# desigma

> desigma (v0.1.0-alpha.8, 20 Oct 2026; repo started 11 Oct, ~557 stars) is an offline desktop design editor in Rust. It has frames, auto layout, components and variants, variables, vector editing, prototyping with Smart Animate, Dev mode code (CSS, Tailwind, SwiftUI, Compose, React), whiteboards, simple decks and an MCP server, and imports .fig files and Figma REST JSON. Unsigned builds for Windows, macOS and Linux. MIT or Apache-2.0. The README calls it early alpha, not yet fit for professional daily work; no real-time collaboration.

- Repository: https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma
- Official docs: https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma/tree/main/docs
- Checked: 2026-10-24

## What it replaces
- Figma: UI and product design with components and auto layout, Clickable prototypes and user flows, Developer handoff (inspect, CSS, tokens), Whiteboarding (FigJam) (partial). Covers solo UI design, prototypes, Dev mode handoff and FigJam-style boards offline; early alpha with no collaboration and gaps on real .fig files.
  - Use it instead of paying for Figma? Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes.

## Facts, with sources

| Question | Status | Answer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on my machine? | Confirmed | Yes, native offline desktop app; files live in a local library | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma#readme | 2026-10-24 |
| Code licence | Confirmed | Dual-licensed MIT or Apache-2.0 at your option (GitHub shows only Apache-2.0) | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma/blob/main/Cargo.toml | 2026-10-24 |
| Model weights licence | Confirmed | No model weights; not an AI app (MCP server lets your own agent edit files) | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma#readme | 2026-10-24 |
| Commercial use | Confirmed | Yes, under MIT or Apache-2.0; bundled Inter font is OFL-1.1 and icons ISC | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma#license | 2026-10-24 |
| Paid services needed? | Confirmed | None; free and offline (optional Figma token only to fetch REST JSON) | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma#figma-files | 2026-10-24 |
| Hardware | Partial | Renders on the CPU (tiny-skia), no GPU needed; no RAM or CPU minimum documented; macOS 11 or newer | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma#under-the-hood | 2026-10-24 |
| Operating systems | Confirmed | Windows x64 zip, universal macOS dmg (Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 11+), Linux x64 tar.gz; builds not code-signed yet | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma/blob/main/docs/install.md | 2026-10-24 |
| Setup effort | Confirmed | Easy; download the release archive and approve the unsigned-app warning once, or build with cargo | https://github.com/deepfounder-ai/desigma/blob/main/docs/install.md | 2026-10-24 |

GitHub: 954 stars, 102 forks, last push 2026-11-02, archived: no.

## Alternatives to desigma
- [Penpot](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/penpot.md): Open-source, self-hostable design and prototyping platform with real-time collaboration, components, design tokens and CSS/SVG inspect.
- [OpenPencil](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/open-pencil.md): Open-source design editor that reads and writes Figma .fig files, with components, auto layout, P2P collaboration, optional AI and a CLI.
- [Pencil Project](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/pencil-project.md): Free desktop GUI prototyping and wireframing tool with stencil collections for web, mobile and desktop mock-ups and diagram drawing.
- [Excalidraw](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/excalidraw.md): Hand-drawn style infinite whiteboard for sketches, diagrams and wireframes, with end-to-end encrypted collaboration on excalidraw.com.
- [WBO (Whitebophir)](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/wbo.md): Simple self-hosted collaborative whiteboard where many users draw on a large shared board in real time; boards are persisted.
- [Grida](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/grida.md): Open-source canvas editor (Rust/Skia engine) for graphics, images and presentations, with Figma import and optional BYOK or local AI.
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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/projects/desigma). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.