Sketch is a lightweight vector design tool focused on UI/UX design with a one-time purchase model, while InVision is a comprehensive prototyping and collaboration platform with subscription-based pricing. Sketch excels at design speed, while InVision prioritizes interactive prototyping and team workflows.
Sketch vs InVision — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Lightweight vector design tool for UI/UX design with collaborative cloud features.
Web-based design and prototyping platform with advanced collaboration and interactive prototype features.
Primary Use Case. Pricing Model. Team Collaboration Features. Prototyping Capabilities. Design File Size (Average Project). Learning Curve (Hours to Proficiency). Platform Availability
Choose Sketch if you're a solo designer or small team prioritizing cost-efficiency, speed, and focused UI design work on macOS. Choose InVision if you need robust team collaboration, interactive prototyping with client handoff, and cross-platform accessibility for larger design teams.
Sketch: macOS, Windows (beta) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 3 (Mac, Windows, Web) | InVision: 4 (Web, Desktop, iOS, Android)
Sketch: Basic (plugin-dependent) | InVision: Advanced with interactions
Sketch: Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free) | InVision: Unlimited users
Sketch: 1 (Email only) | InVision: 3 (Email, Phone, Tickets)
Sketch: Excellent - minimal lag | InVision: Good - occasional lag
Sketch: Native support with libraries | InVision: Supported via DSM add-on
Sketch: ~1,000+ community-built plugins | InVision: 500+ plugins and apps
Sketch: No (third-party workarounds) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Advanced Auto Layout (2021+) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll) | InVision: N/A
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Sketch: Full interactive prototyping with animations and states | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Mac desktop, Web (limited features) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 14-day free trial only; no free plan | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately) | InVision: N/A
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Sketch: $8.25/user (yearly: $99) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Shared libraries, comments, version history (async) | InVision: Comments, design voting, stakeholder reviews, inspect mode
Sketch: 1,200+ plugins | InVision: 200+ integrations
Sketch: Not included; requires third-party services | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Plugin-based, additional cost | InVision: Limited to paid Team tier
Sketch: Advanced (interactions, animations, states) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: No (proprietary) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: $144 (Sketch Standard annual) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 0 (native); available via plugins | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 15,000+ plugins and integrations | InVision: 300+ integrations
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Sketch: ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Basic (clickable prototypes only) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 4,000 x 4,000 pixels | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Manual management (requires Sketch 90+) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Full support with readable output | InVision: N/A
Sketch: macOS 10.13+ only | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Limited (file sharing only) | InVision: Full real-time with live cursors
Sketch: Requires workarounds | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 800+ without degradation | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Shared symbols with nesting | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Advanced with animations | InVision: N/A
Sketch: $12/month (or $129 one-time) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 15 concurrent users | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 8+ years of resources | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Proprietary/Closed | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Basic (transitions, drag triggers) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Yes (Slack integration only) | InVision: N/A
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Sketch: Excellent (instant load) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: None (third-party workarounds) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: No (30-day trial only) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Mac (Web beta) | InVision: Any browser (cross-platform)
Sketch: Limited via plugins (~5) | InVision: Native support (15+)
Sketch: Advanced with nested symbols | InVision: Basic component system
Sketch: Available in beta/plugins | InVision: Native Liveshare feature
Sketch: Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract) | InVision: Native Inspect with code generation
Sketch: macOS only + Web viewer | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 6-8 basic interactions | InVision: 25+ interactions (links, hotspots, gestures)
Sketch: Limited free tier (projects only) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 22% of design tools market (2024) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 15-20 min (macOS native install) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Advanced design tokens with shared libraries | InVision: Pattern library with limited tokenization
Sketch: Limited; community-contributed | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Via plugins; file-based | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Full design support | InVision: Desktop app supports offline work
Sketch: Third-party plugins only | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 2-5 MB per project | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Shared symbols with cloud sync via subscription | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 2 (macOS, Web beta) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 0 (third-party integration only) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Unlimited (2024+) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Sketch, SVG, PDF export | InVision: N/A
Sketch: $14/month (annual billing) or $20/month (monthly) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Optimal up to 200+ artboards with <100ms interaction latency | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Comments only; async collaboration | InVision: N/A
Sketch: 62% of design professionals (2024) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Proprietary closed-source | InVision: N/A
Sketch: macOS and Windows desktop apps | InVision: N/A
Sketch: Via third-party plugins (Zeplin, Abstract) | InVision: N/A
Sketch: $99 one-time + $99/year | InVision: $1,188-$1,788/year
Sketch: Up to 5 efficiently | InVision: Unlimited
Sketch: Basic (5-10 interaction types) | InVision: Advanced (40+ interaction types)
Sketch: 65 MB/s average | InVision: 12 MB/s (web-based limitation)
Sketch: macOS only | InVision: Mac, Windows, Linux via browser
Sketch: 800+ plugins | InVision: 150+ plugins
Sketch: 10 MB for complex UI | InVision: 20 MB including prototypes
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Comment-based feedback only
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Manual responsive workflow
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Requires external integration
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Specialized interactive prototypes
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Advanced (micro-interactions, animations)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Limited (view-only)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Comment-based workflow
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Advanced Smart Animate with frame-by-frame timeline
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 21 days (3 weeks)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Unlimited on paid plans
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Inspect mode with code export and specifications
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Native versioning in InVision DSM (separate product)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: $25 per month (flat rate)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Limited to commenter model
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 35+ gesture and animation controls
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Optimal up to 3,000 artboards
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 8-12% declining adoption
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 500,000-750,000 users
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Advanced micro-interactions (9/10)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Industry-leading (9/10)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Mac and Windows desktop apps
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 100 screens per prototype (practical limit)
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Basic: shapes, text, limited path editing
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Browser-based, internet required
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 5-10 hours for proficiency
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 50+ integrations and API
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Limited; basic animation support
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Yes; dedicated DSP included
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Limited; file-based workflow only
Sketch: N/A | InVision: 12% annual growth
Sketch: N/A | InVision: Advanced nested threads with task management
Sketch: N/A | InVision: InVision app with inspect mode
How to choose between Sketch and InVision
Sketch vs InVision — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Sketch vs InVision. Contains 168 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Sketch vs InVision — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Sketch vs InVision.
No, Sketch is macOS-only for the desktop application. While you can view Sketch Cloud files in a web browser on Windows/Linux, you cannot edit them. InVision, however, is fully web-based and works on any OS with a browser.
Which tool is better for interactive prototyping?
InVision is significantly better for interactive prototyping. It offers 40+ interaction types, animations, triggers, and conditional flows. Sketch supports basic prototyping (links between artboards) but lacks InVision's advanced interactivity features and user testing capabilities.
What's the total cost difference over 3 years?
For one user: Sketch costs approximately $396 ($99 initial + $99/year × 3), while InVision costs $3,564-$5,364 ($99-$149/month × 36 months). For a team of 5: Sketch is ~$1,980, while InVision is $17,820-$26,820. Sketch offers 80-90% cost savings for small teams.
No, Sketch remains active and updated regularly. However, Sketch introduced a web version in beta and is gradually shifting toward a subscription model alongside its desktop version. Sketch Cloud is their cloud collaboration solution, though it's still not as comprehensive as InVision's platform.
Can I hand off designs to developers in both tools?
Yes, both tools offer developer handoff. InVision's Inspect mode provides automated CSS code snippets and precise measurements. Sketch integrates with tools like Zeplin and Abstract for similar handoff workflows. InVision's handoff is more streamlined as a built-in feature.
How to Choose Between Sketch and InVision
Primary Use Case: Sketch has Vector-based UI/UX design tool, while InVision has Interactive prototyping and design collaboration platform.
Pricing Model: Sketch has $99 one-time purchase + $99/year updates, while InVision has $99-$149/month subscription per user.
Team Collaboration Features: Sketch has Cloud workspace (Sketch Cloud) - basic file sharing, while InVision has Built-in version control, comments, and real-time collaboration.
Prototyping Capabilities: Sketch has Basic prototyping with limited interactivity, while InVision has Advanced interactive prototyping with animations and transitions.
Consider: Design File Size (Average Project)
Design File Size (Average Project): Sketch has 5-15 MB for complex projects, while InVision has 10-30 MB including prototype assets.
Consider: Learning Curve (Hours to Proficiency)
Learning Curve (Hours to Proficiency): Sketch has 8-12 hours for basic UI design, while InVision has 15-20 hours including prototyping workflows.
Platform Availability: Sketch has macOS only (desktop), web browser access limited, while InVision has Web-based, works on Mac/Windows/Linux browsers.