Figma vs Penpot: The Non-Destructive Editing Debate
Discover why designers are considering Spain's Penpot over US-based Figma for versatile non-destructive editing. Explore the benefits today!
Should You Switch to Penpot?
Gain open-source flexibility, full GDPR compliance, and EU hosting
Lose Figma's extensive plugin ecosystem and developer handoff features
Switch if privacy and open-source are priorities; stay for feature richness
At a Glance
US data laws
GDPR protected
Figma
freemium
Penpot
free
Privacy & Compliance Comparison
Critical data sovereignty factors at a glance
| Criteria | Figma | Penpot |
|---|---|---|
Server Location | US (AWS), EU (optional) | EU |
GDPR Compliance | Partial (SCCs) | Full |
Open Source | ||
E2E Encryption | Enterprise only | Optional |
Data Portability | Partial | Full export |
CLOUD Act Notice
Figma is a US company and must comply with CLOUD Act data requests, even for data stored in EU data centers. Penpot is not subject to US jurisdiction.
Figma
🇺🇸Figma Inc. (Adobe)
Penpot
🇪🇸Kaleidos Open Source
US Data Storage
Data subject to US CLOUD Act and may be accessed by US authorities
EU Data Protection
Data protected under GDPR with EU-only data residency
Certifications & Compliance
No certifications listed
Reasons to Switch
- ✓Open source allows custom feature development.
- ✓Self-hostable for complete data control.
- ✓SVG-based ensures scalable vector graphics.
- ✓GDPR compliant with EU-based servers.
Things to Consider
- !Fewer plugins compared to Figma's ecosystem.
- !Migration may disrupt ongoing projects.
- !Learning curve for teams used to Figma.
Migration Overview
Depends on data size and complexity
Quick Steps
Create Penpot account and configure settings
Export and prepare data from Figma
Import data, test integrations, and migrate users
Other alternatives to Figma
Ready to make the switch?
Start using Penpot today and take control of your data privacy.