🩺 Vitals
- 📦 Version: 2.11.1 (Released 2025-11-13)
- 🚀 Velocity: Active (Last commit 2025-12-10)
- 🌟 Community: 43.2k Stars · 2.4k Forks
- 🐞 Backlog: 565 Open Issues
🏗️ Profile
- Official: penpot.app
- Source: github.com/penpot/penpot
- License: MPL-2.0
- Deployment: Docker / Kubernetes / Self-hosted
- Data Model: PostgreSQL
- Complexity: Medium (3/5) - Docker setup, maintenance
- Maintenance: Medium (3/5) - Regular updates required
- Enterprise Ready: High (4/5) - Self-hosted, collaboration features
1. The Executive Summary
What is it? Penpot is a leading open-source design and prototyping platform that aims to free product teams from proprietary vendor lock-in. It distinguishes itself by natively embracing open web standards (SVG, CSS, HTML, JSON) throughout the design process, enabling a seamless workflow between designers and developers. Penpot offers real-time collaboration, advanced prototyping, and code-friendly inspection tools.
The Strategic Verdict:
- 🔴 For Organizations Tied to Adobe/Figma Ecosystems: Caution. Transition requires workflow adjustments and potential loss of highly specialized, proprietary features.
- 🟢 For Digital Sovereignty Advocates: Strong Buy. Provides full ownership of design assets, fosters collaboration between design and development, and avoids vendor lock-in with a self-hostable, open-source solution.
2. The "Hidden" Costs (TCO Analysis)
| Cost Component | Proprietary (Figma/Adobe XD) | Penpot (Self-Hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing Fees | $12-50+/user/mo | $0 (MPL-2.0) |
| Vendor Lock-in | High (proprietary formats) | None (open standards) |
| SSO/SAML Integration | Enterprise Tier Only | Ambiguous (Requires verification) |
3. The "Day 2" Reality Check
🚀 Deployment & Operations
- Installation: Penpot can be easily deployed using Docker Compose or Kubernetes, offering full control over the hosting environment.
- Scalability: Designed for collaborative teams, its architecture supports growing user bases and project complexity.
🛡️ Security & Governance
- Data Ownership: With self-hosting, organizations retain complete control and ownership of their design data, crucial for compliance and intellectual property protection.
- Open Auditability: The open-source nature allows for security audits and custom modifications, enhancing trust and transparency.
4. Alternatives & Ecosystem
- Alternative: Figma (Proprietary, Cloud-based) - Industry standard, but with vendor lock-in and high costs.
- Alternative: Adobe XD (Proprietary, Cloud/Desktop) - Part of Adobe ecosystem, high feature parity but similar vendor lock-in.
- Alternative: Inkscape (Open Source, Desktop) - Powerful vector graphics editor, but lacks prototyping and real-time collaboration features of Penpot.