Lunacy vs Penpot — Which One Wins?
Pick Lunacy if: Designers on a budget who want a Sketch alternative that runs on any OS — completely free
Pick Penpot if: Open-source advocates who want a self-hosted Figma alternative with no vendor lock-in
Our take: Both are solid. Lunacy edges it for most people.
| Lunacy | Penpot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Completely free | Free and open source | Penpot Cloud Teams custom pricing |
| Features | Sketch file compatibility, Built-in design assets, AI image generation, Vector editing tools, Works on Windows, Mac, Linux | Open source and self-hostable, SVG-native design, Real-time collaboration, Components and design systems, Interactive prototyping |
| Best for | Designers on a budget who want a Sketch alternative that runs on any OS — completely free | Open-source advocates who want a self-hosted Figma alternative with no vendor lock-in |
| Learning Curve | Medium | Medium |
The Real Difference
Both offer free tiers, so the real question is what you get when you start paying.
Lunacy stands out with Sketch file compatibility and Built-in design assets. Penpot counters with Open source and self-hostable and SVG-native design.
Lunacy's Achilles heel: smaller community means fewer plugins and tutorials — you’re often on your own for troubleshooting. Penpot's: still catching up to figma on polish and plugin ecosystem — feels rough around the edges. Pick whichever weakness you can live with.
Bottom Line
If you value sketch file compatibility and designers on a budget, go with Lunacy. If open-source advocates who want matters more, Penpot is your pick. Neither is a bad choice — but one will fit your workflow better.