Canva remains the quickest option for non-designers producing marketing graphics, while Figma is the dominant proprietary, browser-based collaborative…
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Desktop App, Mobile App
Web
Team collaboration
Yes
Yes
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Open Source and Self-Hostable
Penpot's full source code is available under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 and can be deployed on a company's own infrastructure, unlike Canva or Figma.
Penpot
Template-First Workflow
Canva is built around a library of more than 250,000 templates for non-designers rather than structured design systems.
Canva
Mature Plugin and Collaboration Ecosystem
Figma offers more than 5,000 community-built plugins alongside the real-time multiplayer editing it pioneered in the category.
Figma
SVG-Native File Format
Penpot stores designs using standard SVG, keeping files interoperable with web technologies, in contrast to Figma's proprietary file format.
Penpot
Free Tier for Small Teams
Figma's Starter plan and Penpot's Professional plan are both free, with Penpot's free tier supporting teams of up to eight members.
Figma, Penpot
Feature-by-Feature
Design Capabilities
Feature
Canva
Figma
Penpot
Vector-based interface design tools
Not documented
Available
Available
Design-to-code or developer handoff
Not documented
Available
Available
Openness and Deployment
Feature
Canva
Figma
Penpot
Open-source codebase
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
Self-hosting option
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
Collaboration and Access
Feature
Canva
Figma
Penpot
Real-time multiplayer editing
Not documented
Available
Available
Plugin ecosystem or app marketplace
Available
Available
Available
Free plan
Available
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Canva
Free — $0 N/A
Pro — $15/month or $120/year Monthly or annual
Business — $20/user/month or $200/user/year Monthly or annual
Professional — $16/month (Full seat) Monthly or annual
Organization — $55/month (Full seat) Annual only
Enterprise — $90/month (Full seat) Annual only
Penpot
Professional — Free N/A
Unlimited — $7/user/month (capped at $175/month) Monthly
Enterprise — From $950/month ($25/user/month) Monthly
Private Server (self-hosted) — $50,000/year Annual
Pros & Cons
Canva
Pros
Free plan is genuinely usable with a large template and asset library
Magic Studio AI tools speed up common design and copywriting tasks
Cross-platform apps for web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows
Free Pro-equivalent access for verified teachers, students, and nonprofits
Broad integration ecosystem via the apps marketplace
Cons
Less precise, pixel-level control than professional tools like Photoshop or Illustrator
Enterprise plan requires a roughly 150-seat minimum and custom pricing
AI Pass add-on is a significant extra cost on top of Pro or Business
Most features require an internet connection, limiting offline design work
Figma
Pros
Pioneering real-time multiplayer collaboration makes team design work dramatically faster than file-based desktop tools
Fully browser-based and cross-platform, requiring no installation and working consistently across operating systems
Extensive plugin ecosystem and Dev Mode significantly streamline design-to-development handoff
Broad product suite covering design, whiteboarding, presentations, and AI-assisted prototyping in one connected platform
Cons
Organization and Enterprise tiers require annual billing, which may not suit teams wanting monthly flexibility
Stock has been highly volatile since its 2025 IPO, reflecting broader uncertainty despite the product's strong market position
Full-featured seats are notably more expensive than Dev or Collab seats, which can add up for larger design-heavy teams
Reliance on a constant internet connection, being fully browser-based, can be a limitation in low-connectivity environments
Penpot
Pros
Genuinely open source under MPL 2.0, unlike most competing design tools
Free tier is usable for small teams with unlimited design files
Self-hosting option gives organizations full control over design data
SVG-native format keeps designs closer to open web standards
Backed by venture funding while maintaining its open-source commitment
Cons
Smaller plugin and template ecosystem than Figma's mature marketplace
Self-hosted Private Server plan is expensive and aimed at large enterprises
Some advanced features and performance still lag behind Figma for very large, complex files
Kaleidos is a small company relative to Figma/Adobe, which may affect long-term feature velocity
Free plan is capped at eight team members, limiting it for larger teams
Use Cases
Choose Canva: Non-designers and marketers who need fast, template-driven graphics rather than structured interface design.
Choose Figma: Product design teams who want the most mature, plugin-rich, real-time collaborative UI design and prototyping platform.
Choose Penpot: Organizations that want an open-source, self-hostable Figma alternative for data residency, security, or cost reasons.
Canva
Social Media & Marketing Content — Small business owners and marketers produce on-brand social posts and ads without hiring a designer.
Team Brand Management — Mid-sized companies use Brand Kits and approval workflows to standardize visual assets across many contributors.
Classroom & Student Projects — Teachers and students create presentations, worksheets, and assignments using free Canva for Education access.
Figma
Collaborative UI and product design — Design teams use Figma's real-time multiplayer editing to work together on interface designs, components, and design systems without exporting or emailing files.
Design-to-development handoff — Developers use Dev Mode to inspect finished designs, extract specifications and code snippets, and implement interfaces accurately based on the design file.
Team workshops and brainstorming — Cross-functional teams use FigJam's real-time whiteboarding for retrospectives, brainstorming sessions, and workshop facilitation beyond structured interface design.
Penpot
Open-source design workflow — Design and product teams that want to avoid proprietary lock-in use Penpot for UI design, prototyping and design systems.
Self-hosted enterprise design — Enterprises and government agencies with strict data governance requirements self-host Penpot to keep design data on their own infrastructure.
Design-to-development handoff — Developers use Penpot's code inspection and SVG-based files to translate designs into production code more directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Penpot really open source?
Yes. Penpot is released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, with its full source code publicly available, unlike the proprietary Canva and Figma.
Can Penpot be self-hosted?
Yes. Penpot can be deployed on a company's own infrastructure, and it also offers a dedicated Private Server plan for organizations that want a fully private, self-hosted deployment. Neither Canva nor Figma offers a self-hosting option.
Is Canva a good alternative to Figma for UI design?
Not really. Canva is built around templates for marketing graphics, social content, and print, while Figma is purpose-built for structured interface design, prototyping, and developer handoff. They overlap only partially.
Which tool has the most plugins?
Figma has the most mature plugin ecosystem of the three, with more than 5,000 community-built plugins. Penpot also supports plugins and a REST API, while Canva has an apps marketplace with more than 300 third-party integrations.
Does Figma or Penpot cost more for small teams?
Both offer a free tier for small teams: Figma's Starter plan is free with limited files, and Penpot's Professional plan is free for up to eight members with unlimited design files. Paid tiers then diverge, with Penpot's Unlimited plan around $7/user/month versus Figma's Professional at $16/month for a Full seat.
What is Penpot's file format based on?
Penpot stores designs in a native SVG-based format, keeping files interoperable with standard web technologies rather than locking them into a proprietary format like Figma's.