What is the difference between Penpot and Sketch?

Penpot is best for Teams that want a free, open-source Figma alternative, while Sketch is best for Mac users who prefer native app performance over browser-based tools. Penpot starts at Free and Sketch starts at $10/editor/mo.

Is Penpot or Sketch cheaper?

Penpot starts at Free and is free. Sketch starts at $10/editor/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Sketch?

Yes, Penpot offers a free tier.

Penpot vs Sketch

Penpot is open-source, browser-based design and prototyping platform. Self-hostable, while Sketch is mac-native design tool for UI/UX with a focus on simplicity and performance. The biggest difference up front: Penpot is free, while Sketch starts at $10/editor/mo. Penpot is built for teams that want a free, open-source figma alternative, whereas Sketch targets mac users who prefer native app performance over browser-based tools.

At a glance

	Penpot	Sketch
Best for	Teams that want a free, open-source Figma alternative	Mac users who prefer native app performance over browser-based tools
Starting price	Free	$10/editor/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	✓	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	✓	—
Components	✓	—
Libraries	—	✓
Mac Native	—	✓
Open Source	✓	—
Plugins	—	✓
Prototyping	✓	✓
SVG Native	✓	—
Self-Hosted	✓	—
Symbols	—	✓

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

Sketch

Strengths

Native Mac performance — fast and responsive
Clean, focused interface
Large plugin ecosystem
One-time purchase option still available

Weaknesses

Mac only — no Windows or Linux support
Collaboration features lag behind Figma
Declining market share and community momentum
Web viewer is limited

Try Sketch → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Penpot is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Sketch starts at $10/editor/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Penpot offers Components, Open Source and SVG Native that Sketch lacks. Sketch brings Libraries, Mac Native and Plugins that Penpot does not have. Both share Prototyping.

Team fit: Both tools target small teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

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

Where each tool shines: Penpot's biggest strengths are: 100% free and open source. self-hostable for data sovereignty. Sketch's biggest strengths are: native mac performance — fast and responsive. clean, focused interface.

Watch out for: With Penpot, users commonly note that less mature than figma — fewer features. With Sketch, the main complaint is that mac only — no windows or linux support.

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, Sketch is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Components and Open Source
You care about self-hostable for data sovereignty

Choose Sketch if...

You need a tool built for mac users who prefer native app performance over browser-based tools
You specifically need Libraries and Mac Native
You care about clean, focused interface