Figma vs Penpot

Figma is the industry standard for UI design. Penpot is the open source alternative catching up fast. Here is an honest comparison for designers and teams.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

Figma

The industry standard for collaborative UI design

$15/editor/moper editor/month

Strengths

+Best-in-class real-time collaboration for design teams
+Massive plugin and component library ecosystem
+Dev mode gives engineers clean specs and code snippets

Weaknesses

-Expensive once you have more than a few editors
-Adobe acquisition raised long-term concerns (deal fell through but trust took a hit)
-No self-hosting option - your designs live on their cloud

Best for

Design teams that need industry-standard tools with the best real-time collaboration and a huge plugin ecosystem.

Penpot

Open source design and prototyping platform

Freefree and open source

Strengths

+Completely free and open source - no per-seat pricing ever
+Self-hostable for full control over your design files
+Uses open standards like SVG natively

Weaknesses

-Smaller plugin and component ecosystem than Figma
-Performance can lag on very complex files
-Fewer learning resources and community templates

Best for

Teams that want a capable design tool without per-seat costs, especially those who value open source and self-hosting.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Figma	Penpot
Pricing	$15/editor/mo	Free, open source
Real-time collaboration	Excellent	Good
Plugin ecosystem	Huge	Growing
Self-hosting	No	Yes
Prototyping	Advanced	Good, improving
Dev handoff	Dev Mode (paid)	Built-in inspect
Components / Variants	Excellent	Good
Open standards (SVG)	Export only	Native
Auto layout	Excellent	CSS-based flex layout
Offline support	No	Yes (self-hosted)

The Verdict

Figma is still the better tool if you need the deepest feature set and the largest ecosystem. But Penpot is no longer a toy - it is a real design tool that handles most workflows well. If per-seat pricing is killing your budget or you need self-hosting, Penpot deserves a serious look.

How to switch from Figma to Penpot

Full Figma export guide →

1Export each Figma file you need using File > Save as .fig (or copy the file's share URL) so you have a source file or link for every project you plan to migrate.
2In Penpot, use the built-in Figma import tool - paste the .fig file or the Figma URL - and review the imported frames, components, and text styles for anything that didn't convert cleanly.
3Rebuild any critical component libraries and design tokens manually if the auto-import missed nested variants or Figma Variables, since Penpot's token system works differently.
4Replace Figma plugin-based workflows (e.g., content generators, icon libraries) with Penpot's native features or its plugin API, which is growing but smaller than Figma's.
5Recreate any Slack/Jira notifications or CI hooks that relied on Figma's integrations using Penpot's REST API and webhooks instead.
6Run both tools in parallel for one project cycle, get team feedback on gaps, then cut over fully and downgrade or cancel your Figma seats once everyone is comfortable.

Figma vs Penpot: common questions

How do I export my files from Figma to Penpot?+

Penpot has a built-in Figma importer: paste a Figma file URL (or upload a .fig file) directly into Penpot and it converts frames, layers, and components automatically. Complex auto-layout, variables, and some plugin-generated content may not translate perfectly, so plan to manually check and fix the most important files after import.

What features do I lose moving from Figma to Penpot?+

You lose most third-party plugins, Figma's Dev Mode, and Figma Variables (Penpot has its own simpler token/variable system that's still maturing). Advanced auto-layout behavior sometimes needs manual adjustment since Penpot's layout engine is CSS flexbox-based rather than Figma's proprietary model.

Is Penpot's free tier enough for a small design team?+

Yes - Penpot is free and open source with no per-seat charges even for teams, whether you self-host or use their hosted cloud instance. The main limits you'll hit are ecosystem-related (fewer plugins and templates), not seat count or file limits.

Does Penpot integrate with the tools we already use, like Slack or Jira?+

Penpot has fewer native integrations than Figma - there's no first-party Slack or Jira app. You can connect it to other tools via its REST API and webhooks, but expect to build or wire up automations yourself rather than installing a plugin.

How much will we actually save switching from Figma to Penpot long-term?+

If you're on Figma's Professional plan at $15/editor/month, a 10-person design team pays roughly $1,800/year; Penpot's core product is free indefinitely, so you're really only paying for self-hosting infrastructure (a few dollars/month on a small VPS) or nothing if you use their hosted free tier. The real cost is migration time and any plugin workflows you have to rebuild.