Penpot
Procreate
| Feature | Penpot | Procreate |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8/mo | From $12.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, privacy-focused-designers, developers, educational-institutions | digital-artists, illustrators, concept-artists, hobbyists |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Components | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Tokens | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Css Output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Digital Painting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brushes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Layers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Animation Assist | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Lapse | ✗ | ✓ |
| Color Tools | ✗ | ✓ |
| Apple Pencil Support | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Procreate Pros
- One-time purchase price (no subscription)
- Incredibly responsive and natural brush engine
- Massive brush library with custom brush creation
- Animation assist for frame-by-frame animation
✗ Procreate Cons
- iPad-only (no desktop or Android version)
- No vector support (raster only)
- Limited text and layout tools
The Verdict
Penpot is built for open source teams and privacy focused designers, with a focus on vector-editing and prototyping. Procreate targets digital artists and illustrators and leads with digital-painting and brushes.
Pricing is close: Penpot starts at $8/mo versus $12.99/mo for Procreate — not a deciding factor on its own.
Penpot has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Procreate requires a paid subscription from day one.
Procreate edges out on user ratings (4.8 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Bottom line: Procreate has a slight overall edge — but if open-source and self-hostable for free matters most to you, Penpot may still be the right call.