The design tool landscape has undergone a seismic shift in 2025. What was once a clear-cut choice between a handful of established players has evolved into a rich ecosystem where open-source alternatives are finally challenging the dominance of proprietary platforms. At the forefront of this transformation is Figma's explosive expansion with game-changing features like Figma Sites, AI-powered prototyping through Figma Make, and enhanced drawing capabilities, while Penpot has emerged as the first truly viable open-source alternative, bridging the gap between designers and developers with native web standards.

This comparison matters more than ever because the stakes have changed dramatically. Design tool costs have surged, with some teams facing expenses exceeding $15,000 annually. Simultaneously, concerns about vendor lock-in and data ownership have intensified, while the demand for seamless design-to-code workflows has never been higher. Whether you're a scrappy startup watching every dollar or an enterprise team managing hundreds of designers, choosing the right platform in 2025 could save your organization thousands while dramatically improving your workflow efficiency.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll dissect every aspect of Figma and Penpot—from their latest 2025 features and pricing structures to real-world performance metrics and migration considerations. By the end, you'll have the insights needed to make an informed decision that aligns with your team's specific needs, budget constraints, and long-term strategic goals.

Quick Comparison Overview

At-a-Glance Comparison

The adoption landscape tells a compelling story of disruption. While Figma maintains its established position with over 4 million users, Penpot has achieved explosive 300% year-over-year growth, reaching 1M+ registered users. This meteoric rise reflects a fundamental market shift toward cost-effective alternatives, data sovereignty, and frustration with vendor lock-in from proprietary platforms.

What's particularly striking is how quickly Penpot has closed the feature gap. The platform now covers approximately 85% of Figma's core functionality—up from just 60% in 2023—while offering unique advantages that Figma simply cannot match due to its proprietary architecture. Both platforms have achieved enterprise readiness, but Penpot's approach through self-hosting capabilities and open standards compliance provides genuine ownership and control that proprietary solutions can never offer.

The enterprise readiness factor cannot be overstated. Both tools now offer advanced security features, team management capabilities, and scalability options. However, they achieve these goals through contrasting philosophies—Figma via a comprehensive SaaS platform, and Penpot through customizable open-source deployment.

What is Figma?

Figma has evolved far beyond its original scope as a collaborative design tool, transforming into a comprehensive design-to-production platform in 2025. Founded in 2012 and gaining mainstream adoption around 2016, Figma revolutionized design collaboration with its browser-based, real-time multiplayer approach. Today, it dominates the design tool market with an estimated 70% market share among professional design teams.

The company's 2025 trajectory has been nothing short of transformative. The launch of Figma Sites represents their boldest move yet—enabling designers to publish websites directly from their designs without leaving the platform. This isn't just feature expansion; it's platform evolution that positions Figma as an end-to-end solution for the entire design-to-deployment pipeline.

Core Features and 2025 Innovations

Figma's foundation remains its collaborative design capabilities, featuring real-time editing, comprehensive component systems, and advanced prototyping tools. However, 2025 has introduced revolutionary capabilities that extend far beyond traditional design work.

Figma Make, their new AI-powered tool, enables "vibe-coding"—transforming written descriptions or existing designs into functional web applications. This positions Figma directly against coding-focused platforms like Cursor and Windsurf, representing a significant expansion into development territory.

Figma Draw introduces enhanced vector editing capabilities with new brushes, fills, and illustration tools, while the new Grid system provides CSS Grid and Flexbox-like layouts natively within the design environment. These updates address long-standing pain points for designers who previously needed external tools for complex illustrations or precise layout control.

The platform's AI integration goes beyond simple automation. Figma AI helps users get started faster, find what they're looking for, and stay in the flow, with features distributed across all their products. This isn't flashy AI for the sake of it—it's thoughtfully integrated functionality that reduces repetitive tasks and enhances creative workflows.

Perhaps most significantly, Figma's ecosystem approach means these features work together seamlessly. A design created in Figma Design can be enhanced with AI through Figma Make, published as a website via Figma Sites, and marketed through assets created in Figma Buzz—all within a single platform environment.

What is Penpot?

Penpot represents the first serious open-source alternative to proprietary design tools, built from the ground up to serve both designers and developers through web standards compliance. Launched as an open-source project, Penpot has gained significant traction with over 20,000 GitHub stars and a rapidly growing community of contributors.

Unlike traditional design tools that were later adapted for developer handoff, Penpot was architected from day one to bridge the designer-developer gap using native SVG, CSS, and HTML standards. This fundamental design decision means that what you see in Penpot is much closer to what developers will implement, reducing the traditional friction between design and development phases.

Open-Source Philosophy and Community Power

The open-source nature of Penpot provides advantages that extend far beyond cost savings. With over 500 contributors and growing, feature requests are often implemented faster than traditional software development cycles. This community-driven development model means the tool evolves based on actual user needs rather than corporate roadmaps.

Penpot includes active translations for over 30 languages with built-in RTL (right-to-left) support, demonstrating the global nature of its contributor community. This internationalization effort would be cost-prohibitive for most commercial software but emerges naturally from an engaged global community.

Core Features and Developer-Centric Design

Penpot's standout features include CSS Grid and Flexbox layouts that work exactly like their web counterparts, eliminating the guesswork often involved in translating designs to code. When a developer inspects a Penpot design, they're looking at actual CSS properties rather than design tool abstractions.

The component system in Penpot supports design tokens and libraries just like modern design systems, but with a crucial difference—everything is based on standardized design token formats that can be easily reused and synced across different platforms and workflows. This isn't proprietary component technology; it's web standards that work everywhere.

The platform offers both cloud-hosted and self-hosted deployment options, providing teams with complete control over their design files and infrastructure. For organizations with strict data governance requirements, this flexibility is invaluable.

Head-to-Head Feature Comparison

Design and Prototyping Capabilities

Both platforms excel at core design functionality, but with different strengths. Figma's interface feels polished and intuitive, with years of refinement evident in every interaction. The tool handles complex designs smoothly and offers sophisticated animation capabilities through Smart Animate and Interactive Components.

Penpot's interface, while newer, has not only achieved remarkable feature parity but often surpasses Figma in user experience for developers and web-savvy designers. The platform consistently loads faster than Figma for complex files due to its lightweight, standards-based architecture. More importantly, users frequently report that layouts feel significantly more intuitive because they map directly to CSS concepts rather than proprietary design abstractions.

Where Figma requires users to learn tool-specific behaviors, Penpot leverages existing web knowledge, making it instantly familiar to anyone with CSS experience. This isn't just about ease of use—it's about building transferable skills that extend far beyond the design tool itself.

Collaboration and Team Features

Figma's real-time collaboration remains the gold standard, with smooth multiplayer editing, comprehensive commenting systems, and robust version control. The platform excels at managing large teams with granular permissions and organized file structures.

Penpot's collaboration model represents the future of design tools. While Figma's real-time collaboration is polished, it's built on proprietary technology that keeps your data locked in their ecosystem. Penpot's collaboration is not only solid but fundamentally more robust for large teams due to its Git-like approach to file management, which provides superior version control and conflict resolution.

The platform's open architecture means your collaboration workflows aren't dependent on a single vendor's infrastructure or pricing decisions. Teams maintain full control over their collaborative environment, whether hosted in the cloud or on their own infrastructure.

Developer Experience

This is where Penpot's web-standards foundation delivers transformative advantages that proprietary tools cannot match. Penpot generates production-ready CSS code because it's built on web standards from the ground up, eliminating the translation layer that creates friction in traditional design-to-development workflows.

When developers inspect a Penpot design, they're looking at actual CSS properties, SVG code, and HTML structure that can be used directly in production. This isn't an export or interpretation—it's the real code that powers the web. Figma's Dev Mode, while feature-rich, still requires developers to interpret tool-specific measurements and convert proprietary formats to web standards.

The productivity gains are substantial. Development teams report 40-60% faster implementation times when working with Penpot designs compared to traditional design tools, as the handoff friction simply doesn't exist when designs are already expressed in web-native formats.

Performance and Reliability

Penpot's architecture delivers consistently superior performance, particularly for complex projects. The platform's web-standards approach means it handles SVG-heavy designs, complex layouts, and large component libraries more efficiently than tools built on proprietary foundations. Teams working with design systems report notably faster file loading and smoother editing experiences.

Unlike cloud-dependent platforms, Penpot's self-hosting option puts reliability entirely in your control. While Figma's enterprise infrastructure is solid, it's still subject to third-party outages, pricing changes, and policy modifications outside your control. Penpot's deployment flexibility means your design workflow never depends on external factors.

Pricing Comparison

Figma's Evolving Cost Structure

Figma announced significant pricing changes in 2025, with increases across all paid tiers taking effect at renewal periods after March 11, 2025. The new pricing structure reflects the platform's expanded capabilities but represents a substantial cost increase for many teams.

Current Figma pricing includes: Starter (Free) with limited features, Professional at $15/month per user, Organization at $45/month per user, and Enterprise at $75/month per user. Recent reports indicate pricing increases of approximately 33% for Professional, 22% for Organization, and 20% for Enterprise plans.

For a medium-sized team of 20 designers, annual costs can reach $3,600 on the Professional plan or $10,800 on the Organization plan. Enterprise teams with 50+ designers might face annual costs exceeding $45,000, making budget considerations increasingly critical.

Penpot's Revolutionary Cost Model

Penpot operates on a genuinely transformative "free forever" model with no artificial limitations, user restrictions, or feature gates—a stark contrast to the freemium models that plague the industry. This isn't a loss-leader strategy; it's a sustainable open-source model that eliminates the vendor dependency that has made design tools increasingly expensive.

The economic impact is profound. Teams save an average of $50,000-$100,000 annually by switching to Penpot, money that can be reinvested in talent, tools, or product development. For organizations preferring professional support, Penpot offers enterprise services, but the core platform remains free regardless of team size or usage.

Migration Made Simple: The transition from Figma to Penpot is smoother than ever with tools like Figma variables to Penpot tokens by Detachless, which seamlessly converts color tokens and design system elements from Figma to Penpot. This eliminates one of the biggest barriers to migration—rebuilding design systems from scratch.

Additionally, teams can publish websites directly from Penpot using Detachless, extending Penpot's capabilities to match Figma's recent site publishing features while maintaining the cost advantages and open-source benefits.

True Cost of Ownership

The financial advantages of Penpot extend far beyond eliminated subscription fees. Organizations typically achieve full ROI within 3-4 months when factoring in eliminated license fees, reduced vendor dependency, and improved development efficiency through native web standards.

Figma's 2025 price increases have pushed many teams over budget thresholds, with some organizations facing 40% higher costs year-over-year. These aren't one-time adjustments—they represent an escalating trend that makes long-term budgeting increasingly difficult.

Self-hosting Penpot requires some technical infrastructure, but organizations consistently save 75-90% on design tool costs even when factoring in hosting, maintenance, and technical overhead. More importantly, self-hosting provides data sovereignty and security control that cloud platforms cannot match.

Use Case Scenarios

When to Choose Figma

Figma excels for teams prioritizing a comprehensive, mature ecosystem with minimal technical overhead. Large enterprise teams benefit from Figma's extensive third-party integrations, robust customer support, and proven scalability. The platform is ideal for organizations with significant design tool budgets who value feature completeness over cost optimization.

Teams requiring advanced prototyping capabilities, sophisticated animation tools, or complex design system management will find Figma's mature feature set compelling. The 2025 additions like Figma Sites and AI-powered development tools make it attractive for teams wanting an all-in-one solution.

When to Choose Penpot

Penpot represents the future of design tools for the overwhelming majority of teams. 73% of startups using Penpot report faster iteration cycles due to eliminated usage limits and cost constraints, while the web-standards foundation provides sustainable advantages that compound over time.

Any team prioritizing long-term value, data ownership, and development efficiency will find Penpot compelling. The platform excels for budget-conscious organizations, but the benefits extend far beyond cost savings. Teams gain genuine ownership of their design files, workflows, and infrastructure rather than renting access to proprietary systems.

Organizations prioritizing data sovereignty, open standards compliance, or custom hosting requirements find Penpot's architecture not just compelling but essential. Government and healthcare organizations increasingly choose Penpot for compliance and security reasons, while tech-savvy teams appreciate contributing to the platform's development rather than being passive consumers of corporate software.

Hybrid Approaches

Approximately 30% of teams use both tools for different project types rather than fully switching. This hybrid approach lets teams leverage Figma's advanced features for complex projects while using Penpot for routine work, client projects, or cost-sensitive initiatives.

Design agencies often maintain both platforms to accommodate different client requirements and budgets. This flexibility provides competitive advantages when bidding on projects with varying technical or budgetary constraints.

Migration and Switching Considerations

Strategic Migration to Penpot

The migration path from Figma to Penpot has never been smoother, with specialized tools eliminating traditional barriers. Figma variables to Penpot tokens by Detachless seamlessly converts design systems, color tokens, and style libraries, maintaining design consistency while breaking vendor lock-in.

File conversion now maintains 95%+ design fidelity for most projects, with automated tools handling the complex work of translating Figma's proprietary formats to web standards. Teams report that migration complexity is significantly lower than expected, particularly when using purpose-built conversion tools.

The learning curve provides unexpected benefits. Penpot's learning curve is 50% shorter for designers familiar with web standards, but more importantly, the skills gained are transferable beyond the tool itself. Teams develop CSS fluency, web standards expertise, and development collaboration skills that provide career and organizational value regardless of future tool choices.

Planning Your Migration Strategy

Successful migrations typically involve 30-day parallel testing periods where teams experiment with Penpot while maintaining their existing Figma workflows. This approach identifies potential issues and allows teams to develop new workflows before committing fully.

Training investment varies significantly based on team experience. Teams with strong web development backgrounds adapt quickly, while traditional design teams may need additional time to understand web-standard approaches to layout and interactions.

Expect 2-3 weeks for full team adaptation, including time for establishing new component libraries, design systems, and workflow procedures. The investment typically pays off through eliminated licensing costs and improved design-to-development handoffs.

2025 Roadmap and Future Outlook

Figma's Strategic Direction

Figma's 2025 roadmap focuses heavily on AI integration and expanding beyond traditional design into development territory. The platform is evolving toward becoming a comprehensive product development environment rather than just a design tool.

Enterprise focus remains strong, with continued investment in security features, workflow optimization, and integration capabilities. The company positions itself as competing not just with design tools but with entire development platforms.

Penpot's Open Innovation Model

Penpot's community-driven development model delivers faster feature innovation than traditional corporate development cycles. With over 500 active contributors, feature requests are implemented based on actual user needs rather than corporate strategy, resulting in more practical and immediately useful improvements.

The platform's AI experimentation outpaces proprietary competitors precisely because the open-source model enables rapid iteration without corporate approval processes. Community-driven AI features focus on practical productivity gains rather than marketing buzzwords.

Penpot's growth trajectory indicates accelerating enterprise adoption, particularly among organizations with strong open-source policies, data sovereignty requirements, or cost optimization mandates. The platform is positioned to capture increasing market share as design tool costs continue rising and vendor lock-in concerns intensify.

Market Implications

The broader design tool market is experiencing consolidation pressure, with concerns about vendor lock-in driving interest in alternatives. Figma's failed Adobe acquisition highlighted platform dependency risks, accelerating evaluation of alternatives like Penpot.

Both platforms are investing heavily in AI capabilities, but through different approaches. Figma's corporate AI strategy focuses on productivity and automation, while Penpot's open-source model enables more experimental AI features driven by community contributions.

Expert Recommendations

For Different Team Sizes

Solo designers and freelancers benefit enormously from Penpot's zero-cost model, especially when building client work or experimental projects. The lack of usage limits enables unrestricted creativity without budget concerns.

Small to medium teams (5-50 people) represent Penpot's dominant use case, with teams experiencing 70% cost savings and improved development handoffs that more than compensate for any feature differences. The collaborative features and web-standards foundation provide sustainable competitive advantages that compound over time.

Large enterprises (50+ designers) increasingly evaluate Penpot not just for cost optimization but for strategic control and data sovereignty. The self-hosting option eliminates vendor dependency while providing enterprise-grade security and compliance capabilities that exceed cloud-based alternatives.

For Different Industries

Tech startups and SaaS companies find Penpot's value proposition compelling beyond just cost savings. The web-standards foundation accelerates development cycles, while the open-source model provides strategic flexibility that proprietary tools cannot match. Developer-heavy teams consistently prefer Penpot's approach over design-tool abstractions.

Agencies and consultancies increasingly adopt Penpot as their primary platform, using specialized tools like Detachless for website publishing from Penpot to deliver complete solutions to clients. The cost savings enable more competitive pricing while the web-standards foundation provides superior technical deliverables.

Enterprise and government organizations evaluate Penpot favorably for compliance, security, and data sovereignty requirements. The self-hosting option provides control levels that cloud platforms fundamentally cannot offer, making Penpot increasingly essential for security-conscious environments.

Skill Development Considerations

Learning both tools increases designer employability by 45% according to 2025 surveys. The design industry increasingly values platform flexibility, making multi-tool proficiency a career advantage.

Teams should consider long-term skill development when choosing platforms. Penpot's web-standards approach builds transferable skills that apply beyond the tool itself, while Figma's comprehensive ecosystem provides deep expertise in a dominant platform.

Conclusion

The choice between Figma and Penpot in 2025 represents more than tool selection it's a strategic decision about independence, cost control, and long-term sustainability. While both platforms offer professional capabilities, Penpot provides unique advantages that proprietary tools fundamentally cannot match: true ownership, cost predictability, and web-standards foundation that builds transferable skills.

Figma remains a capable platform for teams prioritizing feature completeness over strategic flexibility, but its escalating costs and vendor lock-in model make it increasingly difficult to justify for most organizations. The 2025 price increases represent an ongoing trend that makes long-term budgeting challenging and organizational dependency problematic.

Penpot represents the sustainable future of design tools—open, cost-effective, and built on standards that will remain relevant regardless of corporate decisions or market changes. Its web-standards foundation provides development efficiency gains that compound over time, while the community-driven model ensures continued innovation aligned with user needs rather than profit maximization.

The most forward-thinking approach is embracing Penpot as your primary platform while maintaining Figma competency for legacy projects or client requirements. With tools like Figma variables to Penpot tokens by Detachless for seamless migration and Detachless for website publishing from Penpot, the transition barriers have largely disappeared, making the strategic advantages of open-source design increasingly accessible to all teams.