# Pencil Project Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra

> With the help of Capterra, learn about Pencil Project Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Diagram products and more.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/176481/Pencil-Project

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# 

 Pencil Project Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons

Last updated on March 13, 2026

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.

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[Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews)

Pencil Project

## What is Pencil Project?

Open-source GUI prototyping tool used by developers and businesses to create site wireframes and mockups using various built-in tools.

## What is Pencil Project used for?

[Diagram](https://www.capterra.com/diagram-software/)[Flowchart](https://www.capterra.com/flowchart-software/)[Wireframe](https://www.capterra.com/wireframe-software/)

Top alternative

Featured

Overall rating

Based on 21 user reviews

Reviews sentiment

Positive

90%

Neutral

10%

Negative

0%

Contact vendor  
for pricing

Free trial  
not available

Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings...

Do you work for Pencil Project?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=http://evolus.vn&name=Pencil Project)

## Compare with a popular alternative

Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status.

### Pencil Project

4.3 (21)

VS.

[4.5 (2,251)](https://www.capterra.com/p/146136/Lucidchart/reviews/)

Starting Price

Contact vendor

Starting Price

$9

Flat Rate, Per Month

Free Trial

Free Version

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

Ease Of Use

4.3 (21)

Ease Of Use

4.4 (2,232)

Value For Money

4.6 (14)

Value For Money

4.4 (1,559)

Customer Service

3.7 (6)

Customer Service

4.3 (1,372)

## Pencil Project alternatives

[4.7 (561)](https://www.capterra.com/p/144020/Aha/reviews/)

Starting price

$59.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

96%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.5 (719)](https://www.capterra.com/p/153139/Visme/reviews/)

Starting price

$12.25

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

92%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[4.2 (10)](https://www.capterra.com/p/133860/ClickCharts/reviews/)

Starting price

$60.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

80%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

Highest Rated

[Miro](https://www.capterra.com/p/128955/Miro/)

[4.7 (1,683)](https://www.capterra.com/p/128955/Miro/reviews/)

Starting price

$10.00

Per User, Per Month

Pricing Options

Free Trial

Free Version

User Rating

97%

of reviewers

rated it above 4 stars

[Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/128955/Miro/)

[View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/176481/Pencil-Project/alternatives/)

## Features

Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically.

Data Import/Export

5.0 (1)

100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Import and export data to and from software applications

Diagramming

5.0 (1)

100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Enables schematic data presentation through org charts, mind maps, flowcharts, and process diagrams.

Document Embedding

5.0 (1)

100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Embed diagrams directly into documents

Drag & Drop

5.0 (1)

0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components

Drag & Drop Editor

5.0 (1)

0.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Editing tool that allows users to drag and drop images, icons, widgets, or other components

Templates

5.0 (1)

100.00% of 1 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important

Sample files or documents that could be customized as needed or used as is

Pencil Project 16 features

Import and export data to and from software applications

Collating information from different sources in order to create a more valuable and helpful data set.

A way of interacting with a desktop computer using items such as windows, icons, and menus

Enables schematic data presentation through org charts, mind maps, flowcharts, and process diagrams.

Embed diagrams directly into documents

Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components

Editing tool that allows users to drag and drop images, icons, widgets, or other components

Diagram that represents an algorithm, workflow, or process

Various components within a system including buttons, clickable icons, hover effects, and more

A way of interacting with a mobile application using items such as windows, icons, and menus

Tools to create a static representation of a product or project, showing users and stakeholders how it may look and be used.

Sample files or documents that could be customized as needed or used as is

A functional sample, model, or release of a user interface built to test a concept or process.

A functional prototype of a product or process to test user experience (UX)

An extended application or connector that enables users to perform additional services with their current set of tools

Create static wireframes representing basic skeletal structure of applications and websites to give an overview of design.

Features

4.1 (21)

4.1

Based on 21 reviews

## Pricing

Value for money

4.6 (14)

### Starting price

Contact vendor  
for pricing

Free trial  
available

Value for money

4.6 (14)

4.6

Based on 14 reviews

## Support, customer service and training options

Customer Service

3.7 (6)

Support

-   Email/Help Desk
-   FAQs/Forum
-   Knowledge Base
-   Phone Support
-   24/7 (Live rep)
-   Chat

Training

-   In Person
-   Live Online
-   Webinars
-   Documentation
-   Videos

Deployment

-   Web
-   Android
-   iPhone/iPad

Typical users

-   Freelancers
-   Small businesses
-   Mid size businesses
-   Enterprises

Customer Service

3.7 (6)

3.7

Based on 6 reviews

## User reviews

Overall rating

4.3

Based on 21 reviews

Filter by rating

5(9)

4(10)

3(2)

2(0)

1(0)

Mentioned topic

Sorted by most recent

Abel A.

Accountant

Computer Software

### "Pencil Project: The Best Free Wireframing and Prototyping Tool"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

5.0

5.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

February 20, 2023

Great! Pencil Project has help me to create wireframes and prototypes quickly and easily so as to meet tight schedules and deadline. Its been added to my designing toolkit because it's ease to use, customize, and its cross-platform support. I just love Pencil Project..thumbs up.

Pros

Awesome! Pencil Project is free and open source tool that is very easy to use, I enjoy the fact that I can customize templates, create my own templates and it supports lots of file format. It also runs across platforms different operating system platforms. It's versatility is great. I am in live with pencil project.

Cons

I notice it does not release updates regularly but all the same the community attend to any issues that comes up.

Switched from

[Paint Smart](https://www.capterra.com/p/202786/Paint-Smart/)

It did not contain templates and I could not customize my own template.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

TL

Thalia l.

analista

Wireless

### "muy buen producto software"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

4.0

4.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

December 21, 2021

muy facil de usar

Pros

la funcionalidad y lo facil que es usarlo

Cons

nada todo esta en excelente estado sin problema alguno

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Zach K.

Digital Marketer

Marketing and Advertising

### "Pencil Project - Free & Hassle-free Software For Your Wireframing Needs"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

10/10

December 8, 2021

I am very happy with the tool. It's easy to use and I found it very useful in my projects. Tried other online tools and found them quite clunky. I love that Pencil is lightweight, responsive & the way Pencil Project allows you to create your own library of objects too. I would definitely recommend this tool to any UX designer creating prototype or wireframes.

Pros

I needed an application that could help me create mobile prototypes and this is. I needed something that could help me get my ideas out of my head and into a digital format as quickly as possible and this does that for me. What I really like about this is that it's also a community project and other users have contributed their own collections of UI shapes so that I can make use of them and this is.

Cons

Because it is lightweight and free, it is quite limited in some way. It lacks the bells-and-whistles which aren't that essential but good-to-have when it needs it.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

SL

Sanjeep L.

Quality Assurance and Frontend Developer

Computer Software

### "Perfect tool for Prototype and Design wireframe"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

January 17, 2021

I am regular user of Pencil, I have found that Pencil is the one the most perfect tool for me to make prototype and design wireframe. It is really easy and helpful for front end. While using Pencil I have realized that still it has some problems which users are facing. It will be more better if mentioned above points are review and improve.

Pros

Some of most best features of Pencil are listed below: - It is free too use - Easy and user friendly to use - Content are well manage - Can save both PNG and .epgz file - Can find wireframe, widgets, prototype, shapes and other (for android, desktop)

Cons

It would have been better if some of given below features are review and improve: - Can not use external images or icon.( It would be better if it allow to use our own images or other file) - Can not save on JPG format. (Only allow to save on PNG file and .epgz file which is not suitable for document and we have to use another software to convert on JPG file) - Some time can not resize as our want. - Result not shown after search shape and icon.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Felix H.

Full Stack Web App Developer

Computer Software

### "Great for personal projects"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

8/10

March 18, 2020

Used to rapidly create a wireframe whilst on a budget and alone. It was a nice tool to use and did the job well.

Pros

Relatively easy to understand, yet functionality really relies on installing the external packages. However, for personal projects, the ability to play through your wireframe and then make a website to demo it is very beneficial. Being free also makes it very comparative to other software.

Cons

The lack of tools available for creating your own shapes and then implementing these easily. The UX can feel a bit underwhelming sometimes,.

Alternatives considered

[Balsamiq](https://www.capterra.com/p/145723/Balsamiq-Mockups/)

Reasons for choosing Pencil Project

Cheaper – this is a free tool.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

AU

Anonymous User

Operations Manager

Information Technology and Services

### "Free and works offline"

3.0

Overall Rating

3.0

3.0

Ease of Use

3.0

3.0

Features

2.0

2.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

5/10

January 15, 2020

Overall the experience is below average. Initially i started using it because it's a free tool but now there are many other online tools which are easy to use and have advanced features

Pros

The tool is free and you can download it on your system. Works without any internet connection so you don't have to worry about having an active internet connection at all time.

Cons

I know the tool is free and helps in getting the things done but it's no where close to the paid ones plus now there are many other free tools which has better features and are very easy to use. I only use this when I don't want a good looking detailed work and want to do the work offline.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Saranya B.

Undergraduate Student

Computer Software

### "Develop a flexible mobile application using pencil project"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

4.0

4.0

Features

4.0

4.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

October 16, 2019

It is really a comfortable and flexible software to develop android or IOS applications.

Pros

Contains more shapes including Android and IOS user interface, flowchart elements, and also all the general purpose shapes.

Cons

Some stencil features have downloaded. As I'm using since some days , I do not find much disadvantages in this software.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

GH

George H.

Chief cook and bottle washer.

Hospitality

### "Pencil for Project Visuals"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

7/10

September 2, 2019

Designed a small app for android using kivy/python base. Easy to use! Very nice and extensive template library .. more than I would need.

Pros

Very easy to use, nice format and good functions ... I'm only using this for GUI design and interaction definitions.

Cons

Difficult to control or specify canvas size .. printing functions do not allow resizing of canvas to allow printing of specific areas of the design. Maybe I'm missing something here but the documentation is focused upon developers and not users so much.

Reasons for choosing Pencil Project

I was looking for a low cost designer tool to help visualize my project .. this was perfect except for the canvas sizing wart.

Review source

Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

Max P.

Manager, Professional Services & IT

Computer Software

### "Great, free way to generate quick UI mockups"

4.0

Overall Rating

4.0

4.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

3.0

3.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

May 7, 2019

If you need to get a quick UI design out, this is a good option. However, it has not been kept up to date since 2013 so the mockups are not up to date with the latest UI trends. You will not want to share your mockups with a customer, but can be used to spread ideas internally.

Pros

This product is free and available on many different operating systems (Mac, Windows, Linux). It has a short learning curve and is very easy to get up to speed with.

Cons

It does feel a bit dated now for iOS application mockups. The latest stencils/templates are from ~2013 so the iOS designs are dated. Also the Windows templates are old as well.

Alternatives considered

[Balsamiq](https://www.capterra.com/p/145723/Balsamiq-Mockups/)

Reasons for choosing Pencil Project

Pencil Project is free so was easier to get going with.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

FC T.

Product Lead: Fulfillment

Retail

### "One of the best mockup tools around"

5.0

Overall Rating

5.0

5.0

Ease of Use

5.0

5.0

Features

5.0

5.0

Customer Service

0.0

0.0

Likelihood to Recommend

9/10

April 21, 2019

Pros

Not the most feature-rich or easiest mockup tool around, but boy does it make up for it by being open source. No free trials or elapsed subscriptions, no budget approvals, no limitations on the number of mockups or the people you can share it with. Just download, install and do mockups.

Cons

Could be easier to use and it should be able to hook up to a more extensive online shapes library. But honestly, if you need more then graduate to other apps. Just know that whatever you do in Pencil will always be accessible.

Review source

Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication.

[View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/176481/Pencil-Project/reviews/)

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Independent research methodology

Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology.

[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/)

How Capterra verifies reviews

Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI.

[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/)

How Capterra ensures transparency

Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website.

[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)