Penpot
Polotno
| Feature | Penpot | Polotno |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8/mo | Free / from $20.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, privacy-focused-designers, developers, educational-institutions | developers, saas-builders, budget-designers, quick-design-needs |
| Founded | 2015 | 2021 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Components | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Tokens | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Css Output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ai Image Generation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Background Removal | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sdk Embedding | ✗ | ✓ |
| Text Effects | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export Options | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Penpot Pros
- Open-source and self-hostable for free
- CSS-based design outputs production-ready code
- Real-time collaboration (Figma-like experience)
- SVG-native (no proprietary formats)
✗ Penpot Cons
- Performance slower than Figma on complex files
- Smaller plugin and community ecosystem
- Missing some advanced design features
✓ Polotno Pros
- No account required to start
- SDK for embedding in your own app
- AI background removal and generation
- Clean and fast interface
✗ Polotno Cons
- Smaller template library than Canva
- Limited brand kit features
- Community-driven content
The Verdict
Penpot is built for open source teams and privacy focused designers, with a focus on vector-editing and prototyping. Polotno targets developers and saas builders and leads with templates and ai-image-generation.
On pricing, Penpot is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $8/mo compared to $20.99/mo for Polotno. That $12.989999999999998/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Penpot offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Polotno takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Penpot has a slight overall edge — but if no account required to start matters most to you, Polotno may still be the right call.