Compare Pencil Project and markup on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Graphic Design tools, Open Source vs Paid — Pro plan is $79/mo with…
At a Glance
Pencil Project
markup
Primary category
Graphic Design
Graphic Design
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Open Source
Paid — Pro plan is $79/mo with unlimited users (14-day free trial), and a custom-priced Enterprise plan; no permanently free tier is offered.
Starting price
Free
$79/mo
Free plan
Yes
Not documented
Free trial
Not documented
Yes
Platforms
Mac, Windows
Browser Extension
Team collaboration
Not documented
Yes
AI features
Not documented
Not documented
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pencil Project
Open Source — Free N/A
markup
No individual plan breakdown documented yet.
Pros & Cons
Pencil Project
Pros
Completely free with no subscription or account required
Works fully offline as a native desktop application
Simple, low-fidelity sketch style is fast for early-stage wireframing
Open source under GPL, so the code can be inspected or modified
Lightweight compared to full cloud design suites
Cons
No real-time multiplayer collaboration found in modern tools like Figma or Penpot
Development pace has historically been slow, with long gaps between releases
Lacks design tokens, component variants and advanced prototyping interactions
Interface and stencil library feel dated compared with current design tools
No official cloud sync, version history or team management features
markup
Pros
Lets reviewers comment directly on live websites, images, PDFs, and video rather than relying on screenshots or email threads.
Guest reviewers can leave feedback via a share link with no account required, which is useful for external client review cycles.
Chrome extension captures and annotates a page in one step without leaving the browser.
Pro plan includes unlimited users and unlimited comments for a single flat monthly price rather than per-seat billing.
Cons
No permanently free plan — only a 14-day free trial before the paid Pro tier is required.
Pricing is effectively an all-or-nothing jump from a single Pro plan ($79/mo) to a custom-quoted Enterprise plan, with no mid-tier option.
Pro plan is capped at a single workspace, which may be limiting for agencies running many concurrent client accounts.
Use Cases
Pencil Project
Early-stage wireframing — Designers and developers use Pencil to quickly rough out screen layouts before moving to higher-fidelity tools.
Student and academic projects — Students use Pencil's free, offline tool to create UI mockups and diagrams for coursework without needing paid software.
Lightweight diagramming — Small teams use Pencil's general shape libraries to sketch flowcharts and simple process diagrams.