My stack
    Penpot preview

    Penpot Reviews, pricing and alternatives 2026

    Free open-source alternative to Figma — collaborative design and prototyping.

    Best for

    Solo / Freelance

    Highly recommended

    Team

    Can work

    What it does
    Ui design
    Prototyping
    Prototype
    Design system
    Wireframing
    UI components

    + 3 more features

    Penpot

    ToolTrim Verdict
    4.0/5
    Very good

    Penpot wins for open-source or tech-savvy teams; free, collaborative, developer-first—production-ready now.

    Visit websiteExplore around Penpot

    Pricing verified on

    Our take

    Understanding Penpot.

    Penpot is the only serious open-source alternative to Figma: vector design tool, interactive prototyping and real-time collaboration, freely accessible in the cloud or self-hostable. It uses open web standards (SVG, CSS) where Figma has its proprietary format.

    The cloud version is completely free for all users. Paid plans (Pro at $7/month per 2-person team) are only for advanced team features. For a solo designer, the free version covers 100% of needs.

    Important context: with Adobe's acquisition of Figma (cancelled), then Canva's acquisition of Affinity, Penpot has become the only truly independent and open-source option for designers who don't want to depend on a proprietary vendor. The community is growing fast.

    Practical uses

    • Design interfaces and wireframes as a team (multiplayer).
    • Build design systemsTokens and components.
    • Share designsDevelopers for code inspection and handoff.
    • Create interactive prototypes and user flows.
    • Self-host Penpot for sensitive data privacy.

    Pros and cons

    What Penpot does especially well — and the limits to anticipate.

    Pros

    • Fully featured free tier (no neutered freemium).
    • Native multiplayer collaboration (better than some paywalls).
    • Open-source and self-hostable (data ownership).
    • No vendor lock-in, open file formats.
    • Code inspection and CSS/HTML/SVG export built-in.
    • AI workflows for developers and agents.
    • Plugins and APIs for extensibility.
    • Discounts for nonprofits, education, open-source.

    Cons

    • Thinner plugin ecosystem vs Figma.
    • Smaller community (fewer public templates).
    • Commercial support less polished (better for tech-savvy).
    • Self-hosting requires DevOps expertise.
    • Stability/performance slightly behind market leaders.

    Penpot: when it makes sense.

    Penpot wins for open-source or tech-savvy teams; free, collaborative, developer-first—production-ready now.

    Keep if

    You want a free Figma or Adobe XD alternative.. You embrace open-source and self-hosting options.

    Challenge if

    You need Figma's commercial stability and support.. Your team relies heavily on paid Figma plugins (thinner ecosystem).

    How much does Penpot cost?

    Free0 €

    Free (full cloud, also self-hostable)

    Cloud (gratuit)

    Professional from $7/month for teams

    Official pricing sourceverified on

    Best alternatives to Penpot.

    Penpot preview
    Penpot logo

    PenpotCurrent

    Free open-source alternative to Figma — collaborative design and prototyping.

    4.0ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    Free
    Free plan
    Included
    Adobe XD preview
    Adobe XD logo
    Adobe XD

    UI prototyping and design (discontinued).

    3.5ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    Free
    Free plan
    No
    Figma preview
    Figma logo
    Figma

    The interface design tool for creating mockups and prototypes.

    4.2ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    16€
    Free plan
    Included
    Sketch preview
    Sketch logo
    Sketch

    UI/UX design tool for macOS.

    3.8ToolTrim score
    Monthly price
    11€
    Free plan
    No
    The AI angle

    Penpot vs AI

    AI challenges it
    Go further with AI

    Penpot remains a manual open-source design editor, while Figma (with Figma AI) and generators like v0 or Lovable now integrate AI generation directly into their workflow.

    Can AI replace it?

    Replace Penpot with an AI? No, but Penpot lags behind on AI integration compared to Figma. Its value remains being open source and self-hostable, an argument independent of AI. Verdict: challenged on AI features, but differentiated by its open-source model.

    Penpot Summary

    Category
    tool.
    Price from
    Free (Cloud (gratuit)).
    Best for
    freelancers and solopreneurs.
    Avoid if
    You need Figma's commercial stability and support.; Your team relies heavily on paid Figma plugins (thinner ecosystem)..
    Alternatives
    Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch.
    ToolTrim verdict
    Penpot wins for open-source or tech-savvy teams; free, collaborative, developer-first—production-ready now.

    Our verdict on Penpot.

    Why this verdict

    Very good

    Penpot is fairly easy to replace with an alternative, a free tier to test before paying, clearly documented use cases.

    Tool FAQ

    Frequently asked questions about Penpot

    Pricing, usage, alternatives, and context: useful answers before adding one more tool to your stack.

    What is Penpot used for?

    Free open-source alternative to Figma — collaborative design and prototyping.

    How much does Penpot cost?

    Penpot costs €0 (free) (Cloud (gratuit) plan). Price verified on 2026-05-08.

    Is Penpot suitable for beginners?

    Penpot is particularly suited for freelancers and solopreneurs.

    Is Penpot worth the price?

    Penpot wins for open-source or tech-savvy teams; free, collaborative, developer-first—production-ready now.

    What are the best alternatives to Penpot?

    The main alternatives to Penpot are: Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch. Free alternatives: Adobe XD.

    Is there a free alternative to Penpot?

    Yes, Penpot is a free alternative to Penpot.