Figma is a popular interface designing tool. You can get started free or opt for premium subscription plans for advanced use.
It is an impressive platform that many professionals rely on. However, in 2021, Figma changed its free plan by imposing certain restrictions. While this made some users look for alternatives, it was still manageable for many.
Unfortunately, in 2022, the announcement of Adobe acquiring Figma for $20 billion put off many users. So, everyone has started looking for alternatives that are free and potentially open-source.
To help you out, we decided to compile a list of free and open-source alternatives to Figma that you can try.
1. Penpot
Key Highlights:
- Self-hosting option.
- Uses SVG as the native format.
- Web-based.
- Cross-platform.
Penpot is quickly being recognized as a solid free and open-source Figma alternative.
Even if it is in its beta phase, the users seem to like what it offers when writing this. I’m not a design expert, but the user experience with the tool seems impressive.
The unique thing about Penpot is that it uses SVG as its native format, which is rare but also provides immense benefits to the designers.
You can expect the essential features from Figma as the developers mention the tool’s original inspiration is Figma, and they aim to provide a familiar user experience without adding hurdles to your design adventures.
Head to its official website or GitHub page to explore more.
2. Quant UX
Key Highlights:
- Prototyping and Testing.
- Limited access without signing up.
- New beta features are regularly added.
- Self-host option.
Quant UX is a prototyping tool where you can test your designs and get insights about them.
You can create a custom prototype or select any available screen sizes for an Android phone, iPhone, or desktop.
This is also something where you will find features constantly added, and some of them are in beta. It is focused more on testing things by letting you import your designs or create a simple mockup.
It allows you access to a few things without signing up, but to get all features working, you need to sign up for an account. Explore more on its GitHub page.
3. Plasmic
Key Highlights:
- Free and open source.
- Drag and drop functionality.
- It supports importing designs from Figma.
Plasmic is a remarkable design tool for building web pages. If you were using Figma for web design, this could be an alternative tool to check out.
It provides most of the features for free and unlocks things like more extended version history, analytics, and other special features for teams when you opt for a premium plan. It is not just limited to designing the web pages but also supports A/B testing to experiment and improve the user interaction of your website.
Whether you are using an open-source CMS or a Jamstack site, Plasmic supports integration almost everywhere. Head to its official site or GitHub page to learn more.
4. Wireflow
Key Highlights:
- Free to use.
- No paid options.
- It is not actively maintained.
Wireflow is an interesting offering as a user flow prototype tool, and it is entirely free to use with no paid option.
Also, you do not need to sign up for an account. Get started from its official website and collaborate with others to plan your project and brainstorm.
Unfortunately, it has not seen any recent development activity since 2021. But, it is still active and remains a free and open-source solution. You can check out its GitHub page for more information.
5. Akira UX
Key Highlights:
- Early development app.
- Focuses on being a native Linux UX app.
Akira UX is an exciting project aiming to bring a native Linux design utility that works as well as some web-based solutions.
Akira’s project lead joined Mozilla Thunderbird as a product design manager. So, as of now, the project is not super actively developed. But, as a free and open-source project, anyone can pick it up and work on the same vision.
It is currently an early development version that you can test. You can find it available on Flathub’s beta channel and get it installed as per its GitHub page instructions.
Wrapping Up
It is not easy to replace Figma with a free and open-source solution. However, if you are not concerned about all of Figma’s functionalities, some of our recommendations should help you get the job done.
Do you know of any other free and open-source replacements to Figma? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
