3 Best Penpot Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 10 min read
Penpot is a popular tool for teams wanting open-source design tools. While it offers a free tier (Free (cloud and self-hosted)), its paid plans start at Free. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 3 best Penpot alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 3
- Free alternatives: 3 (Figma, Lunacy, Canva)
- Best overall: Figma
- Best free: Figma
Why Look for Penpot Alternatives?
People commonly look for Penpot alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Penpot has a free tier, its paid plans starting at Free can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Less polished than Figma and smaller plugin ecosystem are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Penpot overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penpot | ✓ Free (cloud and self-hosted) | Free | ⭐ 4.1 | ✓ Yes | Teams wanting open-source design tools |
| Figma | ✓ 3 projects, unlimited editors | $15/editor/mo | ⭐ 4.7 | No | UI/UX design teams |
| Lunacy | ✓ Free with all features | Free | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Designers wanting free Figma/Sketch alternative |
| Canva | ✓ Free with basic features | $12.99/mo | ⭐ 4.6 | No | Non-designers and marketing teams |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Figma
Collaborative interface design tool for teams.
Figma is the leading collaborative design tool for interface design, prototyping, and design systems. Running entirely in the browser, Figma enables real-time collaboration that revolutionized how design teams work. Now owned by Adobe (pending regulatory review), Figma is the standard for UI/UX design.
Pros
- ✓ Real-time collaboration
- ✓ Browser-based
- ✓ Powerful features
- ✓ Great plugin ecosystem
Cons
- ✗ Expensive for teams
- ✗ Needs internet
- ✗ Can be slow with large files
- ✗ Limited offline
Lunacy
Free design software with built-in AI tools and assets.
Lunacy by Icons8 is a free graphic design software that works natively on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It includes built-in AI tools for text generation, image creation, background removal, and comes with a massive library of free icons, photos, and illustrations.
Pros
- ✓ Completely free
- ✓ Built-in assets
- ✓ AI features
- ✓ Sketch compatible
Cons
- ✗ Less known
- ✗ Smaller community
- ✗ Some features limited
- ✗ Performance varies
Canva
Online design platform that makes graphic design accessible to everyone.
Canva has democratized design by making it possible for anyone to create professional-looking graphics, presentations, social media posts, and more. With millions of templates, stock photos, and an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, Canva has become the go-to design tool for non-designers and professionals alike.
Pros
- ✓ Very easy to use
- ✓ Massive template library
- ✓ Free tier is generous
- ✓ Constantly adding features
Cons
- ✗ Limited for professional design
- ✗ Can feel generic
- ✗ Export limitations on free
- ✗ Not for complex design work
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Penpot?
The best free alternative to Penpot is Figma, which offers 3 projects, unlimited editors.
Is there an open-source alternative to Penpot?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to Penpot at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to Penpot?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Figma, Lunacy, Canva. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $12.99/mo.
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