I’ve written about Figma and Penpot extensively here at XDA. Figma is the industry standard for UI and UX design - and I’d argue that if Penpot were more popular, it’d be right up there with Figma and Sketch. The thing is, Figma’s dominance doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best option for everyone. While it is undoubtedly sleek and powerful, there’s also a lot to consider before committing to Figma, such as the paywalls and cloud dependency.
Penpot is practically a mirror of Figma, at least in terms of the interface and functionality, but it’s quite different under the hood. I’ve never had a preference for either Figma or Penpot - both have their strengths. What tipped the scales was that Penpot is more private and more accessible. Moving to Penpot isn’t a protest against Figma; it was a natural process as I just started gravitating more toward it.
What is Penpot?
The ultimate Figma alternative
Penpot is a free, open-source, browser-based design and prototyping tool that positions itself as an alternative UI/UX tool to proprietary software like Figma. But it’s built on a completely different philosophy. For starters, you can self-host it. I use Elestio because I don’t know much about self-hosting and it handles everything for you, but you can also host it with Docker. This already lets you know Penpot is more serious about giving designers control over their work. It’s designed for teams and individual designers alike, and is suitable for anyone from novice hobbyists to professionals.
Penpot runs entirely in your browser, so you don’t have to install anything, and it works across operating systems without performance trade-offs. Because it’s open-source, updates come from a mix of the core dev team and the community, and you can customize or extend the tool yourself if you have the skills. There are paid tiers, which give you access to enhanced support, team access controls, logs and analytics, Penpot’s cloud, and more plugins. But I’ve only been using the free version, and it gives me more to work with than Figma’s free version. It offers the same core functionality as Figma - vector editing, components, interactive prototyping, collaboration, and everything else you need for software, app, and web design.
Why I prefer Penpot over Figma
Penpot outranks Figma in several key areas
Usually when I switch from proprietary tools to open-source ones, there’s a significant learning curve. But that wasn’t the case with Penpot. It has a very similar layout and toolkit to Figma, so I already felt right at home. You’ve got your frame tools, shapes, illustrations, text, property adjustments, components, assets, and a prototyping window. Just like Figma, it has everything you need for pro-level wireframing and prototyping, including a bunch of templates and design kits. Except, the entire workflow is more private and customizable.
It doesn’t have as many plugins as Figma, but that’s actually one of the reasons I like it. I don’t have to rely on external tools as much to get the same functionality. For example, Penpot has native CSS Grid support that doesn’t require a plugin. It also has Tokens built-in, while you'd need the Token Studio plugin in Figma. Another cool thing is that code inspection and dev handoff are free in Penpot, whereas it’s a paid feature in Figma, so you get more advanced and collaborative tools without having to pay a subscription.
Ultimately, I just love how much more accessible Penpot is. First of all, it’s a browser-based tool, and if you’ve read any of my graphics-related articles, you know I much prefer browser graphics apps. My PC handles graphics software fine for the most part, but my Chromebook doesn’t, so I love being able to access more advanced tools from my little Chromebook laptop wherever I am. Secondly, Penpot has much more extensive language support than Figma. Thirdly, it’s faster than Figma, not just because it’s a lighter app overall, but because it’s built on web standards like SVG rather than proprietary formats that require conversion.
Where Penpot falls short
Figma still outshines it in some areas
As I’ve mentioned, Penpot does have fewer plugins, which I consider a win because those features are native instead. But at the same time, you don’t have access to the massive plugin ecosystem that makes Figma so versatile. Figma also has many more integrations that Penpot lacks, such as with Notion, Jira, and Slack.
Lastly, and I consider this the biggest downside: Penpot doesn’t have a whiteboard tool. Sure, you can use just about any productivity app with a whiteboard; Obsidian Canvas will probably do. But Figma integrates with FigJam, where you can brainstorm, plan, and organize your wireframes and prototypes without having to jump between different apps.
Penpot is here to stay
Even though Penpot isn’t perfect, what app ever is? When it comes to open-source and self-hosted apps, it’s all about weighing the pros and cons - and probably accepting the cons anyway because you prefer not to succumb to subscriptions or proprietary servers. Penpot does the bulk of what I need it to, so I don’t see the need to pay for Figma anytime soon.
