xfig and its alternatives compared
xfig is the classic drawing program for figures in papers and LaTeX documents, but it needs an X server: XQuartz on macOS, Cygwin/X or WSL on Windows. These programs open xfig's .fig files or do a similar job.
| Program | Systems | Needs an X server | xfig's .fig files | LaTeX | Licence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RustFig | Windows, macOS, Linux, web browser | No | Opens every Fig version (1.3–3.2), saves Fig 3.2 that xfig reads | Typeset on the canvas; every fig2dev export built in (pstex/pdftex, TikZ, PSTricks, pict2e, …) | Open source (MIT or Apache-2.0) | xfig's modes, mouse buttons, panels and keys; beta |
| xfig 3.2.9a | Linux and Unix; macOS with XQuartz; Windows with Cygwin/X or WSL | Yes (X11) | Its own format | Through fig2dev, installed separately | Open source (xfig licence) | The original, still maintained |
| xfig-qt | macOS | No | Its own format (it is xfig 3.2.9a) | Through fig2dev, installed separately | Open source (xfig licence, MIT) | xfig's own code on Qt instead of X11 |
| WinFIG | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | Aims at xfig's format and rendering | Exports through fig2dev | Shareware | An independent program modelled on xfig |
| jfig | Any system with Java | No | Reads and writes Fig files | Several export formats | Shareware (registration) | Java editor modelled on xfig; last releases are years old |
| Ipe | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | No (own XML/PDF format; the figtoipe tool converts .fig) | LaTeX is its native text system | Open source (GPL) | Built for figures in LaTeX documents and slides |
| Inkscape | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | Import only, through an extension that needs fig2dev | PDF/EPS with a LaTeX text overlay | Open source (GPL) | A general SVG editor, not xfig-like |
As of October 2026; the other programs' details come from their own sites and package listings and may have changed. Corrections are welcome as GitHub issues.
Which one to choose
- You have xfig figures and want to keep working the xfig way on Windows or macOS: RustFig or WinFIG. RustFig is open source, also runs in the browser, and has fig2dev's exports and LaTeX typesetting built in.
- You are on Linux and xfig works for you: keep xfig; RustFig reads and writes the same files, so you can switch back and forth.
- You want xfig exactly, without X11, on a Mac: xfig-qt runs xfig's own code on Qt.
- You draw mainly for LaTeX and don't need
.fig: Ipe, or TikZ directly; RustFig also exports TikZ, pict2e and pstex/pdftex. - You want a general illustration program: Inkscape.