Top 10 Open Source Alternatives to Placeit in 2025: Comprehensive Comparison

In 2025, the landscape of design and mockup tools has evolved significantly, bringing forth a variety of powerful open-source alternatives to Placeit. These tools offer specialized features that cater to different aspects of design, mockups, and video editing. This article explores the top 10 open-source alternatives, comparing them on key data points to help you find the right tool for your needs.

Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.

We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.

👉 Get featured now!

1. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Description: A powerful, open-source image editor that rivals Adobe Photoshop. It's suitable for photo retouching, image composition, and graphic design.
Data Points:
Features: Layers, masks, filters, color adjustments, customizable brushes.
Use Case: Photo editing, creating digital art, making mockups by overlaying designs.
File Formats: Supports a wide range of formats including PSD, JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF.
Customization: Highly customizable through plugins and scripting.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about GIMP

2. Inkscape

Description: A professional vector graphics editor, similar to Adobe Illustrator. It's great for creating scalable graphics, logos, and illustrations.
Data Points:
Features: Node editing, path operations, text tools, object manipulation, gradients, and patterns.
Use Case: Creating logos, icons, illustrations, and detailed vector graphics.
File Formats: SVG is the primary format, also supports PDF, EPS, and AI imports.
Scalability: Creates resolution-independent graphics that can be scaled without quality loss.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about Inkscape

Get your FREE Landing Page Analysis!

Insert your landing page link and get a super useful analysis and easy fixes to get more clicks!

👉 Get Your Analysis Here!

3. Blender

Description: A free and open-source 3D creation suite. While not a direct replacement for Placeit, it can be used to create custom 3D mockups and animations.
Data Points:
Features: 3D modeling, sculpting, animation, rendering, and compositing.
Use Case: Creating product mockups, animated videos, and 3D scenes for marketing.
Customization: Highly customizable and extensible with a Python API.
Rendering: High-quality rendering engine for realistic visuals.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about Blender

4. Krita

Description: An open-source painting program that's well-suited for creating digital art, concept art, and illustrations.
Data Points:
Features: Advanced brushes, layer management, color management, animation tools.
Use Case: Digital painting, creating graphics, and mockups where artistic control is needed.
File Formats: Supports PSD, PNG, JPEG, and other formats.
Customization: Highly customizable brushes and workspace.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about Krita

5. Shotcut

Description: A free, open-source video editor. Good for creating video mockups and editing promotional videos.
Data Points:
Features: Wide format support, audio mixing, filters, transitions, and effects.
Use Case: Video editing, creating video mockups, promotional content, and social media videos.
Platform: Cross-platform, available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Cost: Free and open source.
Formats: Wide support for audio and video formats.
Link: Learn more about Shotcut

Validate your startup idea with the unique borrowed authority approach: we publish articles about your product in our blog and you get traffic and testers for your MVP

Prove Market Demand: See real organic traffic and waitlist conversions

Unlock High-Potential Keywords: Receive a curated list of top-performing keywords directly from Google Search Console data.

Estimate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Gain financial foresight with an estimated CAC based on real keyword performance data.

🔗 Start validating your startup now

6. Kdenlive

Description: Another powerful, open-source video editor, excellent for more complex video projects.
Data Points:
Features: Multi-track editing, a wide range of effects and transitions, audio and video scopes, and customizable interface.
Use Case: Creating high-quality videos with intricate editing requirements.
Platform: Cross-platform, available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Customization: Highly customizable and extensible through various plugins.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about Kdenlive

7. unDraw

Description: A collection of open-source SVG illustrations that can be used to enhance mockups and design projects.
Data Points:
Features: A large library of high-quality, scalable illustrations.
Use Case: Adding visuals to mockups, websites, and presentations.
Customization: Colors are customizable to match your brand.
License: Open license, free to use for any project.
Format: SVG format for scalability.
Link: Learn more about unDraw

8. LibreCAD

Description: A free, open-source 2D CAD program. Useful for creating technical drawings and mockups for products.
Data Points:
Features: 2D drafting, layers, and various drawing tools.
Use Case: Architectural and engineering diagrams.
File Formats: DWG file support for compatibility with other CAD programs.
Customization: User interface and toolbars are configurable.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about LibreCAD

9. Material UI (React Component Library)

Description: While not a graphic design tool, it is a popular open-source React component library that provides pre-built UI components for web mockups.
Data Points:
Features: Pre-designed components like buttons, cards, and forms.
Use Case: Building web mockups and prototypes.
Framework: React-based for easy integration with web development projects.
Customization: Customizable through theming.
Cost: Free and open source.
Link: Learn more about Material UI

10. Figma (Community Files)

Description: Although Figma itself isn't open source, it has a large community that provides free, open-source mockup files and templates. This can be a good source of design assets.
Data Points:
Features: Collaborative design, vector editing, prototyping.
Use Case: Creating UI/UX mockups, graphic design, and presentations.
Community: Large community sharing free assets and plugins.
Customization: Highly customizable designs through templates.
Cost: While Figma has paid plans, there's a significant amount of free community-created content available.
Link: Learn more about Figma

Important Note: While these tools are free and open-source, achieving the exact level of ease and breadth of templates as Placeit may require more hands-on work and knowledge in the specific area of design. Many of these open-source programs focus on different aspects, and they may require more specific skills to get the most out of them.

This list should provide a solid starting point for exploring open-source alternatives for your design and mockup needs in 2025.

Join ElonaHunt (like ProductHunt but for women) and explore the coolest women-focused startups out there!

Discover your next big inspiration and connect with like-minded female entrepreneurs!

👉 Join the Hunt Here

FAQ

1. What is GIMP best used for?

GIMP is a powerful, open-source image editor ideal for photo retouching, image composition, and graphic design. Learn more about GIMP

2. How can Inkscape help in design?

Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor, excellent for creating scalable graphics, logos, and detailed illustrations. Discover Inkscape

3. What are the capabilities of Blender?

Blender is a free 3D creation suite used for modeling, sculpting, animation, and rendering high-quality visuals. Explore Blender

4. What makes Krita unique for artists?

Krita offers advanced brushes, layer management, and animation tools, making it ideal for digital painting and creating detailed illustrations. Check out Krita

5. Is Shotcut suitable for video editing?

Shotcut is a versatile, open-source video editor with wide format support, audio mixing, filters, and transitions, perfect for creating promotional content. Learn more about Shotcut

6. How does Kdenlive stand out in video editing?

Kdenlive provides multi-track editing, a wide range of effects and transitions, and is highly customizable, making it great for complex video projects. Discover Kdenlive

7. What is unDraw used for?

unDraw offers a large library of high-quality SVG illustrations that can be customized for mockups, websites, and presentations. Explore unDraw

8. What are the features of LibreCAD?

LibreCAD is an open-source 2D CAD program that supports 2D drafting, layers, and various drawing tools, ideal for technical drawings. Learn more about LibreCAD

9. How can Material UI help web developers?

Material UI is a popular React component library providing pre-designed UI components for building web mockups and prototypes. Discover Material UI

10. What does Figma Community offer?

Figma Community offers a wealth of free, open-source mockup files and templates shared by a large community for UI/UX design projects. Explore Figma Community

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.