open-pencil
by open-pencil
OpenPencil is a design editor that opens and saves Figma (.fig) and Pencil (.pen) files and has a built-in AI chat that can create and edit designs. It is for making interface designs, exporting them to images or code, and scripting design work.
- Stars
- 9.3k
- Licence
- MIT
- Runs on
- Your computer
- Setup
- Easy
- Language
- TypeScript
- Age
- 241 days
What you can do with it
- Design screens and layouts, then export them as PNG, SVG, PDF or Tailwind code
- Ask the built-in AI chat to build or change designs using your own API key
- Check design files for naming, layout and accessibility problems from the command line
Could replace
- Figma
Our suggestion based on what it does, not a feature-by-feature comparison.
Make money with it
A freelancer could offer website or app interface design, delivering Figma-compatible files and code exports to clients.
An idea, not financial advice. Check the licence before charging for anything built on it.
Ways a business could use it
- Replace a paid design tool subscription for mock-ups, social graphics and client designs
- Turn designs into Tailwind or JSX code to speed up building websites for clients
Can you use it commercially?
Free to use, change and sell, including in paid products. Keep the copyright notice.
Not legal advice. Read the project's licence file before building a product on it.
Getting it running
Install the desktop app with Homebrew on macOS or from the releases page, use the web app with no install, or install the command-line tool with npm.
Follow the official instructions in the project README.
Things to check
- Still in active development with some rough edges
- AI features need your own paid API key from a provider
- Not every AI provider or model works reliably in the browser
Who's talking about it
- Pasquale Pillitteri: The Best Free Figma Alternatives to Try in 2026 Featured in a roundup
Checked 27 Oct 2026. Summary drafted by AI from the project's README.
