Best / Design and prototyping
Best open-source Design and prototyping
The best self-hosted design split in the c17.io catalog is Penpot for an MPL-2.0 product-design file (the published Figma / Adobe XD / Sketch / InVision / Zeplin stack), Excalidraw when the job is an MIT whiteboard rather than a component library, Inkscape when the job is a GPL-3.0 desktop vector file rather than a multiplayer board, and rembg when the job is cutting a background rather than a prototype. This is not Figma's every FigJam, Dev Mode, or AI SKU. A photo editor stays on /best/creative-tools.
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Ranked picks
1
PenpotMPL-2.0 SVG-native design and prototyping — the c17 Figma/XD/Sketch path. /compare/penpot-vs-excalidraw.
When to pick it: Boards, components, and a prototype you host.
61,620 stars in the catalog
2
ExcalidrawMIT virtual whiteboard — /compare/penpot-vs-excalidraw. Already on /replace/miro.
When to pick it: A sketch board, not a component library.
134,498 stars in the catalog
3
InkscapeGPL-3.0 desktop vector editor already on /best/creative-tools. Not a multiplayer prototype.
When to pick it: An SVG file on the workstation, not a Figma seat.
4
rembgMIT background removal already on /replace/remove-bg. Not a design file.
When to pick it: Cut a subject out, not a prototype.
25,129 stars in the catalog
How they compare
| Tool | License | Self-host | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penpot | Mozilla Public License 2.0 | Easy | Boards, components, and a prototype you host. |
| Excalidraw | MIT License | Easy | A sketch board, not a component library. |
| Inkscape | GPL-2.0-or-later | Easy | An SVG file on the workstation, not a Figma seat. |
| rembg | MIT License | Easy | Cut a subject out, not a prototype. |
Related pages
- Penpot stack
- Excalidraw / tldraw stack
- Replace Figma
- Replace Canva
- Replace Adobe XD
- Replace Sketch
- Replace InVision
- Replace Zeplin
- Replace Miro
- Replace Whimsical
- Replace Mural
- Replace FigJam
- Replace Klaxoon
- Replace Lucidspark
- Penpot vs Excalidraw
- All best open-source pages
- All compare pages
- All replace pages
- All stacks
- Tools catalog
FAQ
- Penpot or Excalidraw?
- Penpot if you want the published Figma path (components and a prototype). Excalidraw if you want a whiteboard — /compare/penpot-vs-excalidraw.
- Adobe XD, Sketch, InVision, or Zeplin?
- Same published design file — /replace/adobe-xd, /replace/sketch, /replace/invision, and /replace/zeplin. This is not Zeplin's every handoff SKU or InVision's old Freehand.
- Is this Photoshop?
- A raster editor stays on /replace/photoshop (GIMP). This page is product design and a prototype.
- Are these free?
- Penpot is MPL-2.0. Excalidraw and rembg are MIT. Inkscape is GPL-3.0. You pay hosting or the workstation. Template users never pay c17.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open /stacks/penpot-design. Persist Postgres, Redis, and assets. Import one library.
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