Design
An honest comparison to help you pick the right design tool in 2026.
| Feature | Figma | Penpot |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Design | Design |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Paid Plan | $15/editor/mo | $0 |
| Enterprise | $75/editor/mo | Self-hosted |
| Best For | Design teams who need real-time collaboration with developers and a powerful prototyping tool | Teams who want a free, open-source Figma alternative with full control over their design tool |
| Feature 1 | Real-time collaboration | Open source |
| Feature 2 | Prototyping | Web standards |
| Feature 3 | Dev mode | Self-hostable |
| Feature 4 | Auto layout | Real-time collaboration |
| Feature 5 | Plugin ecosystem | Components |
| Website | Figma | Penpot |
Figma and Penpot are both popular choices in the design category, but they serve different types of developers. Figma is browser-based collaborative design tool with prototyping, dev mode, auto layout, and the largest plugin ecosystem. Meanwhile, Penpot is open-source design and prototyping platform with web standards (SVG, CSS), self-hosting, and real-time collaboration.
Both tools offer free tiers, which means you can try each one before committing. Figma's paid plan starts at $15/editor/mo, while Penpot's starts at $0.
Figma stands out with Prototyping and Dev mode, while Penpot differentiates itself through Open source and Web standards. The right choice depends on which capabilities matter most for your workflow. Ultimately, design teams who need real-time collaboration with developers and a powerful prototyping tool, while Penpot is best for teams who want a free, open-source Figma alternative with full control over their design tool.
Figma: Free tier available. Paid plans start at $15/editor/mo. Enterprise pricing: $75/editor/mo.
Penpot: Free tier available. Paid plans start at $0. Enterprise pricing: Self-hosted.
Choose Figma if you value real-time collaboration and prototyping. Go with Penpot if teams who want a free, open-source Figma alternative with full control over their design tool. Both are solid design options in 2026 — the best pick depends on your team size, budget, and technical requirements. We recommend trying both (especially if they have free tiers) before committing to one.
Not sold on either Figma or Penpot? Check out these other design tools:
See all Figma alternatives or Penpot alternatives.
Read more about design on our Apps page.
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