Graphic design software · 12 alternatives

Figma alternatives: 12 compared

By Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 8, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026

Teams look past Figma when seat costs grow with developers and reviewers, when they want open source or self-hosted design files, or when their work is vector and layout rather than interfaces. Penpot is the nearest interface-design alternative, and Sketch the Mac-native one.

Short answer: The closest replacements for Figma in our graphic design software ranking are Penpot, Sketch and Affinity. Choose Penpot if you want open source files you can self-host and a flat or capped price. All 12 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Graphic Design Software in 2026, and each says where it differs from Figma and when Figma is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

Figma at a glance

Headquarters: United States
Pricing model: Per seat / month
Pricing: Free Starter plan, then per-seat tiers with separate full, dev and collab seats; Professional full seat from $16, Organization $55, Enterprise $90.
Free option: Free plan
Built for: Product teams that design and hand off to developers
Wrong for: A small business that needs a logo and a few brochures does not need a collaborative UI platform; Affinity or Canva cost less and fit better. A team with strict data residency rules should compare Penpot.
Place in our ranking: #5 of 13
Website: figma.com

Facts from our graphic design software ranking, last checked October 8, 2026.

Why buyers look past Figma

Three seat types, three prices

Figma sells full, dev and collab seats. On Professional they are US$16, US$12 and US$3 a month, and on Organization US$55, US$25 and US$5. A team with many developers and reviewers pays for each role separately.
Annual billing and quotes at the top

Organization is billed annually only, and Enterprise at US$90 for a full seat requires contacting sales. Teams that want governance features without a sales process compare other vendors.
AI is metered by credits

Starter gives 150 AI credits a day, up to 500 a month. A Professional full seat includes 3,000 credits. Heavy use of the AI features depends on those allowances, which is a new variable in a design budget.

12 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 13-product ranking.

#	Alternative	Headquarters	Pricing	Key difference	Switch if	Our rank
1	Penpot	Spain	Open source + paid tiers; free plan	Open-source, browser-based design and prototyping platform from Madrid	you want open source files you can self-host and a flat or capped price	#2
2	Sketch	Netherlands	Per user / month; free trial	Native Mac interface design app with a web viewer	your designers use Macs and you want free viewers and handoff included in the price	#8
3	Affinity	Australia	Free; free plan	Free desktop vector, photo and layout app, owned by Canva	you do graphic and layout work on the desktop and do not need live team files	#1
4	Canva	Australia	Per user / month; free plan	Browser-based template design for non-designers	your Figma use is mostly marketing graphics that non-designers should be able to produce	#4
5	Adobe Illustrator	United States	Per user / month; free trial	Industry-standard vector illustration, subscription only	your Figma files are mostly vector illustration and icon sets worked on by one person	#6
6	CorelDRAW Graphics Suite	Canada	Subscription or one-time; free trial	Vector illustration and layout suite with a perpetual license option	your design work is print, illustration or signage, and you prefer a one-time purchase	#3
7	Adobe Photoshop	United States	Per user / month; free trial	Industry-standard raster editor for photos and compositing	your design files are mainly photo composites and image assets, not interface components	#10
8	Adobe InDesign	United States	Per user / month; free trial	Industry-standard page layout for print and digital publications	your Figma use is mostly long documents, reports and print layouts	#13
9	Inkscape	United States	Open source; open source	Free open-source vector editor built on SVG	you only need free vector drawing and no shared design system	#7
10	Visme	United States	Per user / month; free plan	Browser-based presentations, infographics and reports	your Figma use is mostly presentations and infographics for non-designers	#9
11	Pixelmator Pro	United States	One-time or subscription; free trial	Apple-platform image editor with AI retouching tools	you are a solo designer on Apple hardware and want a one-time purchase	#11
12	Krita	Netherlands	Open source; open source	Free open-source digital painting program	your Figma work is actually illustration and you want a free painting tool	#12

What each alternative does differently

1. Penpot

Open-source, browser-based design and prototyping platform from Madrid · Spain

Open source interface design and prototyping tool under MPL-2.0, which can be self-hosted. The free Professional tier allows up to 8 members with unlimited viewers. Unlimited costs US$7 per editor a month, capped at US$175. It has a smaller plugin and library ecosystem, so check the plugins your team relies on.

Switch from Figma if you want open source files you can self-host and a flat or capped price.

Pricing: Free Professional tier, Unlimited at $7 per editor per month capped at $175, Enterprise at $25 per member per month, and a free self-hosted option. (free plan)

Full review: #2 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Penpot →

2. Sketch

Native Mac interface design app with a web viewer · Netherlands

Native Mac application with a web app for sharing, priced at US$12 per editor a month on Standard, billed yearly. Viewers are free and developer handoff is included. A Mac-only licence costs US$120 with a year of updates. Editors need macOS.

Switch from Figma if your designers use Macs and you want free viewers and handoff included in the price.

Pricing: Standard $12, Professional $24 and Enterprise $44 per editor per month billed yearly, or a $120 Mac-only license with a year of updates; 30-day trial. (free trial)

Full review: #8 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Sketch →

3. Affinity

Free desktop vector, photo and layout app, owned by Canva · Australia

Desktop vector, pixel and layout tools, free for individuals on Mac and Windows and owned by Canva. It imports PSD, AI and IDML files. It is not a shared interface design workspace, and its AI tools require a Canva premium plan.

Switch from Figma if you do graphic and layout work on the desktop and do not need live team files.

Pricing: Free for individuals on Mac and Windows; AI features require a paid Canva plan, and enterprise or education licensing goes through Canva sales. (free plan)

Full review: #1 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Affinity →

4. Canva

Browser-based template design for non-designers · Australia

Template-led design editor aimed at marketing material rather than product screens. Owned by Australian company Canva, it also owns Affinity. We could not read its pricing page, so check plan terms yourself. It has no developer handoff comparable to Figma's dev seats.

Switch from Figma if your Figma use is mostly marketing graphics that non-designers should be able to produce.

Pricing: Free plan, then Pro for one person and Business per person with brand controls; the Teams plan is closed to new sign-ups. (free plan)

Full review: #4 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Canva →

5. Adobe Illustrator

Industry-standard vector illustration, subscription only · United States

Vector editor for logos, icons and illustration on desktop and iPad, at US$22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly. It has a seven-day trial. It is a single-user drawing tool, not a shared workspace for components and developer handoff.

Switch from Figma if your Figma files are mostly vector illustration and icon sets worked on by one person.

Pricing: Standalone Illustrator at $22.99 per month on an annual plan billed monthly, $37.99 per license for teams, 7-day free trial. (free trial)

Full review: #6 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Adobe Illustrator →

6. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

Vector illustration and layout suite with a perpetual license option · Canada

Vector illustration and page layout suite for Windows, Mac and web. It offers annual, monthly and one-time purchases, with monthly AI credits on the subscription and a 15-day trial. It is a drawing suite, not a collaborative interface design tool.

Switch from Figma if your design work is print, illustration or signage, and you prefer a one-time purchase.

Pricing: Three ways to buy: annual subscription, monthly subscription, or a one-time purchase; the subscription adds monthly AI credits and the web app. (free trial)

Full review: #3 of 13 in our ranking · Visit CorelDRAW Graphics Suite →

7. Adobe Photoshop

Industry-standard raster editor for photos and compositing · United States

Raster editor at US$22.99 a month standalone or US$263.88 prepaid for a year, with 100GB of storage. It handles photo retouching and compositing that Figma does not. It is not a component-based design tool, offers no developer seats and has no shared libraries.

Switch from Figma if your design files are mainly photo composites and image assets, not interface components.

Pricing: Standalone at $22.99 per month on an annual plan or $263.88 per year; $37.99 per license for teams; Creative Cloud Pro costs $69.99 per month after an introductory period. (free trial)

Full review: #10 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Adobe Photoshop →

8. Adobe InDesign

Industry-standard page layout for print and digital publications · United States

Page layout tool for print and digital publishing at US$22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly. It targets magazines, books and corporate documents, where Figma targets screens. A seven-day trial is available. It lacks interactive prototyping and shared component libraries.

Switch from Figma if your Figma use is mostly long documents, reports and print layouts.

Pricing: Standalone at $22.99 per month on an annual plan billed monthly; $37.99 per license for teams; 7-day free trial. (free trial)

Full review: #13 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Adobe InDesign →

9. Inkscape

Free open-source vector editor built on SVG · United States

Free and open source vector editor under the GPL for Linux, Windows and macOS. SVG is the native format, and AI, EPS and PDF files can be imported and exported. It is a single-user drawing program with no shared libraries or handoff.

Switch from Figma if you only need free vector drawing and no shared design system.

Pricing: Free, open source under the GPL; funded by donations through its fiscal sponsor. (open source)

Full review: #7 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Inkscape →

10. Visme

Browser-based presentations, infographics and reports · United States

Template tool for presentations, infographics and documents. It has a free Basic plan, Starter at US$12.25 a month billed yearly, and Pro at US$24.75 with brand kit and PPTX export. Enterprise starts at 10 users. It is for content, not interface design.

Switch from Figma if your Figma use is mostly presentations and infographics for non-designers.

Pricing: Free Basic plan, Starter at $12.25 and Pro at $24.75 per month billed annually, Enterprise by quote with a 10-user minimum. (free plan)

Full review: #9 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Visme →

11. Pixelmator Pro

Apple-platform image editor with AI retouching tools · United States

Mac and iPad image editor with vector tools and templates, bought once for US$49.99 on the Mac App Store or through Apple Creator Studio at US$12.99 a month. It has no shared files, comments or developer handoff, so it fits solo designers only.

Switch from Figma if you are a solo designer on Apple hardware and want a one-time purchase.

Pricing: $49.99 one-time on the Mac App Store, or included in Apple Creator Studio at $12.99 per month or $129 per year with a 30-day trial. (free trial)

Full review: #11 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Pixelmator Pro →

12. Krita

Free open-source digital painting program · Netherlands

Free and open source digital painting program under the GNU GPL. It is aimed at illustrators and concept artists, with no interface design components, prototyping or collaboration features. Choose it only if your Figma work is actually drawing, because teams cannot share files there.

Switch from Figma if your Figma work is actually illustration and you want a free painting tool.

Pricing: Free and open source under the GNU GPL, funded by voluntary donations and a development fund. (open source)

Full review: #12 of 13 in our ranking · Visit Krita →

When Figma is still the right choice

Stay on Figma when designers, developers and reviewers work in the same files, since its seat types are built for that split. Free viewers can view and comment on files in paid plans, and the Dev seat gives developers Dev Mode. Few tools in this category replace that shared workspace, and leaving costs more than the seat price suggests.

What to expect when you switch from Figma

Export what you can keep

Figma lets you export layers, frames and components as images, copy objects as PNG or SVG, and save an entire file as a .fig file. We could not confirm that any alternative opens .fig files, so run a pilot with one real design file.
Rebuild libraries and handoff

Components, variables and developer handoff rarely carry across tools intact. Allow time to rebuild shared libraries and agree a new handoff routine with developers before you cancel any seats.

Questions and answers

Can I export my Figma files to another tool?

Yes, in several forms. You can export layers and frames as images, copy objects as PNG or SVG, and save the entire file as a .fig file. Whether a given alternative opens .fig files is not something we verified, so test one file.

What is the free alternative to Figma?

Penpot, whose Professional tier is free for up to 8 members with unlimited viewers and 10GB of storage. It is open source under MPL-2.0 and can be self-hosted. Inkscape and Krita are free too, but they are drawing tools.

Is there a Mac-only alternative to Figma?

Sketch. It is a native Mac app with a web app for collaboration, from US$12 per editor a month billed yearly. A Mac-only licence is US$120 with a year of updates, but it excludes collaboration.

How much does Figma cost for a team?

A Professional full seat is US$16 a month, Organization US$55 and Enterprise US$90. Dev seats are US$12, US$25 and US$35, and collab seats US$3, US$5 and US$5. Organization and Enterprise are billed annually.

Does Penpot do developer handoff?

Penpot lists code collaboration and an MCP server among its features, but we did not verify its handoff against Figma's Dev Mode. Test it on a real project before moving developers.

Can I self-host a Figma alternative?

Yes. Penpot publishes self-hosting instructions and is released under MPL-2.0 on GitHub. A Private Server plan costs US$50,000 a year for organizations that want dedicated infrastructure and support.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about Figma on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 8, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Figma pricing: Plans, seat types and prices, AI credits, free viewers.
Figma export help: Export of layers, frames, SVG copy and entire file as .fig.
Penpot pricing: Tiers, editor cap of 8 on the free tier, storage and version history.
Penpot on GitHub: MPL-2.0 licence, open source repository.
Penpot self-hosting: Self-hosting option.
Affinity by Canva: Free for individuals on Mac and Windows, owned by Canva, AI tools need a Canva premium plan, PSD/AI/IDML import.
Sketch pricing: Standard, Professional, Enterprise per editor, Mac-only licence, web app, 30-day trial.
Adobe Illustrator: US$22.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly, seven-day trial, desktop and iPad, vector focus.
Adobe Photoshop: US$22.99 a month standalone, US$263.88 a year prepaid, 100GB storage, Express Premium included.
Adobe InDesign: US$22.99 a month standalone, page layout for print and digital, seven-day trial.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite: Windows, Mac and web, annual, monthly and one-time options, 15-day trial, monthly AI credits.
Visme pricing: Basic free, Starter and Pro prices, export formats, brand kit on Pro.
Inkscape about page: Free and open source under the GPL, SVG as main format, AI, EPS and PDF import and export, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Pixelmator Pro: One-time Mac App Store purchase, Apple Creator Studio price, vector tools, Mac and iPad.
Krita: Free and open source painting program under the GNU GPL.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Writes, edits and fact-checks every page here. Last reviewed October 8, 2026. How we review.