head to head · open source
Figma-Context-MCP vs pencil
Figma-Context-MCP has 15,881 GitHub stars, 1,263 forks, 25 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. pencil has 9,866 stars, 792 forks, 533 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Figma-Context-MCP leads on adoption by 61% (15,881 vs 9,866 stars). Figma-Context-MCP is written in TypeScript under MIT; pencil is written in JavaScript under GPL-2.0. Figma-Context-MCP has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, pencil 8%. Figma-Context-MCP was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Figma-Context-MCP | pencil | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 9.9K |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-06-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 792 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Figma-Context-MCP if
- You weight community size — 16K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pencil if
- You want the pencil feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and pencil fits your workflow better
About Figma-Context-MCP
Framelink MCP for Figma is a Model Context Protocol server that gives AI coding agents such as Cursor access to Figma file, frame, and group layout data, so the agent can implement designs directly in code instead of guessing from a screenshot.
read the full Figma-Context-MCP overview →
About pencil
Pencil is a free and open source diagramming and GUI prototyping tool, licensed under GPL 2.0, that lets designers and developers sketch wireframes, mockups, and diagrams on the desktop without a commercial licence.
read the full pencil overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Figma-Context-MCP or pencil more popular?
Figma-Context-MCP has 15,881 GitHub stars and pencil has 9,866. Figma-Context-MCP has the larger community by that measure.
Are Figma-Context-MCP and pencil free?
Both are open source. Figma-Context-MCP is licensed under MIT and pencil under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Figma-Context-MCP and pencil?
Figma-Context-MCP is written in TypeScript and pencil in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Figma-Context-MCP or pencil?
Choose Figma-Context-MCP if you want the larger community (15,881 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose pencil if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.