The Showdown
Balsamiqvspencil
Why pay monthly fees for Balsamiq when you can self-host pencil for free? Let's look at the facts.
VS
Balsamiq
The Expensive Option
- Closed Source (Black box)
- Expensive monthly fees per user
- Data stored on their servers
WINNER
pencil
The Freedom Choice
- 100% Open Source Code
- Free forever (Self-hosted)
- You own your data completely
Interactive Calculator
Calculate Your "SaaS Tax"
SaaS pricing is designed to scale with your success.
See how much wealth transfers from your bank account to Balsamiq's shareholders.
10 people
150100200+
$
*Estimated standard pricing for Balsamiq. Adjust if needed.
Estimated Annual Waste
$1,440
Monthly Burn Rate$120
5-Year Projection$7,200
Cost with Self-Hosted$0
Calculations based on 10 users at $12/mo.
Detailed Breakdown
0
Browser-based
Desktop App
1
Vendor-locked
Community-driven
2
Subscription
Free