Figma vs Penpot: The Complete 2026 Comparison

Choosing between Figma and Penpot for design? This in-depth comparison breaks down pricing, features, user ratings, integrations, and real-world use cases to help you make the right decision. Both tools serve the design category, but they take distinctly different approaches to helping teams get work done.

Founded in 2012, Figma is the industry-standard collaborative design tool used by teams at Google, Microsoft, and most tech companies. Meanwhile, Penpot was founded in 2019. Penpot is the first open-source design and prototyping platform, built on web standards (SVG, CSS, HTML). Let us dive into how they stack up across every dimension that matters.

Quick Verdict

Figma edges ahead with a G2 rating of 4.7/5 (based on 1,100 reviews) versus Penpot's 4.3/5 (210 reviews). However, Penpot holds its own with 12 key features and competitive pricing starting at Free (self-hosted, unlimited).

At-a-Glance: Figma vs Penpot

Before we dive into the details, here is a high-level overview of how Figma and Penpot compare across the key criteria most teams care about when evaluating design software.

Criteria Figma Penpot
G2 Rating 4.7/5 (1,100 reviews) 4.3/5 (210 reviews)
Free Plan Free (3 projects) Free (self-hosted, unlimited)
Pro Pricing $15/editor/month (Professional) Free (cloud, unlimited)
Enterprise $45/editor/month (Organization) Custom pricing (premium support)
Founded 2012 2019
Key Features 12 features 12 features
Integrations 10+ integrations 10+ integrations
Category Design Design
Website www.figma.com penpot.app

About Figma

Figma is the industry-standard collaborative design tool used by teams at Google, Microsoft, and most tech companies. Its browser-based platform enables real-time multiplayer editing, powerful prototyping, and developer handoff in a single tool. Founded in 2012, Figma has built a reputation in the design space, earning a 4.7/5 rating on G2 from 1,100 verified user reviews. The platform offers 12 distinct features and integrates with 10+ third-party tools.

Figma's core strengths include Vector editing, Prototyping, Auto layout, Components and variants, Dev mode. Teams that choose Figma typically value its approach to Vector editing and Prototyping, which sets it apart in the crowded design landscape.

About Penpot

Penpot is the first open-source design and prototyping platform, built on web standards (SVG, CSS, HTML). It is completely free with no paywalls, supports self-hosting, and uses CSS-native layout tools like Flexbox and Grid, bridging the gap between design and development. Since its founding in 2019, Penpot has grown to serve teams worldwide, achieving a 4.3/5 G2 rating from 210 reviews. The platform provides 12 key features and supports 10+ integrations.

Penpot's standout capabilities include Vector editing, Prototyping, Components, Design tokens, Real-time collaboration. Teams gravitating toward Penpot often prioritize Vector editing and Prototyping, making it a strong fit for organizations that need these specific capabilities.

Pricing Breakdown: Figma vs Penpot

Pricing is often the deciding factor when choosing design software. Here is how Figma and Penpot stack up across their pricing tiers. Note that both tools may offer annual billing discounts, and prices shown are for monthly billing as of 2026.

Plan Figma Penpot
Starter / Free Free (3 projects) Free (self-hosted, unlimited)
Pro / Business $15/editor/month (Professional) Free (cloud, unlimited)
Enterprise $45/editor/month (Organization) Custom pricing (premium support)

Pricing verdict: Both Figma and Penpot are competitively priced. Focus on which tool delivers more value for your specific workflow rather than optimizing purely on cost. Consider running a trial of both tools with your team to see which drives better outcomes.

Keep in mind that both tools offer free plans or trials, so you can test each platform before committing. For teams of 10 or fewer, both Figma and Penpot provide functional free tiers that let you evaluate the core experience without spending anything.

Feature Comparison: Figma vs Penpot

Feature availability can make or break your team's productivity. Below is a detailed comparison of every feature offered by either Figma or Penpot. This checklist covers 20 features across both platforms, giving you a comprehensive view of what each tool brings to the table.

Feature Figma Penpot
Auto layout Yes No
Branching and merging Yes No
CSS-native design No Yes
Code generation Yes No
Components No Yes
Components and variants Yes No
Design systems Yes No
Design tokens Yes Yes
Dev mode Yes No
FigJam (whiteboarding) Yes No
Flex layout No Yes
Grid layout No Yes
Open source No Yes
Plugin system No Yes
Plugins Yes No
Prototyping Yes Yes
Real-time collaboration Yes Yes
SVG-native No Yes
Self-hosting No Yes
Vector editing Yes Yes

Figma offers 12 features while Penpot provides 12. The features unique to Figma include Auto layout, Components and variants, Dev mode. Penpot's unique features include Components, Open source, Self-hosting.

Integrations: Figma vs Penpot

In today's software landscape, no tool exists in isolation. The integrations a design tool supports determine how well it fits into your existing tech stack. Here is how Figma and Penpot compare in terms of third-party integrations.

Shared integrations (3): Slack, GitHub, Storybook. Both tools connect to these popular platforms, so if these are your critical integrations, neither tool has an advantage.

Unique to Figma: Jira, Notion, Asana, Zeplin, Abstract, Zapier, Microsoft Teams.

Unique to Penpot: Git, GitLab, Taiga, API, Webhooks, SVG import/export, Figma import.

Both platforms support Zapier or similar automation tools, which means you can build custom integrations even if a native connection is not available. When evaluating integrations, focus on the ones your team uses daily rather than the total count.

User Ratings and Community Sentiment

Real user reviews provide invaluable insight beyond feature lists. Here is how the community has rated Figma and Penpot on G2, one of the most trusted software review platforms.

Metric Figma Penpot
G2 Rating 4.7/5 4.3/5
Total Reviews 1,100 210
Years on Market 14 years (since 2012) 7 years (since 2019)

Figma leads with a 4.7/5 G2 rating compared to Penpot's 4.3/5. The 0.4-point gap is meaningful given that both tools have thousands of reviews. Figma's rating is based on 1,100 reviews, providing strong statistical confidence in the score.

Which Tool Should You Pick? Use-Case Verdicts

The best design tool is not universal -- it depends on your team size, budget, workflow requirements, and existing tech stack. Here are our recommendations for three common scenarios that cover most teams evaluating Figma and Penpot.

Scenario 1: Small Teams and Startups (Under 20 People)

For small teams on a budget, both tools offer competitive free tiers. Penpot may be easier to adopt quickly due to its more focused feature set, reducing onboarding time. However, Figma offers more room to grow as your team scales, with 12 features compared to 12.

Our pick: Penpot -- Faster setup and lower complexity for small teams.

Scenario 2: Mid-Size Companies (20-200 People)

Mid-size teams need robust design with good reporting and integrations. Figma offers integrations with Slack, Jira, Notion, Asana, while Penpot connects to Git, Storybook, GitHub, GitLab. For cross-functional teams, Penpot provides stronger customization options. Both tools handle enterprise-grade workloads, but the Figma's higher G2 rating (4.7/5 from 1,100 reviews) suggests better overall satisfaction at scale.

Our pick: Figma -- Higher G2 rating (4.7/5) and stronger user satisfaction.

Scenario 3: Enterprise and Software Development Teams

At the enterprise level, integration depth, security, and workflow customization matter most. Figma's enterprise plan ($45/editor/month (Organization)) varies compared to Penpot (Custom pricing (premium support)). For development teams specifically, look at Git integrations: Figma integrates with GitHub Penpot integrates with GitHub.

Our pick: Figma -- More extensive user base providing better community support and proven reliability.

Final Recommendation: Figma vs Penpot

After analyzing pricing, features, ratings, integrations, and real-world use cases, here is our bottom line on the Figma vs Penpot decision.

Choose Figma if: You want Vector editing, Prototyping, Auto layout, and your team values a focused tool that does fewer things well. Figma's Free (3 projects) entry point makes it accessible to try, and its 10+ integrations ensure it fits into most tech stacks. With 14 years on the market, Figma is the more established option.

Choose Penpot if: You prioritize Vector editing, Prototyping, Components, and your team needs a streamlined tool without unnecessary complexity. At Free (cloud, unlimited) per user per month (pro tier), Penpot delivers strong value for its price point. Though founded more recently in 2019, Penpot has quickly built a strong reputation.

Whichever tool you choose, we recommend starting with the free plan or trial to evaluate how it works with your specific team's workflow. Run a two-week pilot with a small project before making a company-wide commitment. The right design tool is the one your team will actually use consistently -- and that can only be determined through hands-on experience.

Switching Between Figma and Penpot

If you are currently using one tool and considering switching to the other, here are some tips to make the migration smoother. Most design tools support data export in CSV or JSON formats, and both Figma and Penpot offer import functionality.

Start by exporting your current projects, tasks, and custom fields. Map your existing workflow to the new tool's structure before migrating data. Plan for a 2-4 week transition period where both tools run in parallel, and designate team champions to help with adoption. Consider using a third-party migration service if you have complex data structures or a large number of projects to transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Figma better than Penpot?

Figma has a higher G2 rating (4.7/5 vs 4.3/5 from 1,100 reviews), but the best tool depends on your needs. Figma stands out for Vector editing, Prototyping, Auto layout, while Penpot excels at Vector editing, Prototyping, Components.

How much does Figma cost compared to Penpot?

Figma's pro plan costs $15/editor/month (Professional) while Penpot's pro plan costs Free (cloud, unlimited). Figma starts at Free (3 projects) and Penpot starts at Free (self-hosted, unlimited). Enterprise pricing is $45/editor/month (Organization) for Figma and Custom pricing (premium support) for Penpot.

Can Figma and Penpot integrate with each other?

While direct integration varies, both Figma and Penpot connect to common platforms including Slack, GitHub, Storybook. Third-party tools like Zapier can bridge any gaps between the two.

Which tool is easier to learn, Figma or Penpot?

Figma (founded 2012) and Penpot (founded 2019) take different approaches to usability. Figma generally has a simpler learning curve with fewer features to master, while Penpot offers more features but may take longer to fully adopt.

What are the main differences between Figma and Penpot?

The key differences are: (1) Pricing -- Figma starts at Free (3 projects) vs Penpot at Free (self-hosted, unlimited). (2) G2 ratings -- Figma has 4.7/5 vs Penpot at 4.3/5. (3) Features -- Figma focuses on Vector editing, Prototyping, Auto layout, while Penpot emphasizes Vector editing, Prototyping, Components. (4) Founded -- Figma (2012) vs Penpot (2019).

How We Compared Figma and Penpot

This comparison is based on publicly available data including G2 user ratings and review counts, official pricing pages, published feature lists, and integration directories. Ratings and pricing data are approximate and were last verified in 2026. We encourage readers to check each tool's official website for the most current information, as pricing and features may change.

Our analysis covers pricing (free, pro, and enterprise tiers), features (20 features compared), integrations (20 total across both tools), user ratings (combined 1,310 G2 reviews), and use-case suitability (small teams, mid-size companies, and enterprises). We aim to provide objective, data-driven comparisons to help you make informed decisions.

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