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Penpot

Website

Open-source, browser-based design and prototyping tool that can be self-hosted, with CSS flex/grid layouts and native design tokens. It suits teams wanting Figma-like workflows without vendor lock-in; the free cloud plan allows up to 8 members per team. Penpot has no built-in generative AI; instead it offers a free, open MCP server so external agents can read and edit files, and releases ship monthly (2.18 on 23 Sept 2026).

Information

Type
Design app
Usage
1.1%
Platform
WebLinux
Cost
$ 84
Pricing
Unlimited, $7/editor/month (capped at $175/month); Professional cloud plan is free

Features

Yes
FreeFree plan
Partly
AINo built-in AI; free MCP server for agents
No
OfflineBrowser only; self-hosting possible
Yes
Pen ToolVector path/pen tool
Yes
CollaborationReal-time multiplayer editing
Yes
CommentsComments, now in design workspace
Yes
HandoffInspect tab with CSS/SVG/HTML code
Yes
ArtboardsMultiple boards per page
Yes
SymbolsComponents with variants
No
3D TransformNo 3D transforms
Yes
ResponsiveFlex and grid layout, constraints
Yes
PrototypingInteractive prototyping with flows

About Penpot

Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping platform made by Kaleidos. It runs in the browser and can be used in Penpot's cloud or self-hosted on your own servers.

Penpot's layouts map to CSS Flex and Grid, and it has native design tokens, shared libraries and component variants. Its file format is open and built on web standards (SVG, CSS, HTML, JSON), so developers can inspect real code values.

Recent work focuses on AI and design systems. Penpot offers an MCP server so external AI agents and LLMs can read and create designs, and it publishes guides on design-to-code and code-to-design workflows. Plugins are available through the Penpot Hub.

Best for: Teams that want a free or self-hosted Figma-style tool with layouts and tokens that map directly to CSS.

Strengths

  • Open source, with a self-hosting option.
  • The free Professional cloud plan has no design limits.
  • Flex and Grid layouts match CSS behaviour.
  • Native design tokens and component variants.
  • An MCP server lets AI agents work with designs.

Limitations

  • Smaller plugin and template ecosystem than Figma.
  • Browser only; there is no native desktop app.
  • Self-hosting means running and updating the servers yourself.
  • The managed private-server plan is costly, at $50k per year.

Pricing

Professional (cloud) is free. Unlimited is US$7 per editor per month, capped at $175 per month whatever the team size. Enterprise is $25 per member per month, and the managed Private Server plan is $50k per year. Self-hosting the open-source version is free. Checked October 2026.

When to pick something else

  • Figma: pick it if you need the largest plugin and community ecosystem
  • Lunacy: pick it if you want a free tool that works offline on the desktop
  • Sketch: pick it if your team is on Macs and wants a native app

Checked against Penpot’s own website in October 2026.

Penpot is a UI Design tool for Web and Linux. A paid plan costs about $84 a year, and there is a free plan. In our comparison it supports pen Tool, collaboration, comments, handoff, artboards, symbols, responsive and prototyping. AI is only partly supported. It does not offer offline and 3D Transform.

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