets in one plugin, so you don't need a separate plugin for each set.
Icons8
Best for: Pulling icons, illustrations and photos into a file without leaving Figma, with a free tier that asks for a credit link in the final work.
Lorem Ipsum
Best for: Filling text layers, shapes and lists with placeholder text, stock images and fake profile or company data in a click.
Material Design Icons
Best for: Finding any of 36,000+ Material icons by name or category, in outlined, filled, sharp, rounded or two-tone styles, as PNG or SVG.
Mockup Plugin
Best for: Dropping a design onto a device screen in a few clicks, with device, branding, animated and 3D mockups to choose from.
Remove BG
Best for: Removing the background from an image in a single click through the remove.bg service, which needs its own account before the plugin works.
Unsplash
Best for: Inserting stock photos into a design, under a licence its listing says covers commercial and personal projects, with extra images for subscribers.
The most installed plugin and the ones nobody has touched in years
Here's what the listings show that most people don't check. Iconify is the most installed plugin in this list, with 4.71m users on its Figma Community page as of Oct 2026. Yet 4 of the 10 show a Last updated line two or more years back: Remove BG and Feather Icons say 3 years ago, while Unsplash and Material Design Icons say 2 years ago.
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An older plugin can still do its job, especially a simple one that drops icons into a file. It does mean nobody's changed it in a while, so if it stops working after a Figma update there may be no quick fix. Try an old plugin on a copy of your file, and keep a backup of anything that matters.
What the In-app purchase tag tells you, and what it doesn't
Several listings carry an In-app purchase tag. It means part of the plugin is sold from inside it; it doesn't tell you how much you get without buying. A listing with no tag isn't automatically free either, it just doesn't say.
Read the listing text as well. One background remover here needs an account with the service behind it before it'll run, and one icon library asks free users to credit it in the final work. Those details sit on the listing, not in the plugin menu.
Which plugin for which design job
- Icons for an interface: an icon plugin, ideally one that brings several open source sets into one search.
- Photos for a mockup or a landing page: a stock photo plugin, once you've read the licence wording on its listing.
- Showing a design on a phone or laptop: a mockup plugin that places your frame on a device screen.
- Filling an empty layout: a placeholder plugin for text, images and fake profile or company data.
- Sharing the same content across a team: a content palette plugin that lets you publish collections for other Figma users.
- Cutting out a product photo: a background remover, remembering it may need its own account.
- Redesigning a site that already exists: an import plugin that turns a live website into editable layers.
Do you make Figma plugins? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing Figma plugins
Install plugins for the jobs you do every week and leave the rest. Check the Last updated line and any tag on each listing, and run a new plugin on a copy of your file before you use it on client work. A short plugin list is easier to keep track of, and it's one less thing to go wrong the week before a deadline.
If you're weighing up design tools for your team, my guide to AI writer and AI design tools for marketers covers some you could try.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular Figma plugins?
In this list, the most installed is an icon plugin with millions of users on Figma Community, as of Oct 2026. Icon libraries, stock photos, mockups and placeholder content make up most of the ten.
Are Figma plugins free?
Some are and some aren't. Four listings here name a free plan or tier, as of Oct 2026, and several carry an In-app purchase tag. No tag doesn't mean free, so check the listing.
How do I add a plugin in Figma?
You find the plugin on its Figma Community page and add it from there, then run it from the plugins menu inside your file.
Do old Figma plugins still work?
Often, yes, but a plugin last updated years ago hasn't been changed for a while. Try it on a copy of your file first and keep a backup.
What does the In-app purchase tag mean?
It means part of the plugin is sold from inside it. The tag doesn't say how much you get without buying, so read the listing before you plan a project around it.
