Penpot
Sketch
| Feature | Penpot | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8/mo | From $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, privacy-focused-designers, developers, educational-institutions | ui-designers, mac-users, design-agencies, icon-designers |
| Founded | 2015 | 2010 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✓ |
| Components | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Tokens | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Css Output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Symbols | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shared Libraries | ✗ | ✓ |
| Developer Handoff | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plugins | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cloud Workspace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Sketch Pros
- Lightweight and fast native macOS performance
- Mature plugin ecosystem with thousands of extensions
- Excellent symbol and library system
- One-time license option for Mac app
✗ Sketch Cons
- Mac-only (no Windows or Linux support)
- Collaboration features lag behind Figma
- Market share declining as teams move to Figma
The Verdict
Penpot is built for open source teams and privacy focused designers, with a focus on vector-editing and prototyping. Sketch targets ui designers and mac users and leads with vector-editing and symbols.
Pricing is close: Penpot starts at $8/mo versus $12/mo for Sketch — 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. Sketch requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
