Figma is the default answer for collaborative UI design — browser-based, free to start, $12/editor/month for the Pro plan. It's a genuinely good tool, which is exactly why so many teams never look past it. But "default" isn't the same as "best fit for you": maybe you want something self-hosted and free forever, a native Mac app with better performance, or a tool built specifically around the design-to-developer handoff instead of general-purpose design.
The short version: want a free, open-source, self-hostable Figma clone? Penpot is built exactly for that. Prefer a native macOS app over a browser tab? Sketch is the longest-running alternative. Need prototyping and a real, publishable website out of the same tool? Framer does both. Handing designs off to developers is the actual bottleneck? Zeplin specializes in that handoff. Want a dedicated collaborative prototyping tool with a big plugin ecosystem? InVision is the veteran option. And if all you need is fast, low-fidelity wireframes without a full design tool's overhead, Balsamiq is built for exactly that.
Penpot
Penpot is a web-based, open-source design and prototyping platform (MPL-2.0 license) built for cross-domain teams — you can self-host it or use the hosted version, and unlike every other tool on this list, it's completely free with no paid tier at all.
Good for: teams who want a Figma-like tool without vendor lock-in, or who need to self-host for compliance reasons. Watch out for: it's less known than Figma and its feature set — especially around plugins and community resources — is still catching up.
Sketch
Sketch was the original modern UI design tool for macOS, long before Figma existed, and it's still built specifically for that platform rather than the browser — from $9/month per editor.
Good for: Mac-only design teams who want native app performance instead of a browser tab. Watch out for: it's Mac-only (no Windows or Linux client), pricier than Figma's entry tier, and some users report additional fees beyond the advertised price.
Framer
Framer combines interactive prototyping with an actual website builder — design a site and publish it live from the same tool, rather than handing a Figma file to a developer to rebuild.
Good for: designers and small teams who want to go from prototype to a live, hosted website without a separate dev handoff. Watch out for: there's a learning curve if you're coming from a pure design tool, and — like most of these — watch for costs beyond the advertised €12/month starting price.
Zeplin
Zeplin isn't trying to replace your design tool — it sits between design and engineering, turning finished designs into specs, assets, and code snippets developers can actually use.
Good for: teams where the design-to-dev handoff itself is the bottleneck, not the design process. Watch out for: it's a smaller, less-known tool, and some users report hidden costs on top of the published pricing.
InVision
InVision is one of the longest-running dedicated prototyping and collaboration tools, with a free tier and paid plans from $15/month, plus an active community and plugin ecosystem built up over a decade.
Good for: teams that want mature prototyping tools and don't mind a bit more complexity than Figma's more streamlined interface. Watch out for: that maturity comes with a steeper learning curve, and some workflows mean piecing together multiple InVision products rather than one unified tool.
Balsamiq
Balsamiq deliberately looks unpolished — hand-drawn-style, low-fidelity wireframes, on purpose, so early feedback stays focused on structure and flow instead of colors and fonts.
Good for: early-stage product work where you want fast wireframes and want stakeholders to critique the layout, not the visual polish. Watch out for: pricing starts at $89 (a different model from the monthly subscriptions here) and it's not meant for high-fidelity final designs — you'll still need Figma or similar for that stage.
Figma and its six alternatives, side by side
| Tool | Best for | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figma | General-purpose collaborative design | Free, Pro $12/editor/mo | Browser |
| Penpot | Free, open-source, self-hostable | Free | Browser / self-hosted |
| Sketch | Native Mac design | From $9/editor/mo | macOS |
| Framer | Prototype + publish a real website | Free, Pro from €12/mo | Browser |
| Zeplin | Design-to-developer handoff | Free, Pro tier paid | Browser / desktop |
| InVision | Mature prototyping & collaboration | Free, Pro from $15/mo | Browser |
| Balsamiq | Fast low-fidelity wireframes | From $89 | Browser / desktop |
If you just want a free, no-lock-in alternative that feels closest to Figma itself, start with Penpot. If the actual pain point is handing designs to developers, Zeplin solves that specific problem better than a general design tool ever will. And if you're still early enough that you just need fast, ugly wireframes to test an idea, don't reach for a full design tool at all — Balsamiq is built for exactly that stage.