Sketch Review: Still Relevant in a Figma World?

Before Figma went browser-based and ate everyone's lunch, Sketch was the UI design tool. It won an Apple Design Award in 2012 and became the industry standard from around 2014 to 2020. Ten years later, it is still getting updates and has a loyal user base. The question has shifted though — it is no longer "Photoshop or Sketch." It is "Sketch or Figma."

What Is Sketch?

Sketch is a vector-based UI design tool for macOS. It popularized Symbols (reusable components), Artboards (multiple canvas sizes in one document), and plugin ecosystems before any of that was standard.

Key Features

1. Symbols & Smart Layout

Create a button component, define text and color overrides, and every instance updates. Smart Layout makes symbols resize automatically based on content — similar to auto-layout in Figma. Design a button that says "Sign Up" and another that says "Subscribe Now," and Smart Layout handles the width difference without breaking anything.

2. Vector Editing

Sketch's vector tools are precise. Boolean operations (union, subtract, intersect) work without surprises. The pencil tool with smoothing produces clean curves. For icon design and illustration, a lot of designers still prefer Sketch over Figma.

3. Performance

Open a 500-layer Figma file on a MacBook Air and you feel the lag. The same file in Sketch runs fine. Native Mac app versus browser — that difference shows up in everyday use.

4. Developer Handoff

Developers can inspect designs via sketch.com without needing a license. Measure distances, copy CSS, export assets. Not as polished as Figma's Dev Mode, but it works.

5. Prototyping

Link artboards, add transitions, preview in the app. Fine for click-through workflows. For conditional logic or advanced animations, you need a separate tool like Protopie or Axure.

Where Sketch Falls Behind

macOS Only

This is the real problem. One Windows user on the team — a developer, a PM, a stakeholder who wants to inspect designs — and Sketch is out. Its web app is read-only for viewers. You cannot edit in the browser.

Collaboration Is an Add-On

Real-time editing needs the "Sketch in Browser" feature, which means a separate Workspace plan. Multiple designers can work on the same document, but there is no multiplayer cursor or live presence. Feels more like passing a document back and forth than designing together.

Plugin Ecosystem

Roughly 700 plugins exist. Useful ones: Stark (accessibility), Anima (responsive design), Runner (productivity). But the ecosystem has stopped growing. New plugins ship for Figma first. Some Sketch plugins have been abandoned.

Pricing

Cheaper than Figma ($15/editor/mo) and Adobe XD (requires Creative Cloud). The one-time purchase option is rare these days and freelancers appreciate it.

Sketch vs Figma: The Honest Comparison

Our Verdict

Sketch did not get worse. The industry moved on. The app is well-built, performs great, and costs less than the competition. For a solo designer or a Mac-only team that cares more about performance than collaboration, it still works.

But hiring is getting harder. New designers learn Figma. Job postings ask for Figma. Design systems are built in Figma. That gap grows every month.

Score: 7.8/10 — Overtaken by Figma but still a capable tool for Mac-only teams. If you are already on Sketch and your team is all-Mac, no rush to switch. Starting fresh? Pick Figma.