Penpot vs Sketch

Penpot logovsSketch logo
Penpot is open source, runs in the browser and can be self-hosted, while Sketch is a native Mac app with free viewers. Choose on your computers, your data rules and your budget.
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The verdictSide by sidePlans and pricingWho each is forOther options

The verdict

For a small team with mixed computers, or any team that cares about owning its files, pick Penpot. There is a free cloud plan, and self-hosting removes the subscription if you can carry the hosting.

Pick Sketch when every designer is on a Mac and you want native speed, shared libraries and free viewers and developer handoff. There is no free plan, so use the 30 day trial on a real project first.

If your team needs full editing in the browser, Sketch is the wrong fit. If you need native Mac performance and nothing forces openness, Penpot is not the obvious pick.

What the data says
  • Both cover 2 of the 2 features we compared.
  • Only Penpot has a free plan to start on.
  • Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
  • In our Build ranking, Penpot places 3 and Sketch 2 of 6.

Side by side

Penpot and Sketch compared
6 points compared
Penpot logoPenpot
Sketch logoSketch
Starts at$7/mo€11/mo
Free planYesNo
APIYesYes
MCP serverYesYes
API & automationsYesYes
Interactive prototypingYesYes
Links
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Plans and pricing

Penpot logo

Penpot

  • ProfessionalFree cloud plan with up to 8 team members, unlimited viewers, 10 GB storage and 7 days of version history.Free
  • UnlimitedPer editor with a monthly cap of 175 USD whatever the team size; 14-day free trial.$7/mo/seat
  • EnterprisePer member for larger organisations; 14-day free trial.$25/mo/seat
  • Private ServerDedicated private server, billed yearly.$50,000/yr
Sketch logo

Sketch

  • StandardPer editor; real-time collaboration, unlimited documents, free viewers and developer handoff.€13/mo/seat
  • ProfessionalPer editor, billed yearly; adds single sign-on, project archiving and permission groups.€264/yr/seat
  • EnterprisePer editor, billed yearly; adds SCIM, BYOK encryption, dedicated support and custom terms.€528/yr/seat
  • Mac-only licenseOne-time licence per seat with one year of updates; no collaboration features.€108/one_off/seat

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Penpot logo

Choose Penpot if…

Pick Penpot if you want your design files on your own infrastructure, or you work on an open-source project or under strict data rules. Because it follows web standards, what designers build maps closely to what developers write.

There is a free cloud plan with up to 8 team members and unlimited viewers, an open API with webhooks and a plugin system. A dedicated private server plan is available too.

Switching costs time, so pilot it on one project. Check that the plugins and templates you rely on exist.

VisitRead the review
Sketch logo

Choose Sketch if…

Pick Sketch if your designers work on Macs and you want a native app, shared Workspaces with version history and libraries for buttons, colours and type. Viewers are free, so clients, developers and managers can look without a seat.

It has a JavaScript API, plugins, the sketchtool command line and a documented JSON file format. Single sign-on and permission groups sit on Professional, and SCIM and BYOK encryption on Enterprise.

Full editing is in the Mac app. If someone on Windows or Linux must edit, test that before you buy.

VisitRead the review

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