AI code editor with agents, cloud agents and code review, offered with a free Hobby tier and paid plans.
Free stops at: Limited Agent requests
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Coding · alternatives
Best pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev) alternatives in 2026 (free and paid)
pen.dev is free today, but the vendor says paid plans may be introduced later, so planning around free access is a risk. AI features need your own model subscription or API key (for example ChatGPT or Claude), which adds cost the app does not show. Image and SVG generation route through the vendor's servers to third-party providers, so edited images leave your device. The Windows ARM64 build is marked coming soon, and an account sign-in collects an email and credentials.
Cursor is the pick for developers who want the design handed straight to code: an AI editor with agents, a free Hobby tier and Individual at $20 per month, with usage past the included amount billed on demand. Lovable turns prompts into working web apps through a credit-based plan system and has a free plan; its starting price is not stated in our data. Canva is the mainstream design option with templates and AI tools, a free plan, and Pro at $144 per year for one person, with a capped shared AI allowance. They differ from pen.dev's agentic canvas, so weigh the workflow before the price.
"Better suited" below is based on documented features and pricing from our verified profiles, not on a head-to-head test. Prices are USD as published by each vendor.
pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev) and its alternatives, as their sites look today
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
Why people look beyond pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev)
- Pricing may change in the future Free access is not guaranteed long-term.
- Windows ARM64 build marked coming soon Not available on those devices yet.
- Requires own model subscription or API key for AI AI use costs extra.
Taken from the documented limitations in our pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev) profile.
pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev) and its alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Starting price | Free tier | Platforms | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev) (this page) | Not published | Yes | Desktop | The vendor says paid plans may be introduced later, and AI features need your own model subscription or API key. |
| Cursor | From $20/mo (Individual (Pro)) | Yes | Desktop | Hobby has only limited Agent requests, and usage beyond the included amount is billed on demand. |
| Lovable | Not published | Yes | Web, Desktop, Mobile, API | All building, Cloud hosting and in-app AI use credits, and credits differ in value between plans and expire. |
| Canva | $144/yr (Pro) | Yes | Web | AI tools draw from a shared allowance that is capped; more usage needs the AI Pass add-on. |
3 alternatives to pen.dev (formerly pencil.dev), by need
AI app builder that turns natural-language prompts into working web apps, using a credit-based plan system.
Free stops at: 5 daily build credits (up to 30 a month), 20 Cloud credits monthly
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free plan available US price unconfirmed
Online design platform with templates and AI tools for graphics, presentations, social posts and video.
Free stops at: 1.6M+ templates
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free · paid from $144/yr US · checked Sep 29
More coding tools worth a look
Open-source terminal AI agent from Google bringing Gemini to the command line; site notes unpaid and Google One users moved to Antigravity CLI.
Free stops at: Verify current availability
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Verified geminicli.com (opens Gemini CLI website in a new tab)
Pricing US price unconfirmed
OpenAI's coding agent for the CLI, IDE extension, desktop app, web and iOS, included in ChatGPT plans or billed by API.
Free stops at: Desktop app only listed, Usage limits apply
Listed Not yet reviewed
Verified developers.openai.com (opens OpenAI Codex website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $8/mo US · checked Sep 29
Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files and runs commands from the terminal, IDEs, desktop app or browser.
Watch out: Not included in the Free Claude plan, and usage on subscriptions is capped by plan limits.
Listed Not yet reviewed
Verified code.claude.com (opens Claude Code website in a new tab)
From $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Private inference endpoint for open-weight models, built for coding agents, with zero request retention.
Watch out: Monthly plans cover estimated token totals, not fixed allowances, and agent tool calls (web search, fetch) ar…
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Verified zro.moonmath.ai (opens Zro (by MoonMath) website in a new tab)
From $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Full-stack design-to-code platform for building and deploying software with AI agents and real-time team collaboration.
Watch out: No pricing is published and access is through an early-access waitlist.
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Pricing US price unconfirmed
E-commerce purchasing API that lets developers and AI agents search, buy, track and return products across thousands of retailers.
Free stops at: Search on the agent flow is described as free; agent sandbox with test keys.
Listed Not yet reviewed
From $1/order US · checked Sep 29
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to pen.dev?
pen.dev is currently free, with pricing that may change. Cursor, Lovable and Canva each have a free plan or tier in our data.
Why do people look for pen.dev alternatives?
Paid plans may be introduced later, AI use needs your own model subscription or key, Windows ARM64 is not yet available, and generated images pass through third-party providers.
What does Canva Pro cost?
$144 per year, priced for one person, with a capped shared AI allowance.
Does Lovable list a price?
Not as a starting price in our verified data. It has a free plan and uses a credit-based plan system.