Figma is one of the best design and prototyping tools available out there. But that monthly subscription creeps up on you faster than you realize, and suddenly, you’re questioning whether or not the software is worth it. But if you’re just using Figma for wireframing, there are several open-source Figma replacements that don’t cost a cent.
That said, just because a program is open-source and available for free doesn’t mean it measures up to Figma in the capacity you might need. Thankfully, Penpot fills that gap well enough that I don’t see myself going back to Figma anymore.
What Penpot is and why it replaced Figma for my wireframing workflow
Penpot is a fully open-source design and prototyping platform built by Kaleidos under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. You can use it in your browser, or self-host it on your own server. It handles UI design, interactive prototyping, component libraries, and developer handoff—essentially the same core workflow you’d use Figma for.
The major difference between the two is that Penpot is built on open web standards like SVG, CSS, and HTML rather than proprietary file formats. Your designs aren’t locked behind .fig files that only Figma can read.
The interface will also be immediately familiar if you’ve spent time in Figma. You get the same kind of canvas-based workspace, a layers panel on the left, a properties panel on the right, and a toolbar running along the top. The learning curve is almost nonexistent if you’re already coming from a design tool background. And even if you’re not, Penpot is surprisingly easy to get started with, courtesy of the dozens of online tutorials and learning resources out there.
- OS
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Web, Windows, macOS
- Developer
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Kaleidos Open Source
- Price model
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Free, paid options available
Your design files stay under your control
Self-hosting, open formats, and freedom from vendor lock-in
One of the best parts about using Penpot is that you can host it on your own hardware. So not only are you breaking free of a rather expensive subscription, but you’re also protecting your data and keeping your designs on your own hardware. Setup is also rather simple, with a single Docker container doing all the heavy lifting for you.
Penpot’s official Docker Compose setup handles all its requirements, including the frontend, backend, an exporter service, a PostgreSQL database, and a Redis instance. Once the container is running, you access it from your browser, just like you would with any other design app, including Figma. If you’ve got Docker Desktop installed, there’s even a one-click extension that handles the whole deployment for you.
For anyone running a homelab or a self-hosted stack, this is a massive deal. If you’ve got a Raspberry Pi acting as a home server or even an old Linux laptop you’d like to give some purpose to, this is a great way to get a useful service for free. There’s no vendor lock-in, no subscription that might get canceled, and no risk of a price hike making your workflow unaffordable.
Built for designers and developers alike
SVG-native files make handoff cleaner and collaboration far less painful
As mentioned before, Penpot is built natively on SVG, meaning every design you create is structured as an SVG document internally. This is an open standard, not a proprietary format, meaning your work remains yours and, more importantly, accessible, regardless of your program of choice. Penpot also uses native CSS concepts like Flexbox and CSS Grid directly in its design system, so the properties you configure in the inspector map directly to real CSS.
Penpot’s developer handoff is also great. With Penpot’s inspect tab, you get near production-ready code instantly. No plugins or payments required. Developers can open design files and extract what they need. Flexbox, CSS grid, spacing, typography, it all translates directly. This is one of the best tools on the market if you want to quickly convert design prototypes to fully-functional user interfaces. Figma’s Dev Mode is useful for developers, but it costs extra money. Penpot’s Inspect tab is completely free.
If you’re running a team, you don’t have to pay extra just to let your developers see the implementation details behind a design. For small teams or independent developers who design their own sites, this one feature alone removes a huge amount of friction.
Wireframing is where it really shines
Fast layouts, reusable components, and a workflow that gets out of the way
Penpot’s component system lets you create reusable elements and maintain a shared library across projects, and real-time collaboration lets multiple people work on the same file simultaneously with cursors visible and changes syncing live. The built-in grid and flex layout controls make wireframing responsive designs intuitive; you can define a layout container, switch it to flex or grid mode, and then drag elements around while the constraints behave exactly like CSS would on a real web page.
Prototyping is handled well enough for most wireframing needs. You can link frames together, define interaction triggers, and preview flows in a dedicated prototype viewer. It’s not as polished as Figma’s prototyping engine, yes, but it’s more than sufficient for creating basic user flows in a wireframe.
It’s not a perfect replacement
The ecosystem gaps you’ll notice coming from Figma
Figma’s plugin ecosystem is massive, largely because the tool itself is quite popular. You can find plugins that cover everything from content generation to design audit tools. Penpot’s ecosystem, by comparison, is still small and growing. But as Penpot becomes more popular, you can expect this collection to grow.
Figma’s collaboration features, especially live cursors, observation mode for reviews, and the deep FigJam integration for workshops and brainstorming, are also more polished than Penpot’s equivalent offerings. Sure, there are browser-based tools to help brainstorm with your team, but having the functionality baked into the prototyping tool helps massively.
The right switch depends on your priorities
Penpot is an easy recommendation for some teams — but not everyone
If your primary use case is wireframing and you care about cost, data privacy, or open-source principles, Penpot is an easy recommendation. It’s completely free with unlimited files, unlimited collaborators, and no seat limits, whether you use Penpot’s hosted version or host it yourself.
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Figma is still the better option for larger enterprise design teams that need the mature ecosystem and advanced capabilities it offers. However, for everyone else, especially solo professionals or small teams doing product wireframing, Penpot wins on just about every metric that matters.
