ToolAlts

Penpot vs Onlook

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings.

Feature
Penpot
Onlook
Rating
★ 4.5
★ 3.5
Open Source
Yes
Yes
GitHub Stars
47,975
N/A
Design
Auto versioning
Penpot editor
Flex Layout
Grid Layout
Path Editor
Multiplatform
Libraries & templates
Plugins
Inspect mode
Collaboration
Multiplayer edition
Comments
Share presentations
Team management
Editors
Role and permissions
Administration & Security
API REST
Webhooks
Deleted file recovery
Sneak Peek in New Ft.
Design systems
Components
Fonts management
Variants
Design tokens
Styles
Prototype
Create prototypes
Interactions
Transitions
Flows
View mode
Share prototypes with a link
Comments on prototypes
Devtools
Code inspector
Properties inspector
Distances and measurement
Component annotations
Export production assets
Support
Community forum
Help center
Visual editing of React components
AI-powered design suggestions
Open-source and community-driven
Integrates with existing React projects

Detailed Comparison

Overview

Penpot and Onlook are both open-source design tools, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. Penpot is a mature, full-featured design platform for teams building digital products at scale, offering a comprehensive suite of design, prototyping, and collaboration features. Onlook, on the other hand, is a newer, AI-first tool focused specifically on visually editing React applications, positioning itself as the "Cursor for Designers." While Penpot is a complete design ecosystem, Onlook is a specialized tool for bridging design and code in React projects.

Feature Comparison

| Feature | Penpot | Onlook |

|---------|--------|--------|

| **Design & Editing** | Full vector editor with Flex/Grid Layout, Path Editor, Design Tokens, Styles, Components, Variants | Visual editing of React components only |

| **Prototyping** | Create prototypes with interactions, transitions, flows; share via links with comments | Not available |

| **Collaboration** | Multiplayer editing, comments, team management, roles & permissions, share presentations | Community-driven, no built-in collaboration features |

| **AI Capabilities** | No native AI features | AI-powered design suggestions |

| **Code Integration** | Inspect mode, Code inspector, Export production assets, API REST, Webhooks | Direct visual editing of React components in existing projects |

| **Versioning** | Auto versioning, deleted file recovery | Not available |

| **Open Source** | Yes (47,948 GitHub stars) | Yes (GitHub stars N/A) |

| **Rating** | 4.5/5 (3,200 reviews) | 3.5/5 (0 reviews) |

Pricing

**Penpot** offers a tiered pricing model:

  • **Professional**: $0/user/month (free)
  • **Unlimited**: $7/user/month
  • **Enterprise**: $950/month
  • **Private Server**: $50,000/year

    • **Onlook** is completely free at $0, with no paid tiers currently available.

    When to Choose Penpot

    Penpot is the clear choice for teams that need a comprehensive, scalable design platform. Choose Penpot if:

  • **You need a full design workflow** – from wireframing to prototyping to developer handoff, Penpot covers every stage with features like Flex/Grid Layout, Path Editor, Design Tokens, and Components.
  • **Collaboration is critical** – Penpot's multiplayer editing, comments, team management, and role-based permissions make it ideal for design teams of any size.
  • **You require version control** – Auto versioning and deleted file recovery ensure no work is lost, which is essential for production environments.
  • **You need enterprise-grade features** – With API REST, Webhooks, and private server options, Penpot scales to meet enterprise security and integration needs.
  • **You work across multiple platforms** – Penpot supports multiplatform use and offers extensive library and template management.

    • When to Choose Onlook

    Onlook is the better choice for developers and designers working specifically with React applications. Choose Onlook if:

  • **You primarily work in React** – Onlook's visual editing of React components is its core strength, allowing you to style and edit components directly without leaving the design tool.
  • **You want AI-powered assistance** – Onlook's AI suggestions can accelerate design decisions and streamline the design-to-code process.
  • **You need a lightweight, free tool** – At $0 with no paid tiers, Onlook is accessible to anyone, making it ideal for individual developers or small teams on a budget.
  • **You want to integrate with existing React projects** – Onlook is designed to work with your current React codebase, not as a standalone design environment.
  • **You prefer a community-driven tool** – As an open-source project, Onlook's development is shaped by its community, offering flexibility for customization.

    • Verdict

    Penpot and Onlook are not direct competitors; they serve different niches within the design space. Penpot is a mature, enterprise-ready design platform that excels at collaboration, prototyping, and comprehensive design workflows. It's the right choice for design teams, agencies, and organizations that need a robust, scalable tool with extensive features and support.

    Onlook, while promising, is still in its early stages with no user reviews and limited features. Its strength lies in its AI-first approach and tight integration with React, making it a compelling option for React developers who want to visually edit components. However, it lacks the depth, collaboration features, and ecosystem that Penpot offers.

    **Recommendation**: If you need a full-featured design platform for team collaboration and production-ready designs, choose **Penpot**. If you are a React developer looking for a free, AI-powered tool to visually edit components in existing projects, **Onlook** is worth exploring, but be aware of its limited feature set and early-stage maturity. For most teams building digital products at scale, Penpot is the more reliable and comprehensive choice.