DR
4 min read
Figma vs Sketch: Complete Comparison (2026) | Comparison
VS
288 attributes5 differences15 pros/cons
Quick Answer
AI SummaryFigma is a browser-based design tool that has largely replaced Sketch with real-time collaboration. Sketch is a Mac-only native app. Figma has 4M+ users and has become the industry standard for UI/UX design teams. Sketch is still loved by solo Mac designers.
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Figma has won the UI design market. Sketch remains viable for Mac-only designers but lacks Figma's collaboration and cross-platform access.
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Platform:✓ Figma wins(Any (browser) vs Mac only)
- Real-time Collaboration:✓ Figma wins(Excellent vs Limited)
- Market Share:✓ Figma wins(~80% of designers vs ~15% of designers)
Key Facts & Figures
150 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Figma | Sketch | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Designers | 4M+ | ~1M | |
| Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)(Million USD) | $1.36-1.37 billion | — | — |
| Company Valuation(USD billion) | $10.53-13.8 billion (public) | — | — |
| Revenue Multiple (Price-to-Sales)(x) | 9x-35x (varies by metric) | — | — |
| Operating Margin(%) | 14-15% (non-GAAP) | — | — |
| Year-over-Year Revenue Growth(%) | ~40% | — | — |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $30-$150 | — | — |
| User Rating(stars out of 5) | 4.6/5 | — | — |
| Professional Plan Cost(USD per month) | $12/month | — | — |
| Team Plan Cost (5 users)(USD per month) | $192/month | — | — |
| Plugin Ecosystem(count) | 350+ plugins available | 1,200+ plugins | |
| User Rating (2026)(stars) | 4.6/5 | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription (Standard Plan)(USD) | $12/month | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)(USD) | $12.00 | — | — |
| Market Share Among Design Professionals(%) | 45% | — | — |
| Plugin Ecosystem(plugins) | ~2500+ plugins | — | — |
| Integration Plugins/Extensions(count) | 300+ | — | — |
| Setup Time for New User(minutes) | 15 | — | — |
| Maximum File Size Recommended(pages) | 500+ (performance degrades) | — | — |
| Starting Price (USD/month per editor)(USD) | $12 | — | — |
| Market Share 2026(percent) | 45% | — | — |
| Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD) | $16 | — | — |
| Simultaneous Editors(users) | 15+ concurrent editors (unlimited) | — | — |
| Market Share (2026)(%) | 71% among design teams | — | — |
| File History Retention (Free Tier)(days) | 30 days of version history | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD) | $12.00 | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Team of 5 Users)(USD) | $228.00 | — | — |
| Built-in Design Templates(templates available) | Community plugins only | — | — |
| Prototyping Interaction Types(types) | Interactions, conditional logic, component states, animations, flows | 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll) | |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD) | $12 (Professional tier, free tier available) | $12 | |
| Annual Cost per Editor(USD) | $180 | $299 | |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | ~2,000 plugins | 9,000+ | |
| Market Share (2025)(percent) | ~62% | ~18% | |
| Monthly Cost (Individual Editor)(USD) | $12 | $11.99 | |
| Annual Cost (Single License)(USD) | $144 | $99 | |
| File Performance Threshold(artboards) | 300-400 before lag | 800+ without degradation | |
| Global Design Tool Market Share 2026(percent) | 45% | 22% | |
| Monthly Cost (Base Plan per User)(USD) | $12 per editor | — | — |
| Time to Basic Proficiency(hours) | 4 days | — | — |
| Market Share(%) | 71% | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Professional Plan)(USD) | $12 per editor/month | — | — |
| Prototyping Interactions(interaction types) | 15+ (conditions, variables, triggers, overlays) | — | — |
| Available Plugins/Integrations(count) | 2,500+ | 15,000+ plugins and integrations | |
| File Collaboration Limit(artboards) | Optimal up to 5,000 artboards | — | — |
| Market Adoption Rate (2024)(percent of design teams) | 61% of design professionals | — | — |
| Professional Designer Adoption Rate(percent) | 70% of professional design teams | — | — |
| Plugin/Integration Ecosystem(count) | 2000+ official plugins and integrations | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)(USD) | $12/month (billed annually) | $8.25/user (yearly: $99) | |
| Real-time Collaborative Editors(users) | 500+ simultaneous users | — | — |
| Code Export Accuracy(percent) | 40-60% (design to code via plugins) | — | — |
| Monthly Cost per Editor (Standard)(USD) | $12/month | — | — |
| Active User Base(users) | 4+ million users | — | — |
| Prototype Animation Capability Level(complexity scale (1-10)) | Basic interactions (6/10) | — | — |
| Developer Handoff Quality(rating (1-10)) | Good with plugins (7/10) | — | — |
| Learning Curve (Time to Proficiency)(days) | 2-3 weeks | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Pro/Professional)(USD) | $12 per editor | — | — |
| Built-in Template Library(templates) | 50,000+ community templates | — | — |
| Real-Time Simultaneous Editors(users) | 10+ simultaneous editors with live cursors | — | — |
| Stock Photos Included(millions) | 0 (third-party integrations available) | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Solo)(USD) | $0 (Free) / $12 (Pro) | — | — |
| Real-Time Collaborators per File(count) | Unlimited simultaneous editors | — | — |
| Onboarding Time for New Users(hours) | 1.5-2.5 hours (beginner-friendly) | — | — |
| Maximum Cloud Documents(count) | Unlimited (Team plan) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost(USD) | $12 (Professional) | — | — |
| Cost for 5 Team Members(USD/month) | $60 (all share one license) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD) | $12 | — | — |
| Team Plan Monthly Cost(USD per editor) | $80 | — | — |
| Prototype Frame Rate(fps) | 60 FPS | — | — |
| Setup Time to First Design(minutes) | 120 minutes | — | — |
| Template Library Size(templates) | 500+ (community + official) | 500+ | |
| Free Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $0 | — | — |
| Integrated Stock Media Library(assets) | None (external sources required) | — | — |
| Available Plugins(count) | 1,200+ community plugins | 3,500+ plugins | |
| Professional Designer Adoption (2025)(percent) | 42% | 18% | |
| Maximum Recommended File Size(MB) | 500 MB (optimal) | 1,000+ MB | |
| Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)(hours) | 8-12 hours | 6-10 hours | |
| Monthly Cost (Individual Starter)(USD) | $12 | — | — |
| Time to Design Basic UI (Beginner)(hours) | 2-3 hours | — | — |
| API Access for Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 1,000+ plugins via Figma API | — | — |
| Free Plan File Limit(shared files/month) | 3 editable files | — | — |
| Free Cloud Storage(GB) | 0GB (Figma Projects only) | Limited free tier (projects only) | |
| Professional Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $12/month (Editor) | — | — |
| Concurrent Collaborative Users(users) | 50+ simultaneous users | — | — |
| Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)(minutes) | 120-480 minutes (2-8 hours) | — | — |
| Team Collaboration Users(number of simultaneous users) | Unlimited simultaneous editors per team | — | — |
| Supported File Formats(formats) | Figma native format, exports to PNG, SVG, PDF, CSS, JSON | — | — |
| Average Application Load Time(seconds) | 2-3 seconds (cloud-based, depends on internet) | — | — |
| Photo Retouching Capability(capability score 1-10) | 3/10 - basic selection and fill tools; not optimized for photo work | — | — |
| UI/UX Design Workflow Efficiency(efficiency score 1-10) | 9/10 - native component systems, design tokens, auto-layout, prototyping | — | — |
| Team Collaboration - Simultaneous Editors(count) | 50+ simultaneous editors | — | — |
| Plugin Ecosystem Size(available plugins) | 5,000+ plugins available | ~1,000+ community-built plugins | |
| Professional Design Tool Market Share (2025)(percent) | 71% | — | — |
| Available Third-Party Integrations(apps) | 2000+ | — | — |
| Average Time to Proficiency for New Users(hours) | 28 | — | — |
| Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) | $12/month (Starter, 1 editor) | — | — |
| Team Plan Price Per Editor(USD/month) | $80/editor (Professional) | — | — |
| Simultaneous Real-time Users(users) | 100 simultaneous editors | — | — |
| Ready-made Templates(count) | 500+ templates (UI/design focused) | — | — |
| Free Tier Projects(files) | 3 editable files (unlimited view-only) | — | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(apps) | 130+ community plugins available | — | — |
| Global Monthly Active Users (2025)(millions) | 12+ million monthly active users | — | — |
| Starter Plan Price (Monthly)(USD) | $0 (Figma Free) | — | — |
| Time to First Design (Beginner)(minutes) | 120 minutes | — | — |
| API Rate Limit (Free)(requests per minute) | 300 requests/minute | — | — |
| Starting Monthly Cost(USD) | $0 (free tier) or $12 (Professional) | $12 (Standard subscription) | |
| Cost Per Team Member (5 editors)(USD/month) | $60-75 (5 × $12-15 each) | $60 (5 × $12 each) | |
| File Size Performance Threshold(artboards) | Optimal up to 1000 artboards | Optimal up to 5000+ artboards | |
| Version History Retention(days) | Unlimited (30-day rollback on free; full on paid) | 30 days on Sketch Cloud; local files indefinite | — |
| Platforms Supported(count) | 3 (Mac, Windows, Web) | 3 (Mac, Windows, Web) | |
| Customer Support Channels(channels) | 1 (Email only) | 1 (Email only) | |
| Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)(GB) | Paid plans only | Paid plans only | |
| Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)(%) | 38% | 38% | |
| Annual Subscription Cost(USD) | $120 | $120 | |
| Learning Curve (1-10 scale)(difficulty) | 8/10 (steep) | 8/10 (steep) | |
| Market Adoption(percent of container deployments) | 95% | 95% | |
| Annual Cost (Professional Plan)(USD) | $144 (Sketch Standard annual) | $144 (Sketch Standard annual) | |
| Maximum File Size Performance(MB) | Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag | Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag | |
| Market Share Among Professional Designers(percent) | ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams) | ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams) | |
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $14 | $14 | |
| Artboard Size Limit(pixels) | 4,000 x 4,000 pixels | 4,000 x 4,000 pixels | |
| Application Load Time (4GB RAM)(seconds) | <1 second | <1 second | |
| Subscription Cost (Monthly Equivalent)(USD/month) | $12/month (or $129 one-time) | $12/month (or $129 one-time) | |
| Concurrent Collaboration Users(users) | 15 concurrent users | 15 concurrent users | |
| Design Community Size(years established) | 8+ years of resources | 8+ years of resources | |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan)(USD) | $12 | $12 | |
| Base Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD) | $12/month | $12/month | |
| Free Trial Duration(uses) | 30 days | 30 days | |
| Built-In Prototyping Interactions(interaction types) | Limited via plugins (~5) | Limited via plugins (~5) | |
| Prototype Interaction Types(count) | 6-8 basic interactions | 6-8 basic interactions | |
| Market Share Among UX Designers(percent) | 22% of design tools market (2024) | 22% of design tools market (2024) | |
| Setup Time for Beginners(minutes) | 15-20 min (macOS native install) | 15-20 min (macOS native install) | |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD) | $168 | $168 | |
| Onboarding Time to Proficiency(weeks) | 20+ hours | 20+ hours | |
| Pre-Built Templates(count) | Limited; community-contributed | Limited; community-contributed | |
| Prototyping Animation Options(types) | Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop) | Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop) | |
| Average File Size(MB) | 2-5 MB per project | 2-5 MB per project | |
| Annual Subscription Cost (Year 1)(USD) | $120 | $120 | |
| 5-Year Total Cost of Ownership(USD) | $600 | $600 | |
| Operating Systems Supported(count) | 2 (macOS, Web beta) | 2 (macOS, Web beta) | |
| Cloud Storage Included(GB) | 0 (third-party integration only) | 0 (third-party integration only) | |
| Prototyping Interaction Triggers(count) | 6 | 6 | |
| Monthly Cost (Individual License)(USD) | $14/month (annual billing) or $20/month (monthly) | $14/month (annual billing) or $20/month (monthly) | |
| File Performance (Artboards)(artboards) | Optimal up to 200+ artboards with <100ms interaction latency | Optimal up to 200+ artboards with <100ms interaction latency | |
| Market Adoption (Design Professionals)(percent) | 62% of design professionals (2024) | 62% of design professionals (2024) | |
| Annual Cost Per User(USD) | $99 one-time + $99/year | $99 one-time + $99/year | |
| Maximum Team Size (Optimal)(users) | Up to 5 efficiently | Up to 5 efficiently | |
| Prototyping Interactivity Level(features) | Basic (5-10 interaction types) | Basic (5-10 interaction types) | |
| Desktop Application Performance(MB/s file load) | 65 MB/s average | 65 MB/s average | |
| Community Plugin Ecosystem(plugins) | 800+ plugins | 800+ plugins | |
| Average Project File Size(MB) | 10 MB for complex UI | 10 MB for complex UI |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
5 attributes compared head-to-head
Figma leads
S
2SketchFigma
Attribute
Sketch
- Any (browser)(winner)PlatformMac only
- Excellent(winner)Real-time CollaborationLimited
- ~80% of designers(winner)Market Share~15% of designers
- LimitedOffline UseFull(winner)
- Free / $12+/moPrice$9/mo or $99/yr(winner)
- Platform
Figma
Any (browser)(winner)
Sketch
Mac only
- Real-time Collaboration
Figma
Excellent(winner)
Sketch
Limited
- Market Share
Figma
~80% of designers(winner)
Sketch
~15% of designers
- Offline Use
Figma
Limited
Sketch
Full(winner)
- Price
Figma
Free / $12+/mo
Sketch
$9/mo or $99/yr(winner)
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Active Designers | 4M+(winner) | ~1M |
| Market Share Among Design Professionals(%) | 45% | — |
| Market Share (2025)(percent) | ~62%(winner) | ~18% |
| Global Design Tool Market Share 2026(percent) | 45%(winner) | 22% |
| Market Share(%) | 71% | — |
Show 4 more attributesMarket Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)(%) 38% — Market Adoption(percent of container deployments) 95% — Market Share Among Professional Designers(percent) ~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams) — Market Share Among UX Designers(percent) 22% of design tools market (2024) — | ||
| Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)(Million USD) | $1.36-1.37 billion | — |
| Revenue Multiple (Price-to-Sales)(x) | 9x-35x (varies by metric) | — |
| Company Valuation(USD billion) | $10.53-13.8 billion (public) | — |
| Public Trading Status | Public (NASDAQ: FIG) | — |
| Operating Margin(%) | 14-15% (non-GAAP) | — |
| Year-over-Year Revenue Growth(%) | ~40% | — |
| Primary Market Focus | Enterprise Design Teams | — |
| Real-Time Collaboration | Advanced multiplayer editing | — |
| Design System Tools | Variables, components, tokens | — |
| Live Website Publishing | Requires external hosting | — |
| Developer Handoff Tools | Dev Mode with inspection | — |
| Design System Variables | Master Variables with full version control | — |
Show 41 more attributesOffline Mode Support Limited offline, primarily cloud-based — Native Prototyping Depth(capability level) Intermediate (basic flows, transitions) — Free Tier Available Generous (3 projects, 2GB) — Design Tools Quality Industry-leading precision tools — Real-time Collaboration Excellent for design workflows — Enterprise Governance Good team controls — Design System Component Variants Advanced variables system with 20+ variant combinations per component — Offline Functionality Limited offline mode (view only, limited editing) Full offline support; all files stored locally Prototype Animation Depth Advanced auto-animate, conditional logic, 35+ interaction types — File History Retention (Free Tier)(days) 30 days of version history — Free Tier Cloud Storage(GB) Unlimited (draft-based) — Component Library Functionality Shared libraries with variants Shared symbols with nesting Prototype Interactivity Level Advanced with variables Advanced with animations Real-Time Collaboration Unlimited, all editor tiers Plugin-based, additional cost Prototype Animation Capability Level(complexity scale (1-10)) Basic interactions (6/10) — Design System Token Support(feature maturity) Full Variables system with token export Advanced design tokens with shared libraries Built-in Template Library(templates) 50,000+ community templates — Design System Features(capability level) Components, variables, tokens, auto-layout, design tokens management Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens) Animation Timeline System Basic interactions (tap, hover, drag) — Interactive Prototype Features(null) Advanced: conditional flows, variables, component variants, design tokens — Design System Component Library(capability) Enterprise-grade: design tokens, branching, versioning, token management — Supported File Formats(formats) Figma native format, exports to PNG, SVG, PDF, CSS, JSON — Photo Retouching Capability(capability score 1-10) 3/10 - basic selection and fill tools; not optimized for photo work — UI/UX Design Workflow Efficiency(efficiency score 1-10) 9/10 - native component systems, design tokens, auto-layout, prototyping — Design System Components(maturity level) Advanced with tokens, variables, and nested components Native support with libraries Offline Capability(text) Limited offline editing (browser cache) — Real-Time Collaborative Editing Native (unlimited simultaneous editors) Not native (requires Sketch Cloud + third-party tools) Version History Retention(days) Unlimited (30-day rollback on free; full on paid) 30 days on Sketch Cloud; local files indefinite Built-in Prototyping Basic (plugin-dependent) — Team Collaboration Features(count) Shared libraries, comments, version history (async) — Design System Maturity(null) Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established) — Prototyping Capabilities(feature count) Advanced (interactions, animations, states) — Prototyping Interaction Depth Basic (transitions, drag triggers) — Built-In Prototyping Interactions(interaction types) Limited via plugins (~5) — Design System Symbol Management Advanced with nested symbols — Pre-Built Templates(count) Limited; community-contributed — Prototyping Animation Options(types) Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop) — Design System Component Libraries Shared symbols with cloud sync via subscription — Prototyping Interaction Triggers(count) 6 — File Format Native Support(formats) Sketch, SVG, PDF export — Design-to-Code Export Via third-party plugins (Zeplin, Abstract) — | ||
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $30-$150 | — |
| Professional Plan Cost(USD per month) | $12/month | — |
| Team Plan Cost (5 users)(USD per month) | $192/month | — |
| Monthly Subscription (Standard Plan)(USD) | $12/month | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)(USD) | $12.00 | — |
Show 45 more attributesStarting Price (USD/month per editor)(USD) $12 — Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD) $16 — SMB Annual Plan Cost (Typical)(USD) Variable by seats — Enterprise Annual Plan Cost (Typical)(USD) Custom pricing — Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD) $12.00 — Monthly Cost (Team of 5 Users)(USD) $228.00 — Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD) $12 (Professional tier, free tier available) $12 Annual Cost per Editor(USD) $180 $299 Free Plan Availability Yes, full features for 1 file No free tier Monthly Cost (Individual Editor)(USD) $12 $11.99 Annual Cost (Single License)(USD) $144 $99 Monthly Cost (Base Plan per User)(USD) $12 per editor — Free Tier Projects Allowed(projects) Unlimited — Monthly Cost (Professional Plan)(USD) $12 per editor/month — Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)(USD) $12/month (billed annually) $8.25/user (yearly: $99) Monthly Cost per Editor (Standard)(USD) $12/month — Free Tier Capabilities(text) 3 files maximum, unlimited pages per file, basic prototyping, browser-based — Monthly Subscription Cost (Solo)(USD) $0 (Free) / $12 (Pro) — Base Monthly Cost(USD) $12 (Professional) — Cost for 5 Team Members(USD/month) $60 (all share one license) — Base Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD) $12 — Team Plan Monthly Cost(USD per editor) $80 — Free Plan Monthly Cost(USD) $0 — Monthly Cost (Individual Starter)(USD) $12 — Free Plan File Limit(shared files/month) 3 editable files — Professional Plan Monthly Cost(USD) $12/month (Editor) — Starting Price (Monthly)(USD) $12/month (Starter, 1 editor) — Team Plan Price Per Editor(USD/month) $80/editor (Professional) — Free Tier Projects(files) 3 editable files (unlimited view-only) — Starter Plan Price (Monthly)(USD) $0 (Figma Free) — Starting Monthly Cost(USD) $0 (free tier) or $12 (Professional) $12 (Standard subscription) Cost Per Team Member (5 editors)(USD/month) $60-75 (5 × $12-15 each) $60 (5 × $12 each) Annual Subscription Cost(USD) $120 — Free Tier Capability 14-day free trial only; no free plan — Annual Cost (Professional Plan)(USD) $144 (Sketch Standard annual) — Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) $14 — Subscription Cost (Monthly Equivalent)(USD/month) $12/month (or $129 one-time) — Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan)(USD) $12 — Base Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD) $12/month — Free Trial Duration(uses) 30 days — Annual Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD) $168 — Annual Subscription Cost (Year 1)(USD) $120 — 5-Year Total Cost of Ownership(USD) $600 — Monthly Cost (Individual License)(USD) $14/month (annual billing) or $20/month (monthly) — Annual Cost Per User(USD) $99 one-time + $99/year — | ||
| Team Collaboration | Built-in real-time collaboration | — |
| Maximum Team Size (Optimal)(users) | Up to 5 efficiently | — |
| CMS Capabilities | Sites CMS beta (200 items) | — |
| Suitable Team Size(users) | Unlimited (per plan) | — |
| User Rating(stars out of 5) | 4.6/5 | — |
| Self-Hosting Option | Cloud-only, no self-hosting | No |
| Hosting & Deployment Features(features) | No built-in hosting | — |
| Self-Hosting Available | Not available | — |
| Web Hosting Included | No | — |
| Built-in Hosting | No - requires external services | — |
| AI-Assisted Features(available features) | Voice-to-text, Make controls, question cards, design suggestions | — |
| Open-Source | Closed source | No (proprietary) |
| Plugin Ecosystem(count) | 350+ plugins available | 1,200+ plugins(winner) |
| Plugin Ecosystem(plugins) | ~2500+ plugins | — |
| Available Plugins/Integrations(count) | 2,500+ | 15,000+ plugins and integrations(winner) |
| Plugin/Integration Ecosystem(count) | 2000+ official plugins and integrations | — |
| API Access for Third-party Integrations(integrations) | 1,000+ plugins via Figma API | — |
Show 2 more attributesPlugin Ecosystem Size(available plugins) 5,000+ plugins available ~1,000+ community-built plugins Community Plugin Ecosystem(plugins) 800+ plugins — | ||
| User Rating (2026)(stars) | 4.6/5 | — |
| Real-Time Simultaneous Editing Users(concurrent users) | Unlimited with live cursors | — |
| Real-Time Simultaneous Editors(people) | Unlimited | — |
| Real-Time Co-editing Users(simultaneous users) | Unlimited simultaneous editors | — |
| Simultaneous Editors(users) | 15+ concurrent editors (unlimited) | — |
| Real-Time Collaboration Support | Yes; built-in with live cursors, comments, and activity tracking | Limited (file sharing only) |
Show 23 more attributesConcurrent Real-time Collaborators(users) Unlimited Requires workarounds Real-Time Co-Editors(simultaneous users) Unlimited on any plan — Real-time Collaborative Editors(users) 500+ simultaneous users — Real-Time Simultaneous Editors(users) 10+ simultaneous editors with live cursors — Real-Time Collaborators per File(count) Unlimited simultaneous editors — Maximum Concurrent Editors Per File(editors) Unlimited — Prototype Link Sharing Public/password-protected with comment threads — Free Plan Simultaneous Collaborators(users) Unlimited — Real-time Collaborators (Free Tier)(users) Unlimited viewers + 1 editor — Concurrent Collaborative Users(users) 50+ simultaneous users — Team Collaboration Users(number of simultaneous users) Unlimited simultaneous editors per team — Team Collaboration - Simultaneous Editors(count) 50+ simultaneous editors — Simultaneous Real-time Users(users) 100 simultaneous editors — Real-Time Collaboration Users(simultaneous editors) Unlimited concurrent editors per file Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free) Team Collaboration Users (Free Plan)(count) Unlimited (edit + view) — Native Real-Time Collaboration(boolean) No (third-party workarounds) — Concurrent Collaboration Users(users) 15 concurrent users — Real-time Collaboration Features Yes (Slack integration only) — Collaborative Real-Time Editing Available in beta/plugins — Real-Time Multiplayer Collaboration Via plugins; file-based — Real-Time Co-Editing Support Third-party plugins only — Real-Time Collaborative Users(simultaneous users) Unlimited (2024+) — Real-time Multiplayer Editing Comments only; async collaboration — | ||
| Platform Availability(platforms) | Web browser + Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux) | Mac desktop, Web (limited features) |
| Operating System Support | Mac, Windows, Linux, Web | macOS 10.13+ only |
| Platform Support(platforms) | Web + macOS + Windows + iPad | macOS, Windows (beta) |
| Supported Platforms | 4 (Web, Mac, Windows, iPad) | — |
| Supported Operating Systems | macOS, Windows, Linux, web browser | macOS only |
Show 5 more attributesPlatforms Supported(count) 3 (Mac, Windows, Web) — Available Platforms macOS only — Cross-Platform Availability(platforms) macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved) — Operating Systems Supported(count) 2 (macOS, Web beta) — Cross-Platform Compatibility macOS only — | ||
| Adobe Ecosystem Integration(null) | Limited (separate ecosystem) | — |
| Adobe Creative Cloud Integration | Limited (API for third-party imports) | — |
| Adobe Creative Suite Integration Level | Third-party plugins only; no native Adobe integration | — |
| Creative Cloud Integration | None (third-party workarounds) | — |
| AI Design Assistance | Voice-to-text, Make features, automation | — |
| AI Content Generation | Limited AI—mostly design optimization and naming suggestions | — |
| File Performance (Large Projects) | Browser-dependent, can slow with 1000+ frames | — |
| File Size Handling | Performance issues above 2GB | — |
| Maximum File Size Recommended(pages) | 500+ (performance degrades) | — |
| File Performance Threshold(artboards) | 300-400 before lag | 800+ without degradation(winner) |
| File Collaboration Limit(artboards) | Optimal up to 5,000 artboards | — |
Show 14 more attributesPrototype Frame Rate(fps) 60 FPS — Maximum Recommended File Size(MB) 500 MB (optimal) 1,000+ MB Average Application Load Time(seconds) 2-3 seconds (cloud-based, depends on internet) — Real-time Collaboration Latency(milliseconds) 50-150ms (true real-time) — File Size Performance Threshold(artboards) Optimal up to 1000 artboards Optimal up to 5000+ artboards File Performance with 50+ Artboards(responsiveness rating) Excellent - minimal lag — Maximum File Size Performance(MB) Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag — Artboard Size Limit(pixels) 4,000 x 4,000 pixels — Application Load Time (4GB RAM)(seconds) <1 second — Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)(stability rating) Excellent (instant load) — Average File Size(MB) 2-5 MB per project — File Performance (Artboards)(artboards) Optimal up to 200+ artboards with <100ms interaction latency — Desktop Application Performance(MB/s file load) 65 MB/s average — Average Project File Size(MB) 10 MB for complex UI — | ||
| Available Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | — |
| Browser-Based (No Download)(support) | Yes (100% browser-native) | — |
| Offline Editing(capability) | Limited (browser-dependent) | Full support(winner) |
| Native Platform Support | Mac (Web beta) | — |
| Platform Compatibility | macOS only + Web viewer | — |
| Design Handoff Features | Advanced design specs, Dev Mode, code generation | — |
| Automated Developer Handoff | Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract) | — |
| Integration Plugins/Extensions(count) | 300+ | — |
| Available Plugins(count) | 1,200+ community plugins | 3,500+ plugins(winner) |
| Setup Time for New User(minutes) | 15 | — |
| Learning Curve (Time to Proficiency)(days) | 2-3 weeks | — |
| Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)(hours) | 8-12 hours | 6-10 hours(winner) |
| Learning Curve (1-10 scale)(difficulty) | 8/10 (steep) | — |
| Setup Time for Beginners(minutes) | 15-20 min (macOS native install) | — |
Show 1 more attributeOnboarding Time to Proficiency(weeks) 20+ hours — | ||
| Market Share 2026(percent) | 45% | — |
| Market Share (2026)(%) | 71% among design teams | — |
| Market Adoption Rate (2024)(percent of design teams) | 61% of design professionals | — |
| Professional Design Tool Market Share (2025)(percent) | 71% | — |
| Market Adoption (Design Professionals)(percent) | 62% of design professionals (2024) | — |
| Pricing Model | Four-tier with seat types (Full, Dev, Collab) | — |
| AI Capabilities | Basic design assistance | — |
| Free Tier Availability(yes/no) | Yes (full collaborative design) | — |
| Pricing (Individual/Starter)(USD per year or month) | $120/year ($10/month) | — |
| Built-in Design Templates(templates available) | Community plugins only | — |
| Prototyping Interaction Types(types) | Interactions, conditional logic, component states, animations, flows(winner) | 5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll) |
| Prototyping Interactions(interaction types) | 15+ (conditions, variables, triggers, overlays) | — |
| Animation Capabilities | Good prototyping animations; not production-ready | — |
| Design System Components Support(capability) | Full component library with variants and design tokens | — |
| Prototyping Capability(null) | Full interactive prototyping with animations and states | — |
| Component Library Depth(capability level) | Enterprise-grade (variants, tokens, documentation) | — |
| Design System Versioning | Component versioning in main product | — |
| Component Variants System(capability level) | Full variants support with auto-layout and smart selection | — |
| Available Plugins/Extensions(count) | ~2,000 plugins | 9,000+(winner) |
| Animation Timeline Controls | Basic preset animations without timeline | — |
| Component Variants Support | Yes - nested variants with multiple properties | — |
| Native Prototyping Capabilities | Advanced - interactions, animations, logic, variables | — |
| Auto Layout / Responsive Design | Advanced Auto Layout (2021+) | — |
| Time to Basic Proficiency(hours) | 4 days | — |
| Simultaneous Team Members(users) | Unlimited on paid plans | — |
| Developer Handoff Features(capabilities) | Dev Mode with code snippets and specs | — |
| Developer Handoff Quality(rating (1-10)) | Good with plugins (7/10) | — |
| Professional Designer Adoption Rate(percent) | 70% of professional design teams | — |
| Active User Base(users) | 4+ million users | — |
| Global Monthly Active Users (2025)(millions) | 12+ million monthly active users | — |
| Code Export Accuracy(percent) | 40-60% (design to code via plugins) | — |
| Code Export Capabilities(coverage %) | Limited to Dev Mode specs; no automated code generation | — |
| Animation & Interaction Capabilities(features) | Basic interactions, limited keyframe animation | — |
| Animation Timeline Control(capability level) | Basic transitions and interactions | — |
| Prototype Interactions (Native)(interaction types) | Basic (clickable prototypes only) | — |
| Prototype Interaction Types(count) | 6-8 basic interactions | — |
| Prototyping Interactivity Level(features) | Basic (5-10 interaction types) | — |
| Design System/Component Management(features) | Variables, tokens, component library, extensive version control | — |
| Vector Design Capability(score) | Professional (boolean ops, advanced paths) | — |
| Native Desktop App(availability) | Web-based only | — |
| Monthly Cost (Pro/Professional)(USD) | $12 per editor | — |
| Stock Photos Included(millions) | 0 (third-party integrations available) | — |
| Template Library Size(templates) | 500+ (community + official) | 500+ |
| Ready-made Templates(count) | 500+ templates (UI/design focused) | — |
| Onboarding Time for New Users(hours) | 1.5-2.5 hours (beginner-friendly) | — |
| Maximum Cloud Documents(count) | Unlimited (Team plan) | — |
| Free Cloud Storage(GB) | 0GB (Figma Projects only) | Limited free tier (projects only)(winner) |
| Maximum File Size(GB) | Unlimited (cloud-based) | — |
| Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)(GB) | Paid plans only | — |
| Cloud Storage Included(GB) | 0 (third-party integration only) | — |
| Platform Accessibility(null) | Any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, web) | — |
| Monthly Active Users(millions) | 15 million | — |
| GitHub Stars(count) | N/A (proprietary) | — |
| Design Community Size(years established) | 8+ years of resources | — |
| Setup Time to First Design(minutes) | 120 minutes | — |
| Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)(minutes) | 120-480 minutes (2-8 hours) | — |
| Time to First Design (Beginner)(minutes) | 120 minutes | — |
| Integrated Stock Media Library(assets) | None (external sources required) | — |
| Professional Designer Adoption (2025)(percent) | 42%(winner) | 18% |
| Time to Design Basic UI (Beginner)(hours) | 2-3 hours | — |
| Native SEO Tools | No (design tool only) | — |
| CMS (Content Management) Included | No | — |
| Available Third-Party Integrations(apps) | 2000+ | — |
| Average Time to Proficiency for New Users(hours) | 28 | — |
| Third-Party Integrations(apps) | 130+ community plugins available | — |
| API Rate Limit (Free)(requests per minute) | 300 requests/minute | — |
| Built-in Developer Handoff | Dev Mode with live code snippets (CSS, React, Tailwind) | Requires third-party plugins or Zeplin integration |
| React Component Export(supported) | Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React) | — |
| Customer Support Channels(channels) | 1 (Email only) | — |
| Stock Assets Included(millions) | Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately) | — |
| Built-in Web Hosting(null) | Not included; requires third-party services | — |
| AI-Powered Features(count) | 0 (native); available via plugins | — |
| Component Versioning(feature availability) | Manual management (requires Sketch 90+) | — |
| SVG Export Quality(optimization level) | Full support with readable output | — |
| Source Code Access | Proprietary/Closed | — |
| Free Version Available | No (30-day trial only) | — |
| Open Source Status | Proprietary closed-source | — |
| Platform Access | macOS and Windows desktop apps | — |
FigmaSSketch
Active Designers
4M+
~1M
Market Share Among Design Professionals(%)
45%
—
Market Share (2025)(percent)
~62%
~18%
Global Design Tool Market Share 2026(percent)
45%
22%
Market Share(%)
71%
—
Show 4 more attributes
Market Share Among UI/UX Designers (2024)(%)
38%
—
Market Adoption(percent of container deployments)
95%
—
Market Share Among Professional Designers(percent)
~70% (industry standard for UI/UX teams)
—
Market Share Among UX Designers(percent)
22% of design tools market (2024)
—
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)(Million USD)
$1.36-1.37 billion
—
Revenue Multiple (Price-to-Sales)(x)
9x-35x (varies by metric)
—
Company Valuation(USD billion)
$10.53-13.8 billion (public)
—
Public Trading Status
Public (NASDAQ: FIG)
—
Operating Margin(%)
14-15% (non-GAAP)
—
Year-over-Year Revenue Growth(%)
~40%
—
Primary Market Focus
Enterprise Design Teams
—
Real-Time Collaboration
Advanced multiplayer editing
—
Design System Tools
Variables, components, tokens
—
Live Website Publishing
Requires external hosting
—
Developer Handoff Tools
Dev Mode with inspection
—
Design System Variables
Master Variables with full version control
—
Show 41 more attributes
Offline Mode Support
Limited offline, primarily cloud-based
—
Native Prototyping Depth(capability level)
Intermediate (basic flows, transitions)
—
Free Tier Available
Generous (3 projects, 2GB)
—
Design Tools Quality
Industry-leading precision tools
—
Real-time Collaboration
Excellent for design workflows
—
Enterprise Governance
Good team controls
—
Design System Component Variants
Advanced variables system with 20+ variant combinations per component
—
Offline Functionality
Limited offline mode (view only, limited editing)
Full offline support; all files stored locally
Prototype Animation Depth
Advanced auto-animate, conditional logic, 35+ interaction types
—
File History Retention (Free Tier)(days)
30 days of version history
—
Free Tier Cloud Storage(GB)
Unlimited (draft-based)
—
Component Library Functionality
Shared libraries with variants
Shared symbols with nesting
Prototype Interactivity Level
Advanced with variables
Advanced with animations
Real-Time Collaboration
Unlimited, all editor tiers
Plugin-based, additional cost
Prototype Animation Capability Level(complexity scale (1-10))
Basic interactions (6/10)
—
Design System Token Support(feature maturity)
Full Variables system with token export
Advanced design tokens with shared libraries
Built-in Template Library(templates)
50,000+ community templates
—
Design System Features(capability level)
Components, variables, tokens, auto-layout, design tokens management
Advanced (Symbols, Shared Styles, Tokens)
Animation Timeline System
Basic interactions (tap, hover, drag)
—
Interactive Prototype Features(null)
Advanced: conditional flows, variables, component variants, design tokens
—
Design System Component Library(capability)
Enterprise-grade: design tokens, branching, versioning, token management
—
Supported File Formats(formats)
Figma native format, exports to PNG, SVG, PDF, CSS, JSON
—
Photo Retouching Capability(capability score 1-10)
3/10 - basic selection and fill tools; not optimized for photo work
—
UI/UX Design Workflow Efficiency(efficiency score 1-10)
9/10 - native component systems, design tokens, auto-layout, prototyping
—
Design System Components(maturity level)
Advanced with tokens, variables, and nested components
Native support with libraries
Offline Capability(text)
Limited offline editing (browser cache)
—
Real-Time Collaborative Editing
Native (unlimited simultaneous editors)
Not native (requires Sketch Cloud + third-party tools)
Version History Retention(days)
Unlimited (30-day rollback on free; full on paid)
30 days on Sketch Cloud; local files indefinite
Built-in Prototyping
Basic (plugin-dependent)
—
Team Collaboration Features(count)
Shared libraries, comments, version history (async)
—
Design System Maturity(null)
Symbols, shared styles, nested components (established)
—
Prototyping Capabilities(feature count)
Advanced (interactions, animations, states)
—
Prototyping Interaction Depth
Basic (transitions, drag triggers)
—
Built-In Prototyping Interactions(interaction types)
Limited via plugins (~5)
—
Design System Symbol Management
Advanced with nested symbols
—
Pre-Built Templates(count)
Limited; community-contributed
—
Prototyping Animation Options(types)
Basic: 4-5 transition types (fade, slide, push, pop)
—
Design System Component Libraries
Shared symbols with cloud sync via subscription
—
Prototyping Interaction Triggers(count)
6
—
File Format Native Support(formats)
Sketch, SVG, PDF export
—
Design-to-Code Export
Via third-party plugins (Zeplin, Abstract)
—
Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$30-$150
—
Professional Plan Cost(USD per month)
$12/month
—
Team Plan Cost (5 users)(USD per month)
$192/month
—
Monthly Subscription (Standard Plan)(USD)
$12/month
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Single Editor)(USD)
$12.00
—
Show 45 more attributes
Starting Price (USD/month per editor)(USD)
$12
—
Starter Plan Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD)
$16
—
SMB Annual Plan Cost (Typical)(USD)
Variable by seats
—
Enterprise Annual Plan Cost (Typical)(USD)
Custom pricing
—
Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD)
$12.00
—
Monthly Cost (Team of 5 Users)(USD)
$228.00
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD)
$12 (Professional tier, free tier available)
$12
Annual Cost per Editor(USD)
$180
$299
Free Plan Availability
Yes, full features for 1 file
No free tier
Monthly Cost (Individual Editor)(USD)
$12
$11.99
Annual Cost (Single License)(USD)
$144
$99
Monthly Cost (Base Plan per User)(USD)
$12 per editor
—
Free Tier Projects Allowed(projects)
Unlimited
—
Monthly Cost (Professional Plan)(USD)
$12 per editor/month
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Professional Plan)(USD)
$12/month (billed annually)
$8.25/user (yearly: $99)
Monthly Cost per Editor (Standard)(USD)
$12/month
—
Free Tier Capabilities(text)
3 files maximum, unlimited pages per file, basic prototyping, browser-based
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Solo)(USD)
$0 (Free) / $12 (Pro)
—
Base Monthly Cost(USD)
$12 (Professional)
—
Cost for 5 Team Members(USD/month)
$60 (all share one license)
—
Base Monthly Cost (Single User)(USD)
$12
—
Team Plan Monthly Cost(USD per editor)
$80
—
Free Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$0
—
Monthly Cost (Individual Starter)(USD)
$12
—
Free Plan File Limit(shared files/month)
3 editable files
—
Professional Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$12/month (Editor)
—
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
$12/month (Starter, 1 editor)
—
Team Plan Price Per Editor(USD/month)
$80/editor (Professional)
—
Free Tier Projects(files)
3 editable files (unlimited view-only)
—
Starter Plan Price (Monthly)(USD)
$0 (Figma Free)
—
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)
$0 (free tier) or $12 (Professional)
$12 (Standard subscription)
Cost Per Team Member (5 editors)(USD/month)
$60-75 (5 × $12-15 each)
$60 (5 × $12 each)
Annual Subscription Cost(USD)
$120
—
Free Tier Capability
14-day free trial only; no free plan
—
Annual Cost (Professional Plan)(USD)
$144 (Sketch Standard annual)
—
Monthly Subscription Cost(USD)
$14
—
Subscription Cost (Monthly Equivalent)(USD/month)
$12/month (or $129 one-time)
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Annual Plan)(USD)
$12
—
Base Monthly Cost (Annual Billing)(USD)
$12/month
—
Free Trial Duration(uses)
30 days
—
Annual Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD)
$168
—
Annual Subscription Cost (Year 1)(USD)
$120
—
5-Year Total Cost of Ownership(USD)
$600
—
Monthly Cost (Individual License)(USD)
$14/month (annual billing) or $20/month (monthly)
—
Annual Cost Per User(USD)
$99 one-time + $99/year
—
Team Collaboration
Built-in real-time collaboration
—
Maximum Team Size (Optimal)(users)
Up to 5 efficiently
—
CMS Capabilities
Sites CMS beta (200 items)
—
Suitable Team Size(users)
Unlimited (per plan)
—
User Rating(stars out of 5)
4.6/5
—
Self-Hosting Option
Cloud-only, no self-hosting
No
Hosting & Deployment Features(features)
No built-in hosting
—
Self-Hosting Available
Not available
—
Web Hosting Included
No
—
Built-in Hosting
No - requires external services
—
AI-Assisted Features(available features)
Voice-to-text, Make controls, question cards, design suggestions
—
Open-Source
Closed source
No (proprietary)
Plugin Ecosystem(count)
350+ plugins available
1,200+ plugins
Plugin Ecosystem(plugins)
~2500+ plugins
—
Available Plugins/Integrations(count)
2,500+
15,000+ plugins and integrations
Plugin/Integration Ecosystem(count)
2000+ official plugins and integrations
—
API Access for Third-party Integrations(integrations)
1,000+ plugins via Figma API
—
Show 2 more attributes
Plugin Ecosystem Size(available plugins)
5,000+ plugins available
~1,000+ community-built plugins
Community Plugin Ecosystem(plugins)
800+ plugins
—
User Rating (2026)(stars)
4.6/5
—
Real-Time Simultaneous Editing Users(concurrent users)
Unlimited with live cursors
—
Real-Time Simultaneous Editors(people)
Unlimited
—
Real-Time Co-editing Users(simultaneous users)
Unlimited simultaneous editors
—
Simultaneous Editors(users)
15+ concurrent editors (unlimited)
—
Real-Time Collaboration Support
Yes; built-in with live cursors, comments, and activity tracking
Limited (file sharing only)
Show 23 more attributes
Concurrent Real-time Collaborators(users)
Unlimited
Requires workarounds
Real-Time Co-Editors(simultaneous users)
Unlimited on any plan
—
Real-time Collaborative Editors(users)
500+ simultaneous users
—
Real-Time Simultaneous Editors(users)
10+ simultaneous editors with live cursors
—
Real-Time Collaborators per File(count)
Unlimited simultaneous editors
—
Maximum Concurrent Editors Per File(editors)
Unlimited
—
Prototype Link Sharing
Public/password-protected with comment threads
—
Free Plan Simultaneous Collaborators(users)
Unlimited
—
Real-time Collaborators (Free Tier)(users)
Unlimited viewers + 1 editor
—
Concurrent Collaborative Users(users)
50+ simultaneous users
—
Team Collaboration Users(number of simultaneous users)
Unlimited simultaneous editors per team
—
Team Collaboration - Simultaneous Editors(count)
50+ simultaneous editors
—
Simultaneous Real-time Users(users)
100 simultaneous editors
—
Real-Time Collaboration Users(simultaneous editors)
Unlimited concurrent editors per file
Limited (requires Cloud plugin, up to 5 free)
Team Collaboration Users (Free Plan)(count)
Unlimited (edit + view)
—
Native Real-Time Collaboration(boolean)
No (third-party workarounds)
—
Concurrent Collaboration Users(users)
15 concurrent users
—
Real-time Collaboration Features
Yes (Slack integration only)
—
Collaborative Real-Time Editing
Available in beta/plugins
—
Real-Time Multiplayer Collaboration
Via plugins; file-based
—
Real-Time Co-Editing Support
Third-party plugins only
—
Real-Time Collaborative Users(simultaneous users)
Unlimited (2024+)
—
Real-time Multiplayer Editing
Comments only; async collaboration
—
Platform Availability(platforms)
Web browser + Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Mac desktop, Web (limited features)
Operating System Support
Mac, Windows, Linux, Web
macOS 10.13+ only
Platform Support(platforms)
Web + macOS + Windows + iPad
macOS, Windows (beta)
Supported Platforms
4 (Web, Mac, Windows, iPad)
—
Supported Operating Systems
macOS, Windows, Linux, web browser
macOS only
Show 5 more attributes
Platforms Supported(count)
3 (Mac, Windows, Web)
—
Available Platforms
macOS only
—
Cross-Platform Availability(platforms)
macOS, Windows, Web (recently improved)
—
Operating Systems Supported(count)
2 (macOS, Web beta)
—
Cross-Platform Compatibility
macOS only
—
Adobe Ecosystem Integration(null)
Limited (separate ecosystem)
—
Adobe Creative Cloud Integration
Limited (API for third-party imports)
—
Adobe Creative Suite Integration Level
Third-party plugins only; no native Adobe integration
—
Creative Cloud Integration
None (third-party workarounds)
—
AI Design Assistance
Voice-to-text, Make features, automation
—
AI Content Generation
Limited AI—mostly design optimization and naming suggestions
—
File Performance (Large Projects)
Browser-dependent, can slow with 1000+ frames
—
File Size Handling
Performance issues above 2GB
—
Maximum File Size Recommended(pages)
500+ (performance degrades)
—
File Performance Threshold(artboards)
300-400 before lag
800+ without degradation
File Collaboration Limit(artboards)
Optimal up to 5,000 artboards
—
Show 14 more attributes
Prototype Frame Rate(fps)
60 FPS
—
Maximum Recommended File Size(MB)
500 MB (optimal)
1,000+ MB
Average Application Load Time(seconds)
2-3 seconds (cloud-based, depends on internet)
—
Real-time Collaboration Latency(milliseconds)
50-150ms (true real-time)
—
File Size Performance Threshold(artboards)
Optimal up to 1000 artboards
Optimal up to 5000+ artboards
File Performance with 50+ Artboards(responsiveness rating)
Excellent - minimal lag
—
Maximum File Size Performance(MB)
Optimized for 100+ artboards without lag
—
Artboard Size Limit(pixels)
4,000 x 4,000 pixels
—
Application Load Time (4GB RAM)(seconds)
<1 second
—
Performance on Large Files (100+ Artboards)(stability rating)
Excellent (instant load)
—
Average File Size(MB)
2-5 MB per project
—
File Performance (Artboards)(artboards)
Optimal up to 200+ artboards with <100ms interaction latency
—
Desktop Application Performance(MB/s file load)
65 MB/s average
—
Average Project File Size(MB)
10 MB for complex UI
—
Available Platforms
Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
—
Browser-Based (No Download)(support)
Yes (100% browser-native)
—
Offline Editing(capability)
Limited (browser-dependent)
Full support
Native Platform Support
Mac (Web beta)
—
Platform Compatibility
macOS only + Web viewer
—
Design Handoff Features
Advanced design specs, Dev Mode, code generation
—
Automated Developer Handoff
Requires integration (Zeplin, Abstract)
—
Integration Plugins/Extensions(count)
300+
—
Available Plugins(count)
1,200+ community plugins
3,500+ plugins
Setup Time for New User(minutes)
15
—
Learning Curve (Time to Proficiency)(days)
2-3 weeks
—
Learning Curve (hours to proficiency)(hours)
8-12 hours
6-10 hours
Learning Curve (1-10 scale)(difficulty)
8/10 (steep)
—
Setup Time for Beginners(minutes)
15-20 min (macOS native install)
—
Show 1 more attribute
Onboarding Time to Proficiency(weeks)
20+ hours
—
Market Share 2026(percent)
45%
—
Market Share (2026)(%)
71% among design teams
—
Market Adoption Rate (2024)(percent of design teams)
61% of design professionals
—
Professional Design Tool Market Share (2025)(percent)
71%
—
Market Adoption (Design Professionals)(percent)
62% of design professionals (2024)
—
Pricing Model
Four-tier with seat types (Full, Dev, Collab)
—
AI Capabilities
Basic design assistance
—
Free Tier Availability(yes/no)
Yes (full collaborative design)
—
Pricing (Individual/Starter)(USD per year or month)
$120/year ($10/month)
—
Built-in Design Templates(templates available)
Community plugins only
—
Prototyping Interaction Types(types)
Interactions, conditional logic, component states, animations, flows
5-6 basic interactions (tap, click, scroll)
Prototyping Interactions(interaction types)
15+ (conditions, variables, triggers, overlays)
—
Animation Capabilities
Good prototyping animations; not production-ready
—
Design System Components Support(capability)
Full component library with variants and design tokens
—
Prototyping Capability(null)
Full interactive prototyping with animations and states
—
Component Library Depth(capability level)
Enterprise-grade (variants, tokens, documentation)
—
Design System Versioning
Component versioning in main product
—
Component Variants System(capability level)
Full variants support with auto-layout and smart selection
—
Available Plugins/Extensions(count)
~2,000 plugins
9,000+
Animation Timeline Controls
Basic preset animations without timeline
—
Component Variants Support
Yes - nested variants with multiple properties
—
Native Prototyping Capabilities
Advanced - interactions, animations, logic, variables
—
Auto Layout / Responsive Design
Advanced Auto Layout (2021+)
—
Time to Basic Proficiency(hours)
4 days
—
Simultaneous Team Members(users)
Unlimited on paid plans
—
Developer Handoff Features(capabilities)
Dev Mode with code snippets and specs
—
Developer Handoff Quality(rating (1-10))
Good with plugins (7/10)
—
Professional Designer Adoption Rate(percent)
70% of professional design teams
—
Active User Base(users)
4+ million users
—
Global Monthly Active Users (2025)(millions)
12+ million monthly active users
—
Code Export Accuracy(percent)
40-60% (design to code via plugins)
—
Code Export Capabilities(coverage %)
Limited to Dev Mode specs; no automated code generation
—
Animation & Interaction Capabilities(features)
Basic interactions, limited keyframe animation
—
Animation Timeline Control(capability level)
Basic transitions and interactions
—
Prototype Interactions (Native)(interaction types)
Basic (clickable prototypes only)
—
Prototype Interaction Types(count)
6-8 basic interactions
—
Prototyping Interactivity Level(features)
Basic (5-10 interaction types)
—
Design System/Component Management(features)
Variables, tokens, component library, extensive version control
—
Vector Design Capability(score)
Professional (boolean ops, advanced paths)
—
Native Desktop App(availability)
Web-based only
—
Monthly Cost (Pro/Professional)(USD)
$12 per editor
—
Stock Photos Included(millions)
0 (third-party integrations available)
—
Template Library Size(templates)
500+ (community + official)
500+
Ready-made Templates(count)
500+ templates (UI/design focused)
—
Onboarding Time for New Users(hours)
1.5-2.5 hours (beginner-friendly)
—
Maximum Cloud Documents(count)
Unlimited (Team plan)
—
Free Cloud Storage(GB)
0GB (Figma Projects only)
Limited free tier (projects only)
Maximum File Size(GB)
Unlimited (cloud-based)
—
Cloud Storage Included (Free Plan/Trial)(GB)
Paid plans only
—
Cloud Storage Included(GB)
0 (third-party integration only)
—
Platform Accessibility(null)
Any browser (Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, web)
—
Monthly Active Users(millions)
15 million
—
GitHub Stars(count)
N/A (proprietary)
—
Design Community Size(years established)
8+ years of resources
—
Setup Time to First Design(minutes)
120 minutes
—
Estimated Time to First Design (Beginner)(minutes)
120-480 minutes (2-8 hours)
—
Time to First Design (Beginner)(minutes)
120 minutes
—
Integrated Stock Media Library(assets)
None (external sources required)
—
Professional Designer Adoption (2025)(percent)
42%
18%
Time to Design Basic UI (Beginner)(hours)
2-3 hours
—
Native SEO Tools
No (design tool only)
—
CMS (Content Management) Included
No
—
Available Third-Party Integrations(apps)
2000+
—
Average Time to Proficiency for New Users(hours)
28
—
Third-Party Integrations(apps)
130+ community plugins available
—
API Rate Limit (Free)(requests per minute)
300 requests/minute
—
Built-in Developer Handoff
Dev Mode with live code snippets (CSS, React, Tailwind)
Requires third-party plugins or Zeplin integration
React Component Export(supported)
Requires third-party plugins (e.g., Figma-to-React)
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Customer Support Channels(channels)
1 (Email only)
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Stock Assets Included(millions)
Partner integrations (photos/icons sold separately)
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Built-in Web Hosting(null)
Not included; requires third-party services
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AI-Powered Features(count)
0 (native); available via plugins
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Component Versioning(feature availability)
Manual management (requires Sketch 90+)
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SVG Export Quality(optimization level)
Full support with readable output
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Source Code Access
Proprietary/Closed
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Free Version Available
No (30-day trial only)
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Open Source Status
Proprietary closed-source
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Platform Access
macOS and Windows desktop apps
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Pros & Cons
8 pros·7 cons across both
S
Figma
+4-3
Pros
Real-time collaboration
Works on any OS (browser-based)
Free tier available
Industry standard for UX teams
Cons
Requires internet connection
Can be slow with very large files
Adobe acquisition concerns (deal blocked)
S
Sketch
+4-4
Pros
Native Mac performance
Offline capable
Mature plugin ecosystem
One-time license option
Cons
Mac only
No real-time collaboration (limited)
Losing market share to Figma
$9/month or $99/year
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questions
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For most product design teams, yes — Figma is the better choice. It runs cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), has superior real-time collaboration built in from the start, has a larger plugin ecosystem (1,500+ vs 400+), and is the dominant tool at tech companies. Figma's Dev Mode simplifies developer handoff significantly. Sketch remains excellent for Mac-only studios, designers who prefer offline desktop tools, and teams that value Sketch AI's OpenAI-powered generative features. If your team has any Windows users, Sketch is not an option (Mac-only).
Figma has a free plan that includes unlimited editors, 3 projects, and unlimited personal files. The free plan is fully functional for individual designers and small personal projects. Professional teams typically need the Professional plan ($12/editor/month) for unlimited projects, version history, and team sharing features. The Organization tier ($45/editor/month) adds design tokens (Variables), branching, and advanced admin features useful for larger design systems. Enterprise ($75/editor/month) adds SSO, advanced security, and dedicated support.
No — Sketch is Mac-only. It runs exclusively on macOS and requires an Apple device (Mac, MacBook). There is no Windows or browser version. This is Sketch's most significant competitive disadvantage in cross-functional teams that include Windows users (common in enterprise environments). If your team has any Windows or Linux users, Figma (browser-based) or Adobe XD are the primary alternatives. For Mac-only teams, this limitation is irrelevant.
Adobe announced an acquisition of Figma for $20 billion in September 2022. The deal was blocked by both the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and European Union regulators, who concluded the acquisition would reduce competition in the design software market. Adobe and Figma mutually terminated the merger agreement in December 2023, with Adobe paying Figma a $1 billion termination fee. Figma remains independent and has continued developing its platform. This outcome is broadly considered positive for the design software market, as it preserved Figma as an independent competitor to Adobe's Creative Cloud tools.
Expert Analysis: Figma vs Sketch
Figma and Sketch defined the modern UI/UX design tool era — and by 2026, Figma has largely won the professional web design market, while Sketch has repositioned itself as a Mac-native, AI-enhanced tool with a loyal user base. The comparison is now less about feature parity (both are mature, capable tools) and more about collaboration philosophy, ecosystem, and platform strategy.
Figma (founded 2012, San Francisco; acquired by Adobe for $20 billion — acquisition blocked by FTC and EU regulators in December 2022/2023; Figma remains independent): Figma is the dominant browser-based design tool for product teams, with approximately 4 million active users and dominance among tech companies and design agencies. Its defining innovation was real-time multiplayer collaboration — the "Google Docs for design" model that allowed teams to work simultaneously on designs without file versioning conflicts. By 2026, Figma has evolved into a platform beyond design: FigJam (collaborative whiteboard), Figma Slides (presentation creation), Dev Mode (developer handoff with code snippets), and Figma AI (auto-layout suggestions, component generation, design variations). Figma's pricing: Free (3 projects, unlimited editors); Professional $12/editor/month; Organization $45/editor/month; Enterprise $75/editor/month. Figma's plugins ecosystem has 1,500+ community plugins. The browser-first model means Figma runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebooks — a significant accessibility advantage over Mac-only tools. Figma's Variables and Tokens system (design tokens implemented in Figma as structured data) is the most advanced native design-to-code handoff system available.
Sketch (founded 2010, Amsterdam, by Bohemian Coding; Mac-only): Sketch pioneered the modern vector design tool paradigm that Figma then extended to the browser. By 2026, Sketch has approximately 1 million active users and has repositioned around three strengths: Mac-native performance (lighter than Figma's browser-based model on macOS), AI features (Sketch AI launched 2024 provides generative UI components, layout suggestions, and content generation via OpenAI integration), and offline-first design (designers who prefer not to work in a browser or require air-gap security). Sketch moved to a subscription model in 2020: $12/month per editor (individual) or $20/editor/month (teams, includes Sketch for Teams cloud collaboration). Sketch now offers real-time multiplayer collaboration via Sketch for Teams — addressing its most significant historical disadvantage vs Figma. Sketch's integration with developer tools (Zeplin, Abstract, Plant) remains strong. The app is Mac-only — a hard stop for Windows and Linux users.
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Key differences: Figma wins on platform reach (cross-platform vs Mac-only), collaboration UX (browser-first multiplayer), ecosystem size (1,500+ plugins vs Sketch's 400+), and adoption in the current generation of tech companies. Sketch wins on Mac-native performance, offline reliability, AI-assisted design (Sketch AI with OpenAI integration), and the preference of designers who want a desktop-native tool that isn't browser-dependent. For teams with Windows users, Figma is the only choice.
The 2026 verdict: Figma is the default choice for most product design teams — especially cross-functional teams including non-Mac users, teams in tech companies, and anyone prioritizing real-time collaboration. Sketch remains a strong choice for Mac-only studios, freelancers who prefer desktop-native tools, and designers working with sensitive materials requiring offline workflows.
Human-reviewed analysis based on primary sources including official product pages, third-party benchmarks, and consumer reviews. How we research
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