Quant-UX vs Penpot

Penpot has become a widely adopted tool for digital design and prototyping, it is not primarily designed for user testing or behavioral research. In contrast, Quant-UX focuses explicitly on interactive prototyping and user research workflows. Both Quant-UX and Penpot are open-source alternatives that provide designers and researchers with distinct advantages, depending on their specific needs and priorities.

Prototyping

Penpot enables the creation of high-fidelity prototypes suitable for visual design presentation and collaboration. However, the interaction capabilities of these prototypes are limited. Elements such as dropdowns, modals, and form inputs typically do not replicate the behavior of real applications. Consequently, usability testing within Penpot prototypes often involves static click-throughs rather than genuine interaction. This limitation can reduce the validity of user feedback, as participants are unable to engage with dynamic or data-entry components.
By contrast, Quant-UX uses fully functional widgets that replicate real-world interface behaviors. This allows designers to build prototypes that behave similarly to production applications. As a result, user testing in Quant-UX can capture more natural interaction patterns, facilitating richer behavioral insights and more reliable validation of design hypotheses.

User Testing and Research

Penpot does not natively support user testing or research analytics. While it is possible to share prototypes with participants, feedback collection and behavioral analysis must be conducted through third-party tools or integrations. This can add complexity and cost to the research process.
Quant-UX was developed with user research as a core function. The platform automatically records user interactions during testing sessions and generates analytics such as event logs, heatmaps, and usage patterns. Additionally, it provides tools for collecting qualitative feedback through integrated questionnaires. This combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection within a single environment can streamline the research workflow and support evidence-based design decisions.

Integration

Penpot allows to export designs in various formats, but it does not have direct integration with Quant-UX. Therefore, transferring designs from Penpot to Quant-UX may require manual steps or the use of intermediary formats such as SVG or PNG.

Pricing

Figma is a commercial product with a subscription-based pricing model. There is a free tier, but it is limited in terms of features and functionality. To access the full range of features, you need to upgrade to a paid plan, which can be expensive for individuals and small teams.
Quant-UX, on the other hand, is open source and free to use. You can use it for free, whether you are an individual or part of a large team.

Summary

Penpot and Quant-UX are both great open sources laternative to commercial products like Figma. Penpot is a great design tool, however it lacks the interactivity needed for serious user research. Quant-UX is a powerful and flexible prototyping and user research tool that is designed specifically for user-centered design. Important! If you are solely looking for a great design tool and freedom is important to you, Penpot might be the better choice, For serious user research, Quant-UX is the better option.