OpenPencil
MIT-licensed open-source design editor that opens Figma files, with 90 AI tools, an MCP server, and a headless CLI
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openpencil.devAbout OpenPencil
OpenPencil is an MIT-licensed open-source design editor that reads and writes Figma files natively — it opens .fig files through its own Kiwi binary codec with round-trip fidelity, and supports copy and paste between Figma and OpenPencil, which makes it usable alongside an existing Figma workflow rather than only as a replacement. Beyond the editor, it is deliberately programmable. A headless CLI inspects, exports, and analyzes .fig files with JSON output suited to CI pipelines and automation, Tailwind CSS export is built in, and the Figma Plugin API is available via eval so existing plugin logic can be reused. The AI layer is native rather than bolted on: a built-in chat exposes roughly 90 tools that create shapes, set styles, manage layout, and analyze design tokens, and an MCP server makes the same surface available to Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf, so an agent can manipulate a design file the way it manipulates a codebase. It also positions itself as a toolkit and not only an app — a Vue SDK lets you build custom editing surfaces, embed OpenPencil inside another product, or assemble workflow-specific editors on the same core. It runs free and local with no account, no server, and no internet required, as a roughly 7 MB desktop app installable via Homebrew or as a web app, and real-time collaboration works peer-to-peer over WebRTC with live cursors and follow mode, again with no server in the middle. The UI ships in seven languages.
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Key Features
OpenPencil Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- +Genuine .fig compatibility instead of a lossy import
- +Agent-manipulable design files via MCP is rare
- +No account and no server — works entirely offline
- +Usable as an embeddable toolkit, not only a finished app
⚠️ Cons
- −Nowhere near Figma's plugin ecosystem or team features
- −P2P collaboration has no server-side history to fall back on
- −Community-maintained compatibility with a proprietary file format carries drift risk
Who Is OpenPencil Best For?
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