Figma set the standard for browser-based interface design and holds most of the market. Penpot is the open-source challenger, built by a smaller team on a different bet: open web standards instead of a proprietary format. Both handle screen design, components, prototyping, and developer handoff. The differences show up in licensing, hosting, ecosystem, and cost. This comparison walks through them.

At a glance

• License. Penpot is open source under the Mozilla Public License. Figma is proprietary.
• Hosting. Penpot runs self-hosted or on Penpot Cloud. Figma is cloud-only on Figma’s servers.
• Pricing. Penpot is free for small teams on the cloud and unlimited when self-hosted. Figma charges per editor, with developer handoff seats as an extra cost.
• File format. Penpot uses SVG with CSS-like properties. Figma uses its own .fig format.
• Ecosystem. Figma has a large plugin, template, and community-file library. Penpot’s is smaller but growing, and Penpot can import Figma files.
• Scope. Figma adds FigJam whiteboarding and broad AI features. Penpot focuses on design, prototyping, and handoff.

Where Penpot wins

The strongest argument for Penpot is openness without a per-seat tax. Large teams and agencies watch Figma bills grow with every editor and developer seat, while self-hosted Penpot has no user limits. The SVG foundation means your designs never become hostage to one vendor, and handoff is unusually honest: inspect mode shows CSS values taken from the design itself, and assets export as web-native SVG. Self-hosting is the other big win. Design files, often commercially sensitive, can stay entirely on infrastructure you control, which is hard to arrange any other way.

Where Figma wins

Figma’s maturity shows. Its prototyping is deeper, with Smart Animate and interaction types Penpot does not match. The plugin ecosystem spans everything from accessibility checks to content generation, and community files and templates save hours. FigJam gives workshops a home in the same account, and its AI features are broader. Performance on very large files is generally smoother, and because most of the industry uses Figma, collaboration with outside teams rarely needs explanation. If your workflow depends on that depth, Figma keeps the edge.

Pricing and self-hosting

Penpot is free and open source. You can self-host it with Docker, which means you handle updates, storage, and backups yourself, or use Penpot Cloud, where a free tier covers small teams and paid plans cover larger ones. Figma has no self-hosting option at any price; every plan is a per-editor subscription, and developer seats add cost. If you want Penpot without the server work, OpenSysLab is an option: 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.

Which should you choose?

Choose Penpot if open standards, self-hosting, and predictable cost matter most, and your prototyping needs are mainstream. Choose Figma if you rely on its plugin library, advanced motion, FigJam, or if partners and clients simply expect it. A practical middle path: import one of your Figma files into Penpot and run a real project through it. The importer handles most files well, and a week of honest use will tell you more than any comparison article.