design software · Tool Face-Off

Figma vs Sketch

Quick answer

Figma dominates for collaboration and cross-platform access; Sketch still holds ground for Mac-native polish and its plugin ecosystem, but the gap is closing fast in Figma's favor.

Figma

The collaborative interface design tool that lives in your browser

4.5★

Sketch

The Mac-native design toolkit beloved by UI purists

3.4★

Starting Price

Free (Starter plan)

$10/editor/month (billed annually)

Team Plan Price

~$15/editor/month

~$9/editor/month

Platform

Browser, Mac, Windows, Linux

Mac only

Offline Mode

Limited (desktop app helps)

Full offline support

Real-time Collaboration

Yes — unlimited simultaneous editors

Yes — but observers-only in free tier

Prototyping

Built-in, advanced interactions

Built-in, basic interactions

Version History

Yes (30 days free, unlimited on paid)

Yes, unlimited via Mac Time Machine

Free Plan

Yes — up to 3 projects

No free plan (30-day trial only)

Component Libraries

Team & community libraries built-in

Shared libraries via Sketch Cloud

Developer Handoff

Built-in (Inspect panel)

Requires Zeplin or Sketch Cloud

Plugin Count

700+ community plugins

900+ plugins (mature ecosystem)

File Format

.fig (cloud-first, proprietary)

.sketch (local file, exportable)

Figma

Pricing★★★★☆

Features★★★★½

Ease of Use★★★★½

Integrations★★★★½

Collaboration★★★★★

Plugin Ecosystem★★★★☆

Platform Flexibility★★★★★

Sketch

Pricing★★★½☆

Features★★★★☆

Ease of Use★★★★☆

Integrations★★★½☆

Collaboration★★★☆☆

Plugin Ecosystem★★★★☆

Platform Flexibility★★☆☆☆

Worth knowing

Figma was acquired by Adobe in 2022 for $20B, though the deal was later abandoned due to antitrust concerns.
Sketch pioneered the artboard-based UI design workflow that virtually every modern design tool has copied.
Figma's community has over 8 million users worldwide as of 2024.
Sketch is Mac-only and has never released a Windows client in its 12+ year history.
Figma's FigJam whiteboard tool is included free, adding brainstorming to your design workflow.

Sketch was built by a two-person team and sold for $79 as a one-time purchase — before subscriptions ate the world. Figma then ate Sketch's lunch while also being free.

If you want

You want real-time collaboration across Windows, Mac, or Linux

Figma runs anywhere in a browser with zero setup, and multiplayer editing is buttery smooth.

→ Pick Figma

If you want

You're a solo Mac designer who works offline and owns your files locally

Sketch's local .sketch files, full offline support, and Mac-native feel are hard to beat for solo workflows.

→ Pick Sketch

If you want

You need a free tool for a small team or side project

Figma's free Starter plan is genuinely usable — Sketch offers only a 30-day trial.

→ Pick Figma

If you want

Your team relies heavily on existing Sketch plugins and workflows

Sketch's mature plugin ecosystem and community resources still edge Figma out in raw plugin count.

→ Pick Sketch

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.