Penpot

Free

By AI Bookmarks Editorial Team, Directory editors Last reviewed 2026-10-23

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Open-source design and prototyping platform built on web standards, self-hostable and free at the core.

Quick facts

Pricing	Free
Free tier	Yes — open source and self-hostable at no licence cost
Platforms	Web, self-hosted, desktop
Developer	Penpot
Website	https://penpot.app/

What Penpot is

Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping platform. It covers the core of interface work — components, layouts, prototyping, comments — and its distinguishing feature is that it is built on open web standards: designs are stored as SVG and CSS concepts rather than a proprietary format, so the handoff to code is closer to one-to-one. It can be self-hosted, which matters for teams that cannot put design files in a third-party cloud, and it runs in the browser either way. A paid cloud tier exists, and the source is available under an open licence. The limits are ecosystem and polish: fewer plugins and integrations than the market leader, and some advanced features arrive later. For teams with data-residency constraints or a preference for open formats, that trade is often worth it. Because files are SVG-based, exporting assets for a developer does not require a separate step. It also runs as a desktop app when a browser tab is not wanted.

Best for

Teams that must keep design files on their own infrastructure
Handing designs to developers without a proprietary format
Public-sector and open-source projects with licence constraints

Not ideal for

Teams that depend on a large plugin ecosystem
Designers who need the most polished tooling available

Pros

Open source and self-hostable, so data stays in-house
Standards-based files make handoff closer to code
No per-seat licence when self-hosted

Cons

Smaller plugin and integration ecosystem
Some advanced features lag behind commercial tools
Self-hosting requires someone to run the server

Pricing in detail

Penpot is open source and can be self-hosted at no licence cost, with the server and storage on your own infrastructure. The hosted cloud is sold per editor per month with a free tier and paid tiers that add file history, shared libraries and organisation features; annual billing lowers the monthly rate. Because self-hosting is free but not free of effort, the real comparison is hosting cost plus maintenance against the cloud subscription.