Penpot AI
Penpot is the first open-source design and prototyping platform built for cross-functional product teams, serving as a self-hostable alternative to Figma with e
What is Penpot AI?
Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping platform that lets product teams collaborate on interface design, wireframing, and prototypes. Unlike proprietary tools, you can self-host Penpot on your own servers, giving you control over your data and infrastructure. It offers similar core functionality to Figma, including vector design tools, collaborative editing, and interactive prototyping, but without vendor lock-in. The platform is built to work across teams; developers, designers, and product managers can share workspaces and comment directly on designs. Because it's open-source, you can inspect the code, modify it for your needs, or contribute improvements back to the community.
Key Features
Vector design tools
Create and edit shapes, paths, and illustrations with standard design controls
Collaborative workspaces
Multiple team members can work on designs simultaneously with real-time updates
Interactive prototyping
Build clickable prototypes to test user flows and interactions
Self-hosting option
Deploy Penpot on your own infrastructure for data privacy and control
Design system support
Organise shared components and styles across projects
Export options
Export designs to various formats including SVG, PNG, and PDF
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Open-source code means no vendor lock-in and full transparency about how your data is handled
- Self-hosting option provides data sovereignty and compliance flexibility for regulated industries
- Free to use with no feature limits based on pricing tier
- Active development community contributes improvements and fixes regularly
- Web-based interface means no installation needed if using the cloud version
Limitations
- Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Figma, meaning fewer third-party integrations and plugins
- Self-hosting requires technical knowledge and infrastructure management; not ideal for non-technical teams
- May have fewer advanced features or polish in certain areas due to smaller development team
Use Cases
Teams working under strict data governance requirements who need to self-host their design tools
Product teams wanting to avoid subscription costs and vendor dependency
Organisations that want to customise their design platform or integrate it deeply with internal systems
Open-source projects that need free collaborative design tools
Startups and smaller agencies looking for affordable design collaboration software