Figma → Penpot

Before You Start

What you'll need:

• Figma desktop or web app
• A Penpot account (penpot.app for cloud, or self-hosted)
• 30-60 minutes depending on project count

What transfers well:

• Page layouts and component structure
• Text styles and typography
• Colors and gradients
• Basic shapes and frames

What may need adjustment:

• Auto Layout (Penpot uses Flex Layout, slightly different behavior)
• Complex component variants
• Figma-specific plugins and effects

Step 1: Install the Penpot Exporter Plugin

The official Penpot team maintains a Figma plugin for direct export:

1. Open Figma
2. Go to Figma Community → Penpot Exporter
3. Click Install
4. The plugin will appear in your Figma plugins menu

Plugin stats: 400+ GitHub stars, actively maintained, latest release v0.20.1 (April 2026).

Step 2: Export Your Figma Files

1. Open the Figma file you want to migrate
2. Run the plugin: Plugins → Penpot Exporter
3. Select which pages/frames to export (or export everything)
4. Click Export to Penpot
5. The plugin generates a .penpot file — download it

For multiple files, repeat this process for each one.

Step 3: Import into Penpot

1. Log into your Penpot instance
2. Create a new project (or use an existing one)
3. Click Import in the project menu
4. Select the .penpot file from Step 2
5. Penpot will import the design — this usually takes 10-60 seconds per file

Step 4: Review and Adjust

After import, check these common areas:

• Auto Layout → Flex Layout: Penpot's Flex Layout is similar to Figma's Auto Layout but has some behavioral differences. Check that spacing and alignment are correct.
• Component variants: Figma variants may import as separate components. You may need to manually group them in Penpot.
• Fonts: Ensure the same fonts are available. Penpot supports Google Fonts natively; for custom fonts, upload them under Settings → Fonts.
• Prototyping: Figma prototypes don't transfer. Rebuild interactions using Penpot's prototype mode.

Common Issues

Q: The plugin says "Export failed" for some frames. A: This usually happens with very complex designs or unsupported Figma features (e.g., advanced prototyping, boolean operations on groups). Try exporting smaller sections individually.

Q: Colors look different after import. A: Check color profiles. Figma uses sRGB by default; Penpot may render colors slightly differently. Adjust in Penpot's color picker if needed.

Q: Can I go back to Figma? A: Penpot files are open format (.penpot is a zip of SVG + JSON). You can export individual frames as SVG and import them into Figma, but you'll lose component relationships.

Summary

Migrating from Figma to Penpot is the easiest of all tool migrations, thanks to the official Penpot Exporter plugin. Most designs transfer cleanly in 30-60 minutes. The main adjustments needed are Auto Layout → Flex Layout and rebuilding prototypes. Penpot is free and open-source, with no per-editor pricing.

Total estimated time: 30-60 minutes Difficulty: Easy Cost: Free (cloud or self-hosted)