Figma vs Sketch
for design teams.
Figma. Real-time collab and ecosystem lead matters.
What this actually means for design teams.
For design teams, Figma has been the right answer since 2018. By 2026, picking Sketch over Figma for a new team is a decision that requires an explicit, unusual reason — strict Mac-only purism, philosophical opposition to web-based tools, or a tiny team that doesn't collaborate. The Figma ecosystem (plugins, design tokens, dev mode, FigJam) compounds yearly. Sketch still has loyal users but the network effects have moved.
design teams-specific gotchas
- Sketch's file-based versioning still has a few advantages over Figma's history
- Figma's offline mode still has limitations
- Plugin ecosystems are not even close — Figma's is 50x larger
- Migration from Sketch to Figma is well-documented (1-2 days for a small library)
- Both have variable monthly costs that scale with team size
A 10-person design team moves from Sketch to Figma over 3 weeks. After migration, time spent in handoff drops 40% (Dev Mode), and design system contributions spike (real-time editing).
Pick by use case.
Figma
Almost always — collaboration, ecosystem, plugins.
Sketch
You're Mac-only, prefer native apps, and your team is small.
Direct comparison.
| Feature | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time collaboration | Native | Limited |
| Platforms | Web + native | Mac only |
| Plugin ecosystem | Huge | Smaller |
| Variables / tokens | Native | Manual |
| Dev handoff | Native | Plugins |
| Pricing | Per editor | Per editor |
We've shipped both.
If you're evaluating these as a design teams, brief us — we can save you weeks.
Talk to usCommon design teams questions.
Will Sketch still be relevant in 5 years?
It'll exist but the gap with Figma will widen, not narrow.
What about Penpot or Pixso?
Real OSS / lower-cost alternatives. Pick if Figma's pricing or proprietary nature is a real concern.