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Self-Hosting Penpot: Open-Source Design Tool

Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping tool. A self-hosted Figma alternative with SVG-native design and real-time collaboration.

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What Is Penpot?


Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping platform. It's a self-hosted alternative to Figma for creating user interfaces, illustrations, and prototypes.


Features


Design

  • Vector editing tools
  • SVG-native (everything is standards-based SVG)
  • Components and variants
  • Auto-layout (Flex layout)
  • Design tokens
  • Grids and guides

    • Prototyping

  • Interactive prototypes
  • Transitions and animations
  • Flows and user journeys
  • Shareable prototype links

    • Collaboration

  • Real-time multi-user editing
  • Comments
  • Shared libraries
  • Team workspaces

    • Developer Handoff

  • Inspect mode
  • CSS code export
  • Asset export (SVG, PNG, PDF)
  • Design specs

    • Penpot vs Figma


  • Penpot: Open-source, self-hosted, SVG-native, free
  • Figma: More polished, larger plugin ecosystem, SaaS
  • Penpot's SVG approach means designs are standards-based and portable

    • Why SVG-Native Matters


    Every design element in Penpot is real SVG. This means:

  • Export designs as clean SVG code
  • Edit designs with any SVG editor
  • No proprietary format lock-in
  • Web-ready output by default

    • Deployment


    1. Deploy Penpot on TinyPod

    2. Create a workspace

    3. Start designing

    4. Invite collaborators


    Resources: 2 CPU, 2 GB RAM.


    Penpot won't replace Figma for everyone, but for teams that value open-source and self-hosting, it's remarkably capable.