Sketch is a vector design tool optimized for UI/UX design with industry-standard file formats and plugins, while Framer is a prototyping and web development platform that combines design with interactive code-based interactions and hosting. Sketch excels at static design workflows; Framer dominates interactive prototypes and web design.
Sketch vs Framer — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Mac-native design tool specializing in UI/UX design with robust plugin support.
Code-powered design tool for interactive prototypes and motion design
Primary Use Case. Learning Curve. Prototyping Capabilities. Code Integration. Team Collaboration. Design System Tools. Hosting & Publishing
Choose Sketch if you're a professional UI/UX designer focused on static design, design systems, and need industry-standard file format compatibility with a mature plugin ecosystem and lower per-seat costs. Choose Framer if you're building interactive prototypes, web applications, or need to transition from design to development with real-time collaboration, code integration, and built-in hosting capabilities.
Sketch: macOS, Windows (beta) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: $120/year ($10/month) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 3 (Mac, Windows, Web) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Basic (plugin-dependent) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free) | Framer: Unlimited simultaneous editors
Sketch: Excellent - minimal lag | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Native support with libraries | Framer: Basic component library without token system
Sketch: 1000+ third-party plugins | Framer: 200+ integrations and components
Sketch: No (third-party workarounds) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Advanced Auto Layout (2021+) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll) | Framer: Unlimited with code-based logic and variants
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Sketch: Full interactive prototyping with animations and states | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Mac desktop, Web (limited features) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 14-day free trial only; no free plan | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately) | Framer: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Sketch: $8.25/user (yearly: $99) | Framer: $12/month (billed annually)
Sketch: Shared libraries, comments, version history (async) | Framer: Real-time multiplayer, live cursors, shared workspaces
Sketch: 1,200+ plugins | Framer: Limited native extensibility; API available
Sketch: Not included; requires third-party services | Framer: Included; publish live sites with custom domains
Sketch: Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React) | Framer: Yes, native export
Sketch: Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established) | Framer: Variants and tokens (growing capability)
Sketch: macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved) | Framer: Web-only (browser-based)
Sketch: Plugin-based, additional cost | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Advanced (interactions, animations, states) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: $144 (Sketch Standard annual) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 0 (native); available via plugins | Framer: N/A
Sketch: ~1,200+ plugins | Framer: 150+ integrations and community extensions
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Sketch: ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Basic (clickable prototypes only) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 4,000 x 4,000 pixels | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Manual management (requires Sketch 90+) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Full support with readable output | Framer: N/A
Sketch: $12 | Framer: $12/month (Free limited) or $25/month (Pro)
Sketch: Requires workarounds | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 800+ without degradation | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Shared symbols with nesting | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Advanced with animations | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 15 concurrent users | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 8+ years of resources | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Proprietary/Closed | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Basic (transitions, drag triggers) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Yes (Slack integration only) | Framer: N/A
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Sketch: Excellent (instant load) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: None (third-party workarounds) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: No (30-day trial only) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Limited via plugins (~5) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Advanced with nested symbols | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Available in beta/plugins | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: macOS only + Web viewer | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 6-8 basic interactions | Framer: Unlimited (code-based logic and conditions)
Sketch: Limited free tier (projects only) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 22% of design tools market (2024) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: 15-20 min (macOS native install) | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Advanced design tokens with shared libraries | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Limited; community-contributed | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Via plugins; file-based | Framer: N/A
Sketch: Full design support | Framer: N/A
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Basic (simple product pages)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Intermediate (good for marketing content)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Fast (Figma import, instant publish)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Gentle (design-first approach)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Limited collaboration features
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Full CMS with collections
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Native hosting included
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Code export and CSS access
Sketch: N/A | Framer: ~1,800 reviews (Capterra estimate)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Full relational CMS with cross-references
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Scroll triggers, gestures, Squircle UI, advanced state
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Vercel-powered with auto-scaling
Sketch: N/A | Framer: No, requires third-party integration
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Yes - relational collections with AI
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Limited (on-page editing only)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 1.2-1.8s (optimized by default)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Yes - interactions, content generation, UX optimization
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Relational CMS with AI content features (2025-2026)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Yes, with product management and checkout
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Basic variant support
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 3-5 (via limited API)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 9/10 (full code access)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 4-8 (design-heavy)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Yes, unlimited projects
Total Monthly Cost (with Required Services)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Full timeline, gesture controls, 60fps native
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Unlimited simultaneous users
Sketch: N/A | Framer: No direct Adobe integration
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Full code export, design tokens, component library generation
Sketch: N/A | Framer: JavaScript/React fundamentals required
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Basic component library, limited design token support
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 12% of design teams
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Auto-deploy, custom domains, serverless functions
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 5-10 simultaneous users
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 90% (native React generation)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Advanced animations, gestures, scroll triggers, full prototypes
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: $12/month (Pro plan) or Free tier
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Unlimited (infinite canvas)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: React, HTML, CSS, SVG, PNG, code snippets
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Unlimited projects
Sketch: N/A | Framer: React component export, live code editor, CSS-in-JS, Figma sync
Sketch: N/A | Framer: N/A (no native e-commerce)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Yes - included with all plans
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Basic (meta, OG tags)
Team Collaboration - Simultaneous Editors
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Up to 5 team members (limited real-time)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Full React component code with logic
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Unlimited but degrades with complexity
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Yes, with Framer branding
Sketch: N/A | Framer: 0 (third-party only)
Sketch: N/A | Framer: Full React/JSX, npm packages, any library
Sketch vs Framer — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Sketch vs Framer. Contains 169 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Sketch vs Framer — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Sketch vs Framer.
Is Sketch or Framer better for design systems?
Sketch is better for mature design systems. Its symbol library system, shared styles, and 500+ plugins provide industry-proven tooling for documenting and scaling design systems. Framer's component variants are powerful but still developing. Choose Sketch if your primary goal is building comprehensive, well-documented design systems; choose Framer if you need your design system to live in code.
Can I use Sketch or Framer for web development?
Framer is purpose-built for web design and development, allowing you to design, prototype, and publish live websites without leaving the platform. Sketch is a design tool that requires separate development handoff. Framer is 3-5x faster for going from design to deployed website, while Sketch excels at creating design specifications for developers to implement.
Which tool is cheaper for a team of 10 designers?
Sketch costs approximately $99/designer/year ($990 total for 10), while Framer costs $300/designer/year at $25/month ($3,000 total for 10). Sketch is 67% cheaper for annual costs, though Sketch requires separate prototyping tools. If you include prototyping tool costs, the gap narrows significantly.
Framer complements rather than replaces Sketch for most teams. Sketch remains superior for static design, design systems, and hand-off workflows. Framer excels at prototyping, interactions, and code integration. Many professional teams use both: Sketch for design specifications and systems, Framer for interactive prototypes and web products.
Which tool has better collaboration features?
Framer has superior real-time collaboration with live cursors, multiplayer editing, and instant share links. Sketch offers asynchronous collaboration through shared libraries and comments. If your team works synchronously on prototypes, Framer wins (10-15x faster feedback loops). If you work asynchronously on design systems, Sketch's library system is more robust.
Primary Use Case: Sketch has Vector UI/UX design, wireframing, design systems, while Framer has Interactive prototypes, web design, web development.
Learning Curve: Sketch has Moderate (focused on design fundamentals), while Framer has Steep (requires design + code/component knowledge).
Prototyping Capabilities: Sketch has Basic interactions and transitions, while Framer has Advanced interactions with code and variants.
Code Integration: Sketch has Requires third-party plugins for code export, while Framer has Native React component export and code editing.
Team Collaboration: Sketch has $99-$199/user/year with offline files, while Framer has $12-$25/user/month with real-time multiplayer.
Design System Tools: Sketch has Symbols and shared libraries (mature ecosystem), while Framer has Variants and component tokens (newer approach).
Hosting & Publishing: Sketch has Requires third-party services, while Framer has Built-in hosting and live preview URLs.