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Penpot vs Figma

The verdict

If you're an open-source advocate or part of a privacy-conscious team, choose Penpot. Its genuine open-source nature allows for self-hosting, providing peace of mind around data control. With a focus on open standards, it facilitates seamless collaboration between designers and developers, making it a solid choice for projects where these values are paramount.

On the other hand, if you're a product designer or part of a design team looking for a robust, feature-rich tool, Figma is the way to go. Its extensive plugin ecosystem and strong support for components and design systems make it ideal for collaborative high-level design work. However, be mindful if you have a larger team; the cost of editor seats can add up quickly. If you require offline access or a fully open-source solution, Figma may not meet those needs.

Side-by-side comparison of Penpot, Figma
PenpotFigma
PricingFreeFrom USD 0
Platformswebweb, mac, windows
RatingNo reviewsNo reviews
AI assistanceNot supportedLimited
API accessNot supportedNative
Extensions / pluginsNot supportedNative
Open sourceNativeNot supported
Real-time collaborationNativeNative
Self-hostableNativeNot supported
TemplatesLimitedNative
Version historyNot supportedNative
Pros
  • 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
  • Real-time multiplayer design in the browser
  • Strong components and design-system support
  • Huge plugin and community-template ecosystem
  • Prototyping and developer hand-off built in
Cons
  • Smaller ecosystem and plugin catalogue than Figma
  • Performance and polish trail the incumbent
  • Fewer third-party integrations
  • Editor seats get expensive for larger teams
  • Heavy files can strain lower-end machines
  • Closed source
Ideal for
  • open_source_advocates
  • privacy_conscious_teams
  • designers_avoiding_vendor_lock_in
  • product_designers
  • design_teams
  • cross_functional_collaboration
Avoid if
  • need_figmas_plugin_ecosystem
  • want_the_most_polished_experience
  • want_an_open_source_tool
  • need_fully_offline_work
Penpot

The open-source design and prototyping tool

Visit Penpot
Figma

The collaborative interface design standard

Visit Figma
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