Comparison
Figma vs Sketch: the design tool showdown
The two biggest names in UI design. Here's an honest comparison based on our experience shipping hundreds of screens with both.
Figma
Browser-based design tool with real-time collaboration. The industry standard for product design teams.
Sketch
Mac-native design tool with a strong plugin ecosystem. The original modern UI design tool.
| Feature | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | Real-time multiplayer, browser-based | Limited — needs third-party tools |
| Platform | Browser + desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux) | Mac only |
| Performance | Good, occasionally slow on large files | Excellent — native Mac performance |
| Prototyping | Built-in, good for most needs | Basic — needs third-party tools |
| Developer Handoff | Built-in inspect mode, Dev Mode | Requires plugins or Zeplin |
| Design Systems | Excellent — variables, modes, libraries | Good — symbols, shared libraries |
| Pricing | Free tier, $15/editor/month | $10/editor/month |
| Plugins | Large ecosystem, community plugins | Mature ecosystem, many plugins |
When to choose each
Choose Figma
Choose Figma for team collaboration, cross-platform teams, built-in prototyping, and if your developers need direct access to designs without extra tools.
Choose Sketch
Choose Sketch if your entire team is on Mac, you prefer native app performance, and you already have an established Sketch workflow.
Our verdict
We use Figma exclusively. The real-time collaboration, browser accessibility, and built-in developer handoff make it the clear winner for modern product teams. The ability to share a link and have anyone comment or inspect is game-changing.
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