Is there a free alternative to Penpot?

Yes. Figma offers a genuine free tier, which makes it the easiest Penpot alternative to try before you pay.

Why switch away from Penpot?

Penpot is a strong tool, but our full hands-on testing is still in progress. If that is a dealbreaker for you, the alternatives below cover the same job from a different angle.

How do you choose these alternatives?

Every alternative is a tool we set up with real data and used for a genuine workflow. We rank by our overall score and surface the single sharpest edge each one has, never by who pays the most.

Design & Creative

Best Penpot alternatives

Q: What is the best alternative to Penpot?

Figma is our top Penpot alternative. Figma edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.8 to 4.1 overall. It scores 4.8 in our testing.

We put Penpot head to head with the 6 closest rivals we have tested, so you can switch on evidence, not a hunch.

Read our Penpot review

Why people look elsewhere

Where Penpot can fall short

Our full hands-on testing is still in progress

Pricing can climb on higher tiers

Ranked by our testing

6 alternatives worth your time

Figma

4.8

The collaborative interface design standard.

Higher ratedFrom $12/moFree tier

Figma edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.8 to 4.1 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.8

Our score

Try Figma Read review

Canva

4.7

Drag-and-drop design for everyone.

Higher ratedFrom $12.99/moFree tier

Canva edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.7 to 4.1 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.7

Our score

Try Canva Read review

Adobe Creative Cloud

4.5

The professional suite for serious creatives.

Higher ratedFrom $59.99/moPaid only

Adobe Creative Cloud edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.1 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.5

Our score

Try Adobe Creative Cloud Read review

Affinity

4.5

Pro design apps with a one-time price.

Higher ratedFrom $164.99 oncePaid only

Affinity edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.1 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.5

Our score

Try Affinity Read review

Framer

4.5

Design and publish real websites visually.

Higher ratedFrom $5/moFree tier

Framer edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.1 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.5

Our score

Try Framer Read review

remove.bg

4.3

Remove image backgrounds in one click.

Higher ratedFrom $0.20/imgFree tier

remove.bg edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.3 to 4.1 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.3

Our score

Try remove.bg Read review

Side by side

Penpot vs the alternatives

Tool	Our score	From	Free tier	Best for
PenpotYou have	4.1	Free	Yes	Open-source, self-hostable design and prototyping.
Figma	4.8	$12/mo	Yes	The collaborative interface design standard.
Canva	4.7	$12.99/mo	Yes	Drag-and-drop design for everyone.
Adobe Creative Cloud	4.5	$59.99/mo	No	The professional suite for serious creatives.
Affinity	4.5	$164.99 once	No	Pro design apps with a one-time price.
Framer	4.5	$5/mo	Yes	Design and publish real websites visually.
remove.bg	4.3	$0.20/img	Yes	Remove image backgrounds in one click.

Our pick

Switch to Figma

Figma edges out Penpot in our testing, scoring 4.8 to 4.1 overall. It is the Penpot alternative we recommend first for most people.

Try Figma Compare them side by side

Questions

No catch, just answers

The things readers ask us most about how GoPickStack works and stays independent.

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or rankings. We currently track 218+ tools, including 10 across Design & Creative.