Lunacy is a free native desktop app (Windows/Mac/Linux) that works fully offline and opens Sketch and Figma files directly, but has no confirmed web or mobile…
Best for Lunacy: Designers who want a completely free, offline-capable native app on Windows, Mac, or Linux, especially those needing to open existing Sketch files or import from Figma without a browser.
Best for Penpot: Teams that want an open-source design platform built on open web standards, need multiplayer web-based collaboration, or require a self-hosted deployment for data control, with pricing that scales predictably per user.
At a Glance
Lunacy
Penpot
Primary category
Design
Design
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Freemium
Starting price
Free
Free
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Mac, Windows
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Yes
Public API
Not documented
Yes
Key Differences
Deployment model
Lunacy: Native desktop application for Windows, Mac, and Linux that works fully offline; no web-based version confirmed.
Penpot: Web-based cloud platform with an explicit self-hosting option (including a dedicated Private Server plan).
Teams needing offline work default to Lunacy; teams needing browser-based access from any machine, or full control via self-hosting, default to Penpot.
Open-source status
Lunacy: Not stated as open source; free plan includes all major features with no ads or restrictions.
Penpot: Fully open-source, built on open web standards (SVG, CSS, HTML) and Penpot's own open file format.
Teams with policies favoring open-source tooling, or wanting to avoid file-format lock-in, have a clear documented answer only with Penpot.
Pricing structure and ceiling
Lunacy: Paid plan starts at $11.99/month, but exact feature differences from the free plan are not detailed on the main page.
Penpot: Free for up to 8 team members, then $7/user/month (capped at $175/month) on Unlimited, $25/user/month on Enterprise, or $50,000/year for a self-hosted Private Server.
Penpot's pricing is transparent and scales explicitly with team size and self-hosting needs; Lunacy's paid tier value is unclear from available facts.
Team collaboration features
Lunacy: Real-time collaboration includes live feedback, text and audio chat, and sticker reactions.
Penpot: Multiplayer real-time collaborative editing across team members, with the free tier capped at 8 team members and unlimited viewers.
Lunacy documents richer social collaboration features (audio chat, reactions); Penpot documents an explicit team-size cap on its free tier that affects how many people can be full members.
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Lunacy
Free — $0 N/A
Personal Cloud — $4.99/month ($47.99/year) Monthly or annual
Professional Team — $4.99/seat/month Monthly
Assets and AI Subscription — $9.99/month ($95.99/year) Monthly or annual
Penpot
Professional — Free N/A
Unlimited — $7/user/month (capped at $175/month) Monthly
Enterprise — From $950/month ($25/user/month) Monthly
Private Server (self-hosted) — $50,000/year Annual
Pros & Cons
Lunacy
Pros
Core design editor is free for personal and commercial use with no major feature gating
Native desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux with full offline support
Built-in access to a massive free icon, photo, and illustration library
Includes AI tools like background removal and upscaling at no extra base cost
Native .sketch file compatibility helps teams collaborate across platforms
Cons
Smaller collaborative and plugin ecosystem than Figma
Cloud collaboration and full asset library access require paid add-ons
Backed by a much smaller company than venture-funded competitors like Figma
Less brand recognition and community content compared to Figma or Sketch
Real-time multiplayer collaboration is less mature than browser-first competitors
Penpot
Pros
Genuinely open source under MPL 2.0, unlike most competing design tools
Free tier is usable for small teams with unlimited design files
Self-hosting option gives organizations full control over design data
SVG-native format keeps designs closer to open web standards
Backed by venture funding while maintaining its open-source commitment
Cons
Smaller plugin and template ecosystem than Figma's mature marketplace
Self-hosted Private Server plan is expensive and aimed at large enterprises
Some advanced features and performance still lag behind Figma for very large, complex files
Kaleidos is a small company relative to Figma/Adobe, which may affect long-term feature velocity
Free plan is capped at eight team members, limiting it for larger teams
Use Cases
Choose Lunacy: Designers who want a completely free, offline-capable native app on Windows, Mac, or Linux, especially those needing to open existing Sketch files or import from Figma without a browser.
Choose Penpot: Teams that want an open-source design platform built on open web standards, need multiplayer web-based collaboration, or require a self-hosted deployment for data control, with pricing that scales predictably per user.
Need both: A studio that uses Lunacy for individual offline asset work (e.g., editing Sketch files while traveling) but collaborates on shared design systems through Penpot's web platform would reasonably keep both.
Lunacy
Free UI and product design — Designers use Lunacy to create app and website interfaces with vector tools and prototyping at no cost.
Cross-platform Sketch file collaboration — Windows and Linux users open and edit .sketch files created by Mac-based team members using Sketch.
Offline design work — Designers who need to work without an internet connection use Lunacy's native desktop app instead of browser-based tools.
Penpot
Open-source design workflow — Design and product teams that want to avoid proprietary lock-in use Penpot for UI design, prototyping and design systems.
Self-hosted enterprise design — Enterprises and government agencies with strict data governance requirements self-host Penpot to keep design data on their own infrastructure.
Design-to-development handoff — Developers use Penpot's code inspection and SVG-based files to translate designs into production code more directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lunacy free?
Yes, Lunacy's free plan includes all major features with no ads, and a paid plan is available for extra benefits starting at $11.99/month.
Is Penpot free?
Yes, Penpot's Professional plan is free for up to 8 team members with unlimited viewers.
Can Lunacy open Sketch files?
Yes, Lunacy can open Sketch files and import designs from Figma.
Is Penpot open source?
Yes, Penpot is an open-source design platform built on open standards like SVG, CSS, and HTML.
Does Lunacy work offline?
Yes, Lunacy works offline as a native desktop application.
Can Penpot be self-hosted?
Yes, Penpot offers a self-hosted Private Server option in addition to the cloud-hosted plans.