Penpot
FreeOpen source design and prototyping platform
About Penpot
Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping tool, self-hostable, positioned as the Figma alternative for teams with data sovereignty requirements. Available at penpot.app (free cloud, unlimited files) or self-hosted via Docker with an AGPLv3 license. Around 35K+ GitHub stars. The interface closely mirrors Figma — components, grids, constraints, auto-layout, and interactive prototypes all work similarly. The technical differentiator is SVG-first: Penpot stores designs as real SVG, making exports and integrations cleaner than Figma proprietary format. Collaboration is multiplayer with live cursors. Main limitations: the plugin ecosystem is much smaller than Figma, some advanced component features (variables, nested overrides) arrived later and are less polished, and the self-hosted version requires more DevOps effort than cloud alternatives. Dev handoff and inspect mode exists but is less mature than Figma Dev Mode. Reddit comparisons note excellent rendering speed for self-hosted but the plugin library is thin. For EU teams with GDPR data residency requirements or companies unwilling to pay Figma per-seat pricing, Penpot is the most viable open-source alternative available.
Key Features
Pricing Plans
Verified April 2026Free
- All features
- Unlimited projects
- Unlimited files
- Self-host available
Unlimited
- Priority support
- Advanced features
- Cloud hosting
Pros
- Fully open source with self-hosting option
- No cost with all features included
- SVG-native format (no proprietary lock-in)
- Figma-like interface reduces learning curve
- Active development improving rapidly
- No Figma/Adobe file format restrictions
Cons
- Performance noticeably slower than Figma
- Feature gap remains vs industry leaders
- Smaller plugin/component ecosystem
- Some advanced Figma features still missing
- Cloud collaboration less reliable than Figma
Best For
- Organizations requiring self-hosted design tools
- Open source-first companies
- Designers concerned about vendor lock-in
- Teams with tight design tool budgets
Not Ideal For
- Production design teams needing reliability at scale
- Designers who rely on specific Figma plugins
- Teams requiring smooth client handoff workflows
Potential Deal Breakers
- Performance significantly slower than Figma for complex files
- Feature gap may block migration from Figma for some workflows
Data & Privacy
Open-source design tool by a Spanish company. Cloud version hosted in EU. Self-hosting keeps all design data on your infrastructure. No AI features, no data training, no tracking. GDPR compliant by design. Export to SVG and PDF.
Who Is This For?
Hands-on tested May 2026
Signup Experience
Email or Google signup on penpot.app — free with no credit card. The interface opens to a dashboard where you create a new file and enter the design editor. The canvas, layers panel, and design properties panel will feel familiar to anyone who has used Figma. Creating frames, adding components, and setting up styles works as expected. Vector editing, prototyping with interactive links, and exporting assets are all functional on the free tier. Self-hosting via Docker is also straightforward for teams wanting full data control.
For Home Users
An excellent free alternative to Figma for UI design, wireframing, and prototyping. Everything is free — no seat limits, no watermarks, no paywalled features for individual use. Files are stored as standard formats and the self-hosted option means no vendor lock-in. For designers learning UI/UX or working on personal projects without a budget for Figma, Penpot is the obvious choice. The polish and feature depth are behind Figma — auto-layout behavior, component variants, and plugin ecosystem are less mature — but for most design tasks it gets the job done.
For Business Users
Penpot Cloud (penpot.app) is free for teams with unlimited collaborators — there are no per-seat charges for the core product. Premium support and SLA agreements are available for enterprise customers at custom pricing. Self-hosting gives teams complete control over their design files and data, which matters for companies with strict data residency requirements. The main business trade-off versus Figma is ecosystem maturity: fewer third-party plugins, less integration depth with developer handoff tools, and a smaller community of designers already familiar with the tool. For design teams at companies committed to open-source tooling or with Figma pricing concerns, Penpot is the most viable alternative.
What Users Say
“"Penpot is the only real open source alternative to Figma - it's not there yet but getting closer."”
— Reddit user
“"I switched from Figma to Penpot for self-hosting. Worth it for our data sovereignty requirements."”
— Reddit user
“"Great concept, but needs another year before I'd rely on it for client work."”
— Reddit user
Our Verdict
Penpot is the most promising open-source design tool and a genuine Figma alternative for the right teams. The feature gap is closing, and the self-hosting option is genuinely unique. For organizations with data sovereignty requirements or open-source principles, it's the obvious choice. For everyone else, Figma still wins on polish and reliability for now.
Price History
Penpot launched Unlimited paid tier at $7/mo
Previously free-only with a Coming Soon premium tier. Now offers Unlimited at $7/mo.