Maze vs Penpot (2024 Comparison)
Maze offers a comprehensive suite of user testing features, making it a favorite among UX designers. Its seamless integrations and reliable support ensure a smooth workflow for teams.
- Comprehensive user testing features
- Seamless design tool integrations
- Reliable customer support
- Limited design system capabilities
- Requires internet connection
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$99 per month
Penpot is an open-source design platform with advanced prototyping features. Its real-time collaboration capabilities make it a powerful tool for creative teams.
- Open-source and free to use
- Advanced prototyping features
- Real-time collaboration
- Limited customer support
- Steeper learning curve
Free plan?
YesStarting price
$175 per monthWhat is Maze?
Maze is a user testing platform that empowers teams to collect actionable insights from real users. It allows you to create tests, surveys, and prototypes to validate ideas and improve user experiences. With Maze, you can quickly gather feedback, iterate on designs, and make data-driven decisions. It's a tool that seamlessly integrates with design tools, making it a favorite among UX designers and product teams. Whether you're a startup or a large enterprise, Maze helps you understand user behavior and preferences, ensuring your product meets user needs effectively.
What is Penpot?
Penpot is an open-source design and prototyping platform that caters to designers and developers alike. It offers a collaborative environment where teams can create, share, and iterate on designs in real-time. Penpot's flexibility and compatibility with various design tools make it a versatile choice for creative teams. It supports vector graphics, interactive prototypes, and design systems, enabling seamless collaboration across different roles. Whether you're working on web, mobile, or any digital product, Penpot provides the tools you need to bring your ideas to life efficiently.
Pros and Cons of Maze vs Penpot
Pros & Cons of Maze
- Maze offers a wide range of user testing features that allow teams to gather actionable insights from real users. Its intuitive interface and seamless integrations make it a favorite among UX designers.
- Maze integrates effortlessly with popular design tools, allowing for a smooth workflow. This makes it easy for teams to incorporate user feedback into their design process.
- Maze provides reliable customer support, ensuring that users can get help when needed. This is particularly important for teams that rely on the tool for critical user insights.
- While Maze offers some design system features, it may not be as robust as other tools focused on design. Teams looking for comprehensive design system capabilities may need to look elsewhere.
- Maze requires an internet connection to function, which may be a limitation for teams working in areas with unreliable connectivity. Offline capabilities would enhance its usability.
Pros & Cons of Penpot
- Penpot is an open-source platform, making it a cost-effective choice for teams looking for a free design tool. Its community-driven approach ensures continuous improvement and innovation.
- Penpot offers advanced prototyping features, allowing teams to create interactive and dynamic prototypes. Its support for vector graphics and design systems enhances its appeal.
- Penpot's real-time collaboration capabilities make it a standout choice for teams. Its ability to work seamlessly with other design tools enhances team productivity and creativity.
- Being an open-source platform, Penpot may not offer the same level of customer support as commercial tools. However, its community-driven approach provides a different kind of assistance.
- Penpot's feature-rich environment may require a bit more time to get accustomed to, especially for those new to design tools. A steeper learning curve may be a consideration for some teams.
Maze vs Penpot: At A Glance
Value to Price
Maze offers a comprehensive suite of features that provide excellent value for its price. Its ability to integrate with various design tools and gather actionable insights makes it a cost-effective choice for teams. Penpot, being open-source, offers great value for those looking for a free design tool with robust features. However, Maze's advanced testing capabilities give it an edge for teams focused on user research.
Ease of Use
Maze is designed with user-friendliness in mind, making it easy for teams to set up tests and gather insights without a steep learning curve. Penpot, while feature-rich, may require a bit more time to get accustomed to, especially for those new to design tools. If you're looking for a tool that's quick to learn and implement, Maze might be the better choice.
Functionality
Both Maze and Penpot offer a wide range of functionalities. Maze excels in user testing and feedback collection, making it ideal for teams focused on user experience. Penpot, on the other hand, shines in design and prototyping, offering features like vector graphics and interactive prototypes. If your primary need is user testing, Maze is the way to go, but for design and prototyping, Penpot is a strong contender.
Scalability
Maze is built to scale with your team, offering features that grow with your needs. Its ability to handle large volumes of user feedback makes it suitable for enterprises. Penpot, while scalable, is more suited for small to medium-sized teams looking for a collaborative design tool. If scalability is a priority, Maze offers more robust solutions.
Integrations
Maze integrates seamlessly with popular design tools, allowing for a smooth workflow. This makes it a favorite among teams that rely on multiple tools for their design and testing processes. Penpot, while offering integrations, may not have the same breadth as Maze. If integrations are crucial to your workflow, Maze provides more options.
Customer Support
Maze offers reliable customer support, ensuring that users can get help when needed. This is particularly important for teams that rely on the tool for critical user insights. Penpot, being open-source, may not offer the same level of support, but its community-driven approach provides a different kind of assistance. If dedicated support is important to you, Maze is the better choice.
Security
Maze prioritizes security, ensuring that user data is protected at all times. This is crucial for teams handling sensitive information. Penpot also offers security features, but Maze's focus on data protection gives it an edge. If security is a top concern, Maze provides more comprehensive solutions.
Maze vs Penpot: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features
User Testing
Maze excels in user testing, providing a platform where you can easily create tests and gather insights from real users. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to set up and analyze results, which is crucial for making data-driven decisions. Penpot, while offering some testing capabilities, is more focused on design and prototyping. If user testing is a priority for you, Maze is the better choice.
Prototyping
Penpot shines in prototyping, offering a range of tools to create interactive and dynamic prototypes. Its support for vector graphics and design systems makes it a powerful tool for designers. Maze, while offering prototyping features, is more focused on user testing. If your primary need is prototyping, Penpot provides more robust solutions.
Collaboration
Both Maze and Penpot offer collaboration features, but Penpot's real-time collaboration capabilities make it a standout choice for teams. Its ability to work seamlessly with other design tools enhances team productivity. Maze, while offering collaboration features, is more focused on user testing. If collaboration is key for your team, Penpot is the way to go.
Design Systems
Penpot offers robust design system capabilities, allowing teams to create and manage design components efficiently. This is particularly useful for maintaining consistency across projects. Maze, while offering some design system features, is more focused on user testing. If design systems are a priority, Penpot provides more comprehensive solutions.
Feedback Collection
Maze excels in feedback collection, providing tools to gather and analyze user insights effectively. Its integration with design tools makes it easy to incorporate feedback into the design process. Penpot, while offering some feedback features, is more focused on design and prototyping. If feedback collection is crucial for your team, Maze is the better choice.
Vector Graphics
Penpot offers advanced vector graphics capabilities, making it a powerful tool for designers. Its support for interactive prototypes and design systems enhances its appeal. Maze, while offering some vector graphics features, is more focused on user testing. If vector graphics are important to your design process, Penpot provides more robust solutions.
Pricing Comparison of Maze and Penpot
We’ve compiled the pricing tables and highlighted the key features of both Maze and Penpot to aid in your decision-making process. Let’s explore what each platform has to offer.
Maze Pricing Plans
- Up to 7 blocks for comprehensive usability testing.
- 1 study per month to kickstart your research journey.
- 5 seats to collaborate with your team.
- Ideal for individuals starting with usability testing.
- AI question rephrasing to enhance survey quality.
- Conditional logic for dynamic survey paths.
- PRO templates for professional-grade research.
- CSV export for data analysis and reporting.
- Open card sorting for user-centric information architecture.
- Tree testing for evaluating site structure.
- Variant Comparison for A/B testing and optimization.
- Advanced panel targeting criteria for precise participant selection.
Penpot Pricing Plans
- Unlimited designers and developers for collaborative projects.
- Hosted on penpot.app or self-host for flexibility.
- Community supported for shared knowledge and assistance.
- No hidden fees ensuring transparent usage.
- One subscription covers entire team regardless of size.
- Yearly pricing option available for cost savings.
- Hosted on penpot.app for easy access and management.
- Unlimited design power for medium-sized teams.
- Single sign-on and two-factor authentication for secure access.
- Team access controls for managing user permissions.
- Activity logs and analytics for performance tracking.
- Certified builds and enterprise plugins for custom needs.
Our Rating Methodology
We rigorously evaluate each design tool, focusing on key factors like functionality, scalability, and ease of use. By analyzing user reviews and testing features, we ensure our recommendations fit your needs. Each factor is weighted to provide a reliable final rating, helping you make informed decisions.
Maze or Penpot: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?
Choose Maze If You Need ...
- Comprehensive user testing tool
If you are a team focused on gathering actionable user insights, Maze is the ideal choice. Its comprehensive user testing features and seamless integrations make it a favorite among UX designers and product teams.
- Seamless design tool integrations
If you rely on multiple design tools for your workflow, Maze offers seamless integrations that enhance productivity. Its ability to connect with popular design tools ensures a smooth and efficient process.
Choose Penpot If You Need ...
- Advanced prototyping capabilities
If your primary need is creating interactive and dynamic prototypes, Penpot is the way to go. Its advanced prototyping features and support for vector graphics make it a powerful tool for designers.
- Real-time collaboration
If collaboration is key for your team, Penpot's real-time collaboration capabilities make it a standout choice. Its ability to work seamlessly with other design tools enhances team productivity and creativity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool is better for user testing, Maze or Penpot?
Is Penpot suitable for large teams?
Does Maze offer real-time collaboration?
Can Penpot handle complex design systems?
Is Maze more secure than Penpot?
Which tool offers better customer support, Maze or Penpot?
Anastasia Belyh
Anastasia Belyh is a senior tech writer with over 15 years of experience in marketing, sales, and business software. Having worked in investment banking, management consulting, and founded multiple companies, her in-depth knowledge and hands-on expertise make her software reviews authoritative, trustworthy, and highly practical for business decision-makers.
