Pencil Project evolus/pencil

Free desktop GUI prototyping and wireframing tool with stencil collections for web, mobile and desktop mock-ups and diagram drawing.

Creator kit + Compare GitHub ↗ Install guide (official) ↗

Pencil Project at a glance

Checked 15 Oct 2026

Pencil is a mature Electron desktop app for wireframes, GUI mock-ups and diagrams, using built-in and community stencil collections, with PDF and image export. The last release is 3.1.1 (1 Jan 2023), though commits continued into June 2026. GPL-2.0. It works offline on Windows, macOS and Linux but has no real-time collaboration, no modern auto layout or components, and no developer handoff, so it covers low-fidelity mock-ups rather than Figma-level UI design. Hardware needs are not documented.

Cite this pageRepoQuarry. “Pencil Project.” Checked 15 Oct 2026. https://repoquarry.dev/projects/pencil-project

How much of Figma does it replace?

2 of 4 jobs. Offline wireframes and mock-ups only; no collaboration or handoff.

UI and product design with components and auto layout Partial replacement

Clickable prototypes and user flows Partial replacement

Developer handoff (inspect Not covered

Whiteboarding (FigJam) Not covered

For developer handoff (inspect, whiteboarding (FigJam), see other Figma alternatives. You may also need to build an interface, an API server and hosting yourself.

How much of Sketch does it replace?

2 of 4 jobs. GUI mockups and linked pages exported to HTML cover basic prototypes; this is not Sketch file compatibility, live collaboration or developer handoff parity.

Interface design Partial replacement

Interactive prototypes Partial replacement

Developer handoff Not covered

Live collaboration Not covered

For developer handoff, live collaboration, see other Sketch alternatives. You may also need to build an interface, an API server and hosting yourself.

Facts, with sources

Every answer links to where we found it. We read the documentation; we did not install it.

Report a correction

QuestionAnswerSourceChecked

Runs on my machine? Yes, desktop app Windows Installer Package macOS Universal .dmg (Intel and Apple Silicon) pencil.evolus.vn · Downloads.html ↗ 1d ago

Code licence GPL-2.0 (copyleft) github.com · LICENSE ↗ 1d ago

Model weights licence No separate model weights github.com · pencil#readme ↗ 1d ago

Commercial use Yes, under GPL-2.0 conditions; your mock-ups are unrestricted github.com · LICENSE ↗ 1d ago

Paid services needed? None required Pencil is built for the purpose of providing a free and open-source GUI prototyping tool pencil.evolus.vn ↗ 1d ago

Hardware Not documented Know the answer? —

Operating systems Windows 7+, macOS 10.9+ (universal DMG), Linux (DEB, RPM, other 64-bit) Windows 7 and later are supported, older operating systems are not supported (and do not work). github.com · pencil#supported-platforms ↗ 1d ago

Setup effort Easy; installers for Windows, macOS and Linux Fedora RPM: x86_64 | i686 Ubuntu Linux DEB: amd64 | i386 Other GNU/Linux: 64-bit | 32-bit pencil.evolus.vn · Downloads.html ↗ 1d ago