What it is
Penpot is a design and prototyping tool for interfaces and graphics, built on open web standards so files aren't trapped in a proprietary format. Designers and developers work in the same space, with real code inspection for handoff. It's the closest open-source experience to Figma, and it's genuinely good.
What you'd be replacing
A real Figma alternative for UI design, prototyping and dev handoff - without per-editor seat pricing or files locked to one vendor.
What you get
- Interface and graphic design
- Interactive prototypes
- Real-time collaboration
- Developer handoff with code inspect
- Components and design systems
- Open SVG-based format - no lock-in
- Comments and review
- Shared libraries
Good to know
Figma has a bigger plugin ecosystem and some power-user niceties Penpot is still catching up on. For most design and handoff work, teams switch across comfortably.