Product designers and UI developers create products that provide solutions to users by evaluating specific business or market demands. Web design is an important part of a product’s success, from its creation to post-launch maintenance. Therefore, it is necessary for designers that they have to rely on the right set of tools to provide and develop top-quality products. There are multiple UI design tools. One of them is Figma and Sketch. These tools are very different even then they have similar purposes regarding information architecture, visual design, and branding. In this article, we examine Figma vs Sketch and further explain which one is a better option in 2023.
Table of Contents
What Is Figma?
Figma is a cloud-based vector graphics and prototyping tool used for a variety of graphic design tasks. Figma was released in 2016, it became a popular choice for UI designers. Without having to install software or buying multiple licenses, you can access your projects from one computer to another. With this tool, users can easily collaborate and contribute to a project.
What is Sketch?
Sketch was released in 2010. It is a desktop vector graphics editor for macOS. Many UI/UX designers use this. Sketch is customized toward digital design, so it isn’t with features of any print design. Work on your projects on the native macOS app, then cooperate online with a synced web app.
Comparison: Figma VS Sketch
Let’s have a look at the comparison between Figma and Sketch to help you make an informed decision on where to invest your time and money.
Platform And Operating System
Platform, one of the biggest differentiating factors, should probably be your first thought when picking which piece of software to learn.
- Sketch is specifically designed for macOS, so if you’re working on a Windows or Linux system, it’s out of the question.
- Figma is a cloud-based app, though the company does offer desktop apps for both Windows and Mac.
Collaboration
These platform differences have a direct effect on how collaboration works for each application.
Figma
It was designed with collaboration. You can edit projects as a team in real-time, see who changed what, and set comments and feedback directly in a design. Share your projects free with anyone so that others can leave their comments without having to download special software.
Sketch
released its real-time collaboration capability in May 2021 to try and gain with Figma in this area, but it’s only accessible to those with a subscription and a compatible version of the Mac app. Like Figma, this tool comprises a browsable version history. You can also invite unlimited viewers to test prototypes or give feedback through the Sketch web app.
Compatibility
If we talk about compatibility, Sketch is only compatible with macOS operating system. There is a Windows app through which it is possible to convert Sketch files; however, a Mac device is required to edit and work on design files.
On the other hand, you can work with Figma on any operating system (Linux, Windows, macOS) that runs a web browser. Despite having greater availability than Sketch, Figma might be a troublesome solution for designers that also need to work offline. Even then without any internet connection, you can work with Figma but all functions are not accessible. Designers have to be careful and remember to keep saving the file since it will not do it automatically as it happens when the user is online.
Pricing
Individuals who are working in small teams or starting a new work can use the free version of Figma. This version lets two people edit a document at a time and has an unlimited number of viewers. Moreover, it can manage up to three projects and offers unlimited cloud storage. However, for larger teams who are managing multiple projects at a time, the professional version costs 12$/month per editor. In addition to the free version’s perks, the professional one manages unlimited projects and provides custom file/user permissions and shareable team libraries. Last but not least, there is also an organization version available. This version further includes SSO + advanced security, design system analytics, and plugin administration, among other advantages.
Unlike Figma, Sketch does not offer a free version. Nonetheless, they provide a one-time payment of 99$ (optional renewal is 79$ per year) that includes all the features plus a year’s worth of updates. For Sketch Teams, the pricing requires a monthly subscription of 9$ per editor. This subscription covers the Mac app and a shared Cloud workspace for collaboration. Furthermore, both Figma and Sketch have discounts for students and educators.
Plugins
While for some designers plugins are very necessary. Plugins are a great way to include animations, prototyping, providing data, and so on. Their usage depends on each user. For people who want to customize their design programs, Sketch is one of the most suitable options since it offers more third-party plugins than Figma. With Sketch, you download plugins externally by searching on the web. You are then able to download a ZIP file, usually from GitHub, extract it, search the plugin folder, and put it there. This is very easy to use for the users.
Later on, Figma also introduced its first plugin. Even though it does not have as many plugins as Sketch, Figma’s approach to plugins includes motivating developers to create more. You don’t have to look on the web to see whether Figma has a certain plugin or not. You can easily search for a plugin and install it from within the Figma design tool.
Figma VS Sketch: Which One Is Better In 2023?
Many designers are now switching from Sketch to Figma. People usually switch from one tool to another tool that has more functionalities, advanced features, and is easy to use. Sketch allows you to export files easily. But you should also know that Figma allows you to import Figma, Sketch, and other image files as soon as you get started. This gives an easy start to designers who switch from Sketch to Figma. They can start designing on the web as soon as they want. Figma allows for better collaboration and teamwork. Figma is a whole package for everything from creating and collaborating on design files, to prototyping interactions, sharing links to the prototypes and files, and collecting feedback through comments.
Conclusion
In this article, we have a quick overview of Figma vs Sketch so you can make the best decision for your business. Figma is a browser-based app, whereas Sketch is native to macOS. Figma also has a desktop app (compatible with windows and mac) that gives designers the freedom to design on the browser as well as on the app. With Figma, you can real-time collaborate easily. With Sketch, it is possible for only the app subscribers with a compatible version of the app. Figma has lessons and design apps to help designers when they are getting started, while Sketch has resources in the form of documentation. Figma has better drawing tools with vector networks and responsive grids and layouts. Sketch has vector paths and suitable grids and layouts with fewer choices than Figma. Make your web design more responsive by following the tips mentioned in this blog. You can share your ideas about Figma vs Sketch, in the comments section below.