Figma vs Penpot
Figma's design, Dev Mode and enterprise governance compared with MPL-licensed Penpot's SVG, CSS and HTML based design files, native design tokens, plugins and self-hosted OIDC or LDAP login, for product teams weighing a move.
Figma
Pages for Figma customers moving interface design files and libraries to self-hosted Penpot.
Migrate from Figma to Penpot
Moving Figma files with Penpot's Figma exporter plugin: what converts (components, variants, auto layout, libraries, text), what does not (prototyping settings), how to handle large files, and checking fidelity after import.
Figma cost vs self-hosted Penpot
Figma's Full, Dev and Collab seat prices across Professional, Organization and Enterprise compared with self-hosting Penpot at no license cost: PostgreSQL, Valkey and storage, migration of libraries, and optional paid Penpot plans.
How to export your data from Figma
Getting design work out of Figma: local .fig, .jam and .deck copies without version history or comments, owner restrictions on copying, the proprietary nature of the format, and the official APIs Figma points to for tooling.
Self-hosted Figma alternative for EU data residency
Why Figma's EU hosting needs the Enterprise plan and still leaves comments, file names, fonts and recent edits outside the region, and how a Penpot instance in an EU data center keeps design files, comments and accounts in one place.
Open-source alternative to FigJam
Replacing FigJam whiteboards, billed through Collab seats, with Excalidraw or Nextcloud Whiteboard: real-time collaboration, where boards are stored, export formats, and how they sit next to Penpot for design work.
Open-source alternative to Figma Dev Mode
Figma charges for Dev seats. This page covers developer handoff in Penpot instead, built on open SVG, CSS and HTML standards with native design tokens and an open API, and what Dev Mode features have no direct equivalent.
Self-hosted Figma alternative for air-gapped networks
For design teams that cannot use cloud tools: running Penpot with Docker Compose or Helm inside a closed network, PostgreSQL, Valkey and object storage it needs, LDAP or OpenID Connect login, and updating without internet access.
