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Playdo vs pen.dev. HTML files, or a format of its own.

pen.dev and Playdo are both canvases where an agent designs and you edit by hand, and both keep your files on your own disk. The difference starts with the file. A pen.dev design is a .pen file, JSON drawn by its own renderer, and HTML is something you export. A Playdo design is the HTML file itself.

Around that, pen.dev is a desktop app for three platforms with many model providers. Playdo is a Mac app with one job: designing with the Claude Code plan you already have, with no limits of its own.

Checked against pen.dev on November 9, 2026.Pick what matters

Playdo

A creative playground for real code, as a Mac app. You prompt, mold it by hand and ship real code.

Where it runs
A Mac app. There is no Windows or Linux version yet.
A design is
An HTML file with Tailwind classes. It opens in any browser or editor.

For you if you're on a Mac, already have Claude Code, and want every design to be real code in your own repo.

pen.dev

A design canvas that agents work on, with a file format of its own.

Where it runs
A desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, an editor extension, and a web version.
A design is
A .pen file: JSON, drawn by its own WebGL renderer.

For you if you want a desktop app you can download today, with many models to pick from.

01Your call

Tap what you care about. Playdo and pen.dev each answer every pick from the table below: yes, partly, no or not listed.

Access
AI and agents
Files and code
Designing
Teams

0 of 14 picked

Nothing picked yet.

Playdo

–yes

pen.dev

–yes

Nothing picked yet.

Tap what matters to you. Each pick lands here, answered by both, from the same rows as the table below.

A count of yes marks among what you picked, nothing weighted. Not listed means we didn't find it, not no.

02Side by side

Every line about pen.dev comes from its own site and docs, read on November 9, 2026. “Not listed” means we didn't find it there, not that it can't be done.

YesPartlyNoNot listed: we didn't find it on their pages

Playdo and pen.dev, topic by topic, as of November 9, 2026
TopicPlaydopen.dev
Where it runsRuns on Windows or Linux?NoA Mac app. There is no Windows or Linux version yet.YesA desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, an editor extension, and a web version.
AccountYes. You sign in with a code sent to your email.Yes. You sign in with an email code or a password.
What a design isIs the design HTML and CSS?YesAn HTML file with Tailwind classes. It opens in any browser or editor.NoA .pen file: JSON, drawn by its own WebGL renderer.
Code outIt already is code. Also a zip of plain HTML and CSS, or a React project with typed components.Export to HTML with CSS or Tailwind.
What pays for the AIRuns on your own AI plan?YesOn the Mac, the Claude Code or Codex plan you already have. On the web, Playdo's cloud or your own Anthropic key.YesYour own Claude or ChatGPT plan, an API key, or hosted models.
Working in parallelUp to four designs from one prompt, or every screen of a flow, at once, on every plan.Up to 6 agents at a time.
ModelsModels beyond Claude?PartlySonnet, Opus and Haiku through Claude Code, and Codex if it's installed.YesMany: Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok and more.
Flows and prototypesA click-through prototype?YesOne prompt plans and links 2 to 6 screens. Click through them as a prototype.Not listedSlides and a presentation mode. A click-through prototype: not listed.
Hand-off to your codebaseA skill for Claude Code rebuilds the design with your app's own components, as a diff you review.Your agent reads the file over MCP or the command line and writes the code.
Working togetherLive editing together?YesLive cursors, selections and edits in the same project, on the Mac and the web, with a workspace and roles.Not listedWorkspaces and organizations with roles.
Image generationGenerates images?NoNo. Bring images as files, as references or from Figma.YesYes, images and SVG.
DownloadsOut for download today?NoA Mac app. It isn't out for download yet; early access is open.YesDesktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, and editor extensions.

YesPartlyNoNot listed: we didn't find it on their pages

03Ahead

Start on the left. If one of these is a must for you, pen.dev is the better pick today. Every line on the right is checked against what pen.dev says about itself.

Where pen.dev is ahead

  1. 01Apps you can install todayDesktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, and extensions in the editor marketplaces. Playdo is a Mac app, and it isn't out for download yet.
  2. 02Many modelsClaude, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok and more, through your own plan or an API key. Playdo needs Claude Code.
  3. 03Hosted modelsIf you have no AI subscription, pen.dev can run the model for you today. Playdo will once Playdo Web opens.
  4. 04Image and SVG generationIt's built in. Playdo doesn't generate images.
  5. 05A canvas built on WebGLpen.dev says it stays smooth on very large files. Playdo renders real pages, and has been measured at 84 screens on one canvas.

Where Playdo is ahead

  1. 01Parallel work, built inUp to four designs from one prompt, or every screen of a flow, at once.
  2. 02The design is the codeAn HTML file with Tailwind classes. It opens in any browser, diffs in git and needs no export step.
  3. 03Whole flows from one promptPlaydo plans the screens, designs them in parallel, links them and lets you click through the result.
  4. 04A hand-off that knows your appA skill rebuilds the design with your app's own components. There's a React project export with typed components too.
04The short answer

Both are good tools that made different bets. The right one depends on how you work.

Choose pen.dev if

  • You want an app you can download today, or you're on Windows or Linux.
  • You use models other than Claude, or want hosted models with no subscription.
  • You need generated images and SVG.
  • Your files are very large.

Go to pen.dev

Choose Playdo if

  • You're on a Mac and already pay for Claude Code.
  • You want the design to be an HTML file, not a format to export from.
  • You design whole flows and want to click through them.
  • You hand designs to a coding agent and want them rebuilt with your own components.
Get early access

For macOS. Bring your Claude Code plan.

How we checked

Every line about pen.dev comes from its own site and docs, read on November 9, 2026 and written in our own words. “Not listed” means we didn't find it on the pages we read, not that the product can't do it.

Products change. Check pen.dev before you decide. Playdo isn't affiliated with pen.dev.

Keep comparing:Playdo vs PaperAll three, side by side