Kite is a design tool your agents reach from anywhere, with nothing to keep open, plus Figma both ways and a desktop app. Penpot is open source and you can host it yourself; its MCP server works through a Penpot browser tab that has to stay open, one tab at a time.
Updated by Loukman Nacik, Founder, Kite
Kite is best for
Teams whose agents should connect from anywhere, with Figma both ways and a desktop app.
Kite costs
Free to start. Pro $20 per editor a month, $16 billed yearly. No AI credits.
5 things Kite does that Penpot doesn't, or does less.
| Feature | Kite | Penpot |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted MCP server | Any agent connects from anywhere, signing in with OAuth | Yes, with a personal key, through a Penpot tab that must stay open |
| What agents can do | 59 tools: agents read, draw, edit and check their own work | Five tools; agents write by running code |
| Several agents at once | Several agents in one file, beside your team | MCP is active in one browser tab at a time |
| Figma | Paste to and from Figma, or import a whole file by its link | Import once, with the Penpot Exporter plugin |
| Desktop app | Kite for Mac and Windows, with a tab for each file | No official app; it runs in the browser |
Bring your own agents. Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT or any MCP client, with no key to copy.
Around · Checkout
Balance
$1,200.35
Payment$30.32
DueAug 9th
@Claude make this a checkout: a Pay button under the balance, a Continue under the options, both in the system's primary
Run with Claude Code when sent
Loukmannow
@Claude make this a checkout: a Pay button under the balance, a Continue under the options, both in the system's primary
Claude is working…Done by Claude
Claudenow
Done: Pay under the dues and Continue under the options, both the system's primary at its radius, 32 high, full width.
Ask in a comment, get it doneMention your agent on the frame and send. In Kite for Mac it starts at once with Claude Code or Codex, does the work, and answers in the thread.
do my Kite requests
3 requests waiting, oldest first.
Done, each answered in its thread.
Do my Kite requestsIn a browser, requests wait on their comments. Say this to your agent and it works through every one.
Notes on the boardSticky notes and annotations sit beside the work. Agents read them, and leave their own.
Import from Figma
figma.com/design/Around-AppImport
Figma, both waysPaste frames from Figma, or import a whole file by its link. Right-click any frame for Copy to Figma, and it pastes in Figma as layers.
Kite for MacA tab per file, a mark on the tab an agent is working in, and requests that run with Claude Code or Codex on your Mac. It tells you when they're done.
Kite Capture for ChromePoint at any web page, or a part of one, and click. Paste it in Kite and it comes in as frames, text and pictures you can change.
What changes the day your agents design in Kite.
Yes. Kite is a design tool your agents reach from anywhere, with nothing to keep open, plus Figma both ways and a desktop app.
Kite is free to start, with unlimited editors and 3 files. Pro is $20 per editor a month, or $16 billed yearly. There are no AI credits: your agent runs on the plan you already pay for, so you never pay twice for the AI.
Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex and any other MCP client that signs in with OAuth. They connect to Kite's hosted server, or to the local one in Kite for Mac.
No. Kite is a hosted product, and you can't run it on your own servers. If open source or self-hosting is a must, Penpot is the better pick.
Yes, both have MCP servers. Penpot's hosted server signs in with a personal key in its address, and works through a Penpot browser tab that has to stay open and awake, one tab at a time. Kite's signs in with OAuth and needs nothing open, and several agents can work in one file.
No. Penpot has no built-in AI credits, and its MCP server is free. Kite has no AI credits either: with both, your agent runs on the plan you already pay for.
More comparisons
Further reading
Checked against each tool's own docs and pricing in October 2026. Something out of date? Tell us at hello@kite.new.
In your browser, or in Kite for Mac. Bring the agent you already use, on the plan you already pay for.
