Penpot vs Sketch

Agent ops

1. ai-native userAn agent can create or modify designs programmatically — through a write-capable API, plugin surface, or MCP tools — not just read them

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialprobed6/10

   Penpot has a documented MCP server explicitly for connecting AI agents/LLMs to design files, plus a plugin API and integrations API with access to objects/properties, suggesting agents can both read and modify designs programmatically. However, MCP docs emphasize agents 'reading and interacting with' design files for high-fidelity artifacts, and no independent/hands-on evidence confirms write operations via MCP or API actually work reliably, and openapi/spec probes 404'd. Missing for 10: concrete documented write/create examples via MCP or API, independent verification of agent-driven design edits, and a working OpenAPI spec.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot MCP server to your trusted AI agent. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullclaimed8/10

   Sketch documents multiple write-capable programmatic surfaces: an official JavaScript Plugin API for creating/modifying designs, sketchtool CLI, sketch:// URL scheme for workflow integration, and explicit MCP support letting any MCP-compatible AI client connect to Sketch, including AI features that build out whole frames/pages from a repo. This goes beyond read-only inspection (which is the separate developer-handoff feature) into actual design creation/modification via agent tooling. Missing for 10: independent hands-on verification that MCP tools can actually write/modify designs (evidence is vendor-only), and no detailed spec of exposed MCP tool actions.

   • [claimed-docs] “Write a Sketch plugin in JavaScript. Take advantage of ES6, access macOS frameworks and use the Sketch APIs without learning Objective-C or …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Try the Sketch JavaScript API now, directly within Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Take any frame in Sketch and build it out in code with 1:1 visual fidelity.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userAn agent can render and export designs — screenshots, images, or production formats — through a documented programmatic surface

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialprobed5/10

   Penpot documents an MCP server and plugin/integrations API that give agents structured access to design objects and mentions 'external rendering' as a use case (penpot-docs-3, penpot-docs-32), and design data can be exported to open formats like SVG/CSS/HTML (penpot-docs-21). However, there is no concrete documented endpoint or workflow for producing screenshots/images/production export files programmatically, no OpenAPI spec was found (404s in penpot-probe-2), and one community report describes limited export options (single-layer only) in hands-on use (penpot-comm-5). missing for 10: an explicit documented render/export API or endpoint (PNG/PDF/JPG) usable by an agent, a working OpenAPI/schema reference, and independent confirmation that MCP/plugin API can actually produce exported artifacts.

   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [community] “Maybe I'm using it wrong... when I tried Penpot about a year ago, I had no way to export the diagram as one file like PDF or JPG. I could on…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullprobed7/10

   Sketch documents `sketchtool`, a command-line tool explicitly for creating/exporting assets programmatically, plus an official JavaScript plugin API and 'integrate into workflows and server applications' language, giving agents a documented surface to render/export designs; MCP support further lets AI clients drive Sketch. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on verification of sketchtool's export formats and no explicit mention of headless/server rendering outside macOS, and no OpenAPI/REST surface was found (probe 404s).

   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userMy coding agent can pull real design context — frames, variables, screenshots, component mappings — through an MCP server or API to implement the design

   weight 3 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialprobed6/10

   Penpot documents an official MCP server that lets any AI agent connect to design files, described as exposing design as code so agents can 'read and interact with your design files' and access objects/properties for external rendering, plus separate docs on components, design tokens, and design-system alignment (penpot-docs-1,18,27,31,32,3,33,11). However, no evidence explicitly confirms screenshot export or an explicit frame/variable/component mapping schema via the MCP itself, and there is no independent/hands-on report validating the MCP server's real-world behavior (only first-party docs, plus unrelated community comments about general app performance). Missing for 10: independent verification of MCP server functioning as described, explicit mention of screenshot/visual context retrieval, and concrete component-mapping API examples.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “A component is a layer or group of layers that can be reused multiple times across files. This can help you maintain consistency across a gr…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Design Tokens - Make design decisions that align designers and developers' workflows.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullclaimed7/10

   Sketch's own docs explicitly describe an MCP server integration ('Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch') that lets an AI client pull frames and recreate text styles, colors, UI components and pages, then build them out in code with 1:1 visual fidelity — directly matching the story's design-context-to-implementation workflow. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on verification of the MCP server actually working, explicit mention of pulling 'variables' or raw screenshots through the API, and any third-party corroboration beyond vendor marketing pages.

   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Take any frame in Sketch and build it out in code with 1:1 visual fidelity.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Agent access

1. ai-native userPoint an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot✓fullprobed8/10

   Penpot publishes an actual llms.txt at penpot.app/llms.txt with structured content (design tokens, plugin marketplace stats, Figma comparison) as cited in penpot-docs-16 and penpot-docs-24, plus extensive agent-oriented docs for its MCP server (penpot-docs-1, 18, 19, 27, 31, 32, 39) explicitly aimed at AI agents. missing for 10: an independent probe directly confirming penpot.app/llms.txt resolves (the probe only tested the unrelated help.penpot.app subdomain and got 404), and no third-party corroboration that agents successfully consume this file.

   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot vs Figma: Open-source alternative with self-hosting, unlimited files, native design tokens.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins (113+): Community plugin marketplace with accessibility, code, AI, and design system tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://help.penpot.app/llms.txt”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullprobed8/10

   Sketch actually publishes an llms.txt file that returns HTTP 200 and serves a structured docs index for agent consumption (getting-started, prototyping, developer-handoff, workspace docs), confirmed by both docs listing and a runtime probe. Missing for 10: no evidence of broader agent-oriented markdown mirrors (the /docs/.md probe 404s) or an OpenAPI/machine-readable schema beyond llms.txt.

   • [claimed-docs] “Learn how Single Sign-On (SSO) and SCIM provisioning work in Sketch, and find step-by-step guides to get set up.”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 200 at https://www.sketch.com/llms.txt # Sketch ## Docs - [Getting started](https://www.sketch.com/docs/getting-start…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-07): https://www.sketch.com/llms.txt served a full docs index ('# Sketch') for agent consumption, covering g…”
   • [probe] “PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://www.sketch.com/docs/.md”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userRun the product headlessly / in CI for automation

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot~partialclaimed5/10

   Penpot ships self-host/Docker/Kubernetes deployment, access-token API auth, outbound webhooks, and a self-hostable MCP server, all of which could underpin automated/CI-driven workflows, but there is no explicit documentation of a headless mode, CLI, or CI pipeline usage. missing for 10: explicit headless/CI-mode documentation, CLI tooling, independent evidence of running Penpot in a CI pipeline.

   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy with docker compose... Use Kubernetes in its different flavors: Deploy the official Helm Chart”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can set up an instance of Penpot in just 3 minutes!”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity5/10

   Sketch documents a command-line tool (`sketchtool`) for scripted asset creation and claims it can integrate 'into your workflows and server applications, on any platform,' which points at CI/headless automation use. However, this is only first-party doc language with no independent verification, and community evidence confirms Sketch itself is strictly Mac-native and the vendor has refused Windows/Linux support, undercutting the 'any platform' claim. Missing for 10: independent CI/automation examples or case studies, clarity on macOS-only runtime requirements for sketchtool, and confirmation of non-interactive/headless execution in real pipelines.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [community] “It's not just their commitment to Desktop, but their commitment specifically to not move off MacOS where they have stated that they 'will no…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userPlug MCP servers into this product so it can use their tools

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed3/10

   Penpot's docs mention connecting to another product's MCP server ('Migrate your designs into Penpot by connecting Figma's and Penpot's MCPs') implying Penpot can act as an MCP client to import tool-provided data, but the vast majority of MCP evidence describes Penpot instead exposing its OWN MCP server for agents to connect to (the reverse relationship), not Penpot consuming arbitrary external MCP servers' tools. Missing for 10: documentation of a general-purpose MCP client/connector UI in Penpot, a list of supported external MCP servers beyond Figma, and any hands-on/community confirmation that this client-side integration works.

   • [claimed-docs] “Migrate your designs into Penpot by connecting Figma’s and Penpot’s MCPs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Migrate your designs into Penpot by connecting Figma's and Penpot's MCPs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   Evidence only shows Sketch acting as an MCP *server* that external AI clients (e.g. Claude, Cursor) can connect to and use Sketch's own tools (sketch-docs-18, sketch-docs-34) — the reverse of the story, which asks whether Sketch itself can plug in external MCP servers to consume their tools. No documentation or community evidence indicates Sketch can act as an MCP client consuming third-party tool servers.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userConnect an agent via an official MCP server

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullprobed8/10

   Penpot documents an official MCP server (agnostic, self-hostable, connects to any AI agent/LLM) with dedicated marketing/docs pages and a probe confirming the page exists. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on third-party confirmation that the MCP server works reliably in practice, and technical setup/API reference details beyond marketing copy.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot MCP server to your trusted AI agent. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullclaimed7/10

   Sketch documents that users can connect any MCP-compatible AI client to Sketch itself, positioning Sketch as an MCP server that AI agents can plug into, with no extra tiers or tokens required. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on verification that the MCP connection works reliably, and detailed technical docs on the server's capabilities/setup beyond marketing copy.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

5. ai-native userUse an official CLI

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   Evidence covers Penpot's MCP server, plugin API, webhooks, and REST access tokens, but there is no mention of an official CLI tool for interacting with Penpot as an AI-native workflow interface. The MCP server is a distinct integration mechanism, not a CLI.

   ⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed6/10

   Sketch ships an official CLI, `sketchtool`, documented for asset creation and integration into workflows/server applications on any platform, which agentic/AI tools could invoke. However, there's no evidence this CLI is positioned or extended for AI-native agent workflows specifically (no mention of AI agents using sketchtool, no JSON/agent-friendly output specs, and MCP support is a separate non-CLI integration). Missing for 10: agent-oriented CLI documentation, examples of AI/agent usage of sketchtool, independent hands-on confirmation of its use in automated pipelines.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows with the `sketch://` URL scheme.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use the Sketch Plugin Manager `skpm` to publish a new plugin or an update of an existing one.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

6. ai-native userDrive the product through a documented public API

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullprobed8/10

   Penpot documents a public API with access tokens for authentication, outbound webhooks, an open plugin API, and a dedicated MCP server explicitly designed to let any AI agent/LLM read and manipulate design files programmatically. This directly matches the ai-native 'documented public API' story, with self-hosting options adding control. Missing for 10: no discoverable OpenAPI/swagger spec (probes returned 404s) and no independent/hands-on verification of the API's completeness beyond vendor docs.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullprobed7/10

   Sketch documents an official vanilla JavaScript plugin API 'fully supported between releases', a CLI (`sketchtool`), a `sketch://` URL scheme for workflow/server integration, and explicit MCP support so any MCP-compatible AI client can connect and drive Sketch — directly matching the AI-native/agentic story. However there's no REST/HTTP API or OpenAPI spec (probe shows 404s for openapi/swagger endpoints), and the API is tied to the Mac app/plugin ecosystem rather than a cloud-callable service. Missing for 10: a REST/HTTP or OpenAPI-documented API, and independent hands-on corroboration of AI clients actually driving Sketch via MCP.

   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows with the `sketch://` URL scheme.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

7. ai-native userIssue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agent

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot—none0/10

   Penpot offers access tokens as an alternative login method for API access (penpot-docs-6) and an MCP server for agent connectivity, but there is no evidence of scoped or least-privilege credential issuance (e.g., permission-limited tokens, role-based scopes, or granular API key restrictions) for agents. Missing for 10: scoped/permission-limited token creation, documentation of least-privilege API key options, agent-specific credential management.

   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   Evidence shows MCP connectivity, SSO, SCIM provisioning, and permissions groups, but nothing about issuing scoped or least-privilege API credentials/tokens specifically for agents; permissions groups and SSO are user-level access controls, not credential scoping mechanisms. Missing for 10: any documentation of API tokens, scoped keys, or credential issuance workflow tailored to agent use.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “SCIM provisioning”
   • [claimed-docs] “Permissions groups”
   • [claimed-docs] “Single Sign-On (SSO) * Project archiving * Permissions groups”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

8. ai-native userBuild against official SDKs

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullprobed7/10

   Penpot ships an official, self-hostable MCP server plus an open plugin API, REST API with access-token auth, and webhooks, explicitly marketed for AI agents to build against (penpot-docs-1,3,5,6,19,27,31,32,39). This gives AI-native users concrete official SDK/API surfaces to integrate with, though there's no independent hands-on validation of the MCP server and the OpenAPI spec could not be located (probe 404s), missing for 10: independent developer confirmation of MCP/plugin SDK reliability, discoverable machine-readable OpenAPI/llms.txt spec.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Our plugin system brings the flexibility that devs need to create and publish their own custom extensions.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot MCP server to your trusted AI agent. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialprobed6/10

   Sketch publishes an official vanilla JavaScript API, a CLI (sketchtool), plugin manager (skpm), and a documented sketch:// URL scheme for integrating into workflows and server apps, which constitute genuine official SDKs/APIs. However, there's no OpenAPI spec, no REST API, and probes confirm no openapi.json exists; the AI-native story is mostly served via MCP connectivity rather than a broad official SDK ecosystem. Missing for 10: a formal REST/OpenAPI API, multi-language SDKs beyond JS, and independent developer corroboration of building production integrations against these SDKs.

   • [claimed-docs] “Write a Sketch plugin in JavaScript. Take advantage of ES6, access macOS frameworks and use the Sketch APIs without learning Objective-C or …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Try the Sketch JavaScript API now, directly within Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows with the `sketch://` URL scheme.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use the Sketch Plugin Manager `skpm` to publish a new plugin or an update of an existing one.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

9. ai-native userSubscribe to events via webhooks

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullclaimed7/10

   Penpot's docs explicitly describe outbound webhooks that notify external apps of events like file creation/update or comments, directly matching the 'subscribe to events via webhooks' story. Evidence is vendor-documentation only with no independent/hands-on confirmation of webhook delivery or a full list of supported event types. Missing for 10: independent corroboration of webhook triggering/reliability, complete event-type catalogue, and details on webhook subscription management (payload schema, retries, security).

   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   No evidence of Sketch offering webhooks or event subscription mechanisms; the product exposes a plugin API, CLI (sketchtool), URL scheme, and MCP integration for AI clients, but nothing about webhook subscriptions for events. This is a fair axis for a platform with an API/integration ecosystem, so absence of evidence yields 'none'.

   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows with the `sketch://` URL scheme.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Agentic features

1. ai-native userGet AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the product

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialclaimed5/10

   Penpot exposes design data via its MCP server, plugin API, and webhooks so external AI agents can read structured design data and generate outputs (e.g., 'AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts') and the plugin marketplace lists AI tools, but there is no evidence of a built-in, first-party AI feature that proactively surfaces insights or suggestions from a user's own data inside the product itself. Missing for 10: a native in-app AI insight/suggestion feature (vs. only enabling third-party agents via MCP/plugins), and any hands-on/community confirmation that such insights actually work in practice.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot enables plenty of AI workflows, from generating editable design structures to connecting product logic, tokens, and implementation.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins (113+): Community plugin marketplace with accessibility, code, AI, and design system tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed6/10

   Sketch's AI features (docs-14,15,26,27,39) generate suggestions like color palettes, dark-mode variants, layer organization, and placeholder content directly from design data, which counts as AI-generated insights/suggestions inside the product; MCP integration (docs-18,34) also lets AI clients query/act on Sketch data. However, these are largely generative/automation utilities rather than analytic 'insights' about the user's data, and there is no independent/hands-on corroboration of quality or accuracy. missing for 10: independent verification of AI feature accuracy/usefulness, broader insight-generation (e.g., analytics on design usage/trends) beyond visual generation tasks, and clearer separation of AI-insight vs AI-automation claims.

   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it. An instant color palette, ready to use in your document.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sort, rename, and align layers automatically. Wrangle icon sets, keep Libraries clean, and bring calm to chaotic files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Replace placeholder text across every layer with true-to-life, context-aware content. No more lorem ipsum.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userSet up automations that run autonomously in the background

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed4/10

   Penpot provides building blocks for automation—an MCP server for AI agents, outbound webhooks, and a plugin API—that could underlie background automations, but all documented use cases (prompting an agent, plugin actions) are interactive/triggered rather than autonomous, unattended background processes. Missing for 10: explicit support for scheduled/triggered autonomous agent runs, evidence of agents operating without a live user prompt, and any independent confirmation that MCP/webhook flows work unattended in production.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot enables plenty of AI workflows, from generating editable design structures to connecting product logic, tokens, and implementation.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userDelegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the product

   weight 3 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   Penpot's AI evidence is entirely about an MCP server that lets external AI agents/LLMs connect to Penpot's data (penpot-docs-1, penpot-docs-18, penpot-docs-27, penpot-docs-31, penpot-docs-39), not about a built-in AI assistant embedded in the product itself that users can delegate tasks to. No evidence describes an in-app AI chat/copilot feature within the Penpot UI.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot MCP server to your trusted AI agent. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed4/10

   Sketch.com/ai lists several AI-powered automation features (auto dark-mode conversion, palette generation from a photo, automatic layer renaming/sorting, context-aware placeholder text) that a user can invoke to offload discrete design tasks, which is a form of task delegation. However, these are framed as one-off automated tools rather than a conversational, built-in assistant that takes freeform instructions, and the closest thing to an 'assistant' (docs-16/18/34) actually describes connecting an *external* MCP-compatible AI client to Sketch, not a native in-app assistant. Missing for 10: evidence of a conversational/chat-style built-in assistant, evidence of multi-step task delegation beyond single-purpose generators, and independent hands-on confirmation of these AI features working as described.

   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it. An instant color palette, ready to use in your document.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sort, rename, and align layers automatically. Wrangle icon sets, keep Libraries clean, and bring calm to chaotic files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Replace placeholder text across every layer with true-to-life, context-aware content. No more lorem ipsum.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userOperate the product with natural-language commands

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullprobed7/10

   Penpot ships an official MCP server explicitly designed so any AI agent/LLM can 'prompt away' to read and manipulate design files expressed as code, directly enabling natural-language operation, backed by plugin API and access tokens for automation. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on evidence of the MCP server actually working end-to-end in practice (community comments only cover general UI/performance, not the AI/MCP workflow specifically).

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot MCP server to your trusted AI agent. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed6/10

   Sketch documents AI features (auto dark-mode conversion, color palette generation, layer renaming, placeholder text replacement) and explicit MCP-client connectivity so 'any MCP-compatible AI client' can drive design tasks, implying natural-language-driven operation via an external agent. However there is no first-party evidence of an in-app chat/command interface where a user directly types natural-language instructions to Sketch itself — the AI capabilities are either fixed one-click features or routed through external MCP clients. Missing for 10: a native in-app natural-language command interface, hands-on/independent verification that MCP-driven natural-language commands actually work end-to-end.

   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Replace placeholder text across every layer with true-to-life, context-aware content. No more lorem ipsum.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sort, rename, and align layers automatically. Wrangle icon sets, keep Libraries clean, and bring calm to chaotic files.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Api quality

1. ai-native userExplore an interactive API reference with runnable examples

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   Evidence describes integrations-api, plugin system, and MCP server, but there is no interactive API reference with runnable examples; probes explicitly found no OpenAPI/swagger spec or llms.txt documentation endpoint (404s), and no mention of interactive docs/sandbox exists.

   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://help.penpot.app/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialprobed3/10

   Sketch documents a JavaScript plugin API and invites developers to 'Try the Sketch JavaScript API now, directly within Sketch,' suggesting some interactive API exploration, but there is no evidence of a full interactive reference with runnable code examples (OpenAPI/swagger probes all 404, no dedicated API-explorer docs found). missing for 10: dedicated interactive API reference UI, runnable code examples/sandbox, OpenAPI/swagger spec, independent confirmation of the 'try now' feature.

   • [claimed-docs] “Try the Sketch JavaScript API now, directly within Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userDownload a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent)

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot—none0/10

   While Penpot documents a general integrations API, access tokens, webhooks, and an MCP server, there is no evidence of a downloadable OpenAPI/Swagger spec; direct probes for openapi.json/swagger.json/llms.txt all returned 404s, indicating no machine-readable API spec is published.

   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://help.penpot.app/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   Direct probing found no OpenAPI/Swagger spec at any standard location (all candidates 404), and no docs reference a machine-readable API spec; Sketch offers a JS plugin API and MCP integration but no downloadable OpenAPI-equivalent.

   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userTest against a sandbox environment without touching production data

   weight 1 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed4/10

   Penpot has no dedicated 'sandbox' or 'test environment' feature, but its self-hosting capability (docker-compose/Kubernetes deployment, MCP server deployable in your own environment) means an AI-native user could spin up an isolated instance separate from production to test agent workflows. This is an indirect workaround rather than a purpose-built sandbox/staging mode. Missing for 10: an explicit sandbox/staging environment feature, documented separation of test vs production data within the same account, and any first-party guidance on safely testing AI agents against non-production data.

   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can set up an instance of Penpot in just 3 minutes!”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

4. ai-native userRely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policy

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot—none0/10

   Evidence documents an API, plugin system, and MCP server, but there is no mention of API versioning or a documented deprecation policy anywhere in the docs; probes for OpenAPI/llms.txt spec files return 404, and no changelog or versioning policy is cited. Missing for 10: any documented API version scheme, deprecation notices, or changelog governing breaking changes.

   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://help.penpot.app/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   Sketch exposes a JavaScript plugin API, sketchtool CLI, and MCP integration, and claims the JS API is 'fully supported between releases' (sketch-docs-44), but there is no documented API versioning scheme or deprecation policy — probes for OpenAPI specs return 404 and no changelog/deprecation docs are present in the evidence pack.

   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Ai

1. designerBuilt-in AI handles asset chores — image generation, background removal, content-aware fills, copy suggestions — inside the editor

   weight 1 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   Penpot's AI evidence is entirely about an MCP server for connecting external AI agents/LLMs to structured design data, plus a generic plugin marketplace mention of 'AI tools' — there is no evidence of built-in editor features like image generation, background removal, content-aware fill, or copy suggestions happening inside Penpot itself. The axis is fair for a design tool (competitors ship such features), but nothing in the pack shows Penpot delivering it natively.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect Penpot with any AI agent, any LLM. Penpot MCP server is agnostic and enables high-quality multi-directional AI workflows through our…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot connects any AI agent with structured design. Automate tedious tasks, streamline your processes between apps, and build truly powerfu…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins (113+): Community plugin marketplace with accessibility, code, AI, and design system tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot enables plenty of AI workflows, from generating editable design structures to connecting product logic, tokens, and implementation.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed5/10

   Sketch's AI features (sketch-docs-14,15,26,27,39) cover contextual copy replacement, automatic layer organization, dark-mode conversion, and color-palette extraction from a photo, and it can connect to MCP AI clients for code generation—but there is no evidence of built-in image generation or background removal tools. missing for 10: image generation, background/foreground removal, content-aware fill (beyond text), independent hands-on verification of AI feature quality.

   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it. An instant color palette, ready to use in your document.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sort, rename, and align layers automatically. Wrangle icon sets, keep Libraries clean, and bring calm to chaotic files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Replace placeholder text across every layer with true-to-life, context-aware content. No more lorem ipsum.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. designerGenerate or edit designs from a natural-language prompt — first drafts, layouts, or full mockups the tool actually produces

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialprobed5/10

   Penpot's docs describe an official MCP server that lets external AI agents/LLMs read and interact with Penpot files to 'generate editable design structures' and 'create high-fidelity artifacts' from prompts (penpot-docs-31, penpot-docs-32, penpot-docs-40), which supports the story's intent of prompt-driven design generation. However, this is achieved only via connecting a third-party AI agent through MCP rather than a native in-app 'type a prompt, get a mockup' feature, and there is no independent/hands-on evidence confirming actual generated layouts or mockups working in practice. Missing for 10: first-party demo/screenshots of actual generated designs, independent hands-on reports validating the MCP-to-mockup pipeline, and a native in-app generation UI not dependent on external agent setup.

   • [claimed-docs] “Choose your agent, connect to Penpot MCP and prompt away!”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot enables plenty of AI workflows, from generating editable design structures to connecting product logic, tokens, and implementation.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect it to any AI agent or LLM you trust. Customize your models and design infrastructure however works best for your team.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed4/10

   Sketch's AI page describes narrow, tool-specific AI features (auto light/dark mode conversion, photo-to-palette, code-to-design 1:1 fidelity, placeholder text replacement, layer auto-organization, and MCP-client integration to 'recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages') rather than an open natural-language prompt that a designer types to generate an original first-draft layout or mockup from scratch. This is closer to targeted AI utilities layered onto existing designs than a general prompt-to-mockup generator. Missing for 10: evidence of a text-box/chat interface where a designer types a free-form prompt (e.g. 'design a pricing page') and Sketch outputs an original layout/mockup, and any hands-on or independent verification of AI generation quality.

   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Take any frame in Sketch and build it out in code with 1:1 visual fidelity.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it. An instant color palette, ready to use in your document.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sort, rename, and align layers automatically. Wrangle icon sets, keep Libraries clean, and bring calm to chaotic files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Replace placeholder text across every layer with true-to-life, context-aware content. No more lorem ipsum.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userPerform bulk operations across many items at once

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot!disputedcontradicted5/10

   Penpot's API/plugin/MCP layer gives extensive access to objects and properties and lets agents 'automate tedious tasks' across files (penpot-docs-2, penpot-docs-3, penpot-docs-32), which implies scriptable bulk edits, but no documentation specifically demonstrates a bulk-operation workflow (e.g., batch renaming/restyling hundreds of layers). Independent hands-on reports directly contradict smooth handling of many items: performance 'starts dropping rapidly once you approach around 1000 layers' versus design systems that run 10-40k layers (penpot-comm-19), and users report crashes/lag with just a few pages of content (penpot-comm-10, penpot-comm-16). Missing for 10: a documented bulk-edit API/plugin example, benchmarks showing many-item operations succeed at scale, and resolution of the reported performance degradation.

   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot connects any AI agent with structured design. Automate tedious tasks, streamline your processes between apps, and build truly powerfu…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [community] “Currently Penpot's performance starts dropping rapidly once you approach around 1000 layers. Most robust design systems I see run around 10-…”
   • [community] “Unstable, very crash prone with just a few users designing 10 plus pages. And a huge memory hog too. I run it on Dedicated server with 64GB …”
   • [community] “I want to like penpot, but on even my beefiest computers it causes the whole system to slow to a crawl when opening anything complex.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed5/10

   Sketch's AI features include layer-level bulk actions (auto sort/rename/align layers, replacing placeholder text across every layer, swapping light/dark components) and its CLI/plugin API (`sketchtool`, JS API) allow scripted operations across assets, which supports some automation-at-scale. However, there's no evidence of explicit multi-document/multi-project bulk operations or a documented batch API for large-scale item processing beyond within-document layers. Missing for 10: cross-file/cross-project batch operations, explicit bulk API endpoints, and independent verification of scale performance.

   • [claimed-docs] “Sort, rename, and align layers automatically. Wrangle icon sets, keep Libraries clean, and bring calm to chaotic files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Replace placeholder text across every layer with true-to-life, context-aware content. No more lorem ipsum.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userDefine rules that trigger actions automatically on events

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed3/10

   Penpot's outbound webhooks fire on events (file created/updated, comment added) which is a basic event-trigger mechanism, and the MCP/plugin API lets external agents react to design changes, but there is no evidence of a rules engine or conditional logic layer where users define custom trigger conditions and automated actions within Penpot itself. missing for 10: rule-definition UI/config (conditions, filters, action chains), documented automation recipes, evidence of in-app if/then automation beyond simple webhook event notification.

   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Our plugin system brings the flexibility that devs need to create and publish their own custom extensions.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userVersion, review, and roll back my automations

   weight 1 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   Penpot's evidence covers MCP/AI agent integration, webhooks, and plugins for automation, but there is no evidence of any mechanism to version, review, or roll back these automations themselves (e.g., automation history, audit trail, or undo for agent-driven actions). Component 'restore main' (docs-23) is a design-object rollback, not an automation/workflow rollback feature.

   ⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed4/10

   Sketch offers document-level version history via 'starred versions' that lets you track changes, control which versions are visible/published, and effectively roll back to prior states, which could cover AI-generated design changes; but there is no evidence of a dedicated 'automation' concept (e.g., saved AI workflows/scripts) with its own versioning, diff/review, or rollback mechanism distinct from general document history. missing for 10: evidence of versioning/rollback specifically for AI-generated automations/workflows (not just document snapshots), a review/diff UI for AI changes, and any audit trail tied to MCP/AI actions.

   • [claimed-docs] “starring a version will publish any changes as a Library update. Any unstarred versions after that won’t become Library updates.”
   • [claimed-docs] “When you star a version in a Library document, anyone using that Library will receive a Library update.”
   • [claimed-docs] “With starred versions, you can indicate important updates in a document's history, set which versions Viewers and Guests can see”
   • [claimed-docs] “With starred versions, you can indicate important updates in a document’s history, set which versions Viewers and Guests can see, and contro…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Collaboration

1. product managerComment directly on designs, mention teammates, and resolve threads so review happens in the file, not in email

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed2/10

   The only evidence touching commenting is a passing mention that webhooks fire when 'a comment has been added,' which confirms Penpot has some in-file commenting feature but gives no detail on @mentions or resolving threads. missing for 10: documentation or hands-on evidence of @mention functionality, thread resolution UI, and any community confirmation that review workflows actually replace email in practice.

   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Outbound webhooks are event calls from Penpot to other applications. They notify that some event occurred, e.g. a file has been created or u…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers developer handoff, prototyping, symbols, versioning, plugins, and AI features, but contains no mention of in-file commenting, @mentions, or thread resolution—core to this collaboration story. Community notes even highlight Sketch's historical lag on real-time collaboration features versus competitors, but nothing confirms comment/mention/resolve functionality exists.

   • [community] “Sketch is great software, well built, but the fact that in late 2020 they still have to write 'And soon, the ability to collaborate in real-…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. designerMy whole team can edit the same file simultaneously with live cursors and instant sync

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot!disputedcontradicted4/10

   Vendor marketing implies real-time team collaboration ("Collaborate freely with unlimited teams") but the evidence pack contains no explicit documentation of live cursors or instant sync mechanics, and multiple hands-on reports describe multiplayer editing as crash-prone or unstable when several users work simultaneously on a file. Missing for 10: first-party docs describing live cursor presence/conflict resolution, latency/sync architecture details, and independent confirmation that simultaneous multi-user editing performs reliably at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “Unlimited Teams - Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [claimed-docs] “No file limits. Create as many as you need within your storage capacity. ... Unlimited Teams. Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [community] “Unstable, very crash prone with just a few users designing 10 plus pages. And a huge memory hog too. I run it on Dedicated server with 64GB …”
   • [community] “I tried to self host penpot a few months ago but the app would crash after a few minutes and not properly show the canvases. So a no for me.”
   • [community] “I really wanted to like penpot, but when I tried a few months ago, simply navigating between pages (even on the example documents) was causi…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack documents live-cursor or simultaneous real-time multiplayer editing in Sketch; the only related community comment explicitly notes that as of late 2020 Sketch still lacked real-time collaboration ('the ability to collaborate in real-time' was still 'soon'), and Figma is cited as having this as its 'killer USP' that Sketch lacks.

   • [community] “Sketch is great software, well built, but the fact that in late 2020 they still have to write 'And soon, the ability to collaborate in real-…”
   • [community] “A browser-based version of Sketch would be huge - this is Figma's killer USP at the moment.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Design systems

1. designerManage design tokens or variables — colors, spacing, typography — with modes or themes applied across designs

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialclaimed4/10

   Penpot explicitly advertises 'Design Tokens' and being a 'native design tokens' tool (penpot-docs-33, penpot-docs-13, penpot-docs-16), which directly supports token management for design-system alignment, but the evidence is only marketing tagline text with no detail on how modes/themes, multiple token sets, or per-property (color/spacing/typography) switching actually work. Components with linked instances (penpot-docs-11, penpot-docs-22) support consistency but aren't tokens/modes specifically, and no community/hands-on evidence corroborates the tokens feature's real-world robustness. Missing for 10: detailed documentation of token modes/themes switching, per-property (color/spacing/typography) token examples, and independent/hands-on confirmation that the tokens feature works as described.

   • [claimed-docs] “Design Tokens - Make design decisions that align designers and developers' workflows.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Make design decisions that align designers and developers' workflows.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot vs Figma: Open-source alternative with self-hosting, unlimited files, native design tokens.”
   • [claimed-docs] “A component is a layer or group of layers that can be reused multiple times across files. This can help you maintain consistency across a gr…”
   • [claimed-docs] “All component copies used in a file are linked in a way that updates made to the Main component can reflect in their component copies.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity5/10

   Sketch supports reusable Styles and Symbols for colors, text, and components across designs, and its AI features can generate named color variables and swap light/dark mode components automatically, giving some token/theme-like behavior. However, there is no evidence of a first-class 'variables with modes' system (e.g., defining semantic tokens with multiple named modes/themes applied project-wide) comparable to dedicated design-token tooling. Missing for 10: explicit variables/tokens feature with mode switching across spacing/typography, first-party documentation of a mode system, and independent hands-on confirmation of theme application at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “When you make changes to a Symbol, those changes appear everywhere you use it in your designs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Switch light mode components for their dark mode counterparts — all without making a single manual swap.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drop in a photo and get a full set of named color variables that complement it. An instant color palette, ready to use in your document.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Symbols can speed up your workflow by giving you a way to save and reuse common elements across your designs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Symbols can speed up your workflow by giving you a way to save and reuse common elements across your designs. When you make changes to a Sym…”
   • [community] “Sketch is great as a design system manager. It's not all that great as a sketching tool (in spite of the name) and is a terrible photo edito…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. designerBuild reusable components with variants and per-instance overrides that stay linked to their source

   weight 3 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialcommunity5/10

   Docs confirm reusable components with main/copy linkage that propagates updates (docs-11,22,23,35) and mention 'variants' as an extension (docs-41), but per-instance override mechanics are never detailed, and hands-on community feedback explicitly flags that variants/states handling is 'not on Figma's level yet' and components can feel 'difficult to handle' (penpot-comm-1, penpot-comm-9). missing for 10: documented per-instance override workflow, detailed variant creation/management docs, independent confirmation that variant/override linkage works robustly at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “A component is a layer or group of layers that can be reused multiple times across files. This can help you maintain consistency across a gr…”
   • [claimed-docs] “All component copies used in a file are linked in a way that updates made to the Main component can reflect in their component copies.”
   • [claimed-docs] “If a main component has been deleted and you have access to a copy of it, you can use the copy to restore its main.”
   • [claimed-docs] “A component is a layer or group of layers that can be reused multiple times across files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Extend components with variants—simpler to use, easier to control.”
   • [community] “Good: It is a good copy of figma's UI... Bad: In design systems particularly at variants and states of components, it is not on figma's leve…”
   • [community] “I've been toying a little with self hosted Penpot and it was really nice... Penpot was easy to use though it felt a little difficult to hand…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity6/10

   Sketch's Symbols documentation confirms reusable components that stay linked to their source (edits propagate everywhere) and supports nested Symbols for complex structures, and community reviews praise Sketch's DRY, component-based design system workflow. However, the evidence never explicitly documents a 'variants' feature or per-instance overrides (e.g., swappable states/overrides on symbol instances) as Figma-style components do. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of variant properties and per-instance override controls, independent hands-on confirmation of override behavior.

   • [claimed-docs] “When you make changes to a Symbol, those changes appear everywhere you use it in your designs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Nested Symbols give you finer control over complex designs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Symbols can speed up your workflow by giving you a way to save and reuse common elements across your designs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Symbols can speed up your workflow by giving you a way to save and reuse common elements across your designs. When you make changes to a Sym…”
   • [community] “Sketch is great as a design system manager. It's not all that great as a sketching tool (in spite of the name) and is a terrible photo edito…”
   • [community] “It's light, fast, cheap, easy to use and has excellent support for reusable components, making working with design systems a breeze. Adobe h…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. designerShared libraries publish components and styles across files and projects, with controlled updates when the source changes

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialcommunity5/10

   Docs confirm components as reusable linked elements where main-component edits propagate to copies (penpot-docs-22, penpot-docs-23, penpot-docs-35) and design-system features like tokens and variants (penpot-docs-33, penpot-docs-41), but there is no explicit documentation of publishing a library across separate files/projects or how updates propagate cross-project, and community feedback notes design-system/component sophistication lags Figma (penpot-comm-1, penpot-comm-9). missing for 10: explicit shared/library publishing workflow across files and projects, documentation of controlled update/accept-changes flow at library level, independent confirmation of cross-project sync reliability.

   • [claimed-docs] “All component copies used in a file are linked in a way that updates made to the Main component can reflect in their component copies.”
   • [claimed-docs] “If a main component has been deleted and you have access to a copy of it, you can use the copy to restore its main.”
   • [claimed-docs] “A component is a layer or group of layers that can be reused multiple times across files.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Design Tokens - Make design decisions that align designers and developers' workflows.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Extend components with variants—simpler to use, easier to control.”
   • [community] “Good: It is a good copy of figma's UI... Bad: In design systems particularly at variants and states of components, it is not on figma's leve…”
   • [community] “I've been toying a little with self hosted Penpot and it was really nice... Penpot was easy to use though it felt a little difficult to hand…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullcommunity7/10

   Sketch's docs explicitly describe Libraries where starring a version publishes changes as a controlled Library update, letting Editors receive updates while Viewers/Guests see only chosen versions, and Symbols propagate style/component changes across all instances. Community commentary corroborates Sketch's strength as a 'design system manager' built around reusable symbols/libraries. Missing for 10: independent hands-on verification of multi-project library update propagation at scale, and documentation of failure modes/conflicts when libraries diverge.

   • [claimed-docs] “starring a version will publish any changes as a Library update. Any unstarred versions after that won’t become Library updates.”
   • [claimed-docs] “When you star a version in a Library document, anyone using that Library will receive a Library update.”
   • [claimed-docs] “With starred versions, you can indicate important updates in a document's history, set which versions Viewers and Guests can see”
   • [claimed-docs] “With starred versions, you can indicate important updates in a document’s history, set which versions Viewers and Guests can see, and contro…”
   • [claimed-docs] “When you make changes to a Symbol, those changes appear everywhere you use it in your designs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Symbols can speed up your workflow by giving you a way to save and reuse common elements across your designs.”
   • [community] “Sketch is great as a design system manager. It's not all that great as a sketching tool (in spite of the name) and is a terrible photo edito…”
   • [community] “It's light, fast, cheap, easy to use and has excellent support for reusable components, making working with design systems a breeze. Adobe h…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Handoff

1. developerDesigns map to production code — component-to-code mappings or direct design-to-code output I can actually ship

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed6/10

   Penpot documents code-based design representation and an 'Inspect' feature exporting CSS/HTML/SVG/JSON that matches the design (penpot-docs-21/36), plus an MCP server letting AI agents read structured design files to generate implementation artifacts (penpot-docs-32, penpot-docs-40). However, this is inspection/AI-assisted code generation rather than a documented direct component-to-framework code mapping (e.g., to React/Vue components), and no independent/hands-on evidence confirms developers actually shipping this code in production. missing for 10: first-party or community evidence of production-ready component-to-code bindings (framework-specific), and independent verification that generated/inspected code is usable as-is in shipped products.

   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON”
   • [claimed-docs] “In Penpot, design is expressed as code, so AI agents can easily read and interact with your design files creating high-fidelity artifacts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot enables plenty of AI workflows, from generating editable design structures to connecting product logic, tokens, and implementation.”
   • [github] “developers feel at home using Penpot, because design is expressed as code, enabling a direct translation and shipping products faster.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed5/10

   Sketch's AI page claims direct frame-to-code generation with '1:1 visual fidelity' and MCP-based AI client integration, plus browser-based developer handoff for inspecting specs, which together approximate design-to-code output; however this is entirely first-party marketing with no independent hands-on verification of code quality, supported frameworks, or shippability. missing for 10: independent/community confirmation that generated code is production-ready, details on output format/frameworks, and evidence of real-world dev usage of this AI code feature.

   • [claimed-docs] “Take any frame in Sketch and build it out in code with 1:1 visual fidelity.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Point your AI client at a repo to recreate text styles, colors, UI components, and even entire pages inside Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “they won’t even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it all happens in a web browser”
   • [claimed-docs] “any developer can grab the information they need for any part of a design, at any time... they won't even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. developerInspect any layer and get measurements, styles, assets, and code snippets (CSS/iOS/Android) without an editor seat

   weight 3 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialclaimed5/10

   Penpot's docs confirm an inspect feature giving code that matches design (CSS, HTML, SVG, JSON), which covers measurements/styles/code snippets for web, but there is no evidence of iOS/Android-specific code snippet generation, and no explicit documentation confirming that viewers/inspectors can access this without a paid editor seat. missing for 10: iOS/Android code snippet support, explicit seat-free viewer/inspect access confirmation, asset-export detail in inspect mode.

   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON”
   • [claimed-docs] “Unlimited Teams - Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [claimed-docs] “No file limits - Create as many as you need within your storage capacity.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullclaimed8/10

   Sketch's developer handoff docs explicitly confirm free developer invites to inspect designs in-browser without needing the Mac app or a Mac, and note developers can grab measurements/info for any part of a design at any time; code snippet generation (CSS/iOS/Android) is a longstanding Sketch inspector feature implied by 'grab the information they need' though not explicitly enumerated per-platform in this pack. missing for 10: explicit doc citation naming CSS/iOS/Android code snippet export, and independent hands-on confirmation of the inspect panel's snippet output.

   • [claimed-docs] “they won’t even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it all happens in a web browser”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can invite developers to inspect designs in your Workspace for free”
   • [claimed-docs] “any developer can grab the information they need for any part of a design, at any time... they won't even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it …”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can invite developers to inspect designs in your Workspace for free — they won't even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it all happens in a…”
   • [claimed-docs] “any developer can grab the information they need for any part of a design, at any time”
   • [claimed-docs] “they won’t even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it all happens in a web browser.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userDo everything through the API that I can do in the UI

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot~partialprobed5/10

   Penpot documents extensive API/plugin/MCP access (objects and properties, webhooks, access tokens, plugin system) suggesting broad programmatic control, but there's no explicit claim or evidence of full UI/API parity, and probes for an OpenAPI/swagger spec returned 404s, indicating the API surface isn't fully discoverable or documented as complete. missing for 10: explicit statement of full UI-API feature parity, a public OpenAPI/schema reference, and independent (community/hands-on) confirmation that all UI actions are scriptable via API.

   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Our plugin system brings the flexibility that devs need to create and publish their own custom extensions.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use access tokens as an alternative login authentication. They can allow an app to access Penpot's API.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins (113+): Community plugin marketplace with accessibility, code, AI, and design system tools.”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://help.penpot.app/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://help.penpot.app/openapi.json, https://help.penpot.app/swagger.json, https://help.penpot.app/…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://penpot.dev/ai/mcp-server”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialprobed5/10

   Sketch exposes a JavaScript plugin API, a CLI (sketchtool), a URL scheme, and MCP-based AI integrations for asset creation and design manipulation, showing meaningful programmatic access beyond the UI. However, there's no evidence of a comprehensive REST/public API covering all UI functions (e.g., prototyping links, sharing/versioning, symbol libraries, workspace permissions) — openapi probes 404'd and docs focus on plugin/CLI/AI hooks rather than full UI parity. missing for 10: a documented full REST/GraphQL API covering all UI actions, evidence that non-plugin workflows (sharing, prototyping, library publishing) are API-accessible, and independent confirmation of API completeness.

   • [claimed-docs] “Write a Sketch plugin in JavaScript. Take advantage of ES6, access macOS frameworks and use the Sketch APIs without learning Objective-C or …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Try the Sketch JavaScript API now, directly within Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows with the `sketch://` URL scheme.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://www.sketch.com/openapi.json, https://www.sketch.com/swagger.json, https://www.sketch.com/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userExport all of my data in open formats and leave

   weight 3 · round to Sketch
   Penpot!disputedcontradicted5/10

   Penpot's docs promise open formats and no lock-in — the file format is open and design data can be inspected/exported as CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON, and self-hosting gives full data control (penpot-docs-21, penpot-docs-28, penpot-docs-38). However, a hands-on community report directly contradicts full-data export, stating the user 'had no way to export the diagram as one file like PDF or JPG. I could only export a layer' (penpot-comm-5), suggesting the practical export experience falls short of the 'export all my data and leave' promise. Missing for 10: independent confirmation of a full-project/all-files bulk export, verification that the open file format round-trips completely outside Penpot, and resolution of the community-reported export limitation.

   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [community] “Maybe I'm using it wrong... when I tried Penpot about a year ago, I had no way to export the diagram as one file like PDF or JPG. I could on…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity4/10

   Sketch documents use the open `.sketch` format (a zipped JSON+binary archive) rather than a proprietary opaque format, which supports portability and third-party tooling/git integration per community reports. However, there's no evidence of a full account/workspace-level export tool for bulk data extraction (comments, version history, workspace settings) to enable a clean 'export everything and leave' migration. missing for 10: bulk workspace/account export feature, documented data-portability/migration guide, independent confirmation of successful full data export.

   • [claimed-docs] “Sketch stores documents in .sketch format, a zipped archive of JSON formatted data and binary data such as images.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sketch stores documents in `.sketch` format, a zipped archive of JSON formatted data and binary data such as images.”
   • [community] “The file format is basically zipped json files, so there's a robust plugin ecosystem and you can do things like git integration pretty easil…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userRead the product's source under an open license

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed6/10

   Penpot is well known as open-source (GitHub repo referenced) and docs emphasize open standards, open file format, and self-hosting, which implies source availability, but the evidence pack lacks an explicit statement of the license type or direct pointer to license terms. missing for 10: explicit license name/terms (e.g. MPL-2.0) cited in docs, confirmation that full source (not just plugin API) is published under that license.

   • [github] “developers feel at home using Penpot, because design is expressed as code, enabling a direct translation and shipping products faster.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot vs Figma: Open-source alternative with self-hosting, unlimited files, native design tokens.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   Sketch is a proprietary, closed-source commercial design tool; the file format spec (sketch-document) is open, but there is no evidence the application source code itself is under an open license. No evidence contradicts closed-source status.

   ⚑ flag

4. ai-native userSelf-host the core product

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullcommunity8/10

   Penpot provides extensive first-party self-hosting documentation (Docker Compose, Kubernetes/Helm, on-prem, private cloud, 3-minute setup) and explicitly extends this to AI tooling by letting users deploy the MCP server in their own environment. Community reports corroborate real-world self-hosting via Docker/Portainer working, though some users report performance/stability issues at scale, which is a caveat rather than a failure of the self-hosting capability itself. Missing for 10: no first-party performance benchmarks or hardening guidance addressing the community-reported instability at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy with docker compose... Use Kubernetes in its different flavors: Deploy the official Helm Chart”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can set up an instance of Penpot in just 3 minutes!”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [community] “I've been toying a little with self hosted Penpot and it was really nice... Penpot was easy to use though it felt a little difficult to hand…”
   • [community] “Have been self-hosting this on Docker/Portainer for several weeks for a few people. Works fine so far.”
   • [community] “I'm willing to pay the 'performance tax' of the web stack/self-hosting if it means my design files aren't held hostage in a proprietary clou…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

Plugins

1. developerA documented plugin API with typings and samples lets me build and distribute my own editor extensions

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialclaimed5/10

   Docs confirm a dedicated plugin API/system ('Our plugin system brings the flexibility that devs need to create and publish their own custom extensions', 'Use community plugins or build your own') and a marketplace with 113+ community plugins, showing developers can and do build/distribute extensions. However, no evidence pack item shows actual typings, SDK reference docs, or code samples/tutorials for the plugin API itself. Missing for 10: documented TypeScript typings, published API reference/sample plugin code, and independent developer confirmation of using the plugin API to build an extension.

   • [claimed-docs] “Our plugin system brings the flexibility that devs need to create and publish their own custom extensions.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins (113+): Community plugin marketplace with accessibility, code, AI, and design system tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use community plugins or build your own.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullcommunity8/10

   Sketch provides a dedicated developer portal (developer.sketch.com) with a documented JavaScript plugin API, in-browser API tester, official vanilla JS API stable across releases, plugin manager (skpm) for publishing/distributing plugins, and manual install support, plus CLI/URL-scheme integration options. Missing for 10: independent hands-on developer reviews confirming ease of building complex plugins and richer typings/type-definition documentation beyond API reference mentions.

   • [claimed-docs] “Write a Sketch plugin in JavaScript. Take advantage of ES6, access macOS frameworks and use the Sketch APIs without learning Objective-C or …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Try the Sketch JavaScript API now, directly within Sketch.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use the Sketch Plugin Manager `skpm` to publish a new plugin or an update of an existing one.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can install plugins by simply moving them into the Plugins folder yourself.”
   • [community] “The file format is basically zipped json files, so there's a robust plugin ecosystem and you can do things like git integration pretty easil…”
   • [community] “Sketch has been widely adopted for UI design. It's simpler than Adobe Illustrator, lighter in resources and subjectively feels far less clun…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. designerExtend the editor from a large plugin community or marketplace — icons, data fillers, accessibility checkers, and more

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm a plugin system and marketplace with 113+ plugins spanning accessibility, code, AI, and design-system tools, plus first-party docs on building custom extensions (penpot-docs-24, penpot-docs-5, penpot-docs-37). However, community feedback suggests the plugin ecosystem is still much smaller/younger than competitors' (penpot-comm-20 notes needing a 'bigger community' and missing pre-built element libraries), and there's no independent hands-on verification of marketplace breadth or quality. Missing for 10: independent reviews of specific popular plugins, marketplace UI/discovery evidence, and confirmation the 113+ figure reflects an actively curated, high-quality ecosystem rather than a small/early one.

   • [claimed-docs] “Plugins (113+): Community plugin marketplace with accessibility, code, AI, and design system tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Our plugin system brings the flexibility that devs need to create and publish their own custom extensions.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use community plugins or build your own.”
   • [community] “Needs a bigger community. I know this project but still use Figma because in Figma I can simply use pre-created Elements from e.g. Ionic or …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity7/10

   Sketch provides a documented plugin API (JavaScript, ES6, macOS framework access), a CLI/manager (skpm) for publishing and installing plugins, and manual plugin installation, and community sources independently confirm Sketch has 'a massive collection of plugins that forms a large part of its appeal' and a 'robust plugin ecosystem.' However, no evidence names a curated marketplace/directory or specific plugin categories like icon libraries, data fillers, or accessibility checkers. Missing for 10: an official plugin marketplace/directory listing, explicit examples of icon/data-filler/accessibility-checker plugins, and any count or curation of the ecosystem.

   • [claimed-docs] “Write a Sketch plugin in JavaScript. Take advantage of ES6, access macOS frameworks and use the Sketch APIs without learning Objective-C or …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use the Sketch Plugin Manager `skpm` to publish a new plugin or an update of an existing one.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can install plugins by simply moving them into the Plugins folder yourself.”
   • [claimed-docs] “An official vanilla JavaScript API, fully supported between releases.”
   • [community] “The file format is basically zipped json files, so there's a robust plugin ecosystem and you can do things like git integration pretty easil…”
   • [community] “Sketch has been widely adopted for UI design. It's simpler than Adobe Illustrator, lighter in resources and subjectively feels far less clun…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Pricing

1. product managerPublished plan pricing makes seat types, tiers, and AI-feature gating clear before procurement

   weight 1 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   The evidence pack includes only scattered pricing-page fragments (unlimited teams, no file limits, community plugins) but no structured breakdown of seat types, plan tiers, or which AI features are gated behind specific plans. No pricing table, tier comparison, or AI-feature-gating disclosure is documented anywhere in the pack.

   • [claimed-docs] “Unlimited Teams - Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [claimed-docs] “No file limits - Create as many as you need within your storage capacity.”
   • [claimed-docs] “No file limits. Create as many as you need within your storage capacity. ... Unlimited Teams. Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use community plugins or build your own.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed5/10

   The pricing page evidence lists enterprise-tier features like SSO, SCIM provisioning, permissions groups, and project archiving, implying a tiered structure, and sketch-docs-18 explicitly states AI/MCP features carry 'no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, no add-ons,' which speaks directly to AI-feature gating. However, there is no evidence of explicit seat-type definitions, plan names, or per-seat pricing tables that a PM could use to compare procurement options. Missing for 10: explicit seat-type/tier naming and pricing amounts, a full feature-by-tier comparison matrix, and independent confirmation that AI gating claims match published plans.

   • [claimed-docs] “Connect any MCP-compatible AI client you like to Sketch. There are no tokens to buy, no extra tiers, and no add-ons.”
   • [claimed-docs] “SCIM provisioning”
   • [claimed-docs] “Permissions groups”
   • [claimed-docs] “Single Sign-On (SSO) * Project archiving * Permissions groups”
   • [claimed-docs] “Learn how Single Sign-On (SSO) and SCIM provisioning work in Sketch, and find step-by-step guides to get set up.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. designerThe free tier supports real design work — usable editor and collaboration without a paid seat

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialcommunity6/10

   Penpot's free tier documented as unlimited files and unlimited teams, and the core editor supports components, prototyping, and design tokens without gating behind a paid seat, which supports real collaborative design work. However, community reports raise concerns about performance/stability at scale (crashes, lag with many layers/pages) that could limit usability for complex real work, and there's no explicit pricing-page breakdown confirming free tier includes full collaboration features like comments/permissions. missing for 10: explicit free-tier feature/seat-limit breakdown from pricing page, independent confirmation that free tier collaboration (comments, real-time multiplayer) is unrestricted, and resolution of community-reported performance/stability issues affecting real design work.

   • [claimed-docs] “Unlimited Teams - Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [claimed-docs] “No file limits - Create as many as you need within your storage capacity.”
   • [claimed-docs] “No file limits. Create as many as you need within your storage capacity. ... Unlimited Teams. Collaborate freely with unlimited teams.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use community plugins or build your own.”
   • [claimed-docs] “A component is a layer or group of layers that can be reused multiple times across files. This can help you maintain consistency across a gr…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot allows you to prototype interactions by connecting boards, which can act as screens.”
   • [community] “Unstable, very crash prone with just a few users designing 10 plus pages. And a huge memory hog too. I run it on Dedicated server with 64GB …”
   • [community] “I really wanted to like penpot, but when I tried a few months ago, simply navigating between pages (even on the example documents) was causi…”
   • [community] “Currently Penpot's performance starts dropping rapidly once you approach around 1000 layers. Most robust design systems I see run around 10-…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The evidence pack only shows free access for developers to inspect/hand-off designs in a browser (no Mac needed) and a legacy 'no forced upgrade' licensing note, but there is no evidence of a free tier that lets a designer actually create/edit designs or collaborate in real time without a paid seat — Sketch is fundamentally a purchased desktop app for designers. Community notes even highlight it lacked real-time collaboration for years and requires a Mac/license to design at all.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can invite developers to inspect designs in your Workspace for free”
   • [claimed-docs] “You can invite developers to inspect designs in your Workspace for free — they won't even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it all happens in a…”
   • [claimed-docs] “they won’t even need the Mac app (or a Mac) as it all happens in a web browser.”
   • [community] “Newer versions of Sketch open old files just fine, and licenses are valid for any version. Sketch licenses do not 'expire', you simply can't…”
   • [community] “You don't have to pay to keep using Sketch, as long as you're ok with not upgrading. Unlike Adobe creative cloud that stops functioning the …”
   • [community] “Sketch is great software, well built, but the fact that in late 2020 they still have to write 'And soon, the ability to collaborate in real-…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userChoose where my data is stored (region/residency)

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullclaimed7/10

   Penpot's self-hosting model directly delivers data residency choice: users can run Penpot in their own private cloud, on-premise, or any environment, giving full control over where data lives, and this extends to the MCP server which can also be self-deployed rather than routed through third-party clouds. Missing for 10: no first-party managed 'choose a region' feature for the SaaS-hosted offering, and no independent verification of self-hosting data-control claims beyond docs.

   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can set up an instance of Penpot in just 3 minutes!”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack mentions data residency, region selection, or storage location options for Sketch's Workspace/cloud data; only SSO/SCIM/permissions security features are documented, none addressing data residency choice.

   ⚑ flag

2. ai-native userPrevent my data from being used to train AI models

   weight 3 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed6/10

   Penpot's self-host docs explicitly state 'Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it,' which directly addresses preventing data from being used for AI training by keeping it entirely under user control. However, this is a general privacy claim tied to self-hosting rather than an explicit AI-training opt-out policy or contractual clause, and there's no independent/third-party corroboration of this specific promise. missing for 10: explicit AI-training-specific policy/ToS language, independent verification of the no-training claim, and clarity on cloud-hosted (non-self-hosted) instance data usage.

   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack addresses AI training data opt-out, privacy policy on model training, or any data-usage controls specific to AI training; Sketch's AI features (e.g., MCP integration, image-to-palette) are documented but nothing states whether user design data is used to train models or how to opt out.

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userControl data retention and deletion

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed4/10

   Penpot's self-hosting and 'keep your data private... decide where and how to host it' messaging (penpot-docs-28, penpot-docs-38) implies data control, and self-hosting inherently lets an org manage retention/deletion at the infrastructure level. However, there is no explicit documentation of data retention policies, file/version deletion mechanisms, or GDPR-style erasure APIs for AI-processed data. Missing for 10: explicit retention/deletion API or policy docs, confirmation of how MCP-accessed data is retained/purged, independent verification of deletion behavior.

   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy the MCP server in your own environment without relying on third-party clouds.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack addresses data retention policies, deletion controls, or data export/erasure mechanisms for AI-native users; only unrelated SSO/SCIM/permissions and AI-feature docs are present.

   ⚑ flag

4. ai-native userOpt out of telemetry and usage tracking

   weight 2 · round drawn
   Penpot—none0/10

   The evidence pack shows self-hosting and data-privacy marketing claims (e.g., 'Keep your data private,' 'never make business out of your data') but never mentions a specific telemetry/usage-tracking opt-out setting or configuration flag. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of a telemetry toggle or opt-out mechanism, confirmation of what usage data is collected, and any independent verification that self-hosted instances disable tracking by default.

   • [claimed-docs] “Keep your data private. Penpot will never make business out of your data. Choose where and how to host it, and decide who has access to it.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack addresses telemetry, analytics, or usage-tracking opt-out settings for Sketch; the docs and community items cover features, pricing, and performance, not privacy/telemetry controls. Missing for 10: any mention of telemetry collection, opt-out settings, privacy policy details on usage data, or admin controls to disable analytics.

   ⚑ flag

1. designerPrototypes can carry advanced behavior — animation between states, conditions or variables, scroll effects — to feel like the real product

   weight 1 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   Evidence only shows basic board-to-board click interactions (penpot-docs-12, penpot-docs-14); nothing in the pack mentions animation/transition effects between states, conditional logic, variables, or scroll-triggered effects in prototypes. This is an applicable axis for a prototyping tool, but no evidence supports these advanced behaviors.

   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot allows you to prototype interactions by connecting boards, which can act as screens.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Design responsive and rules-based interfaces with wireframes, interactive prototypes, and CSS Grid and Flex layouts.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed4/10

   Sketch's docs show interactive prototyping via hotspots/links, overlays, hover/press/toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, which cover some 'feel like the real product' interactions, but there is no evidence of animated transitions between states, conditional logic, or variables — capabilities competitors highlight for advanced prototyping. Missing for 10: animation/transition effects between artboards, conditional logic or variable-driven states, and any documented scroll-triggered animation beyond basic scrolling areas.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create links or Hotspots to navigate between different frames or trigger Overlays.”
   • [claimed-docs] “With features like overlays, hover, press and toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, you can accurately show how your designs would work in t…”
   • [claimed-docs] “With features like overlays, hover, press and toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, you can accurately show how your designs would work”
   • [claimed-docs] “With features like overlays, hover, press and toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, you can accurately show how your designs would work in t…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Show Overlays (e.g. menus, dropdowns or dialogs) that appear when you click, press or hover over another layer.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. designerWire screens into clickable prototypes with triggers, transitions, and overlays — no code required

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot✓fullcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm board-to-board prototyping ("connect boards, which can act as screens") and marketing copy references "interactive prototypes"; a community user corroborates that "the prototype feature is working great." However, the evidence pack never details specific trigger types, transition/animation options, or overlay behavior, so the depth of the interaction model is unverified. Missing for 10: detailed documentation of trigger/transition/overlay options, hands-on walkthrough of prototyping fidelity, and independent reviews specifically praising or critiquing interaction complexity.

   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot allows you to prototype interactions by connecting boards, which can act as screens.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Design responsive and rules-based interfaces with wireframes, interactive prototypes, and CSS Grid and Flex layouts.”
   • [community] “It's really a fantastic tool, we are using it since several months in replacement of figma and Adobe XD. The prototype feature is working gr…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch✓fullclaimed8/10

   Sketch's own docs describe hotspots/links between frames, overlays (menus/dropdowns/dialogs), and hover/press/toggle triggers plus scrolling areas — directly matching the story's triggers/transitions/overlays without code, and mobile preview lets designers play prototypes on a real device. Missing for 10: independent hands-on reviews specifically praising the prototyping feature (community evidence focuses on performance/native-app debates, not prototyping quality) and no detail on transition animation styles/timing options.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create links or Hotspots to navigate between different frames or trigger Overlays.”
   • [claimed-docs] “With features like overlays, hover, press and toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, you can accurately show how your designs would work in t…”
   • [claimed-docs] “With features like overlays, hover, press and toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, you can accurately show how your designs would work”
   • [claimed-docs] “With features like overlays, hover, press and toggle triggers, and scrolling areas, you can accurately show how your designs would work in t…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Show Overlays (e.g. menus, dropdowns or dialogs) that appear when you click, press or hover over another layer.”
   • [claimed-docs] “View your documents on the go, play prototypes on a real device, and mirror designs as you edit them on your Mac.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Canvas

1. designerFrames can behave responsively — auto layout, constraints, and grids resize designs the way real UIs flex

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot~partialclaimed5/10

   Penpot's marketing docs confirm CSS Grid and Flex layout support for responsive/rules-based interfaces (penpot-docs-14), but there is no detailed documentation of auto-layout resizing behavior, constraints on resize, or grid systems working the way native UI frameworks flex, and no independent/hands-on confirmation of these specific behaviors. Community evidence instead focuses on general performance/stability issues rather than confirming responsive layout fidelity. missing for 10: detailed docs on constraints-based resizing, auto-layout resize rules, hands-on validation that grids/flex truly mimic real UI responsiveness.

   • [claimed-docs] “Design responsive and rules-based interfaces with wireframes, interactive prototypes, and CSS Grid and Flex layouts.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   The evidence pack contains no mention of auto layout, resizing constraints, or layout grids for Sketch frames — it covers prototyping, symbols, plugins, AI features, and collaboration but nothing about responsive frame behavior. Missing for 10: any docs or claims about auto layout, constraint-based resizing, or grid systems that make frames responsive.

   ⚑ flag

2. designerI get professional vector tools — pen and path editing, boolean operations, precise alignment — for real interface design work

   weight 3 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers AI/MCP integration, self-hosting, plugins, components, prototyping, and design tokens, but contains no documentation or hands-on mention of pen/path editing tools, boolean path operations, or precise alignment/snapping features. Community comments only compare general UI polish and performance to Figma without confirming these specific vector-editing capabilities.

   ⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm non-destructive boolean operations (Union/Subtract/Intersect/Difference) and shape styling (fills, borders, shadows), core vector-editing capabilities for interface design. However, the evidence pack contains no explicit mention of pen/path tools or precise alignment/grid features, and one community comment notes Sketch's vector-editing is 'less buggy' in comparison but still implies some bugginess relative to Figma. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of pen tool/path editing, alignment/distribution tools, and independent hands-on corroboration of vector precision.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create a new shape from two or more shapes with non-destructive boolean operations — Union, Subtract, Intersect and Difference.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Apply a fill, border, drop shadow, inner shadow or bitmap layer to a shape.”
   • [community] “Figma is rather performant (to the point where it outruns Sketch in typical day-to-day design tasks), and their vector-editing is less buggy…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Files

1. designerExport production assets — PNG, SVG, PDF, and more — with per-layer presets, scales, and slices

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   The evidence pack contains no first-party documentation describing PNG/SVG/PDF export options, per-layer export presets, scale factors, or slices — the closest data point is a community comment noting an inability to export a whole file (only a single layer) in past testing, which is negative rather than supportive. No docs, help-center pages, or hands-on confirmation of this specific export feature set are present.

   • [community] “Maybe I'm using it wrong... when I tried Penpot about a year ago, I had no way to export the diagram as one file like PDF or JPG. I could on…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed3/10

   The pack only hints at asset export via the `sketchtool` CLI ("Create assets with a single command") and never documents the actual Export panel, per-layer presets, scale factors, or slice tooling explicitly. Missing for 10: documentation of PNG/SVG/PDF format options, per-layer export presets, scale multipliers, and slice creation UI/behavior.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create assets with a single command with the Sketch command-line interface `sketchtool`.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Integrate Sketch into your workflows and server applications, on any platform.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. developerThe file format is open or documented, so my designs stay portable and toolable outside the vendor's editor

   weight 1 · round to Penpot
   Penpot✓fullclaimed8/10

   Penpot explicitly documents an open file format built on open standards (SVG, CSS, HTML, JSON) and is open-source itself, explicitly contrasting with Figma's proprietary format, plus REST/webhook APIs and plugin system for external tooling. Missing for 10: independent third-party corroboration that .penpot files are actually opened/edited by external tools, and no dedicated file-format spec page (llms.txt/openapi probes 404).

   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON as well as Penpot's open file for…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Inspect and integrate code that actually matches design. Enjoy open standards like CSS, HTML, SVG and JSON”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot vs Figma: Open-source alternative with self-hosting, unlimited files, native design tokens.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Get extensive access to objects and properties to enable external rendering, workflow automation, enhanced app functionality, and more.”
   • [github] “developers feel at home using Penpot, because design is expressed as code, enabling a direct translation and shipping products faster.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialcommunity6/10

   Sketch documents its .sketch file format as a zipped archive of JSON and binary data (sketch-docs-23/47), and community evidence confirms this enables a plugin ecosystem and git-style tooling outside the vendor app (sketch-comm-14). However, this is not a formally published open spec/standard with versioned schema docs, and there's no independent tooling ecosystem comparable to open formats like SVG; the developer-handoff features are more about inspection than format portability. Missing for 10: a formal published format specification/schema documentation, third-party tools that read/write .sketch independent of Sketch's own SDK, and any standards-body or open-format commitment.

   • [claimed-docs] “Sketch stores documents in .sketch format, a zipped archive of JSON formatted data and binary data such as images.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sketch stores documents in `.sketch` format, a zipped archive of JSON formatted data and binary data such as images.”
   • [community] “The file format is basically zipped json files, so there's a robust plugin ecosystem and you can do things like git integration pretty easil…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. developerSelf-host the full design platform on my own infrastructure under an open-source license

   weight 2 · round to Penpot
   Penpot!disputedcontradicted6/10

   Docs strongly document self-hosting (docker compose, Kubernetes/Helm/OpenShift/Rancher, private cloud/on-prem deployment, 'set up in 3 minutes', open-source positioning vs Figma) with no artificial file/team limits, which is exactly what this story asks for. However, hands-on community reports contradict the ease-of-self-hosting claim: one user says self-hosted instance 'crash after a few minutes and not properly show the canvases. So a no for me' and others report it being 'unstable, very crash prone... huge memory hog' under modest load, even as another reports self-hosting 'works fine so far.' Missing for 10: explicit confirmation of the open-source license terms/scope, independent security/production-readiness audit of self-hosted deployments, and resolution of the stability complaints reported by self-hosters.

   • [claimed-docs] “Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environment you control.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy with docker compose... Use Kubernetes in its different flavors: Deploy the official Helm Chart”
   • [claimed-docs] “Deploy with docker compose ... Use Kubernetes in its different flavors”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can set up an instance of Penpot in just 3 minutes!”
   • [claimed-docs] “Penpot is the only open-source design platform that is truly deployment agnostic. Run it in your private cloud, on-premise, or any environme…”
   • [community] “I've been toying a little with self hosted Penpot and it was really nice... Penpot was easy to use though it felt a little difficult to hand…”
   • [community] “I tried to self host penpot a few months ago but the app would crash after a few minutes and not properly show the canvases. So a no for me.”
   • [community] “Unstable, very crash prone with just a few users designing 10 plus pages. And a huge memory hog too. I run it on Dedicated server with 64GB …”
   • [community] “Have been self-hosting this on Docker/Portainer for several weeks for a few people. Works fine so far.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Sketch—none0/10

   Sketch is a proprietary Mac-based SaaS/desktop product with no evidence of an open-source license or self-hostable infrastructure; community discussion even highlights Sketch's refusal to leave macOS or move to browser/cloud-native architecture, the opposite of self-hosting. No docs, licensing pages, or repos indicate an open-source core platform available for self-hosting.

   • [community] “It's not just their commitment to Desktop, but their commitment specifically to not move off MacOS where they have stated that they 'will no…”
   • [community] “A browser-based version of Sketch would be huge - this is Figma's killer USP at the moment.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Sketch stores documents in .sketch format, a zipped archive of JSON formatted data and binary data such as images.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. designerFull version history lets me name milestones, compare, and restore any earlier state of a file

   weight 2 · round to Sketch
   Penpot—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack mentions version history, milestone naming, diffing/comparison, or restore-to-earlier-state functionality; only component/plugin/self-host/AI features are documented. missing for 10: any mention of file version history, snapshot naming, diff/compare tools, or restore capability.

   ⚑ flag

   Sketch~partialclaimed5/10

   Sketch's docs describe 'starred versions' that let designers mark important updates in a document's history and control which versions become Library updates or are visible to Viewers/Guests, which covers naming/milestone-marking, but the evidence never describes a compare/diff view between versions or an explicit 'restore to any earlier state' UI. Missing for 10: documented version comparison/diff tooling, explicit restore-to-previous-version workflow, and any independent/hands-on confirmation of these version-history mechanics.

   • [claimed-docs] “starring a version will publish any changes as a Library update. Any unstarred versions after that won’t become Library updates.”
   • [claimed-docs] “When you star a version in a Library document, anyone using that Library will receive a Library update.”
   • [claimed-docs] “With starred versions, you can indicate important updates in a document's history, set which versions Viewers and Guests can see”
   • [claimed-docs] “With starred versions, you can indicate important updates in a document’s history, set which versions Viewers and Guests can see, and contro…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag