Adobe XD is a cloud-native design tool integrated with the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem and available on both macOS and Windows, while Sketch is macOS-exclusive and file-based but offers superior performance and a more intuitive interface for UI/UX design. Adobe XD costs $12.99/month standalone, while Sketch is a one-time $129 purchase or $12/month subscription.
Adobe XD vs Sketch — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cross-platform web and desktop design tool with advanced prototyping, integrated into Creative Cloud.
Professional vector design and prototyping platform for UI/UX designers with advanced collaboration.
Operating System Support. Pricing Model. Performance on 4GB RAM Systems. Cloud Collaboration Features. Prototyping Capabilities. UI Learning Curve. Creative Cloud Integration
Choose Adobe XD if you need cross-platform support (Windows + Mac), advanced prototyping features, real-time team collaboration, and seamless integration with other Adobe tools—ideal for enterprise teams and designers already in the Creative Cloud ecosystem. Choose Sketch if you're on macOS, prioritize performance and a streamlined interface, prefer a one-time purchase model, and work primarily on UI/UX design without extensive prototyping requirements.
Adobe XD: Up to 5 concurrent editors | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Desktop primary (Windows, Mac) | Sketch: Mac desktop, Web (limited features)
Adobe XD: Design tokens with Creative Cloud sync | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: AI-assisted design with enhanced prototyping | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Optimized desktop performance for large files | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 12,957 customers | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Full co-editing support | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native AI capabilities included | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Automatic responsive resizing | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native design systems included | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: General prototyping | Sketch: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Adobe XD: $9.99 standalone | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS, iPad | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Performance issues above 500MB | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Full offline support | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: CSS/SVG export, design specs | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows and macOS | Sketch: macOS only
Adobe XD: Yes (cloud-native) | Sketch: No (third-party workarounds)
Adobe XD: Repeat Grid with constraints | Sketch: Advanced Auto Layout (2021+)
Adobe XD: 12+ (including voice, drag, animation) | Sketch: 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll)
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Adobe XD: 2 GB with free Creative Cloud account | Sketch: Paid plans only
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Adobe XD: 400+ plugins | Sketch: 1,200+ plugins
Adobe XD: Up to 30 shared project members | Sketch: Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free)
Adobe XD: Advanced (35+ triggers, animations, voice) | Sketch: Basic (clickable prototypes only)
Adobe XD: 32,000 x 32,000 pixels | Sketch: 4,000 x 4,000 pixels
Adobe XD: Native with library sync | Sketch: Manual management (requires Sketch 90+)
Adobe XD: Full support with clean code | Sketch: Full support with readable output
Adobe XD: $119.88/year standalone | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited (comments only, not full co-editing) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Yes (Windows/Mac application) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects | Sketch: N/A
Total Monthly Cost (with Required Services)
Adobe XD: $54.49 (Creative Cloud) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native timeline animations with easing, delays, triggers | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 5+ simultaneous users | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects integration | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: CSS measurements and specs panel | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Shared symbols, component variants, design libraries | Sketch: Native support with libraries
Adobe XD: 2-3 concurrent editors before slowdown | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: No free tier; 7-day free trial only | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited variant support (main + 1-2 states) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 19% among design teams | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Full offline mode; all features available | Sketch: Full design support
Adobe XD: Basic transitions and timing; 8 interaction types | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Not applicable (no free tier) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows 10+, macOS 10.13+ | Sketch: macOS 10.13+ only
Adobe XD: 3-5 seconds | Sketch: <1 second
Adobe XD: Yes, limited to 1 shared prototype | Sketch: No free tier
Adobe XD: Limited to Creative Cloud team | Sketch: Requires workarounds
Adobe XD: macOS, Windows, Web | Sketch: macOS, Windows (beta)
Adobe XD: 400-500 before slowdown | Sketch: 800+ without degradation
Adobe XD: Shared components with variants | Sketch: Shared symbols with nesting
Adobe XD: Advanced with voice/gesture | Sketch: Advanced with animations
Adobe XD: $12.99/month standalone | Sketch: $12/month (or $129 one-time)
Adobe XD: Limited to shared link viewers | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 4-6 hours (steeper curve) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS desktop only | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: $9.99 (Single App) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: $299.99 (5 × $9.99 × 2.5x for teams) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Limited to license holders | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Full frame-based timeline with easing curves | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 2 (Mac, Windows only) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Shareable links with basic feedback | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: $9.99 (standalone) or $54.99 (full Creative Cloud) | Sketch: $12
Adobe XD: Advanced (auto-animate, voice, speech recognition) | Sketch: Basic (transitions, drag triggers)
Adobe XD: Yes (built-in, voice/video chat) | Sketch: Yes (Slack integration only)
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Adobe XD: Good (occasional lag reported) | Sketch: Excellent (instant load)
Adobe XD: Native (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere) | Sketch: None (third-party workarounds)
Adobe XD: Yes (limited free tier) | Sketch: No (30-day trial only)
Adobe XD: Windows, macOS, Web, iOS | Sketch: macOS only + Web viewer
Adobe XD: 1000+ plugins in XD ecosystem | Sketch: ~1,200+ plugins
Adobe XD: Native real-time co-editing | Sketch: Plugin-based, additional cost
Adobe XD: 2GB free | Sketch: Limited free tier (projects only)
Adobe XD: 28% of design tools market (2024) | Sketch: 22% of design tools market (2024)
Adobe XD: 45-60 min (with Adobe account setup) | Sketch: 15-20 min (macOS native install)
Adobe XD: Comments, limited real-time co-editing, shared libraries | Sketch: Shared libraries, comments, version history (async)
Adobe XD: Unlimited (desktop app) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Professional: Pen tool, Boolean operations, gradient editor, mesh transform | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Full desktop app with offline support | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 20-30 hours for proficiency | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 200+ integrations (Creative Cloud native) | Sketch: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Adobe XD: $14.99/month (Creative Cloud required) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: PNG, SVG, PDF, XD format | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 14 (tap, drag, scroll, voice, gesture-based) | Sketch: 6-8 basic interactions
Adobe XD: Spec export, measurement tools, CSS export (limited) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 1-3 (plan dependent) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Cloud-based shared libraries with design tokens | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native, unlimited collaborators | Sketch: Third-party plugins only
Adobe XD: Advanced: 12+ animation types including voice/scroll-trigger | Sketch: Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop)
Adobe XD: ~300 official and community plugins | Sketch: ~1,000+ community-built plugins
Adobe XD: 10-15 MB per project | Sketch: 2-5 MB per project
Adobe XD: Shared libraries with team-wide syncing | Sketch: Shared symbols with cloud sync via subscription
Adobe XD: Unlimited with state management | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: No; uses component libraries | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Native integration with 15+ Creative Cloud apps | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 18% annual growth | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: Basic commenting on canvas | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: XD Cloud and Share Link (mobile app available) | Sketch: N/A
Adobe XD: 3 (macOS, Windows, Web) | Sketch: 2 (macOS, Web beta)
Adobe XD: 100 | Sketch: 0 (third-party integration only)
Adobe XD: Up to 4 free / Unlimited with team plan | Sketch: Unlimited (2024+)
Adobe XD: XD, PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG, MP4 video export | Sketch: Sketch, SVG, PDF export
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: $120/year ($10/month)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: 3 (Mac, Windows, Web)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Basic (plugin-dependent)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Excellent - minimal lag
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Full interactive prototyping with animations and states
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: 14-day free trial only; no free plan
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: $8.25/user (yearly: $99)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Not included; requires third-party services
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Advanced (interactions, animations, states)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: No (proprietary)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: $144 (Sketch Standard annual)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: 0 (native); available via plugins
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: 15 concurrent users
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: 8+ years of resources
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Proprietary/Closed
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Limited via plugins (~5)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Advanced with nested symbols
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Available in beta/plugins
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract)
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Advanced design tokens with shared libraries
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Limited; community-contributed
Adobe XD: N/A | Sketch: Via plugins; file-based
How to choose between Adobe XD and Sketch
Adobe XD vs Sketch — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Adobe XD vs Sketch. Contains 183 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Adobe XD vs Sketch — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Adobe XD vs Sketch.
No, Sketch is macOS-exclusive. If you need a cross-platform design tool, Adobe XD supports both Windows 10+ and macOS. Alternatively, Figma offers a web-based platform that works on any OS but has a different feature set and pricing model ($12-45/month).
Which tool is better for team collaboration?
Adobe XD has superior built-in collaboration with native real-time co-editing, shared design systems, and version history. Sketch requires third-party plugins (like Figma's embed or Marvel) for real-time collaboration, making it less suitable for larger teams. For teams prioritizing seamless collaboration, Adobe XD or Figma are stronger choices.
Yes, Adobe XD has offline functionality, but some cloud-based collaboration features (co-editing, cloud documents) require an internet connection. Sketch also works offline and stores files locally by default, providing more reliable offline access without cloud dependency.
Sketch has a gentler learning curve with a more intuitive interface layout, making it faster for beginners to pick up basic UI design tasks (typically 1-2 weeks to proficiency). Adobe XD requires more time to master (~3-4 weeks) due to its broader feature set and complex interface organization, but this steeper curve pays off for advanced prototyping and animation workflows.
Can I migrate designs between Sketch and Adobe XD?
Direct migration is limited. Sketch files (.sketch) cannot be directly imported into Adobe XD. However, you can export Sketch designs as SVG or PDF and manually reconstruct them in Adobe XD. Third-party conversion tools exist but often require manual cleanup. Consider this when switching tools, as redesigning projects may be necessary.
How to Choose Between Adobe XD and Sketch
Operating System Support: Adobe XD has Windows & macOS, while Sketch has macOS only.
Pricing Model: Adobe XD has $12.99/month (Creative Cloud) or $9.99 standalone, while Sketch has $129 one-time or $12/month subscription.
Consider: Performance on 4GB RAM Systems
Performance on 4GB RAM Systems: Adobe XD has Noticeably sluggish, 3-5 second load times, while Sketch has Smooth operation, <1 second load times.
Cloud Collaboration Features: Adobe XD has Real-time co-editing, share links, design system sync, while Sketch has Requires third-party plugins for co-editing.
Prototyping Capabilities: Adobe XD has Advanced: voice commands, autoplay, scroll-triggered animations, while Sketch has Basic: simple transitions and interactions only.
UI Learning Curve: Adobe XD has Steeper, more complex interface organization, while Sketch has More intuitive, flatter learning curve.
Creative Cloud Integration: Adobe XD has Native integration with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, while Sketch has No native Adobe integration, requires plugins.