Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping platform and the leading Figma alternative. Built on open web standards (SVG), it supports UI design, components, prototyping, and real-time collaboration, and can be self-hosted for full control over your design data.

Highlights

Genuinely open source and self-hostable
Built on open standards (SVG), designer–developer friendly
Real-time collaboration and components
Free, with no per-editor seat costs

Watch-outs

Smaller ecosystem and plugin catalogue than Figma
Performance and polish trail the incumbent
Fewer third-party integrations

Good for

UI / product design

Penpot is the answer for teams that want Figma-style design without lock-in or per-seat costs — open source, self-hostable, and standards-based. The trade-off is maturity: Figma still leads on polish, performance, and plugins. If openness and control outweigh ecosystem, Penpot is the clear pick; otherwise Figma remains smoother.

When to use it

open_source_advocates
privacy_conscious_teams
designers_avoiding_vendor_lock_in

Avoid if

need_figmas_plugin_ecosystem
want_the_most_polished_experience

Free

Free tierOpen source

Free and open source (MPL-2.0). The hosted version is free; self-hosting is available for teams that want to run it themselves.

Templates
Integration
Self-hostable
Native
Open source
Native
Real-time collaboration
Native

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Penpot

Highlights

Watch-outs

Good for

When to use it