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3 open source alternatives to Figma

Collaborative interface design in the browser. Here are the open source projects real teams use instead — ranked by fit, with honest pros and cons for each.

What people don't love about Figma

  • Cloud-only — no self-hosted option for confidential work.
  • Adobe acquisition (later abandoned) shook trust.
  • Pricing jumps once teams grow.

Current Figma pricing (for reference): Free tier; Professional from $15/editor/month.

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Quick comparison

Alternative Best for License Self-host Hosted cloud?
Penpot
Open source Figma alternative for design-dev collaboration. 		The most Figma-like open source design tool today. MPL-2.0 ★★★☆☆ Yes
Excalidraw
Virtual whiteboard for sketchy diagrams. 		Quick wireframes and sketch-style diagrams. MIT ★☆☆☆☆ Yes
Inkscape
Open source vector design — SVG-first. 		When you need precision SVG work instead of UI screens. GPL-3.0 ★☆☆☆☆ Self-host only

1. Penpot — The most Figma-like open source design tool today.

Open source Figma alternative for design-dev collaboration.

Strengths

  • Strong Figma-like UX with design tokens.
  • SVG-native — developer-friendly exports.
  • Self-hostable for confidential work.

Weaknesses

  • Plugin ecosystem is newer.
  • Performance on very large files lags Figma.
  • Collaboration UX still maturing.
License: MPL-2.0 Self-host difficulty: 3/5 Hosted cloud option

Penpot homepage · Source on GitHub · Figma vs Penpot →

2. Excalidraw — Quick wireframes and sketch-style diagrams.

Virtual whiteboard for sketchy diagrams.

Strengths

  • Great for wireframes and brainstorms.
  • End-to-end encrypted rooms on official instance.
  • Embeddable in docs and wikis.

Weaknesses

  • Not a full design tool — sketch-style only.
  • Limited component/library system.
  • Real-time plus is behind a paid tier.
License: MIT Self-host difficulty: 1/5 Hosted cloud optionDesktop: Windows, macOS, LinuxMobile: iOS, Android

Excalidraw homepage · Source on GitHub · Figma vs Excalidraw →

3. Inkscape — When you need precision SVG work instead of UI screens.

Open source vector design — SVG-first.

Strengths

  • Native SVG handling — perfect for developers.
  • Strong path editing and typography.
  • Huge hobbyist and professional community.

Weaknesses

  • Not as polished as Adobe Illustrator.
  • Large files can slow the UI.
  • Limited macro/script discoverability.
License: GPL-3.0 Self-host difficulty: 1/5 Desktop: Windows, macOS, Linux

Inkscape homepage · Source on GitHub · Figma vs Inkscape →

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