Sketch

Overview

Sketch defined modern UI design. Before Figma arrived, Sketch was the industry standard for digital product design — the tool that shifted the industry from Photoshop to vector-based interface design with its introduction of Symbols (reusable components) in 2015. It remains a polished, high-performance native Mac application with a mature plugin ecosystem and a one-time licence option that appeals to designers who prefer paying once over perpetual subscriptions.

Sketch has adapted to the collaborative era by adding cloud-based sharing, browser-based inspection for developers, and a web viewer for stakeholder review. However, it has not matched Figma's real-time collaboration model — editing remains local on Mac, with cloud used for sharing rather than simultaneous co-editing.

Key Features

• Symbols and Component Libraries — reusable components with overrides and nested symbol support
• Auto Layout — responsive frames that reflow based on content, similar to CSS flexbox
• Prototyping — clickable prototypes with transitions for basic user flow testing
• Sketch Cloud — share designs for browser-based review and developer inspection
• Developer handoff — web-based inspect view with CSS measurements and asset export
• Plugin ecosystem — 600+ plugins via the Sketch Plugin Manager
• Mac-native performance — GPU-accelerated rendering with high performance on complex files
• One-time licence option — pay once for a perpetual licence covering one major version
• Offline first — all editing works without an internet connection

Pricing

Sketch costs $12/month (billed annually at $144/year) per editor for all features including cloud collaboration. A one-time licence is available at $120, covering the current major version indefinitely — additional updates require a new annual licence or purchase. A 30-day free trial is available. The one-time licence option makes Sketch the only major professional design tool with a non-subscription path.

Best For

Sketch is the right choice for Mac-based UI designers who prioritise native performance, the one-time licence model, and Sketch's established plugin ecosystem. Design teams with well-established Sketch workflows, custom plugins, and existing template libraries who have not yet migrated to Figma can continue to get full value from Sketch.

Limitations

Sketch is Mac-only — there is no Windows or Linux client. Real-time multi-editor collaboration is absent; teams cannot simultaneously edit the same file as in Figma. Figma has overtaken Sketch as the industry standard, which affects template availability, design system resources, and recruitment. Sketch's market share has declined significantly since Figma's growth.

Verdict

A high-quality professional design tool that made interface design what it is today. Still the right choice for committed Mac-based designers who value native performance and the one-time licence. For new teams and cross-platform organisations, Figma is the more practical default.