Sketchvs
Figma
Figma: Cloud-based design tool with native cross-platform support and real-time multiplayer collaboration, works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
Sketch
The digital design toolkit
As of 30 August 2026, Sketch starts at $12/month. Sketch is a vector-based design tool for macOS used primarily for user interface and user experience design. Softwr lists it under Technology. Sketch is made by Sketch B.V., launched in 2010, available on macOS, Web, iOS.
Overview
What Sketch does
Sketch is a vector-based design tool for macOS used primarily for user interface and user experience design. It's focused on screen design and has become the tool of choice for many UX and UI designers.
What people use it for
- UI design
- Mobile app design
- Web design
- Design systems
- Prototyping
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Sketch.
- macOS-only for editing, blocking Windows and Linux users from accessing design features
- Real-time collaboration feels less seamless than Figma with occasional sync delays
- Limited built-in image editing capabilities, requiring external software for bitmap work
- Subscription required for cloud features and collaboration, losing access if subscription lapses
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Sketch
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- SketchvsAdobe XD
Adobe XD: Adobe's UI/UX design tool integrated with Creative Cloud ecosystem, though now in maintenance mode as of 2024
- SketchvsPenpot
Penpot: Open-source web-based design tool with self-hosting option and no subscription requirement
Pricing
What Sketch costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Standard
$12 /mo
- Real-time collaboration
- Unlimited documents
- Unlimited free viewers
- Version history
- Developer handoff
Professional
$24 /mo
- Everything in Standard
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Project archiving
- Permissions groups
Enterprise
$44 /mo
- Everything in Professional
- SCIM provisioning
- BYOK encryption
- Dedicated support
Mac-only License
$120 /perpetual
- Native Mac app
- Offline access
- Local file saving
- Excludes collaboration features
Capabilities
Features
Vector editing
Symbols & components
Prototyping
Real-time collaboration
Developer handoff
Plugins ecosystem
Cloud sync
Version history
InVision
Integration with InVision
Principle
Integration with Principle
Framer
Integration with Framer
Zeplin
Integration with Zeplin
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux?
No. Sketch is macOS-only for the design and prototyping features. Web and mobile apps provide viewing and collaboration, but editing requires macOS 14.0 or later.
SourceDoes Sketch offer a free trial?
Yes. Sketch provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. You can also purchase a one-time Mac-only license for $120 per seat instead of subscribing.
SourceWhat collaboration features does Sketch include?
Sketch supports real-time collaboration, unlimited document sharing, unlimited viewers, and version history on all paid subscription plans (Standard $12/month, Professional $24/month, Enterprise $44/month).
SourceCan I use Sketch offline?
Yes. The one-time Mac-only license ($120) allows you to use Sketch offline and save files locally, but it excludes cloud collaboration and iOS previewing features.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Sketch
- Company
- Sketch B.V.
- Based in
- The Hague, Netherlands
- Founders
- Pieter Omvlee, Emanuel Sá
Timeline
Sketch over time
- Funding2019-03-13$20m
Series A funding from Benchmark
Source
Keep looking
Where to go from Sketch
- Sketch alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Sketch pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Sketch badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Technology softwareThe full category
- Best Technology softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Technology software for
Compare Sketch with
- Figma
- Maze
- Lovable
- Whimsical
- Greenhouse
- Amplitude
- Monday.com
- Pendo
- Jira
- Redis
- Microsoft Outlook
- Sublime Text
- Trino
- Aha!
- Canny
- Close
- Coda
- Drift
Other Technology software
The digital analytics platform to understand your users
Free, then $49/mo10 researched notesMicrosoft's email and calendar client, in the middle of a transition from the classic Windows application to a web-based replacement.
Free, then $1.99/mo15 researched notesA sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose
From $99/license10 researched notesA distributed SQL engine that queries data where it already lives, across object storage, warehouses and operational databases.
Free plan15 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Sketch, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Sketch
Sketch alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Sketch pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Sketch
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Sketch badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Technology software alternatives
Secure access for everyone
The digital analytics platform to understand your users
Apple's WebKit browser, available only on Apple operating systems and updated only with them.
free