Penpot
Squarespace
| Feature | Penpot | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8/mo | From $16/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, privacy-focused-designers, developers, educational-institutions | creatives, photographers, artists, small-businesses, restaurants |
| Founded | 2015 | 2003 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Components | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Tokens | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Css Output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce | ✗ | ✓ |
| Blogging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Campaigns | ✗ | ✓ |
| Seo | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Squarespace Pros
- Most beautiful templates in the industry
- All-in-one (domain, email, analytics)
- Great for portfolios and creative brands
- Excellent blogging platform
✗ Squarespace Cons
- Less flexible than Webflow or WordPress
- No free tier (14-day trial only)
- Transaction fees unless on Commerce plans
The Verdict
Penpot is built for open source teams and privacy focused designers, with a focus on vector-editing and prototyping. Squarespace targets creatives and photographers and leads with templates and ecommerce.
On pricing, Penpot is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $8/mo compared to $16/mo for Squarespace. That $8/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Penpot has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Squarespace 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.