Top 10 Open Source Alternatives to Adobe XD in 2025

As the demand for open-source design tools continues to grow, 2025 has brought a host of robust alternatives to Adobe XD. Whether you're looking for specialized tools, enhanced collaboration, or simply more freedom in your design workflow, this article explores the top 10 open-source alternatives to Adobe XD, comparing them on key features and use cases.

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1. Penpot

Description: Penpot is a web-based, open-source design and prototyping tool that emphasizes collaboration between designers and developers. It aims to be a complete solution from design to code.
Key Features:
Real-time collaboration for multiple users on the same design.
Flex and grid layouts to generate developer-ready code.
Built-in code inspector, properties inspector, and distance/measurement tools.
Cross-platform compatibility as it's browser-based.
Suitable for creating both designs and prototypes. Explore Penpot

2. Pencil Project

Description: Pencil Project is a free, open-source GUI prototyping tool focused on creating simple mockups and wireframes.
Key Features:
Built-in stencils and a variety of shapes for quick design.
Basic UI design tools.
Available as a desktop application.
Export options for popular formats such as PNG, PDF, or SVG.
User-friendly interface with a straightforward approach to wireframing. Discover Pencil Project

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3. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Description: GIMP is a powerful open-source image editing software, an alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Though not strictly a UI/UX design tool, it's valuable for creating and manipulating graphics for design projects.
Key Features:
Comprehensive suite of tools for photo retouching, image composition, and graphic design.
Extensible through plugins, allowing users to customize their experience.
Supports various file formats, suitable for both amateurs and professionals.
Active community for support and resources.
Used for generating visual assets used in UI design. Learn more about GIMP

4. Inkscape

Description: Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator. It's useful for creating UI elements and illustrations for web and app designs.
Key Features:
Supports various file formats.
Advanced features including path editing, object manipulation, and text support.
Active community providing ongoing development and user resources.
Suitable for vector-based design for UI components.
Used for creating scalable designs for any size screen. Discover Inkscape

5. Blender

Description: Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite used for modeling, animation, rendering, and video editing. While not a direct UI/UX tool, it can be used for advanced 3D interface elements and animations.
Key Features:
Comprehensive suite for 3D modeling, sculpting, and texturing.
Full-fledged animation suite.
Robust rendering capabilities.
Increasingly used in game design, animation, and virtual reality projects.
Can be used to create advanced animation components for interfaces. Explore Blender

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6. Origami Studio

Description: Origami Studio is a free tool for designing and prototyping interfaces, particularly complex interactions. It was developed by Facebook (Meta), is free to use, and is well-regarded in the design community.
Key Features:
Advanced prototyping capabilities with complex interactions.
Free to download and use.
Real-time previews and detailed control.
Built for creating interactive prototypes.
Ideal for mobile app prototyping. Learn more about Origami Studio

7. Avocado (with Quartz Composer)

Description: Avocado is an open-source interaction design toolbox built by IDEO, based on Facebook's Origami framework. It enables designers to make quick interactive prototypes without coding.
Key Features:
Ready-to-use patches that can be easily combined for custom prototypes.
Enables rapid prototyping without code.
Designed for creating interactive elements.
Built on the Quartz Composer framework.
Focused on interactive design. Discover Avocado

8. Taipy

Description: Taipy is an open-source Python library, primarily used for building AI and Data web applications. However, its GUI capabilities can be utilized for designing user interfaces in data-focused projects.
Key Features:
Creates data-driven GUIs and automates scenario management.
Has an intuitive GUI tool for designing dashboards.
Allows for customization of dashboards entirely in Python.
Facilitates real-time data visualization.
Can be used to build dashboards and interfaces for data-driven applications. Explore Taipy

9. Composite

Description: Composite offers a new approach to interactive prototyping. It connects directly to Photoshop documents, allowing interactive design.
Key Features:
Automatically links to Photoshop documents.
Offers interactive prototyping capabilities.
Focuses on creating interactive elements from designs.
Integrates directly into existing design workflows.
Streamlines the process of transforming designs into interactive prototypes.

10. Balsamiq Mockups

Description: Balsamiq Mockups is a wireframing tool that allows designers to arrange pre-built UI components using a drag-and-drop editor. Although not entirely open-source, it has a free trial and is very popular for quick mockups.
Key Features:
Drag-and-drop interface with pre-built widgets.
Offered as a desktop version and plugins for platforms like Google Drive.
Simplifies the creation of wireframes.
Focused on creating low-fidelity mockups.
Ideal for rapidly visualizing design ideas. Discover Balsamiq Mockups

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FAQ

1. What is an open-source alternative to Adobe XD?

Penpot is a web-based, open-source design and prototyping tool that emphasizes collaboration between designers and developers. Learn more about Penpot

2. Which tool is best for creating simple mockups and wireframes?

Pencil Project is a free, open-source GUI prototyping tool focused on creating simple mockups and wireframes. Discover Pencil Project

3. What software is best for image manipulation and graphic design?

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a powerful image editing software, an open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Explore GIMP

4. What is a suitable open-source vector graphics editor like Adobe Illustrator?

Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics editor useful for creating UI elements and illustrations for web and app designs. Learn more about Inkscape

5. What open-source tool can create advanced 3D interface elements and animations?

Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite used for modeling, animation, rendering, and video editing. Discover Blender

6. What is a free tool for designing and prototyping interfaces, particularly complex interactions?

Origami Studio, developed by Facebook (Meta), is a well-regarded tool in the design community for creating advanced prototypes. Explore Origami Studio

7. Which tool is based on Facebook's Origami framework and enables rapid prototyping?

Avocado is an open-source interaction design toolbox built by IDEO for making quick interactive prototypes without coding. Learn more about Avocado

8. Which open-source Python library can build data-driven GUIs and design dashboards?

Taipy creates data-driven GUIs and automates scenario management, allowing for the design of dashboards entirely in Python. Discover Taipy

9. What tool connects directly to Photoshop documents for interactive prototyping?

Composite offers interactive prototyping capabilities connecting directly to Photoshop documents.

10. Which tool is popular for quickly creating low-fidelity mockups?

Balsamiq Mockups is a wireframing tool allowing designers to arrange pre-built UI components using a drag-and-drop editor. Explore Balsamiq Mockups

References

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.