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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.

Our pick
Figma
The collaborative interface design tool that lives in your browser
4.5★
VS
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

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
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