Inkscape vs Lunacy
Both are alternatives to Figma. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Lunacy vs Inkscape — same comparison, one verdict.
Inkscape
Professional vector editing, free for twenty years.
Inkscape is a mature desktop vector editor — the open answer to Illustrator rather than to Figma. Precise path editing, full SVG support, extensions and a two-decade track record. For icon work, illustration and print-bound vector output it is genuinely professional. It is on this page because a meaningful slice of Figma seats are bought by people who only ever draw vectors, and a desktop tool with no per-seat fee serves them better. GPL, installed rather than browser-based, and single-player by design.
Lunacy
Free desktop UI design that opens Sketch and Figma files.
Lunacy is a free desktop design app from Icons8 that reads and writes Sketch files and imports Figma documents, with built-in icons, illustrations and photos. It runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux, and works offline — useful where a browser-based tool is not an option. It is proprietary and free rather than open source, which is why it scores where it does: you are not paying, but you are still depending on a company's decision to keep it free.
Side by side
| Inkscape | Lunacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 96 | 48 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-2.0 / GPL-3.0 | Proprietary (free) |
| Pricing | Free and open source. Desktop install, no accounts. | Free. Paid Icons8 subscription only for premium asset libraries. |
Inkscape edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Inkscape
Strengths
- +Deep, precise vector editing — better than Figma at pure illustration
- +Native SVG throughout; files open anywhere
- +Runs entirely offline with no account of any kind
- +Twenty years of development and a large extension library
Trade-offs
- −No collaboration — this is a single-player desktop tool
- −No prototyping, components or developer handoff
- −Interface feels dated next to browser-native tools
- −Wrong tool for designing product screens
Lunacy
Strengths
- +Genuinely free with no seat limit
- +Opens Sketch files natively and imports from Figma
- +Runs offline as a native desktop app on all three platforms
- +Built-in asset libraries save real time
Trade-offs
- −Proprietary — free today is a business decision, not a licence
- −No self-hosting and no source access
- −Collaboration is weaker than Figma or Penpot
- −Tied to Icons8's ecosystem and its commercial direction
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Facts verified 2026-08-07. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.