Figma is the de facto UI design tool inside most product teams, but it is also browser-first, locked to a paid Adobe-owned company, and not great for working away from a laptop. Plenty of designers want a Figma alternative for a different reason: open-source ownership, lower price, native desktop performance, or simply something that fits sketching on a tablet. These seven Figma alternatives cover the spread, from collaborative web tools to mobile-first design apps. Each one is rated on what it actually does well rather than where it falls short of Figma’s full feature set.
Why people are looking for a Figma alternative
A few specific reasons keep coming up in design forums:
- Adobe acquisition concerns. Adobe’s $20bn deal with Figma was abandoned in late 2023, but the long-term independence of Figma is still a question for some teams.
- Pricing creep. Per-seat pricing on Figma adds up quickly past five or ten editors.
- Self-hosting and data ownership. Regulated industries and privacy-first teams want a tool they can run on their own infrastructure.
- Mobile and tablet workflows. Figma’s iPad app exists, the Android Figma Mirror is a mirror, not a full editor. Anyone who wants to design on a Pixel Tablet or Galaxy Tab needs another tool.
- Drawing and illustration. Figma is a vector and component tool, not a drawing tool. Designers who want a sketchpad for ideation reach for something else.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free | Self-hosting | Aptoide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penpot | Open-source Figma replacement | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canva | Quick visual design and templates | Freemium | No | No |
| Adobe Express | Adobe ecosystem users | Freemium | No | No |
| SketchBook | Tablet sketching | Yes | No | Yes |
| Concepts | Infinite-canvas tablet design | Freemium | No | Yes |
| Krita | Open-source illustration | Yes | N/A (desktop too) | Yes |
| Infinite Design | Vector illustration on Android | Freemium | No | Yes |
The 7 best Figma alternatives in 2026
1. Penpot — best open-source Figma replacement
Penpot is the open-source design tool that maps most directly to Figma. The browser-based UI handles vector design, components, prototyping, design systems, and team collaboration. Files use the open SVG-based .penpot format, which means designs are not trapped inside the tool. Self-hosting is supported with Docker and a Postgres database, which makes Penpot a serious option for organizations that need to keep design files inside their own infrastructure.
The hosted Penpot service is free for small teams; self-hosted is unlimited.
Where it falls short: Performance on very large files lags behind Figma. The plugin and component-library ecosystem is much smaller. There is no native mobile editor; you can preview designs through a phone browser, but real editing is browser-on-desktop only.
Pricing:
- Free hosted plan with most features.
- Enterprise tier and self-hosted: free open-source, support contracts available.
Platforms: Web (cross-platform), self-hosted via Docker.
Figma vs Penpot: Penpot is the right pick if open-source ownership and self-hosting matter. Figma still leads on performance, plugins, and design-system tooling.
Download: Available through penpot.app.
Bottom line: The most credible open-source Figma alternative. Try it for the next project and see whether the gaps matter for your team.
2. Canva — best for quick visual design and templates
Canva is the right answer for the kind of design work that does not need a UI designer: social posts, presentations, posters, video reels, and quick brand assets. The Android app has a real editor (not a mirror) with templates, stock assets, and AI-driven Magic features for image generation, background removal, and text-to-image. Brand Kit lets a small team agree on colors, fonts, and logos and reuse them across documents.
For non-designers who need to ship something visual quickly, the Canva mobile editor is genuinely productive on a phone.
Where it falls short: Not a UI design tool. Component libraries, auto-layout, and prototyping are weak compared to Figma. Pro tier is needed for most useful brand and asset features. Some templates push the same look across users.
Pricing:
- Free with limited assets.
- Pro: about $14.99/month for individuals, family and team plans available.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web, Windows, macOS.
Figma vs Canva: Different categories. Canva is for marketing and content design; Figma is for product UI. Pick Canva if your daily work is closer to graphic design than to interface design.
Bottom line: The right pick if you wanted Figma for marketing assets, not for product UI.
3. Adobe Express — best for Adobe ecosystem users
Adobe Express is Adobe’s Canva equivalent and the best fit if you already pay for the Adobe Creative Cloud. The Android app produces social posts, flyers, video reels, and animations using assets pulled from Adobe Stock and synced fonts from Typekit. Generative Fill, AI text-to-image, and brand templates are baked in.
Cross-tool sync across Adobe apps means an Adobe Express asset can move into Photoshop or Premiere Pro for finishing.
Where it falls short: Free tier is more limited than Canva’s. The Adobe ecosystem assumes a Creative Cloud subscription is in your budget. Not a UI design tool.
Pricing:
- Free with limits.
- Premium: about $9.99/month, included with most Creative Cloud plans.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Figma vs Adobe Express: Adobe Express is for marketing-style design with the Adobe asset library. Figma is for product design. Different tools.
Bottom line: The right pick if you already pay for Creative Cloud. Otherwise Canva is better value.
4. SketchBook — best for tablet sketching
SketchBook by Autodesk (now developed by SketchBook Inc.) is the long-running tablet sketching app. It is the right tool for the early-stage design phase that Figma does not really fit: pen-on-canvas ideation, storyboarding, character concepts. The Android app supports pressure-sensitive styluses (S Pen, USI, third-party Bluetooth pens), handles large canvases without lag, and exports to PSD and PDF.
It is free, with no subscription gate on the core tools.
Where it falls short: Not a UI design tool. No vector editing. No collaboration features. Some advanced brushes only ship in the desktop versions.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, ChromeOS.
Figma vs SketchBook: Different stages of the workflow. SketchBook is for ideation and illustration. Figma is for production-ready interface work. Many teams use both.
Bottom line: The right install for sketching on an Android tablet, paired with Figma for the production phase.
5. Concepts — best infinite-canvas design on tablet
Concepts by TopHatch is the infinite-canvas tablet design app for sketching, diagramming, and visual ideation. The vector engine supports unlimited zoom, layers, and a smooth pen experience that rivals Procreate. Templates for wireframing, storyboarding, and UX flows make it a serious option for the pre-Figma design stage.
The infinite canvas suits journey maps, system diagrams, and exploratory work that does not fit a fixed artboard.
Where it falls short: The free tier limits brushes and tools. Pro is a subscription; Essentials is a one-time unlock for the core. The interface takes a few sessions to master.
Pricing:
- Free with limited tools.
- Essentials: about $14.99 one-time.
- Pro: about $9.99/year for the full toolkit.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows.
Figma vs Concepts: Concepts is a vector sketching canvas, not a UI design tool. The infinite canvas works particularly well for the “early thinking” phase that Figma frames discourage.
Bottom line: The right pick for designers who think on an infinite canvas, particularly with a stylus.
6. Krita — best open-source illustration
Krita is the open-source painting and illustration app from the KDE community, originally a desktop tool and now also available on Android. The brush engine is the deepest in the open-source category, with hundreds of community-shared brush presets. Vector tools, animation timelines, and reference image support cover the workflow for illustrators and concept artists.
It runs natively (not through a Linux compatibility layer) on Android, which keeps performance reasonable on tablets with a stylus.
Where it falls short: The desktop-class interface is heavy on a small phone screen. Best on a tablet. Not a UI design tool. Some keyboard shortcuts have no clean Android equivalent.
Pricing:
- Free, open source.
Platforms: Android, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Figma vs Krita: Different worlds. Krita is for raster illustration; Figma is for vector UI. Use Krita for asset creation that flows into a Figma file.
Bottom line: The right open-source illustration tool, free across desktop and Android.
7. Infinite Design — best vector illustration on Android
Infinite Design by Brakefield is one of the few real vector illustration apps on Android. Unlimited canvas size, vector layers, mirroring, and a stylus-friendly interface make it useful for logo work, icon design, and any vector illustration that you want to do on a phone or tablet rather than at a desktop.
Exports include SVG, which means assets can move into Figma, Illustrator, or Affinity Designer afterwards.
Where it falls short: Pro features (perspective tools, wide canvas, more brushes) are subscription-based. Smaller community than the cross-platform competitors. Not a UI design or prototyping tool.
Pricing:
- Free with ads and limits.
- Pro: about $4.99/month for full features.
Platforms: Android only.
Figma vs Infinite Design: Different jobs. Infinite Design is a vector drawing tool for Android. Figma is a UI design and prototyping suite for desktop. They complement rather than compete.
Bottom line: The right vector illustration tool for Android, used for asset creation that ends up in a UI design tool.
How to choose the right Figma alternative
- For an open-source self-hosted UI design tool: Penpot.
- For marketing-style design and templates: Canva.
- For Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers: Adobe Express.
- For tablet sketching and pre-design ideation: SketchBook or Concepts.
- For illustration and concept art: Krita.
- For vector illustration on Android: Infinite Design.
- Stay on Figma if your team already runs design systems, prototyping, and developer handoff inside it; the daily workflow matters more than the politics.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Figma?
Yes. Penpot is the closest free Figma alternative for UI design and is open source. Canva and Adobe Express are free for marketing-style design. Krita and SketchBook are free for illustration. Most have Pro tiers that unlock additional features but the free tiers are usable.
What is the best Figma alternative for Android?
Figma’s own Android offering is Figma Mirror, which previews live designs from a desktop session but is not a full editor. For real design work on Android, Canva is the most polished editor. For sketching and ideation, SketchBook or Concepts. For UI design specifically, Penpot through a browser is the only credible option until a real Penpot mobile app ships.
Is Penpot really an open-source Figma?
Penpot covers the same core feature set as Figma (vector design, components, prototyping, design systems, collaboration) and is licensed under MPL 2.0. Performance on very large files and the plugin ecosystem are weaker than Figma. For new projects and design teams that value open-source ownership, Penpot is a credible Figma replacement.
Can I import Figma files into another design tool?
Penpot supports importing .fig files directly. Other tools (Canva, Adobe Express, SketchBook, Krita, Concepts) accept assets as SVG, PNG, or PDF, but full design-system import is limited. For a clean migration off Figma, exporting to .fig from Figma and importing to Penpot is currently the most complete path.
