A startup from Vietnam.
Open Source
Pencil Project is an open-source tool, making it free to use and modify according to your needs.
Ease of Use
The software is user-friendly with a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible for beginners.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that users on various platforms can utilize the tool.
Wide Range of Templates
Provides various templates and stencils for web, mobile, and desktop applications to speed up the design process.
Integration Capabilities
Supports exporting designs in multiple formats like PNG, PDF, SVG, and even integrates with popular tools like OpenClipart.org.
Community Support
Being open-source, it has a community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide support.
Yes, Pencil Project is a good choice for users looking for a cost-effective and easy-to-use tool for creating mockups and wireframes. Its open-source nature and the community support further enhance its value.
We have collected here some useful links to help you find out if Pencil Project is good.
Check the traffic stats of Pencil Project on SimilarWeb. The key metrics to look for are: monthly visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and traffic by country. Moreoever, check the traffic sources. For example "Direct" traffic is a good sign.
Check the "Domain Rating" of Pencil Project on Ahrefs. The domain rating is a measure of the strength of a website's backlink profile on a scale from 0 to 100. It shows the strength of Pencil Project's backlink profile compared to the other websites. In most cases a domain rating of 60+ is considered good and 70+ is considered very good.
Check the "Domain Authority" of Pencil Project on MOZ. A website's domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It is based on a 100-point logarithmic scale, with higher scores corresponding to a greater likelihood of ranking. This is another useful metric to check if a website is good.
The latest comments about Pencil Project on Reddit. This can help you find out how popualr the product is and what people think about it.
I am a software developer, so doing UX is never my strength. From time to time though, I would resort to using the open source tool Pencil (https://pencil.evolus.vn/) to get a low fidelity mock-up. Lately I've been encountering bugs where images would come out broken when I re-open my wireframe in Pencil. Frustrated of the issue on Pencil, I tried out uizard yesterday, and have been really happy with it. It's... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
Thanks for your replies. I checked some of them out, but I found one on my own that fits me perfectly: Pencil. Source: over 3 years ago
I wouldn't use text to illustrate a GUI. We use Pencil with the crayon-styled stencils to make quick mockups. The crayon styling makes it clear that they're just mockups so people don't poke at the style aspects of the design. We've gotten great feedback from our clients that these are effective illustrations too. Source: about 4 years ago
I use MS Visio at work and Pencil (free) at home. Source: about 4 years ago
Thank you ! Of the ones I have tested, the only one that really works is Pencil, unfortunately, it lacks a lot of functionalities, and it is still far from being as practical as Figma, adobe xd etc. I think Inkscape is much more practical and powerful, but maybe it's just because I'm used to it :). Source: over 4 years ago
Hopefully after the problem discovery phase, you will have identified the primary decision maker(s). The goal of this stage is to reach a loose, shared conceptual agreement of what will be delivered and my favorite way of reaching that is through low fidelity wireframes using Pencil. - Source: dev.to / about 5 years ago
Anyone interested in free options can also use things like Pencil, Dia (Bit old but still works), yEd, or one of the multitudes of web based options out there. Source: almost 5 years ago
With a quick search, if someone wants an alternative free as in libre, I found http://pencil.evolus.vn/ (the stable version hasn't been updated in 2 years, but it seems it's still alive since last commit is 4 days old). Source: almost 5 years ago
You can find a lot of those online. I personally like Pencil, it's a free, open source tool that you install on your PC. If you'd like something web-based, there are tools like Balsamiq. However, if you're comfortable doing something in Paint or PowerPoint or drawing it by hand, that's totally fine. You can use anything you like. The only thing that matters is that you have a clear, understandable plan that you... Source: almost 5 years ago
Akira is an alpha and is in no condition to be used for work. https://pencil.evolus.vn/ (Pencil) is probably the only FOSS alternative to Adobe XD. Linux really struggles when it comes to front end work. As the industry only views it as a server computer. Source: over 5 years ago
For straight up wireframing I like to use Pencil https://pencil.evolus.vn/ it is open source. Source: over 5 years ago
Pencil Project, an open-source GUI prototyping software, has garnered a considerable amount of public interest as a cost-effective alternative to proprietary diagramming solutions like Microsoft Visio. Positioned within the diverse landscape of design tools, Pencil Project competes alongside other notable platforms such as draw.io, LucidChart, and Penpot. Despite its commendable versatility, catering to use cases ranging from mockups and flowcharts to more complex UI designs, Pencil Project's reception in the software community is mixed.
Primarily, users appreciate Pencil Project for its accessibility and comprehensive set of design stencils that facilitate straightforward mockup creation. It is particularly favored by developers who require a no-cost solution to articulate low-fidelity designs without delving into more complex software. Much of the praise centers on Pencilโs utility in drawing mockups that remain easy to distinguish from finalized designs, thus encouraging productive feedback from stakeholders without getting bogged down in design aesthetics.
Despite these strengths, Pencil Project has been noted to lack some modern functionalities that users find in premium alternatives like Figma or Adobe XD. For example, some users report technical inconveniences, such as image handling bugs which disrupt the experience of revisiting and updating wireframes. This particular issue has led a few users to explore other applications with more robust and intuitive interfaces. Additionally, there are mentions of features that havenโt been updated, leading some users to perceive Pencil Project as less dynamic compared to its rapidly evolving competitors. This perception is tempered by active development signals in repositories, indicating an ongoing commitment to improvement.
Furthermore, Pencil Project's status as one of the few free and open-source options makes it attractive for users operating in environments where premium tools may not be financially feasible. Its ability to be installed on personal computers also brings a layer of comfort for those hesitant to transition to entirely web-based solutions.
Overall, Pencil Project is recognized as a valuable tool for those seeking an open-source alternative for diagramming and prototyping, especially in educational or open-source-focused environments. However, its limitations in terms of advanced functionalities and occasional bugs suggest that it may serve best as an introductory or supplementary tool for design work rather than a comprehensive solution. This balance of strengths and weaknesses positions Pencil Project as a pragmatic choice for developers and designers valuing cost-effectiveness and open-source ethos, albeit with an acknowledgment that it may not yet rival the feature depth of some leading proprietary software.
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