Is Penpot really free?

Yes. Penpot is open-source; the hosted cloud version is free and you can also self-host it on your own infrastructure at no license cost.

Penpot's core value is open-source design rather than built-in AI; it does not match the native AI generation found in some proprietary tools.

Can Penpot import Figma files?

Yes. Penpot provides a Figma import path, which lowers the cost of migrating an existing design library.

Penpot suits teams that prioritize open-source control and self-hosting; Figma remains more mature with a far larger plugin and template community.

What are Penpot's weak points?

A smaller community, some features lagging the market leader, and the maintenance burden if you choose to self-host.

Platform · design

Penpot

Open-source design and prototyping tool you can self-host

est. 2020SpainAI ecosystem: low

Visit Penpot→penpot.app

The verdict

Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping tool that runs in the browser and can be self-hosted. It uses open web standards and imports Figma files.

What it is

Penpot offers design and prototyping similar to mainstream tools but is open-source and self-hostable, so teams keep full control of files and infrastructure. It is built on open web standards like SVG, which helps designer-developer handoff. A Figma import path lowers the switching cost for teams leaving proprietary tools. The tradeoffs are maturity and ecosystem: its plugin and template community is smaller, some advanced features lag the established tools, and self-hosting adds maintenance for teams that choose it.

Strengths

Open-source and self-hostable, so files and infrastructure stay under your control
Built on open web standards like SVG, easing designer-developer handoff
Figma import lowers the cost of switching away from proprietary tools

Trade-offs

Plugin and template community is smaller than the established tools
Some advanced features lag behind the market leader
Self-hosting adds setup and maintenance for teams that choose it

Best for

Teams wanting an open-source, self-hostable design tool with open-standard files

Not for

Teams needing the largest plugin community and the most mature feature set today

The AI ecosystem

Open plugin system and API; smaller community than mainstream tools; Figma import supported.

Public APIPenpot plugins

Pricing

Free to use (open-source/self-hostable); paid Enterprise plan and support/hosting tiers for organizations. No consumer paywall.

Cloud Free

Free

hosted
core design and prototyping

Self-hosted

Free

open-source
run on your own server

What people build with it

open-source ui designprototypingself-hosted designdesign systemsfigma migration

Frequently asked

Is Penpot really free?: Yes. Penpot is open-source; the hosted cloud version is free and you can also self-host it on your own infrastructure at no license cost.
Does Penpot have AI?: Penpot's core value is open-source design rather than built-in AI; it does not match the native AI generation found in some proprietary tools.
Can Penpot import Figma files?: Yes. Penpot provides a Figma import path, which lowers the cost of migrating an existing design library.
Penpot or Figma?: Penpot suits teams that prioritize open-source control and self-hosting; Figma remains more mature with a far larger plugin and template community.
What are Penpot's weak points?: A smaller community, some features lagging the market leader, and the maintenance burden if you choose to self-host.