Penpot vs Sketch — Which One Wins?
Pick Penpot if: Open-source advocates who want a self-hosted Figma alternative with no vendor lock-in
Pick Sketch if: Mac-only design teams who prefer native app performance over browser-based tools
Our take: Penpot for simplicity, Sketch for power users.
| Penpot | Sketch | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free and open source | Penpot Cloud Teams custom pricing | No free plan (30-day trial) | Standard $12/editor/mo |
| Features | Open source and self-hostable, SVG-native design, Real-time collaboration, Components and design systems, Interactive prototyping | Vector editing, Symbols and shared styles, Prototyping, Developer handoff, Mac-native performance |
| Best for | Open-source advocates who want a self-hosted Figma alternative with no vendor lock-in | Mac-only design teams who prefer native app performance over browser-based tools |
| Learning Curve | Medium | Medium |
The Real Difference
Both offer free tiers, so the real question is what you get when you start paying.
Penpot stands out with Open source and self-hostable and SVG-native design. Sketch counters with Vector editing and Symbols and shared styles.
Penpot's Achilles heel: still catching up to figma on polish and plugin ecosystem — feels rough around the edges. Sketch's: mac only — no windows, no linux, no web app. lost massive market share to figma. Pick whichever weakness you can live with.
Bottom Line
If you value open source and self-hostable and open-source advocates who want, go with Penpot. If mac-only design teams who matters more, Sketch is your pick. Neither is a bad choice — but one will fit your workflow better.