Penpot
Shotcut
| Feature | Penpot | Shotcut |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8/mo | Free only |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, privacy-focused-designers, developers, educational-institutions | beginners, budget-users, linux-users, hobbyists |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Components | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Tokens | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Css Output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Timeline Editing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Filters | ✗ | ✓ |
| Transitions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi Format | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hardware Acceleration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio Mixing | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Shotcut Pros
- Completely free
- Cross-platform
- Wide format support
- No watermarks
✗ Shotcut Cons
- Less intuitive UI
- Fewer effects
- No mobile version
The Verdict
Penpot is built for open source teams and privacy focused designers, with a focus on vector-editing and prototyping. Shotcut targets beginners and budget users and leads with timeline-editing and filters.
Shotcut uses custom enterprise pricing, while Penpot starts at $8/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
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 Shotcut takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Penpot has a slight overall edge — but if completely free matters most to you, Shotcut may still be the right call.