Is Figma still the default?

For most product and brand teams, yes. Open-source options such as Penpot are worth a look if lock-in or cost is the brief.

Where should the design system live?

In the tool the makers open every day. A PDF of tokens that nobody updates is a brochure, not a system.

Can clients sit in the file?

Yes — with a view they cannot break, and a comment rule. Unlimited edit access is how a logo gets nudged 12 pixels on a Sunday.

Tools / Design & Prototyping

Best design and prototyping tools for product teams

The canvas where the product and the brand actually get decided — a file you can hand to a developer without exporting a prayer.

Who this is for

Product designers and small studio teams who share components and sit in reviews with clients. Use this list for the daily canvas, not for generating a moodboard. If the file has to survive a developer hand-off, start here.

2 tools below, ordered by quality and recency — not by who paid. Pay to sit on the Leaderboard if you built one of these.

The list

Figma Design & Prototyping

The shared canvas most product and brand teams already live in.

Open Figma

Free options · 4.8 rating

Penpot Design & Prototyping

Open-source design and prototyping when lock-in is the brief.

Open Penpot

Free options · 4.3 rating

Questions worth asking

Is Figma still the default?: For most product and brand teams, yes. Open-source options such as Penpot are worth a look if lock-in or cost is the brief.
Where should the design system live?: In the tool the makers open every day. A PDF of tokens that nobody updates is a brochure, not a system.
Can clients sit in the file?: Yes — with a view they cannot break, and a comment rule. Unlimited edit access is how a logo gets nudged 12 pixels on a Sunday.