What is the difference between Figma and Penpot?

Figma is best for Design teams that need real-time collaboration, while Penpot is best for Teams that want a free, open-source Figma alternative. Figma starts at $12/editor/mo and Penpot starts at Free.

Is Figma or Penpot cheaper?

Figma starts at $12/editor/mo with a free tier. Penpot starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Penpot?

Both Figma and Penpot offer free tiers.

Figma vs Penpot

Figma is browser-based collaborative design tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design systems, while Penpot is open-source, browser-based design and prototyping platform. Self-hostable. The biggest difference up front: Penpot is free, while Figma starts at $12/editor/mo. Figma is built for design teams that need real-time collaboration, whereas Penpot targets teams that want a free, open-source figma alternative.

At a glance

	Figma	Penpot
Best for	Design teams that need real-time collaboration	Teams that want a free, open-source Figma alternative
Starting price	$12/editor/mo	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Auto Layout	✓	—
Components	✓	✓
Dev Mode	✓	—
Open Source	—	✓
Prototyping	✓	✓
Real-Time Collab	✓	—
SVG Native	—	✓
Self-Hosted	—	✓

Figma

Strengths

Real-time collaboration — multiple designers, one file
Browser-based, works on any OS
Excellent component and design system support
Strong developer handoff features

Weaknesses

Per-editor pricing gets expensive for large teams
Browser-based means no offline support
Performance can lag with very large files
Limited vector editing compared to Illustrator

Try Figma → Full review

Penpot

Strengths

100% free and open source
Self-hostable for data sovereignty
Real-time collaboration like Figma
Uses open standards (SVG)

Weaknesses

Less mature than Figma — fewer features
Smaller plugin and community ecosystem
Performance not as smooth as Figma
Fewer design resources and templates available

Try Penpot → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Penpot is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Figma starts at $12/editor/mo, but 3 projects, 3 pages per project. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Figma offers Auto Layout, Dev Mode and Real-Time Collab that Penpot lacks. Penpot brings Open Source, SVG Native and Self-Hosted that Figma does not have. Both share Components and Prototyping.

Team fit: Figma is geared toward any size teams, while Penpot is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Penpot is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Figma is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Figma's biggest strengths are: real-time collaboration — multiple designers, one file. browser-based, works on any os. Penpot's biggest strengths are: 100% free and open source. self-hostable for data sovereignty.

Watch out for: With Figma, users commonly note that per-editor pricing gets expensive for large teams. With Penpot, the main complaint is that less mature than figma — fewer features.

Choose Figma if...

You need a tool built for design teams that need real-time collaboration
You specifically need Auto Layout and Dev Mode
You care about browser-based, works on any os
Your team size fits the any size profile Figma is designed for
The free tier works for you: 3 projects, 3 pages per project

Choose Penpot if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want a free, open-source figma alternative
Budget is a hard constraint — Penpot is free, Figma is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Open Source and SVG Native
You care about self-hostable for data sovereignty