The short version: pick Figma if a product design team of two to five that ships interface work and needs engineers to inspect the same file. Pick Penpot if a design team at a company that will not put client files in a us-hosted saas.
Head to head
| Figma | Penpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Free |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows | Web, Self-hosted |
| Best for | A product design team of two to five that ships interface work and needs engineers to inspect the same file. | A design team at a company that will not put client files in a US-hosted SaaS. |
| Weakness | Pricing for additional editors is steep, and file-format lock-in is real, though exports are workable. | The plugin ecosystem is thin, the community file libraries are far smaller, and there is no round-trip with Figma files, so switching means redrawing. |
The verdict
Figma and Penpot overlap less than the marketing suggests. Figma exists for a product design team of two to five that ships interface work and needs engineers to inspect the same file. Penpot exists for a design team at a company that will not put client files in a us-hosted saas. If you are both, you are the rare case where running two tools is cheaper than picking one badly.
Where they both fall down: pricing for additional editors is steep, and file-format lock-in is real, though exports are workable. and the plugin ecosystem is thin, the community file libraries are far smaller, and there is no round-trip with figma files, so switching means redrawing.
Frequently asked
Is Figma or Penpot better?
Neither in general. Figma is the better pick if a product design team of two to five that ships interface work and needs engineers to inspect the same file. Penpot wins if a design team at a company that will not put client files in a us-hosted saas.
Is Penpot cheaper than Figma?
Figma is freemium, Penpot is free. The sticker price is rarely the bill — check the pricing section of each review.
Can I use both Figma and Penpot?
Plenty of teams do, usually with one as the system of record and the other for a specific workflow. It doubles the migration cost later, so pick a side before year two.