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Developer Tools · head to head

Penpot vs Proto.io

Penpot logo

Penpot

Developer Tools

Open source design and prototyping platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Proto.io logo

Proto.io

Design

Hosted high-fidelity prototyping with device preview and no code

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Penpot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Penpot smaller user base and community compared to Figma means fewer templates and resources; Proto.io prototypes live in the vendor cloud and offline export is a higher-tier feature, so the ability to archive completed client work is a plan-level decision rather than a given.
  • They diverge on capability: Penpot covers Vector editing, Proto.io covers Event and condition system.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Penpot and Proto.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Penpot and Proto.io differ
AttributePenpotProto.io
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownPer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDesign
Founded2021Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Penpot

  • Vector editing
  • Interactive prototyping
  • Design systems
  • Components & libraries
  • Real-time collaboration
  • SVG support
  • CSS Grid & Flexbox
  • Code export

Only in Proto.io

  • Event and condition system
  • Timeline animation
  • Device preview
  • Component library
  • User testing integration
  • Design import

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Penpot

  • UI/UX designnot Proto.io
  • Prototypingnot Proto.io
  • Design systemsnot Proto.io
  • Developer handoffnot Proto.io
  • Open source projectsnot Proto.io

Proto.io

  • Running usability tests where the prototype must respond to real input rather than replay a fixed click pathnot Penpot
  • Demonstrating a form-heavy or data-driven flow to stakeholders before any code existsnot Penpot
  • Testing a mobile interaction on the physical device it is designed for, with correct gesture behaviournot Penpot
  • Validating a concept for a client who needs to feel the product, not watch a video of itnot Penpot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Penpot

  • Smaller user base and community compared to Figma means fewer templates and resources
  • Self-hosting requires Linux server and Docker knowledge for technical setup
  • Real-time collaboration features may have performance issues with very large design files

Proto.io

  • Prototypes live in the vendor cloud and offline export is a higher-tier feature, so the ability to archive completed client work is a plan-level decision rather than a given.
  • Design is done elsewhere and interaction is rebuilt here, so every change to the visual design has to be reapplied by hand and the two artefacts drift apart.
  • The event and condition model is layer based, so a genuinely complex flow becomes a large tree of triggers that nobody but its author can audit.
  • Editor seats are priced individually and viewer access is limited on lower plans, so opening review to a wide stakeholder group pushes you up a tier for people who never edit anything.
  • The market standardised on Figma, so hiring people who already know Proto.io is progressively harder and every new researcher is a training cost.

Pricing, plan by plan

Penpot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Cloud-based design
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Components and variants
  • Unlimited$7/month
    • All free features
    • Priority support
    • Advanced cloud features
  • Enterprise$950/month
    • Custom enterprise features
    • Dedicated support
    • Advanced security

Proto.io

On request
  • Freelancer$undefined/month
    • Single editor
    • Limited active projects
    • Standard sharing
  • Startup$undefined/month
    • Multiple editors
    • More projects
    • Team library
  • Agency$undefined/month
    • Higher project and storage limits
    • Client sharing controls
  • Corporate$undefined/month
    • Largest quotas
    • Offline export on higher tiers
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Penpot if

  • You need vector editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want interactive prototyping.
Penpot review

Choose Proto.io if

  • You need event and condition system.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want timeline animation.
Proto.io review

Questions people ask

Is Penpot or Proto.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Penpot starts at Free and Proto.io at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Penpot or Proto.io?
Penpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Penpot and On request for Proto.io.
Does Penpot or Proto.io run on more platforms?
Penpot runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Proto.io runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Penpot for free?
Yes. Penpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Proto.io starts at On request.
What is Penpot best used for?
Penpot is most often used for ui/ux design, prototyping, design systems, developer handoff. Of those, ui/ux design and prototyping are not what Proto.io is typically brought in for.
What can Penpot do that Proto.io cannot?
Penpot covers Vector editing, Interactive prototyping, Design systems, Components & libraries. Proto.io covers Event and condition system, Timeline animation, Device preview, Component library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Penpot: Is Penpot really free?

Yes. Penpot is completely free with no feature gates. The open-source version can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure for zero cost beyond server expenses.

Source
Proto.io: Can it replace Figma?

No. It has no design system or file-handoff role. It sits alongside Figma for the prototypes Figma cannot express.

Penpot: Can I self-host Penpot?

Yes. Penpot can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure with no licensing costs. Organizations with specific privacy or governance needs can run Penpot on their own servers.

Source
Proto.io: What happens to prototypes if we stop paying?

They stop being accessible unless you have exported them, and offline export is restricted to higher plans, so plan archiving before you cancel.

Penpot: What are the paid plans if I use Penpot cloud?

Penpot's cloud service offers a free tier, Unlimited plan at $7 per user per month for professionals and medium teams, and Enterprise starting at $950 per month for larger organizations.

Source
Proto.io: Is it worth learning now that InVision has gone?

If your work is usability research on conditional flows, yes. If you need click-through demos of static screens, Figma already does that at no extra cost.

Penpot: What platforms does Penpot support?

Penpot runs in the browser, so it works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and any OS with a web browser. No platform-specific downloads required.

Source
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