Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD (2026): Design Tool 3-Way Comparison
Figma wins for teams. Sketch wins for solo Mac designers who want speed on large files. Adobe XD wins only if you're already paying for Creative Cloud.
Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD (2026): Design Tool 3-Way Comparison — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Figma has widened its lead in 2026. Collaboration, design systems, prototyping, and cross-platform availability are all stronger than Sketch or Adobe XD. The only genuine reasons to choose Sketch over Figma are: you're a solo Mac designer who works with very large files and values offline capability. Adobe XD is the pick only if you're a Creative Cloud subscriber who doesn't want a separate subscription — its AI features via Firefly are genuinely strong, but the tool has lost developer mindshare to Figma.
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.
Desktop design and prototyping tool with advanced animation features and Creative Cloud integration.
Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD (2026): Design Tool 3-Way Comparison — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD (2026): Design Tool 3-Way Comparison with 324 attributes.
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)
Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)
Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)
Team Collaboration - Simultaneous Editors
Professional Design Tool Market Share (2025)
Average Time to Proficiency for New Users
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)
Market Share Among Professional Designers
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)
Total Monthly Cost (with Required Services)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD (2026): Design Tool 3-Way Comparison — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD (2026): Design Tool 3-Way Comparison.
Yes. Adobe announced it was winding down Adobe XD as a standalone product after its attempted acquisition of Figma was blocked by UK and European regulators in January 2023. Existing Adobe XD files remain accessible through Adobe Creative Cloud, but Adobe has redirected its design workflow investment toward Creative Cloud integration rather than continuing XD as a competitive product. For new design projects in 2026, Adobe XD is not recommended — teams should migrate to Figma (for cross-platform collaborative design) or Sketch (for Mac-only workflows).
Figma offers a free Starter plan that allows up to 3 Figma design files and 3 FigJam whiteboard files, with unlimited collaborators as viewers. The free plan is sufficient for solo designers, freelancers exploring the tool, or students. For professional teams needing unlimited files, version history, and advanced design system features, the Professional plan is $20/user/month. Organizations needing SSO, admin controls, and organization-wide design libraries pay $45/user/month. Figma's free tier is one of the most generous in professional software — it enables teams to start collaborating without any upfront cost.
Why did designers switch from Sketch to Figma?
The primary reasons designers switched from Sketch to Figma were: (1) Real-time collaboration — Figma allows multiple designers to edit simultaneously like Google Docs, eliminating file-sharing and version conflicts; (2) Cross-platform access — Figma runs in the browser on any OS, making it accessible to Windows developers without a Mac license; (3) Developer handoff — Figma's Inspect panel (now Dev Mode) allowed engineers to access specs, CSS values, and design tokens without Zeplin or other handoff tools; (4) No file size limits for cloud sync — Sketch files over a certain size became slow, while Figma handles large design systems more gracefully. Sketch remains competitive for Mac-only teams where the lower cost and native performance justify staying.
Which design tool is best for beginners?
Figma is the best design tool for beginners in 2026 for several reasons: it is free to start (Starter plan with 3 files), browser-based (no installation), has the largest learning community online (YouTube tutorials, Figma community templates, courses), and the interface is considered the most intuitive of the three. The Figma Community also offers thousands of free UI kits, design systems (Material Design 3, Apple Human Interface), and templates that give beginners a strong starting point. Sketch requires a Mac and paid subscription. Adobe XD is discontinued. Figma is the clear choice for anyone learning UI/UX design in 2026.
Figma can replace Photoshop for screen-based UI/UX design workflows — designing app interfaces, website mockups, and interactive prototypes. However, Figma is not a replacement for Photoshop in its core strengths: pixel-level photo editing, compositing, painting, retouching, and print-ready graphics production. Figma is a vector-and-component-based design tool optimized for screen interfaces; Photoshop is a raster image editor optimized for photo manipulation and print. For UI design, Figma is the more appropriate tool. For photo editing and creative production, Photoshop remains unmatched.