Adobe Express is a browser-based, all-in-one design tool optimized for quick graphics and social media content creation with AI features, while Sketch is a professional vector design application built specifically for UI/UX design with superior performance on macOS. Adobe Express targets casual creators and small teams, whereas Sketch caters to dedicated UX/UI designers requiring advanced prototyping capabilities.
Adobe Express vs Sketch — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Browser-based design tool for creating social media graphics, presentations, and quick designs with templates.
Lightweight, macOS-exclusive vector design tool focused on UI/UX with intuitive interface and one-time purchase option.
Primary Use Case. Platform Availability. AI Features. Learning Curve. Prototyping Capabilities. Collaboration Tools. Design System Management
Choose Adobe Express if you need a fast, accessible tool for creating social media content, marketing materials, or quick graphics with AI assistance—it requires no design experience and works on any device. Choose Sketch if you're a dedicated UI/UX designer who values advanced prototyping, design system precision, and professional-grade tools that justify the macOS-only limitation and learning investment.
Adobe Express: Pro: ~$120/year | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: $8.33/person | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Varies by tier | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Limited integration | Sketch: None (third-party workarounds)
Adobe Express: Yes (limited free tier) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: $14.99/month (Express) or free (web) | Sketch: $12
Adobe Express: $180 (Express Premium + Cloud storage) | Sketch: $144 (Sketch Standard annual)
Adobe Express: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web browser | Sketch: 1 (Mac only)
Adobe Express: Slower performance beyond 50 artboards | Sketch: Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag
Adobe Express: 3 (Generative Fill, Text to Image, Style Transfer) | Sketch: 0 (native); available via plugins
Adobe Express: Integrated Creative Cloud; limited third-party plugins (50+) | Sketch: ~1,200+ plugins
Adobe Express: Basic (transitions, tap/click, simple overlays) | Sketch: Basic (transitions, drag triggers)
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Adobe Express: ~15-20% (growing in small teams/freelancers) | Sketch: ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Adobe Express: $9.99/month | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 500+ free templates | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 100,000+ Adobe Stock templates | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 4K (3840×2160) + SVG/PSD | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Generative Fill, Text-to-Image (Firefly) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, PSD, MP4 | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Not available | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Adobe Firefly (Text-to-Image, Generative Fill, 550+ AI templates) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Basic transitions and effects | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Native (Photoshop, Illustrator, Stock, Fonts) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 25+ (via Adobe Stock) | Sketch: Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately)
Adobe Express: 20,000+ Adobe Stock assets | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Premium only ($9.99/mo) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 200+ effects | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: $119.88/year | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Full (Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Minimal community focus | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 3 (basic transitions) | Sketch: 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll)
Adobe Express: Basic (no variants or tokens) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Yes (web app) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 40+ million | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Advanced (effects, color grading, keyframes) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Full (Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom sync) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Premium tier only | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 2-3 hours | Sketch: 20+ hours
Adobe Express: Web, iOS, macOS, Windows | Sketch: macOS, Windows (beta)
Adobe Express: Basic component library | Sketch: Advanced design tokens with shared libraries
Adobe Express: 100+ design categories | Sketch: Limited; community-contributed
Adobe Express: Native; cloud-based sync | Sketch: Via plugins; file-based
Adobe Express: 2GB | Sketch: Limited free tier (projects only)
Adobe Express: Up to 10 simultaneous users | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: 100,000+ templates | Sketch: N/A
Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)
Adobe Express: 5-15 minutes | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Basic animations, transitions, simple interactions | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: Basic shared components, limited documentation | Sketch: N/A
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: $120/year ($10/month)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 3 (Mac, Windows, Web)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Basic (plugin-dependent)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 1 (Email only)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Excellent - minimal lag
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Native support with libraries
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: ~1,000+ community-built plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: No (third-party workarounds)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Advanced Auto Layout (2021+)
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Paid plans only
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 8/10 (steep)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Full interactive prototyping with animations and states
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Mac desktop, Web (limited features)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 14-day free trial only; no free plan
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: $8.25/user (yearly: $99)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Shared libraries, comments, version history (async)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 1,200+ plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Not included; requires third-party services
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 3,500+ plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Plugin-based, additional cost
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Advanced (interactions, animations, states)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: No (proprietary)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Basic (clickable prototypes only)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 4,000 x 4,000 pixels
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Manual management (requires Sketch 90+)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Full support with readable output
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: macOS 10.13+ only
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Not supported
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Full support
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 30 days (local)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: No free tier
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Requires workarounds
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 800+ without degradation
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Shared symbols with nesting
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Advanced with animations
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: $12/month (or $129 one-time)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 15 concurrent users
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 8+ years of resources
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Proprietary/Closed
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Yes (Slack integration only)
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Excellent (instant load)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: No (30-day trial only)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Mac (Web beta)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Limited via plugins (~5)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Advanced with nested symbols
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Available in beta/plugins
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: macOS only + Web viewer
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 6-8 basic interactions
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 22% of design tools market (2024)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 15-20 min (macOS native install)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Full design support
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Third-party plugins only
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop)
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: 2-5 MB per project
Adobe Express: N/A | Sketch: Shared symbols with cloud sync via subscription
How to choose between Adobe Express and Sketch
Adobe Express vs Sketch — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Adobe Express vs Sketch. Contains 149 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Adobe Express vs Sketch — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Adobe Express vs Sketch.
Can I use Sketch on Windows or a web browser?
Sketch is exclusively available on macOS desktop applications. Sketch Cloud (web) allows viewing, commenting, and basic feedback on design files, but all design editing must occur in the macOS app. Adobe Express, by contrast, works fully in any web browser and includes native Windows/Mac/iOS/Android apps.
Which tool is better for prototyping interactive user interfaces?
Sketch is significantly superior for prototyping. It offers animation timelines, conditional interactions, variable-driven designs, and trigger-based logic that enable realistic interactive prototypes. Adobe Express provides only basic transitions and overlays, making it inadequate for complex UI interaction flows that require advanced prototyping.
Does Adobe Express have AI design tools?
Yes, Adobe Express includes multiple AI-powered features: generative fill (AI-powered content removal/addition), text-to-image generation, smart layouts, and design suggestions. Sketch has no built-in generative AI; designers must use third-party plugins (like Relume, Diagram, or Genius) to access similar functionality.
Adobe Express is ideal for beginners. It has an intuitive interface, thousands of templates, minimal learning curve, and works on any device. Sketch has a steep learning curve designed for experienced designers and requires foundational design knowledge—beginners typically struggle significantly without formal training or mentorship.
Are real-time collaboration features equivalent in both tools?
Both tools now offer real-time co-editing, live comments, and shared design libraries. However, Sketch's collaboration was historically weaker but improved significantly in 2024 with better permission controls and simultaneous editing. Adobe Express collaboration is more streamlined for casual team workflows, while Sketch's is built for larger design teams managing complex projects.
How to Choose Between Adobe Express and Sketch
Primary Use Case: Adobe Express has Social media, marketing graphics, quick designs, while Sketch has UI/UX design, app prototypes, design systems.
Platform Availability: Adobe Express has Web browser, iOS, Android, while Sketch has macOS only (no Windows, no web version).
AI Features: Adobe Express has Generative fill, text to image, design suggestions, while Sketch has No built-in generative AI tools.
Learning Curve: Adobe Express has Beginner-friendly, minimal onboarding, while Sketch has Steep learning curve, requires design experience.
Prototyping Capabilities: Adobe Express has Basic transitions and interactions, while Sketch has Advanced interactive prototypes with animation timelines.
Collaboration Tools: Adobe Express has Real-time co-editing, comments, shared libraries, while Sketch has Real-time co-editing, comments, shared libraries (improved in 2024).
Design System Management: Adobe Express has Basic component libraries, while Sketch has Robust design systems with tokens and extensive symbol management.