Penpot
Linearity Curve
| Feature | Penpot | Linearity Curve |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $8/mo | Free / from $7.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | open-source-teams, privacy-focused-designers, developers, educational-institutions | illustrators, ui-designers, typography-designers, apple-users |
| Founded | 2015 | 2017 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Components | ✓ | ✗ |
| Design Tokens | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Css Output | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Hostable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Trace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Typography | ✗ | ✓ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Gesture Controls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Export Formats | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Linearity Curve Pros
- Free with full features
- Excellent Apple device support
- Intuitive pen tool
- Beautiful interface
✗ Linearity Curve Cons
- Apple ecosystem only
- Limited collaboration
- Fewer plugins than Illustrator
The Verdict
Penpot is built for open source teams and privacy focused designers, with a focus on vector-editing and prototyping. Linearity Curve targets illustrators and ui designers and leads with vector-editing and auto-trace.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($8/mo for Penpot, $7.99/mo for Linearity Curve), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
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 Linearity Curve takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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.