Open source alternatives to Figma

7 projects on starwire do the same job. Ranked by how much of what Figma does each one covers, read from its README and website. Ties go to the most active.

What Figma does

  1. Vector design canvas for UIcore
  2. Real-time multiplayer editingcore
  3. Components and design systemscore
  4. Interactive prototypes
  5. Auto layout
  6. Comments and handoff to developers
  7. Plugins
  8. Import and export of design files

Each dot in the table is one job, in this order. Square dots are core jobs and count double. Full means yes, half means partly. "See the evidence" under a project shows the line behind each one. Coverage is what a project documents, not how well it works or how hard it is to move to. How we score this

ProjectCoversStarsCommits, 12 weeksLast releaseClosed vs openedSetupLicense
penpotOpen source design and prototyping platform for product teams Replaces it95%62k+179
1,340
 3 days ago80% Hosted version MPL-2.0
Covers all 3 core jobs. Partly: Import and export of design files.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcoreYesDesign responsive and rules-based interfaces with wireframes
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreYesReal-time collaboration
  • Components and design systemscoreYesnative Design Tokens, Components, and Variants
  • Interactive prototypesYesinteractive prototypes
  • Auto layoutYesCSS Grid and Flex Layout
  • Comments and handoff to developersYesThe inspect tab gives instant access to SVG, CSS and HTML
  • PluginsYesPenpot plugins let you expand the platform's capabilities
  • Import and export of design filesPartlylike SVG, CSS, HTML, and JSON
open-pencilOpen source design editor with AI features, aiming to replace Figma Replaces it95%9.9k+151
1,397
 31 days ago73% Install like an app MIT
Covers all 3 core jobs. Partly: Interactive prototypes.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcoreYesOpen-source design editor.
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreYesReal-time collaboration
  • Components and design systemscoreYesComponents and variants
  • Interactive prototypesPartlypreview it live over the canvas
  • Auto layoutYesAuto layout & CSS Grid
  • Comments and handoff to developersYescomments pinned to layers
  • PluginsYesFigma Plugin API plus an `openpencil` API
  • Import and export of design filesYesread and write native Figma files
desigmaRust design canvas aiming to be a free Figma alternative Replaces it91%1.2k+76
393
 None77% Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers all 3 core jobs. Not shown: Plugins.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcoreYesvector editing
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreYesLive collaboration share a link, edit together, no account
  • Components and design systemscoreYesComponents that stay in sync
  • Interactive prototypesYesPrototype what you draw
  • Auto layoutYesNested auto layout frames with hug, fill and fixed sizing
  • Comments and handoff to developersYesHand off as code
  • PluginsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Import and export of design filesYesreal Figma file import
openpencilOpen-source vector design tool with AI-driven UI generation on a live canvas Same job, different way64%7.2k+89
805
 None54% Install like an app MIT
Covers all 3 core jobs. Partly: Comments and handoff to developers; Import and export of design files. Not shown: Interactive prototypes; Auto layout; Plugins.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcoreYesopen-source AI-native vector design tool
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreYesDesign together over authenticated peer-to-peer sessions
  • Components and design systemscoreYesManage reusable UIKits with style switching and component composition
  • Interactive prototypesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Auto layoutNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Comments and handoff to developersPartlyCode export to React + Tailwind or HTML + CSS
  • PluginsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Import and export of design filesPartlyImport/export kits from `.pen` files.
open-designLocal-first workspace where AI agents build designs, sites, decks and prototypes Same job, different way49%108k+1.1k
488
 4 days ago81% Install like an app Apache-2.0
Covers 1 of 3 core jobs. Partly: Vector design canvas for UI; Import and export of design files. Not shown: Real-time multiplayer editing; Auto layout.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcorePartlyMove and resize elements, change text and color
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Components and design systemscoreYesChoose from 150+ open-source design systems
  • Interactive prototypesYesbuild and refine interactive web experiences
  • Auto layoutNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Comments and handoff to developersYeslet teammates comment right on the design
  • PluginsYesskills, design templates, design systems, and plugins
  • Import and export of design filesPartlyExport HTML or PDF
m3e-canvasBrowser canvas for sketching Material 3 screens and exporting them as prompts Same job, different way36%10k+138
213
 None80% Runs in a browser MIT
Covers 0 of 3 core jobs. Partly: Vector design canvas for UI; Components and design systems; Comments and handoff to developers; Import and export of design files. Not shown: Real-time multiplayer editing; Auto layout; Plugins.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcorePartlyDrag parts onto phone or desktop screens.
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Components and design systemscorePartlyReal M3 Expressive parts
  • Interactive prototypesYesLink parts to screens and press Preview to try the flow
  • Auto layoutNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Comments and handoff to developersPartlycopy a prompt for your AI coding tool
  • PluginsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Import and export of design filesPartlysave a screen as a PNG
airshipVisual canvas editor for driving coding agents like Claude Code and Codex Same job, different way18%738+2
22
 NoneToo few Install like an app MIT
Covers 0 of 3 core jobs. Partly: Vector design canvas for UI; Auto layout; Comments and handoff to developers. Not shown: Real-time multiplayer editing; Components and design systems; Interactive prototypes; Plugins; Import and export of design files.See the evidence
  • Vector design canvas for UIcorePartlyan infinite design canvas in front of your dev server
  • Real-time multiplayer editingcoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Components and design systemscoreNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Interactive prototypesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Auto layoutPartlyis position, size, spacing and layout
  • Comments and handoff to developersPartlyChanges land in your code.
  • PluginsNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.
  • Import and export of design filesNot shownNeither the README nor the website mentions it.

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