Self-Host Penpot - Open-Source Design & Prototyping Platform

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Penpot is the first open-source design and prototyping platform built for cross-domain teams. With web-based collaboration, SVG-native design, and developer-friendly features, Penpot bridges the gap between designers and developers while providing complete control over your design workflow and intellectual property.

Why Choose Self-Hosted Penpot?

🎨 True Design Freedom

SVG-native design system for web standards
No vendor lock-in - export to any format
Open web standards ensure future compatibility
Unlimited projects and collaborators

👥 Cross-Domain Collaboration

Real-time collaboration for design teams
Developer handoff with CSS, HTML export
Design systems for consistent branding
Version control integration ready

🔒 Complete Privacy Control

Self-hosted solution keeps designs internal
GDPR compliant with EU data residency
No design uploads to external services
Enterprise security with audit controls

Key Features

Vector Design Tools: Professional design capabilities with SVG output
Interactive Prototyping: Create clickable prototypes and user flows
Real-time Collaboration: Multiple users editing simultaneously
Component Libraries: Reusable design system components
Developer Handoff: CSS, HTML, and React code export
Version History: Track changes and revert to previous versions
Team Management: Role-based access control and permissions
Plugin System: Extensible with custom functionality

Popular Use Cases

🎨 UI/UX Design Teams

Web and mobile app interface design
User experience wireframing and prototyping
Design system creation and maintenance
Brand identity and visual design

🚀 Product Development

Product mockups and user journey mapping
A/B testing design variants
Stakeholder design reviews and feedback
Design-to-development handoff optimization

🏢 Enterprise Design Operations

Centralized design asset management
Brand compliance and design standards
Multi-team collaboration workflows
Design audit trails and approvals

Deployment Options

Docker Compose Setup

version: '3.8'
services:
  penpot-frontend:
    image: penpotapp/frontend:latest
    ports:
      - "9001:80"
    volumes:
      - penpot-assets:/opt/data/assets
    depends_on:
      - penpot-backend
      - penpot-exporter
    environment:
      PENPOT_PUBLIC_URI: http://localhost:9001

  penpot-backend:
    image: penpotapp/backend:latest
    volumes:
      - penpot-assets:/opt/data/assets
    depends_on:
      - penpot-postgres
      - penpot-redis
    environment:
      PENPOT_DATABASE_URI: postgresql://penpot-postgres/penpot
      PENPOT_REDIS_URI: redis://penpot-redis/0
      PENPOT_ASSETS_STORAGE_BACKEND: assets-fs
      PENPOT_STORAGE_ASSETS_FS_DIRECTORY: /opt/data/assets

  penpot-exporter:
    image: penpotapp/exporter:latest
    environment:
      PENPOT_PUBLIC_URI: http://penpot-frontend

  penpot-postgres:
    image: postgres:14
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - penpot-postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      POSTGRES_INITDB_ARGS: --data-checksums
      POSTGRES_DB: penpot
      POSTGRES_USER: penpot
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: penpot

  penpot-redis:
    image: redis:7
    restart: always

volumes:
  penpot-assets:
  penpot-postgres:

Environment Variables

PENPOT_PUBLIC_URI: Public URL for the Penpot instance
PENPOT_DATABASE_URI: PostgreSQL connection string
PENPOT_REDIS_URI: Redis connection string
PENPOT_TELEMETRY_ENABLED: Disable telemetry (false)
PENPOT_SMTP_*: Email configuration for invitations

Getting Started

Deploy Penpot using Docker Compose or Kubernetes
Access the interface at http://localhost:9001
Create your account and first team
Set up your first project and invite collaborators
Import existing designs or start from scratch
Configure design system components and libraries

Design System Features

🎨 Component Libraries

Create reusable UI components
Maintain design consistency across projects
Share components between teams
Version control for design systems

📐 Design Tokens

Define colors, typography, and spacing
Automatically sync with development
Brand guideline enforcement
Dark/light theme support

🔄 Asset Management

Centralized icon and image libraries
Batch import and organization
Automatic optimization and formats
Asset usage tracking

Developer Integration

🔧 Code Export

/* Generated CSS from Penpot designs */
.button-primary {
  background: #007bff;
  color: white;
  border-radius: 4px;
  padding: 12px 24px;
  font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
}

⚛️ Framework Integration

React component generation
Vue.js template export
Angular component scaffolding
CSS-in-JS support

🔗 API Integration

REST API for programmatic access
Webhook notifications for design changes
CI/CD pipeline integration
Custom tool development

Advanced Features

🚀 Performance Optimization

Local font loading for faster rendering
Optimized SVG output for web performance
Batch operations for large design files
Efficient real-time synchronization

🔒 Enterprise Security

Single Sign-On (SSO) integration
Role-based access control (RBAC)
Audit logging and compliance
Data encryption at rest and transit

📊 Analytics & Insights

Design usage analytics
Team productivity metrics
Asset utilization reports
Performance monitoring

Penpot vs Design Tools

Feature	Penpot	Figma	Sketch	Adobe XD
Open Source	✅	❌	❌	❌
Self-Hosted	✅	❌	❌	❌
Web Standards	✅	Partial	❌	Partial
Real-time Collab	✅	✅	Limited	✅
Developer Handoff	✅	✅	✅	✅
No Subscription	✅	❌	❌	❌
Data Privacy	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐

Migration & Integration

📁 File Import

Import from Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD
Preserve layers, components, and styles
Batch import for team migrations
Design system migration tools

🔄 Export Options

SVG, PNG, JPEG, PDF export
CSS, HTML, React code generation
Design specification documents
Prototype sharing and embedding

Team Collaboration

👥 User Management

Invite team members with role permissions
Guest access for external stakeholders
Team-level and project-level permissions
Activity feeds and notifications

💬 Communication Features

Design comments and annotations
Real-time cursor tracking
Change notifications via email/Slack
Design review and approval workflows

Revolutionize your design workflow with Penpot's open-source platform that gives you complete control over your creative process while fostering seamless collaboration between designers and developers!

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