Instead of Figma
Collaborative interface design in the browser.
Worth the work
Penpot is the only one that is actually trying to be Figma, and it is good now. The gap is in the details: variables, dev mode and the plugin library.
You lose: The plugin ecosystem and file compatibility with clients who send you Figma files.
Start here
Penpot
Real design tool, browser-based, open format. Fewer plugins and some workflow differences.
github.com/penpot/penpotpenpot.app
A compose file, a domain and a reverse proxy.
Also worth a look
- AFFiNE
Docs and whiteboard with design-ish frames. Not a Figma replacement for a design team.
Facts checked 8 November 2026. Licences, activity and archive status come from each project's own repository; the verdict and the cost lines are the desk's.