Penpot is a free, open-source tool for interface design and prototyping that runs in your browser. It is the best-known open alternative to Figma, and it is built on open web standards: designs are SVG at the core, styled with CSS-like properties, so what you draw maps closely to how the web is built. Product designers, developers, and cross-functional teams use it for wireframes, design systems, and clickable prototypes. You can use the hosted cloud or run it on your own server. This article covers what Penpot does and who it suits.

What is Penpot?

Penpot is developed by the company of the same name and released under the Mozilla Public License, so the code is public and the core product is free. It combines vector design, layout tools that mirror CSS flexbox and grid, components with variants, design tokens, and prototyping with shareable links. Multiple people can edit the same file at once, leave comments, and hand off to developers through an inspect mode that shows real CSS and exportable SVG. Because the format is web-native, developers are not guessing how a design will translate into code, and your work is not locked into a proprietary file format. Penpot also imports Figma files, which lowers the cost of switching if you are coming from that tool.

What is Penpot used for?

• UI design. Design screens for websites and apps with vector tools, reusable components, and layout that behaves like a web page.
• Wireframes and mockups. Sketch page structures and flows early, then refine them into high-fidelity designs in the same file.
• Interactive prototypes. Link screens with click and hover interactions and share a playable URL with stakeholders for feedback.
• Design systems. Shared libraries, components, variants, and design tokens keep colors, typography, and spacing consistent across products.
• Developer handoff. Inspect mode exposes CSS properties and lets developers copy SVG and measurements directly instead of redlining screenshots.
• Team collaboration. Real-time multiplayer editing, comments, and role-based sharing include designers, developers, and stakeholders in one place.

Key features

• SVG-based format. Designs are standard SVG, so files stay portable and render anywhere the web does.
• Flex and CSS Grid layout. Layout engines follow the same rules browsers use, which reduces surprises when designs become code.
• Components and variants. Build reusable elements with controllable overrides that stay in sync across files and libraries.
• Design tokens. Define colors, typography, and spacing once and apply them consistently across projects.
• Prototyping and sharing. Connect frames with interactions and share view or comment links with a URL.
• Self-hosting. A Docker-based install lets you keep design work entirely on your own infrastructure.

Penpot on OpenSysLab

Every OpenSysLab server is a private virtual machine in the region you chose at purchase. The app installs automatically in about ten minutes, and the Vibe-code agent inside Open WebUI can read, configure, and manage it for you — you just connect your own AI API key. Servers start at $6/month. See the Penpot product page for plans and regions.

The bottom line

Penpot is a capable, genuinely open design tool whose web-standard foundation is its real advantage. It does not yet match Figma’s ecosystem depth or prototyping polish. If open formats, self-hosting, or per-seat costs matter to your team, it earns a serious look and a trial on a real project.