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BetterOpenSource

Penpot vs Excalidraw

A side-by-side comparison of two open-source tools to help you choose the right one.

Feature
SummaryThe open-source design tool for design & code.Virtual whiteboard with a hand-drawn feel.
GitHub stars38K92K
LicenseMPL 2.0MIT
LanguageClojureTypeScript
PricingFree & Open SourceFree & Open Source
Self-hostable
ReplacesFigma, SketchMiro, Figma
Rating4.7 / 54.9 / 5

Penpot features

  • Real-time multiplayer design and prototyping
  • Built on SVG with native CSS export
  • Design tokens and shared libraries
  • Figma file import
  • Self-host or use the free cloud

Excalidraw features

  • Hand-drawn style shapes and arrows
  • End-to-end encrypted live collaboration
  • Works offline as a PWA
  • Embeddable React component and library
  • Huge library of community shapes

Penpotpros & cons

Pros

  • No seat limits when self-hosted
  • Open file format and standards
  • Developer-friendly handoff

Cons

  • Smaller plugin ecosystem than Figma
  • Self-hosting needs Docker know-how

Excalidrawpros & cons

Pros

  • Frictionless and instant to use
  • Privacy-respecting by design
  • Easy to embed in your own apps

Cons

  • Not a full UI design tool
  • Limited layout/constraint features

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