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Figma figma.com

Free alternatives to Figma

Figma costs $20/mo on the Professional Full seat plan, or $240 a year. Here are 3 free and open-source options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.

Prices checked Aug 11, 2026Can AI replace it? Nah

01At a glance

AlternativeTypeWhere it runsWorks on
LunacyFreeHosted or self-hostedMac, Windows, Linux
PenpotOpen sourceHosted or self-hostedWeb, Your server
Quant-UXOpen sourceHosted or self-hostedWeb, Your server

02Each alternative, in detail

LunacyFree

A polished free desktop UI editor with components, prototypes, cloud documents, and native apps; collaboration limits are small-team sized.

Versus paying: Its free cloud collaboration is small-team limited, and Figma's plugin ecosystem, browser collaboration and import fidelity remain stronger.

Setup: Install a native Windows, macOS or Linux package, or open Lunacy in a browser

icons8.com →
PenpotOpen source

The real open-source answer: browser UI design, components, tokens, prototypes, comments, and multiplayer without pretending a whiteboard is Figma.

Versus paying: Its plugin ecosystem, Figma-file fidelity and hosted free-team/history limits are still behind Figma's mature collaborative platform.

Setup: Use the hosted signup, or download the official Docker Compose file and run docker compose up -d

Watch for: Self-hosting requires Docker Compose, DNS and reverse-proxy/TLS knowledge; hosted signup has no setup blocker

58,200 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

penpot.app →
Quant-UXOpen source

Browser prototypes, collaboration, user tests, and analytics in one product; weaker than Figma for pixel-perfect design systems.

Versus paying: It is primarily a prototyping and user-testing tool, not a production-grade vector editor and design-system workspace on Figma's level.

Setup: Use the hosted Quant-UX signup, or run its multi-container Docker Compose stack

Watch for: Self-hosting needs several containers plus MongoDB, SMTP, a JWT secret, WebSocket URL and reverse-proxy/TLS configuration

2,700 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

quant-ux.com →

03Figma's own free plan

The free Starter plan gives limited access with unlimited drafts and daily AI credits.

04What you give up by leaving Figma

  • real-time multiplayer that just works
  • your team, who are all on Figma
  • the plugin ecosystem
  • ten years of canvas performance engineering

They pay because entire product/design teams coordinate inside the file, not because drawing rectangles is hard.

05Questions

Is there a free alternative to Figma?

Yes. This page compares 3: Lunacy, Penpot and Quant-UX. 2 of them are open source, so you can run them yourself.

How much does Figma cost?

$20/mo on the Professional Full seat plan (monthly per seat), which is $240 a year. Free plan: The free Starter plan gives limited access with unlimited drafts and daily AI credits. Prices checked Aug 11, 2026.

What do you give up with a free alternative to Figma?

Most often: real-time multiplayer that just works, your team, who are all on Figma, the plugin ecosystem and ten years of canvas performance engineering. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”

Can AI build me my own version of Figma?

Nah. You can make a small drawing/prototyping tool, but Figma's moat is real-time multiplayer editing, plugin ecosystem, design-system workflows, performance, and enterprise trust.

Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.