Figma works well until your team grows and the per-editor pricing stings. Penpot is open-source, browser-based, supports real-time multiplayer, and stores your files in standard SVG.

What you gain

• Real-time collaboration with components, prototypes, and design tokens
• Open SVG-based file format, your work isn’t locked into a vendor
• Self-host the entire stack if you need on-premise design tools
• Free hosted version with no editor caps for unpaid use

What you give up

The plugin ecosystem is small compared to Figma’s huge community. Auto Layout in Penpot is workable but Figma’s is more mature. Smart Animate, advanced prototyping, and Dev Mode have rougher equivalents. Onboarding designers used to Figma takes a couple of weeks.

The math

Penpot is free hosted, free self-hosted on $5 to $10/month VPS. Figma Professional is $180/year per editor; a four-person team runs $720/year.

Who should switch

Open-source teams, agencies that want files they own, and anyone uncomfortable with the Adobe acquisition fallout. If you ship 3+ designs a week, Penpot is fast enough now. Heavy plugin users should pause.