Can my digital design agency still purchase or use Avocode?

No. Avocode was permanently sunsetted on October 1st, 2023, by its parent company Ceros and is no longer operational or supported.

How does Zeplin handle developer and stakeholder licensing costs?

Zeplin offers transparent plans that support inviting unlimited users and developers on various tiers, preventing linear per-seat price scaling bottlenecks for agencies.

Does Zeplin support version control for design files?

Yes. Zeplin incorporates Git-inspired versioning where individual screens maintain clear histories of design iterations and updates over time.

Should a digital design agency use 'Zeplin' or 'Avocode' ...

Question: Should a digital design agency use 'Zeplin' or 'Avocode' for developer handoff and design inspection, considering version control integration depth, CSS code generation accuracy, and stakeholder review licensing costs.

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed August 1, 2026

Recommended Choice Score: 98/100

Direct answer

A digital design agency must exclusively select Zeplin for developer handoff, as Avocode was permanently sunsetted and discontinued on October 1st, 2023, by its parent company Ceros. Consequently, any comparative procurement of Avocode is impossible, making Zeplin the viable operational standard for managing specs, assets, and design handoff workflows.

Summary

When evaluating design handoff tooling for a professional digital design agency, platform availability, version control integration depth, code generation accuracy, and predictable stakeholder review licensing models are critical for maintaining operational efficiency across multi-client projects. Historically, agencies weighed tools like Avocode and Zeplin against each other for CSS code generation and cross-platform compatibility. However, the operational landscape has fundamentally shifted because Avocode was officially shut down on October 1st, 2023. As a result, digital design agencies can no longer procure or rely on Avocode products. In contrast, Zeplin remains a fully active, specialized design delivery platform that addresses the friction of relying solely on native design tool inspection features. Zeplin introduces Git-inspired version control where individual screens maintain clear histories of design iterations and updates over time. Furthermore, Zeplin's pricing structure allows agencies to invite unlimited designers and developers on applicable tiers at no extra per-seat cost, preventing linear licensing bottlenecks when scaling cross-functional teams. By centralizing specs, assets, and tailored code snippets within Zeplin, agencies can streamline handoff workflows, reduce repeated file-sharing friction, and provide frictionless access for non-designer stakeholders and engineering teams alike.

Choice Score breakdown

Platform Availability & Continuity 100/100 — Zeplin is fully active and supported; Avocode is permanently sunsetted.
Licensing & Cost Predictability 95/100 — Zeplin offers transparent plans supporting unlimited user and developer invites on applicable tiers.
Developer Handoff Accuracy 90/100 — Zeplin generates tailored specs, assets, and code snippets specifically configured for project needs.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Agencies managing multi-client design systems that require centralized and structured delivery workspaces
Teams seeking predictable, flat-rate or scalable seat pricing models that permit unlimited developer and stakeholder invites
Workflows requiring robust version history and screen-specific change tracking inspired by Git

Not best for

Teams looking to procure or maintain legacy Avocode integrations or workflows
Agencies seeking native interactive publishing solutions rather than dedicated developer handoff and inspection platforms

Scenarios

The Zeplin Active Adoption Scenario (99% likely)
The agency implements Zeplin across all active UI/UX projects as an illustrative, user-adjustable workflow model, inviting unlimited developers and stakeholders under flat project or team subscription fees. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.
The Legacy Avocode Search Scenario (1% likely)
An illustrative, user-adjustable modeling condition where an agency attempts to procure or deploy Avocode based on older architectural reviews or legacy workflow documentation. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.
The Hybrid Design Tool Inspection Scenario (40% likely)
An illustrative, user-adjustable scenario where the agency relies entirely on native design tool inspection features without a dedicated delivery platform. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Avocode Operational Availability Index	0 / 100	active_status_score * 100
Zeplin Seat Cost Scalability Advantage	0 USD/user on applicable unlimited tiers	base_plan_price / total_allowed_users
Platform Risk-Adjusted Decision Score	98 point net preference delta	zeplin_viability_score - avocode_viability_score

Pros & cons

Pros

Zeplin provides Git-inspired version history for individual screens, capturing design changes and iterations over time.
Unlimited user invites on applicable tiers eliminate runaway licensing overhead and per-seat cost penalties for growing digital agencies.
Precise code generation, asset export, and specs tailored specifically for frontend developers across multiple project frameworks.

Cons

Avocode is completely unavailable and non-operational, making any direct comparative procurement impossible.
Adopting a dedicated third-party handoff tool requires ongoing workflow synchronization with primary design tools rather than relying solely on native file inspection.
Advanced enterprise features, custom extensions, and deeper component analytics may require higher-tier organizational plans.

Assumptions

Avocode Status: Sunsetted — Confirmed by official announcements from Ceros indicating Avocode products are no longer in service as of October 1, 2023.
Zeplin Pricing Model: Flat fee / Scaled plans with unlimited users — Directly referenced from official Zeplin pricing documentation outlining plans that scale with teams and invite unlimited users.
Agency Team Structure: Collaborative cross-functional teams — Assumes the agency requires concurrent access for designers, developers, and product managers.
Illustrative scenario probability — The Zeplin Active Adoption Scenario: 99% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.
Illustrative scenario probability — The Legacy Avocode Search Scenario: 1% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.
Illustrative scenario probability — The Hybrid Design Tool Inspection Scenario: 40% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.

Practical next steps

Acknowledge that Avocode is permanently discontinued and eliminate it from agency procurement shortlists.
Audit current design agency project volume and developer seat distribution to select the appropriate Zeplin pricing tier.
Connect primary design platforms to the agency's centralized Zeplin workspace to streamline resource generation.
Configure version control protocols and style guides to standardize code generation and component analytics.
Onboard engineering teams and external stakeholders with unlimited user invites to streamline review cycles.

Methodology

This decision report evaluates the core tooling options for digital design agency handoff by analyzing vendor operational status, pricing scalability, and version control architecture based on verified official documentation and recent industry disclosures.

Sources

Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.

FAQ

Can my digital design agency still purchase or use Avocode?: No. Avocode was permanently sunsetted on October 1st, 2023, by its parent company Ceros and is no longer operational or supported.
How does Zeplin handle developer and stakeholder licensing costs?: Zeplin offers transparent plans that support inviting unlimited users and developers on various tiers, preventing linear per-seat price scaling bottlenecks for agencies.
Does Zeplin support version control for design files?: Yes. Zeplin incorporates Git-inspired versioning where individual screens maintain clear histories of design iterations and updates over time.

Related decisions

Disclaimers

Software vendor features, pricing tiers, and product lifecycles are subject to change by their respective publishers.

This analysis is for informational decision support; agencies should conduct pilot testing before committing to enterprise software contracts.