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Developer Tools · head to head

Penpot vs Zephyr Scale

Penpot logo

Penpot

Developer Tools

Open source design and prototyping platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zephyr Scale logo

Zephyr Scale

Testing

Native test management for Jira

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; Zephyr Scale tightly bound to Jira; limited standalone functionality outside Jira ecosystem

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Penpot and Zephyr Scale actually diverge.

Attributes where Penpot and Zephyr Scale differ
AttributePenpotZephyr Scale
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, LinuxWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTesting
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 Zephyr Scale

Nothing recorded that Penpot does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Penpot

  • UI/UX designnot Zephyr Scale
  • Prototypingnot Zephyr Scale
  • Design systemsnot Zephyr Scale
  • Developer handoffnot Zephyr Scale
  • Open source projectsnot Zephyr Scale

Zephyr Scale

  • Test case management within Jira workflowsnot Penpot
  • Manual and automated test execution trackingnot Penpot
  • Cross-project test asset reusenot Penpot
  • Requirements traceability from stories to testsnot Penpot
  • CI/CD pipeline and BDD framework integrationnot 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

Zephyr Scale

  • Tightly bound to Jira; limited standalone functionality outside Jira ecosystem
  • No-code automation features limited in Standard tier, expanded only in Advanced
  • Data residency feature unavailable for Essential tier, limiting enterprise compliance
  • Transparent cost structure not provided on marketing page

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

Zephyr Scale

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Zephyr Scale review.

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 Zephyr Scale if

Nothing in the data separates Zephyr Scale from Penpot on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Zephyr Scale review

Questions people ask

Is Penpot or Zephyr Scale better?
Neither clearly leads. Penpot starts at Free and Zephyr Scale at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Penpot or Zephyr Scale?
Penpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Penpot and On request for Zephyr Scale.
Does Penpot or Zephyr Scale run on more platforms?
Penpot runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux. Zephyr Scale runs on Web.
Can I use Penpot for free?
Yes. Penpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zephyr Scale 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 Zephyr Scale is typically brought in for.
What can Penpot do that Zephyr Scale cannot?
Penpot covers Vector editing, Interactive prototyping, Design systems, Components & libraries.

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
Zephyr Scale: How much does Zephyr Scale cost?

Zephyr Scale pricing is not published on the website. Three tiers are available: Essential, Standard, and Advanced, plus QMetry for Jira. Contact SmartBear or visit Atlassian Marketplace for pricing details.

Source
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
Zephyr Scale: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Zephyr offers free trials for Essential, Standard, and Advanced tiers, as well as for QMetry. Visit the product page to start a trial.

Source
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
Zephyr Scale: Does Zephyr Scale work outside of Jira?

Zephyr Scale is tightly integrated with Jira for test management. For standalone test management outside Jira, SmartBear offers QMetry as an alternative.

Source
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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