Figma vs . Sketch The Head-to-Head Comparison of Feature Comparisons

But as the industry evolved and the market grew, so did Figma which is a multi-platform web-based collaborative platform -- an innovative Sketch alternative. But that begs the question whether, in an Figma against Sketch competition, which one is the winner?

There are a variety of key differences that might serve as deciding elements in deciding whether to select either Figma to meet your UI designs.

What exactly is Figma?

Figma includes the ability to collaborate on design which allows you to communicate your designs to members of your team who work with you at any time. This is extremely desirable for design teams and those who need assistance in the process.

If you've used Sketch before, one thing you'll quickly realize when checking out Sketch's interface for users is that it's very similar to Sketch with regards to layout. This was an intentional move that was made by the creators. Modelling their user interface after the one used as used by the industry for many years makes it easy for anyone switching over.

What Is Sketch?

Sketch is an application that the vast majority of UI designers are intimately familiar with. It established the gold standard for UI design for many years, and has opened up an entirely new world of possibilities.

Sketch is a desktop-based native application, which means it has to be downloaded locally on your PC. The application doesn't require an internet connection, however, it can't be accessed from anywhere, unlike a web-based tool such as Figma.

Sketch is a graphic editor, first introduced to the general public in. It made a difference in the field of design since it was designed specifically for digital designs, not prints, as is the case with Photoshop.

While the software still has to be locally installed, an online application that syncs can also be used to collaborate with designers.

Principal Features of Figma

Figma has many key features which make it an outstanding and well-known service in the UI design field. First, it's the only collaborative platform that permits designers to share their work with their team members and customers.

The feature for collaborative sharing lets collaborators make comments whenever notes are required to be taken It is integrated in to the system, and comes free of charge.

This can prove useful in dealing with clients as they can guide your design process. If you're going down an option that the client doesn't like and doesn't like, they can spot the problem early and take an observation before getting way too involved and waste time.

It is also possible to invite developers to explore your prototypes and export your assets with one link.

It's also very easy to get started learning the basics of using Figma, thanks to several specific tutorials designed specifically to help new users. It takes the stress out of learning the process and helps you utilize Figma's capabilities to the fullest at the beginning.

A plugin library is currently available in Figma although the library isn't extensive yet. The feature became available in January of 2019, and the developer community is still expanding.

The flexibility of vector manipulation is a extremely beneficial function of Figma. With this program, the vector editor is called vector networks. You can use vector networks to join multiple lines at one singular location. This can increase the speed of vector drawings as well as helps complete your work faster.

The component feature is Figma's version of the Sketch signals feature. The two features can be used as elements that are able to be repeated over pages, and then edited. Figma has a master component that stays on its own. The master component can be modified by taking the master component, copying it and editing it. This will update each instances of the element during your work.

Key Features of Sketch

Sketch is no slouch in the feature department as well, with significant elements that have made it an essential part of the industry for years.

Figma launched its real-time collaboration application in 2021. The relatively recent feature basically duplicates Figma's collaboration feature. But, everyone involved must pay for a subscription to Sketch and the Mac app installed on their gadgets in order to utilize real-time collaboration.

Sketch has a browsable version history of designs, allowing users to go back to earlier versions in case they decide to change their mind and decide to go back to begin with an earlier version.

Sketch users have the luxury of an extensive selection of third-party integration plugins that have been developed throughout many years. This is a huge advantage for Sketch an advantage over Figma that only opened up the platform to integration developers in the year 2019.

With these integrations it's clear that Sketch is a highly flexible platform. The Sketch plugins offer the ability to translate, prototype development handoff and animations.

Sketch allows vector manipulation through linked points, also known as nodes. Additionally, it has web inspector features that allow designers to view and export assets.

Sketch allows you to create different designs. It allows you to personalize your style using different colors, text and an array of effects.

It also has a drag-and-drop interface that allows users to click and drag elements throughout the webpage. This makes it very easy to master.

Pros and Cons of Utilizing Figma

Benefits of Figma

Figma is a great Sketch with a number of benefits which makes it among the most popular Sketch alternatives on the market.

It has an excellent user interface and can be used on various platforms. It also features the flexibility of vector manipulation as well as real-time collaboration. It lets you work with a remote team and develop truly impressive UI designs.

It also has easy handoff for developers, which allows the user to transfer every project to the next step in just a couple of steps.

Figma Drawbacks

Despite its many benefits, there are still a few drawbacks to Figma that can't be ignored when you are looking for an UI designing platform.

Figma is a more recent service as compared to Sketch which was launched in the year 2000, but it has only launched applications and integrations in the year 2019. That means it features a small integration library that does not compare to the features provided by competitors. With the time it takes, it's bound to expand, and the negative could turn into an advantage.

Although the use of Figma on the internet is perfect, you'll need an internet connection to access its features. It is not an offline mode available.

The pros and cons of using Sketch

Sketch Benefits

There are many advantages to using Sketch. There are a variety of reasons Sketch has been the most popular software for design professionals for more than a decade.

Sketch also comes with an impressive variety of third-party integrations that have been developed in the past to offer users the most personalized Sketch user experience.

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Sketch Drawbacks

There are a few drawbacks with Sketch that could cause aspiring users cause for concern before buying.

As an example, Sketch is only available on only a Mac and a Mac, therefore if used to designing on your PC or can't afford the cost of a Mac laptop, the Sketch application won't be available to those who want to design.

Although it's wonderful that the business has come up with a real-time collaboration web app, the service is still in its early stages and is limited. Given time, it'll become massively beneficial, but in the meantime, it's easier to collaborate using Figma.

Figma Vs Sketch: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Once we've figured out the fundamental advantages and drawbacks of Figma as well as Sketch, we can look at comparing them head-tohead in a number of different categories.

Collaboration

When it comes to collaboration in design, Sketch only launched this ability in 2021 via the web application. Your collaborators require paid Sketch subscriptions. This option, like Sketch it self, can only be used on a Mac.

This cloud-based, collaborative feature functions more as an Dropbox sharing system for files.

Cost-effectiveness

Sketch's software can be broken into two different pricing plans.

The Sketch Standard plan costs $9 per editor per month. It also comes with unlimited viewing rights for viewers.

The Business plan's pricing is unknown, because Sketch isn't making this details publically available. To qualify for the Business plan, you must have an minimum of 25 editors.

This comes with annual pricing but there's no month-to-month option. This means it's going to be a large upfront investment.

Sketch's Sketch business plan comes with a one sign-on with unlimited cloud storage invoicing, live chat technical support as well as a dedicated customer success manager, as well as customized security reviews and terms.

Pricing for Figma is more transparent , and is available in several pricing options.

Figma's Starter plan is free without charge, however, it comes with some limitations. You can only work on three Figma files as well as three FigJam files.

It also includes unlimited personal files as well as collaborators. It is possible to use tools, templates, and widgets without cost. The free plan even includes the use of Figma, the Figma mobile application.

The Professional package on Figma includes a price of $12 for each editor per month when billed annually. If you're looking for a month-to-month plan, it's $15 per editor per month.

If you sign up for the Professional plan, you get unlimited Figma documents, an unlimited history of versions, as well as sharing rights. You can even make certain files private in order to restrict access to them. In addition, you will be able to access team libraries and the ability to record audio conversations with collaborators.

The Organization Plan costs $45 for each editor per month and only includes annual billing.

Through this program, you could create libraries for your entire organization. It is also possible to create system-wide analytics, and perform the merging and branching.

Centralized file management as well as single sign-on is included in the Organization plan. Additionally, admin and billing functions are integrated. It is also possible to use private widgets and plugins.

Figma's most expensive plan is the Enterprise plan. The cost is $75 per editor per month and $5 for each FigJam editor each month. This plan offers annual billing only , and provides greater flexibility in controls as well as advanced security.

User-Friendliness/Getting started

Both services have the same interface, meaning that once you learn how to utilize one of them, it's very easy to change between the two.

Figma provides how-to tutorials and videos for instruction to get beginners up to speed fast. Sketch has limited info guides accessible through official channels, but Figma has been available for quite a while, and there's plenty of info out there.

Extensibility (Plugins & Integrations)

Figma introduced integrations in 2019. Unfortunately there aren't many options accessible.

Common integration capabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Prototyping
• Translations
• Animations
• Handoff of Developers to the developer

Features

grids and constraints are flexible and allow for the creation of responsive and resizable layouts.

Sketch has an option for group resizing, but it limits you to only four options.

The Figma vector networks are improved on the path model. Curves and lines no longer have to form a single chain. Instead, they can go between two different points.

Speed and Performance

Sketch is locally installed software for Macs. It's installed locally on Mac, so internet speeds don't impact its speed. This is why Sketch boasts top performance and speed and is able to run even when your device isn't online.

Prototyping

Figma has additional UI triggers for prototyping. These triggers include:

• On click
• In the midst of hovering
• On drag

Figma also includes a stable prototype preview that's superior to what's offered on Sketch. It allows the standard transitions between prototype screens. This includes moving in or out of the screen at your will.

Figma has the Smart Animate feature that lets users create complex animations in just a few mouse clicks. But, Figma doesn't include linking between pages to connect your animations.

Sketch comes with prototyping tools that help to make the process easier. These include Mockplus Cloud, InVision Craft and Flinto.

Summary

If you are primarily working on an Mac and would prefer working offline, thus utilizing the vast array of integrated tools for an experience that is more personal, it is the right software for you.

If you're looking for a cost-free alternative, use your PC and require a an agile collaboration system and utilize vector manipulation in a flexible way, then Figma might be the answer you're looking for.

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