Figma is a cloud-based, collaborative design platform accessible from any browser, while Sketch is a macOS-native application focused on UI/UX design with local file storage. Figma's real-time collaboration and cross-platform availability make it more suitable for distributed teams, whereas Sketch offers faster performance and deeper macOS integration for individual designers.
Figma vs Sketch — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based collaborative design platform with real-time editing and cross-platform accessibility.
Native macOS design application optimized for UI/UX with local file control and plugin ecosystem.
Platform Availability. Real-time Collaboration. File Storage. Performance on Large Files. Starting Price. Developer Handoff Tools. Learning Curve for Teams
Choose Figma if your team is distributed, uses mixed operating systems, or values real-time collaboration and cost efficiency—it's the modern standard for collaborative design. Choose Sketch if you're a solo macOS designer who prioritizes raw performance, prefer local file control, and have deep integration needs with the Apple ecosystem.
Figma: $10.53-13.8 billion (public) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 9x-35x (varies by metric) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Public (NASDAQ: FIG) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Enterprise Design Teams | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Advanced multiplayer editing | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Built-in real-time collaboration | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Sites CMS beta (200 items) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Variables, components, tokens | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Requires external hosting | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Dev Mode with inspection | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited (per plan) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Cloud-only, no self-hosting | Sketch: No
Figma: Voice-to-text, Make controls, question cards, design suggestions | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Closed source | Sketch: No (proprietary)
Figma: 350+ plugins available | Sketch: 1,200+ plugins
Figma: Unlimited with live cursors | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Web browser + Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) | Sketch: Mac desktop, Web (limited features)
Figma: Master Variables with full version control | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Limited (separate ecosystem) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Voice-to-text, Make features, automation | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Browser-dependent, can slow with 1000+ frames | Sketch: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Figma: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Performance issues above 2GB | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Limited offline, primarily cloud-based | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Advanced design specs, Dev Mode, code generation | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Intermediate (basic flows, transitions) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 500+ (performance degrades) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Generous (3 projects, 2GB) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited simultaneous editors | Sketch: N/A
Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Figma: Four-tier with seat types (Full, Dev, Collab) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Industry-leading precision tools | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Excellent for design workflows | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Basic design assistance | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 15+ concurrent editors (unlimited) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Yes (full collaborative design) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Advanced variables system with 20+ variant combinations per component | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 71% among design teams | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Limited offline mode (view only, limited editing) | Sketch: Full offline support; all files stored locally
Figma: Advanced auto-animate, conditional logic, 35+ interaction types | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 30 days of version history | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited (draft-based) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Community plugins only | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Interactions, conditional logic, component states, animations, flows | Sketch: 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll)
Figma: Enterprise-grade (variants, tokens, documentation) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Yes (100% browser-native) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: $12 (Professional tier, free tier available) | Sketch: $12
Figma: Mac, Windows, Linux, Web | Sketch: macOS 10.13+ only
Figma: Yes; built-in with live cursors, comments, and activity tracking | Sketch: Limited (file sharing only)
Figma: Limited (browser-dependent) | Sketch: Full support
Figma: Yes, full features for 1 file | Sketch: No free tier
Figma: Unlimited | Sketch: Requires workarounds
Figma: Web + macOS + Windows + iPad | Sketch: macOS, Windows (beta)
Figma: 300-400 before lag | Sketch: 800+ without degradation
Figma: Shared libraries with variants | Sketch: Shared symbols with nesting
Figma: Advanced with variables | Sketch: Advanced with animations
Figma: Basic preset animations without timeline | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited on paid plans | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Dev Mode with code snippets and specs | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Component versioning in main product | Sketch: N/A
Figma: $12 per editor/month | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited on any plan | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 15+ (conditions, variables, triggers, overlays) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 2,500+ | Sketch: 15,000+ plugins and integrations
Figma: Optimal up to 5,000 artboards | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 61% of design professionals | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 70% of professional design teams | Sketch: N/A
Figma: No built-in hosting | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 2000+ official plugins and integrations | Sketch: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Figma: $12/month (billed annually) | Sketch: $8.25/user (yearly: $99)
Figma: 500+ simultaneous users | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 40-60% (design to code via plugins) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Basic interactions, limited keyframe animation | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Variables, tokens, component library, extensive version control | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited, all editor tiers | Sketch: Plugin-based, additional cost
Figma: Basic interactions (6/10) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Good with plugins (7/10) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Full Variables system with token export | Sketch: Advanced design tokens with shared libraries
Figma: 3 files maximum, unlimited pages per file, basic prototyping, browser-based | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 50,000+ community templates | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 10+ simultaneous editors with live cursors | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 0 (third-party integrations available) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Components, variables, tokens, auto-layout, design tokens management | Sketch: Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens)
Figma: Limited AI—mostly design optimization and naming suggestions | Sketch: N/A
Figma: $0 (Free) / $12 (Pro) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Good prototyping animations; not production-ready | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 1.5-2.5 hours (beginner-friendly) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited (Team plan) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, web) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: $60 (all share one license) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Basic interactions (tap, hover, drag) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 4 (Web, Mac, Windows, iPad) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Limited (API for third-party imports) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Public/password-protected with comment threads | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 500+ (community + official) | Sketch: 500+
Figma: Professional (boolean ops, advanced paths) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: None (external sources required) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: macOS, Windows, Linux, web browser | Sketch: macOS only
Figma: 1,200+ community plugins | Sketch: 3,500+ plugins
Figma: 500 MB (optimal) | Sketch: 1,000+ MB
Figma: Unlimited viewers + 1 editor | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 1,000+ plugins via Figma API | Sketch: N/A
Figma: No (design tool only) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 0GB (Figma Projects only) | Sketch: Limited free tier (projects only)
Figma: 50+ simultaneous users | Sketch: N/A
Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)
Figma: 120-480 minutes (2-8 hours) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Advanced: conditional flows, variables, component variants, design tokens | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Enterprise-grade: design tokens, branching, versioning, token management | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited simultaneous editors per team | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Figma native format, exports to PNG, SVG, PDF, CSS, JSON | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 2-3 seconds (cloud-based, depends on internet) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 3/10 - basic selection and fill tools; not optimized for photo work | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 9/10 - native component systems, design tokens, auto-layout, prototyping | Sketch: N/A
Team Collaboration - Simultaneous Editors
Figma: 50+ simultaneous editors | Sketch: N/A
Figma: No - requires external services | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Advanced with tokens, variables, and nested components | Sketch: Native support with libraries
Figma: Limited to Dev Mode specs; no automated code generation | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 5,000+ plugins available | Sketch: ~1,000+ community-built plugins
Figma: Unlimited (cloud-based) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 50-150ms (true real-time) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Limited offline editing (browser cache) | Sketch: N/A
Professional Design Tool Market Share (2025)
Figma: Third-party plugins only; no native Adobe integration | Sketch: N/A
Average Time to Proficiency for New Users
Figma: $12/month (Starter, 1 editor) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: $80/editor (Professional) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Yes - nested variants with multiple properties | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 100 simultaneous editors | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 500+ templates (UI/design focused) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Advanced - interactions, animations, logic, variables | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited concurrent editors per file | Sketch: Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free)
Figma: 3 editable files (unlimited view-only) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 130+ community plugins available | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Basic transitions and interactions | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Full variants support with auto-layout and smart selection | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 12+ million monthly active users | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Unlimited (edit + view) | Sketch: N/A
Figma: Full component library with variants and design tokens | Sketch: N/A
Figma: 300 requests/minute | Sketch: N/A
Figma: $0 (free tier) or $12 (Professional) | Sketch: $12 (Standard subscription)
Figma: Native (unlimited simultaneous editors) | Sketch: Not native (requires Sketch Cloud + third-party tools)
Figma: Optimal up to 1000 artboards | Sketch: Optimal up to 5000+ artboards
Figma: Unlimited (30-day rollback on free; full on paid) | Sketch: 30 days on Sketch Cloud; local files indefinite
Figma: Dev Mode with live code snippets (CSS, React, Tailwind) | Sketch: Requires third-party plugins or Zeplin integration
Figma: N/A | Sketch: $120/year ($10/month)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 3 (Mac, Windows, Web)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Basic (plugin-dependent)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Excellent - minimal lag
Figma: N/A | Sketch: No (third-party workarounds)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Advanced Auto Layout (2021+)
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Full interactive prototyping with animations and states
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 14-day free trial only; no free plan
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Shared libraries, comments, version history (async)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Not included; requires third-party services
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Advanced (interactions, animations, states)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: $144 (Sketch Standard annual)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 0 (native); available via plugins
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Figma: N/A | Sketch: ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Basic (clickable prototypes only)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 4,000 x 4,000 pixels
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Manual management (requires Sketch 90+)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Full support with readable output
Figma: N/A | Sketch: $12/month (or $129 one-time)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 15 concurrent users
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 8+ years of resources
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Basic (transitions, drag triggers)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Yes (Slack integration only)
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Excellent (instant load)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: None (third-party workarounds)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: No (30-day trial only)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Limited via plugins (~5)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Advanced with nested symbols
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Available in beta/plugins
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: macOS only + Web viewer
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 6-8 basic interactions
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 22% of design tools market (2024)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 15-20 min (macOS native install)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Limited; community-contributed
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Via plugins; file-based
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Third-party plugins only
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Shared symbols with cloud sync via subscription
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 2 (macOS, Web beta)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 0 (third-party integration only)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Sketch, SVG, PDF export
Figma: N/A | Sketch: $14/month (annual billing) or $20/month (monthly)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Optimal up to 200+ artboards with <100ms interaction latency
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Comments only; async collaboration
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 62% of design professionals (2024)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Proprietary closed-source
Figma: N/A | Sketch: macOS and Windows desktop apps
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Via third-party plugins (Zeplin, Abstract)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: $99 one-time + $99/year
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Up to 5 efficiently
Figma: N/A | Sketch: Basic (5-10 interaction types)
Figma: N/A | Sketch: 10 MB for complex UI
Figma vs Sketch — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Figma vs Sketch. Contains 288 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Figma vs Sketch — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Figma vs Sketch.
No, Sketch is exclusively available for macOS. If you need cross-platform support, Figma is the only option as it works on macOS, Windows, Linux, and via web browser.
Figma has limited offline functionality—you can view and comment on existing designs, but creating new content offline is restricted. Sketch offers full offline support since files are stored locally on your Mac.
Figma is significantly better for team collaboration due to native real-time multi-user editing, built-in commenting, and access from any device. Sketch requires additional subscriptions (Sketch Cloud + third-party tools) to achieve similar collaboration features.
Is Figma faster than Sketch for large design systems?
No, Sketch is faster with large files. Figma can experience performance issues with 1000+ artboards, while Sketch is optimized for 5000+ artboards on macOS. However, Figma is improving performance regularly.
What's the total cost of ownership for a 10-person design team?
Figma: $120-150/month (10 editors × $12-15 each). Sketch: $120/month (10 × $12 for Standard license) + optional $100/month for Sketch Cloud collaboration features. Figma includes collaboration; Sketch requires additional paid tools.
Platform Availability: Figma has Web browser (all OS), native apps for Mac/Windows, while Sketch has macOS only (no Windows or Linux native).
Real-time Collaboration: Figma has Built-in, multiple users editing simultaneously with live cursors, while Sketch has Requires third-party plugins or external tools.
File Storage: Figma has Cloud-based (automatic sync, version history included), while Sketch has Local files with optional cloud sync via Sketch Cloud.
Performance on Large Files: Figma has Can lag with 1000+ artboards or complex prototypes, while Sketch has Optimized for macOS, handles large files more smoothly.
Starting Price: Figma has $12/month (professional plan) or $0 (free tier with limits), while Sketch has $12/month (single license, no free tier).
Developer Handoff Tools: Figma has Built-in Inspect mode, Figma Dev Mode with code snippets, while Sketch has Requires Sketch Cloud or third-party plugins for similar features.
Learning Curve for Teams: Figma has Easier for distributed teams; browser-based, no installation needed, while Sketch has Steeper for teams; requires macOS licenses for each user.