Figma is a cloud-based collaborative design tool accessible via browser, while Sketch is a Mac-only desktop application focused on UI/UX design. Figma has 40% lower upfront costs and built-in real-time collaboration, making it the modern standard for remote teams.
Figma vs Sketch — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Figma if you need a cross-platform solution, work with distributed teams, and prioritize real-time collaboration and cost efficiency. Choose Sketch if you're Mac-exclusive, value a mature plugin ecosystem, prefer desktop performance, and don't require seamless cloud collaboration.
Cloud-based collaborative design platform for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design systems with real-time multiplayer editing.
Mac-native design tool specializing in UI/UX design with robust plugin support.
Structured comparison data for Figma vs Sketch with 219 attributes.
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Figma vs Sketch — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Figma vs Sketch.
Can Sketch users and Figma users collaborate on the same project?
No. Figma and Sketch are separate platforms without native interoperability. However, designs can be exported as SVG or PDF for sharing. Some teams use plugins like Sketch Cloud or third-party tools for limited integration, but true real-time collaboration requires both teams to use the same platform.
Is Figma free for personal projects or students?
Yes. Figma offers a free tier with unlimited projects, 3 editable files, basic prototyping, and 1 collaborative team member. Students and educators qualify for 50% off paid plans. Sketch does not offer a free tier but provides a 30-day free trial.
Why is Sketch faster than Figma for large design files?
Sketch runs natively on macOS, leveraging system resources directly, while Figma runs in a browser with web rendering limitations. Sketch can handle files up to 1GB+ without performance degradation, whereas Figma shows lag with files over 500MB due to browser memory constraints and cloud synchronization overhead.
Which tool is better for design systems?
Figma has a slight edge for design systems due to its built-in team collaboration, version control, and shared component libraries with real-time updates across teams. Sketch's plugin ecosystem (Abstract, Zeplin) provides excellent design system tools, but requires additional third-party subscriptions and setup, adding $15-30/month per team member.
No. Sketch is Mac-exclusive with no Windows version. Windows users must use Figma, Adobe XD, or Penpot. Some Sketch files can be imported into Figma for Windows access, but this requires conversion and may lose some design fidelity.