4 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Figma
The best open-source alternatives to Figma are penpot, Excalidraw and tldraw.
About Figma: A collaborative browser-based interface design and prototyping tool.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Figma without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
penpot
penpot/penpot
Web-based design and prototyping platform meant for cross-domain teams.
UtilitiesClojureDocker - Rank 2:
Excalidraw
excalidraw/excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for diagrams and sketches.
UtilitiesTypeScriptDocker - Rank 3:
tldraw
tldraw/tldraw
Infinite canvas whiteboard and SDK for drawing and diagramming.
UtilitiesTypeScript
Why switch
Why teams move off Figma
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Figma's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Figma are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 4 Figma alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
penpot
Web-based design and prototyping platform meant for cross-domain teams.
UtilitiesDocker - 2
Excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for diagrams and sketches.
UtilitiesDocker - 3
tldraw
Infinite canvas whiteboard and SDK for drawing and diagramming.
Utilities - 4
draw.io
Diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Note-taking & EditorsDocker
What is the best open-source alternative to Figma?
penpot is the most popular open-source alternative to Figma, with 60,729 GitHub stars. Excalidraw and tldraw are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Figma?
Yes. All 4 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Figma replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Figma?
Yes. penpot, Excalidraw and draw.io ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Figma?
Start by exporting your data from Figma, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.