OpenPencil

OpenPencil is a desktop and web design editor built as a direct Figma alternative. It opens .fig files natively, supports copy-paste between the two apps, and uses a Kiwi binary codec for round-trip fidelity. If your team uses Figma files but wants to move off the platform, the transition doesn't require a format conversion step.

The AI integration is built into the editor itself, not bolted on. A chat interface gives you access to 90 tools covering shape creation, style management, layout control, and token analysis. It also connects to Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf via an MCP server, so AI-assisted design work can fit into existing developer workflows.

Beyond the editor, it's a programmable toolkit:

• Headless CLI to inspect, export, and analyze .fig files without opening the UI, useful for CI pipelines and automation
• Figma Plugin API support via eval, so existing plugins can run inside OpenPencil
• Tailwind CSS export and JSON output for design-to-code workflows
• Vue SDK to embed the editor into other products or build workflow-specific editing surfaces around the same core

Collaboration runs peer-to-peer over WebRTC. No server is involved. Share a link, get live cursors and follow mode. Tools like Penpot require a server for multiplayer; OpenPencil skips that entirely.

The desktop app weighs around 7 MB, available via Homebrew. No account, no internet connection, no telemetry required. The entire codebase, including the editor, engine, file codec, and CLI, is MIT licensed and fully readable.