Penpot
Penpot: The open-source design platform for Product teams that need scalable collaboration.
61.8k GitHub stars · MPL-2.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Free, open-source alternatives to Canva
Canva is a template-first design tool for social posts, slides, flyers and print. No open-source app ships Canva's huge template library, but these cover the same jobs: Penpot for layouts and mockups in the browser, Scribus for print-ready brochures and flyers, Graphite for vector and raster graphics, and GIMP or Krita for photo and image editing.
Category: Design & graphics · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
Canva price change: All Apps was renamed Creative Cloud Pro and went from $59.99 to $69.99 per month on the annual plan billed monthly. (effective Jun 17, 2025, details and sources)
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penpot Active MPL-2.0 | Penpot: The open-source design platform for Product teams that need scalable collaboration. | MPL-2.0 | 61.8k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| Graphite Active Apache-2.0 | Community-built comprehensive 2D content creation appplication for graphic design, digital art, and interactive real-time motion graphics powered by a node-based procedural graphics engine. | Apache-2.0 | 27.8k | Jul 31, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| Scribus Active Mixed or custom | A desktop publishing app for laying out brochures, flyers, newsletters and print-ready PDFs. This GitHub repo is a community mirror of the official Scribus source. | Mixed or custom | 646 | Apr 13, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| GIMP Active Mixed or custom | GIMP, the long-running free image editor for photo retouching, image composition and graphic design. This GitHub repo is a read-only mirror of the official GNOME GitLab. | Mixed or custom | 6.6k | Sep 10, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
| Krita Active GPL-3.0 | Krita is a free and open source cross-platform application that offers an end-to-end solution for creating digital art files from scratch built on the KDE and Qt frameworks. | GPL-3.0 | 10.7k | Oct 1, 2026 | Desktop app | Not confirmed |
Are they still maintained?
5 of 5 Canva alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Penpot: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Graphite: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Scribus: active, last activity Oct 28, 2026 (1 days ago)
- GIMP: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Krita: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Canva costs
Canva: current plans and prices are on Canva's pricing page. Its most recent price change we track took effect on Jun 17, 2025 (see the price tracker).
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penpot | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (MPL-2.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| Graphite | Desktop app | $0 (Apache-2.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| Scribus | Desktop app | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| GIMP | Desktop app | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
| Krita | Desktop app | $0 (GPL-3.0) | Nothing to host. Install it on your own device. |
Self-hosting basics: Penpot needs a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Don't want to run a server? Penpot offers a hosted plan run by the project itself. Prices change, so check each project's site.
Nothing to host: Graphite, Scribus, GIMP and Krita run on your own computer.
License check: Scribus and GIMP do not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using them in a business.
The options in more detail
Graphite
Community-built comprehensive 2D content creation appplication for graphic design, digital art, and interactive real-time motion graphics powered by a node-based procedural graphics engine.
27.8k GitHub stars · Apache-2.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Scribus
A desktop publishing app for laying out brochures, flyers, newsletters and print-ready PDFs. This GitHub repo is a community mirror of the official Scribus source.
646 GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 28, 2026 · GitHub · Website
GIMP
GIMP, the long-running free image editor for photo retouching, image composition and graphic design. This GitHub repo is a read-only mirror of the official GNOME GitLab.
6.6k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Krita
Krita is a free and open source cross-platform application that offers an end-to-end solution for creating digital art files from scratch built on the KDE and Qt frameworks.
10.7k GitHub stars · GPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Canva alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Canva?
There is no one-to-one open-source Canva. For social graphics, slides and mockups, start with Penpot, which runs in the browser and can be self-hosted. For print layouts like flyers and brochures, Scribus is the long-standing desktop publishing option. GIMP and Krita are better for editing photos and drawing than for template-based layouts.
Is there a self-hosted Canva alternative?
Yes. Penpot runs on a server you control, so your data stays with you. If you'd rather not run a server, Penpot also offers a hosted plan from the people who make it.
Is there a free alternative to Canva?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Graphite, Scribus, GIMP and Krita install on your own device, so they cost nothing to run. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on. Check the license of Scribus and GIMP before using them in a business.
Are these Canva alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 5 of 5 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Canva?
The software itself is free. Desktop and device apps (Graphite, Scribus, GIMP and Krita) cost nothing to run. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Are all of these really open source?
Not all under a standard license. Scribus: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. GIMP: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
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