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Penpot vs tldraw

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.An infinite canvas SDK and whiteboard.
GitHub stars38K41K
LicenseMPL 2.0Source Available
LanguageClojureTypeScript
PricingFree & Open SourceFree & Open Source
Self-hostable
ReplacesFigma, SketchMiro, Figma
Rating4.7 / 54.6 / 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

tldraw features

  • Infinite collaborative canvas
  • Embeddable, themeable React SDK
  • Real-time multiplayer sync
  • Custom shapes and tools
  • AI-ready canvas primitives

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

tldrawpros & cons

Pros

  • Best canvas SDK for developers
  • Smooth, polished interactions
  • Great docs and examples

Cons

  • Commercial use needs a license/watermark
  • More toolkit than finished product

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