Head-to-head · Web Design Software
Google Web Designer vs Penpot
Google Web Designer leads on 0 checks, Penpot on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreGoogle Web Designer · 8.4/10
- Free planboth
- Free trialonly Penpot
- Most featuresGoogle Web Designer · 4 of 5
Google Web Designer scores higher on our rubric for web design software: 8.4 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #8.
Google Web Designer is the better fit for free HTML5 animation and interactive content. Penpot is the better fit for open-source teams needing full UI design.
- Google Web Designer fits best
Free HTML5 animation and interactive content
- Penpot fits best
Open-source teams needing full UI design
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Side by side
| Feature | Google Web Designer 8.4/10 Visit ↗ | Penpot 8.0/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.4 | 8.0 |
| Ranking | #6 in Web Design Software | #8 in Web Design Software |
| Best for | Free HTML5 animation and interactive content | Open-source teams needing full UI design |
| Pricing model | Free | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Free | $7/user/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | 14 days |
| Deployment | Desktop | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Web |
| Support | Community, Docs | Email, Community, Docs |
| Integrations | 3 integrations | 3 integrations |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Google Web Designer 4/5 · Penpot 1/5 | ||
| Responsive design | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Prototype interactions | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Code export | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Design systems | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team collaboration | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Included team seats | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Primary platform | Desktop | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Google Web Designer is a free desktop application for businesses creating HTML5 ads, images, videos, and other web content. It combines visual design and code views, allowing teams to work with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML in the same… Read the review → |
Penpot is a web-based, open-source platform for designers, developers, and product teams working on interface design and prototypes. Its feature set covers responsive layouts, interactive flows, reusable components, variants, styles,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Google Web Designer — where it wins
- Free plan includes visual and code editing
- Timeline animation supports Quick and Advanced modes
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
Where it doesn't
- Desktop application rather than a browser-based builder
- Business use only
- Publishing integrations center on Google and supported platforms
Penpot — where it wins
- Responsive UI design with CSS Grid and Flex layouts
- Design tokens, shared libraries, and developer inspection
- Hosted cloud or self-hosted deployment with APIs and webhooks
Where it doesn't
- The free Professional plan supports up to 8 team members
- Enterprise features require the $25 per-user monthly plan
- Private Server pricing is handled separately from listed cloud plans
- Google Web Designer8.4/10 · Free plan
A free desktop tool for animated HTML5 content with visual and code-based control.
Visit Google WebFull verdict → - Penpot8.0/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial
A broad UI design platform with real-time collaboration, tokens, APIs, and self-hosting.
Visit PenpotFull verdict →
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All web design software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update




