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Open-Source Pencil Project Alternatives (2027): Is Pencil Still Maintained, Plus 7 Free Wireframing and Prototyping Tools

Open-Source Pencil Project Alternatives for Wireframes, Mockups and Clickable Prototypes

Pencil Project is the classic free, open-source tool for quick GUI mockups: you drag buttons, forms and phone frames onto a page and link the pages together. For years it looked abandoned, and many people searched for a replacement. That changed in October 2026, when version 4.0.0 came out with AI support. This guide tells you what Pencil Project can do now, and which open-source tools to use instead if you need browser-based work, real-time collaboration, user testing or high-fidelity design. We checked every tool on its official website and GitHub in October 2026: the exact licence, the latest release and what it costs. Tools that are not open source or have stalled are listed separately at the end.
Quick answer: if you just want offline wireframes, Pencil Project is maintained again and is still a good choice. For a free, open-source tool your whole team can use in the browser, choose Penpot; for prototypes you test with users, Quant-UX; for the closest Balsamiq-style browser wireframer, mydraft; for user flows, Wireflow; and for rough sketches in a workshop, Excalidraw.
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Is Pencil Project Still Maintained in 2027?

Yes, again. Pencil Project (by Evolus) released version 3.1.1 on 1 January 2023 and then nothing for almost four years, until version 4.0.0 arrived on 23 October 2026. Its GitHub repository is licensed under GPL-2.0 and still received code changes in late October 2026. The big news in 4.0.0 is a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server: AI assistants such as Claude Desktop, Cursor or VS Code can connect to Pencil and create, arrange and edit wireframes on your canvas, search the installed stencils and icon libraries, and request previews of the page. Version 4.0.0 also adds auto-layout groups, right-angle connectors and an image editor.
Everything that made Pencil popular is still there: built-in stencils for desktop, web, Android and iOS interfaces, flowchart shapes with connectors, links between pages for a simple clickable mockup, and export to PNG, a web page, PDF, Inkscape SVG and OpenOffice/LibreOffice documents. It is a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its limits have not changed either: there is no real-time collaboration, no browser version and no user testing, which is why many teams still look elsewhere. Do not confuse it with Pencil2D, a separate open-source app for 2D hand-drawn animation.

Open-Source Pencil Project Alternatives Compared

ToolBest forLicenceLatest activity (Oct 2026)Hosting and price
Pencil ProjectOffline wireframes and mockups, now with AIGPL-2.04.0.0 released 23 OctoberFree desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux)
PenpotTeam design and clickable prototypesMPL-2.02.18.5Cloud Professional plan $0; self-host free
Quant-UXPrototypes plus user testingGPL-3.05.0.24 on quant-ux.comFree to start; self-host with Docker
mydraftBalsamiq-style wireframes in the browserMITCode updated OctoberFree at mydraft.cc or on your own web server
WireflowUser flow diagramsMITCode updated OctoberFree in the browser, no account
ExcalidrawSketchy wireframes in workshopsMITCode updated dailyFree app; Excalidraw+ $6 per user/month
draw.ioFlowcharts, sitemaps, user flowsApache 2.032.6.1Free; no real-time co-editing
PlasmicTurning a mockup into real web pagesMIT, platform folder AGPLCode updated OctoberFree plan for 3 collaborators
Sources: each project's official website, pricing page and GitHub repository, checked 30 October 2026. Self-hosting is free, but you pay for the server and your own time.

The Best Open-Source Alternatives to Pencil Project in 2027

1. Penpot: browser-based design and prototypes for the whole team

Penpot is the strongest step up from Pencil. It is an open-source design platform (MPL-2.0) that runs in the browser, so designers, founders and developers work in the same file at the same time. You can start with simple boxes and text, then add components, design tokens and clickable prototype flows, and developers inspect sizes and code in the same file. Like Pencil 4.0, it now offers an open MCP server, so AI agents can work on your designs. On the Penpot pricing page, the Professional plan costs $0 and is described as free and fully featured; Unlimited costs $7 per editor per month, capped at $175 a month. You can also self-host it with Docker or Kubernetes. Version 2.18.5 came out in October 2026.

2. Quant-UX: prototypes you can test with real users

Quant-UX is a research, usability and prototyping tool. You draw app screens in a visual editor, connect them and add an AI assistant's help, then give testers tasks and get screen recordings, heatmaps, success rates, drop-off analysis, A/B tests and surveys. Share links and QR codes let people test on their phones. That makes it the best choice if your Pencil mockups were meant for user interviews. The Quant-UX code is GPL-3.0 with a Docker Compose setup for self-hosting, and the hosted version says it is free to start. The site showed version 5.0.24 in October 2026.

3. mydraft: Pencil-style wireframes in the browser

mydraft is the closest browser equivalent to Pencil's way of working: a panel of UI shapes (browser window, buttons, checkboxes, dropdowns, grids, headings and icons) that you drag onto a page. Its MIT-licensed code supports projects with several pages and background pages, a presentation mode, and links from UI elements to other pages or external sources. The author started it because commercial wireframing tools cost more per month than an office suite. Use it free at mydraft.cc or build it and copy the files to your own web server. The last tagged release is from 2024, but the code was still updated in October 2026. It has no AI features and no real-time collaboration.

4. Wireflow: user flows without an account

Wireflow is a free, MIT-licensed tool for sketching user flows: the screen-to-screen maps you may have drawn with Pencil's connectors. You drag screens from 125 templates in 12 categories onto a canvas, connect them and export PNG, JPG or a JSON file to open later. It runs in your browser without an account and saves your work locally, so export before you clear your browser data. An optional AI assistant edits the diagram if you add your own Anthropic API key. The Wireflow repository was updated in October 2026 and also runs with Docker.
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5. Excalidraw: quick, hand-drawn wireframes with your team

Excalidraw is an MIT-licensed whiteboard with a hand-drawn look that its README recommends for diagrams and wireframes. It has real-time collaboration with end-to-end encryption, shape libraries you can import (including wireframe kits) and works offline as a PWA. The sketchy style is useful early on, because people comment on the idea instead of the colours. The excalidraw.com app is free; Excalidraw+ has a free tier with one scene and 10 AI requests a day, and Plus costs $6 per user per month after a 14-day trial.

6. draw.io: flowcharts, sitemaps and user flows

draw.io is the Apache 2.0 diagram editor behind diagrams.net, with a browser app, desktop apps and a Docker image. Use it next to a wireframe tool for sitemaps, user flows and architecture diagrams. Two limits: its README says this version does not support real-time collaborative editing, and the team does not accept pull requests. Version 32.6.1 came out on 23 October 2026. We compare more diagram tools in our open-source draw.io alternatives and free draw.io alternatives.

7. Plasmic: when the mockup should become a real page

Plasmic is not a wireframing tool but an open-source visual builder for your codebase: you design pages and components visually and use them in a React or Next.js app. It suits founders who want to skip the static mockup and build a landing page or simple app screens directly. Check the licence: the Plasmic repository is MIT-licensed except for the platform folder, which is AGPL. Its free plan covers 3 collaborators and unlimited projects.

Pencil Project Alternatives That Are Not Open Source, Stalled or Not a Fit

The 2025 version of this article mostly listed paid tools. Here is what changed and why they are not on the open-source list:
  • Figma, Whimsical, MockFlow, Miro, Balsamiq and Wireframe.cc: good wireframing tools, several with free plans, but none is open source. See our open-source Figma alternatives, open-source Miro alternatives and free Miro alternatives.
  • Origami Studio: Meta's prototyping tool for advanced interactions. It is not open source.
  • Appsmith: open source (Apache 2.0), but it builds working internal tools rather than mockups. We cover it in our open-source Retool alternatives.
  • Akira: the open-source Linux design tool once promised as a native UI design app. Its README still says it is in early development and not ready for production, its last release dates from August 2021 and its last code change from December 2025.
  • tldraw: a popular whiteboard, but its code is under the tldraw licence, which does not allow production use without a licence key, so it is source-available rather than open source.
  • Mermaid: MIT-licensed diagrams written as text, great for flowcharts in documentation, but it does not draw UI mockups.

Which Open-Source Pencil Project Alternative Should You Choose?

  • You liked Pencil and work alone or offline: stay with Pencil Project 4.0 and try its AI connection.
  • Your team needs to edit the same file: Penpot, free in the cloud or self-hosted.
  • You want to test your mockups with users: Quant-UX.
  • You want Pencil-style wireframes without installing anything: mydraft.
  • You are mapping screens and user flows: Wireflow, or draw.io for sitemaps.
  • You are running a workshop or brainstorm: Excalidraw. For more whiteboards, see our open-source FigJam alternatives.
  • You want a real landing page, not a picture of one: Plasmic.
Moving away from a design platform that closed? Our open-source InVision alternatives cover prototypes, handoff and design systems. If you also want AI on a shared board, read our free Miro AI alternatives and open-source Miro AI alternatives.
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How Founders Use Open-Source Wireframing Tools

A wireframe is the cheapest version of your product. Before you pay a designer or write code, sketch the five to ten screens that matter, link them into a clickable flow and show it to people who have the problem you want to solve. Watch where they hesitate, change the screens and test again. Our MVP user acquisition SOP explains how to find those first testers. When the flow works, you can move faster with AI: read about rapid prototyping with AI, compare the best AI prototyping tools and learn how to prototype a SaaS app with an AI coding assistant. Once you launch, the F/MS AI SEO Tool helps you write the articles that bring visitors to your product.

FAQ About Open-Source Pencil Project Alternatives

Is Pencil Project still maintained?

Yes. After version 3.1.1 in January 2023 there was a long pause, but version 4.0.0 was released on 23 October 2026 with a built-in MCP server for AI assistants, and the GitHub repository is active again.

Is Pencil Project free and open source?

Yes. Pencil Project is free and its code is licensed under GPL-2.0. It runs as a desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux.

What is the best open-source alternative to Pencil Project?

For most teams it is Penpot: it runs in the browser, supports real-time collaboration and clickable prototypes, and its cloud Professional plan costs $0. If you want something as simple as Pencil in the browser, try mydraft.

Does Pencil Project work with AI?

Since version 4.0.0 it does. Its built-in MCP server lets assistants such as Claude Desktop, Cursor or VS Code create and edit wireframes on your open canvas and look at previews of the result.

Is there an online version of Pencil Project?

No, Pencil is a desktop app. For browser-based wireframing, use mydraft, Penpot, Wireflow or Excalidraw.

Is Pencil Project the same as Pencil2D?

No. Pencil2D is a separate open-source program for 2D hand-drawn animation. Pencil Project by Evolus is for GUI mockups and wireframes.

Which open-source tool lets me test prototypes with users?

Quant-UX. It records test sessions and shows heatmaps, success rates and drop-offs, and you can self-host it with Docker.

Is Balsamiq open source?

No. Balsamiq is a paid wireframing tool. Pencil Project and mydraft are the closest open-source options for the same quick, low-fidelity style.

Is tldraw open source?

Not in the usual sense. Its code is public, but the tldraw licence does not allow use in production without a licence key, so it is source-available. Excalidraw is the MIT-licensed alternative.

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You can publish a guest post in one of the Fe/male Switch startup blogs, which rank in Google and in AI tools. Get a quality backlink.

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. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-30 19:48 Top Alternatives