Sketch vs. Figma 2020: Pros & Cons

Let’s evaluate the two most popular tools.

As the design tool arms race continues, the differences between the two most popular around are becoming smaller.

Despite this, in 2020, there are still enormous differences in the features between Figma and Sketch. Let’s evaluate some of the major pros and cons of each from my experience with both over the years.

Note: I use and I am covering both of these tools because I have experience with them. I do not have enough experience with XD to compare its feature set.

Figma

According to a survey conducted by UX Tools, usage of Figma almost doubled from 12% in 2018 to 23% in 2019. Many newer people in the industry that I’ve met have started with this tool.

Pros:

1. Web-based, which means it runs on almost any operating system with a modern browser, including Linux, ChromeOS, Windows, and macOS
2. Collaborate in real-time with other designers on the same design files
3. Handoff, inspect, prototype, and more all within the same tool with or without the use of plugins
4. Flexible styles, components, and overrides that allow for quick iteration
5. Free to get started as a solo designer in many different cases
6. An imperfect import feature for Sketch files that I wrote about here
7. Extremely strong select features, such as “Select All of Same Instance” natively built-in
8. New-ish ecosystem of plugins that will achieve almost anything you need
9. Figma Community where you can share Figma files with others, follow your favorite creators, and more in one place
10. Robust built-in version control that allows you to save and add descriptions to specific versions

Cons:

1. No offline support/mode, so make sure you have an internet connection
2. PDF importing is mediocre at best which can be really annoying at times
3. Plugins you enjoyed in Sketch may not be available here, but it’s rare
4. More expensive than Sketch on paid plans, but not by much at all
5. Can feel like someone is designing over your shoulder at times

Sketch

10 years ago, Sketch changed UI design tools. Gone were the days of inefficient mockups in Photoshop. Despite other competitors in the field now, Sketch tends to still be the most widely used design tool for almost all aspects of design, according to a survey conducted by UX Tools.

Pros:

1. The largest plugin selection of any design tool by far
2. Design libraries that are straight from Apple for iOS, macOS, and watchOS
3. Real dark mode and a macOS UI aesthetic for the design tool itself
4. Nearly a decade of articles and tutorials on how to accomplish things
5. Strict overrides that allow you to have a great level of control over the components
6. Design linting built-in to make sure everything is connected to a style
7. Git-like design collaboration with Abstract
8. Basic collaboration and handoff via Sketch Cloud
9. PDF import is flawless at times and can make touching up a PDF or editing its contents incredibly easy
10. Work offline on any files that are stored locally, either as a cache of the Sketch Cloud file or purely local

Cons:

1. Inflexible styles which can make redesigns, rebranding, or just setting styles up an awful, lengthy experience
2. No live collaboration features within the app or and currently no in-context comments on Sketch Cloud
3. Prototyping may feel a little uninspiring and lackluster in comparison to other tools out there
4. Only runs on macOS
5. Sketch Cloud performance is not perfect in rendering artboards

Deciding Upon a Tool

Every tool has differences that you should carefully evaluate to determine which could work best for you in your context. It’s very easy to look at one feature and think that it will solve all your problems when oftentimes the big picture is overlooked.

Figma

If you need flexibility and speed, the kind essential to the pace of fast-growing startups and lean teams, Figma is probably your better bet. The flexibility found in color styles, text styles, and components allows you to work faster.

It also becomes a question of collaboration. If your team needs to simultaneously work on the same design file, this is a great way to do so in real-time. Additionally, if you need to have everyone involved, such as product managers and other stakeholders, you can easily share a link with them or invite them with view-only access to allow them to provide feedback in-context with Figma’s native commenting tool.

Note: If you don’t want to feel like people are always designing over your shoulder, you can always duplicate a file and run with your own.

Sketch

While some will argue that Sketch has no relevance now that Figma exists, I definitely disagree. If you’re worried about people not correctly using the design system you spent half the year on and stakeholders and your teammates aren’t going to care about real-time collaboration, this might be the better bet for you.

At larger companies and other cases where strict adherence to design guidelines are required, Sketch is practically a necessity. Overriding components and styles can sometimes be too easy in Figma and produce a lot of headaches if everyone is not on board. When it comes to design systems, the specificities of colors and other styles matter a lot and are easy to override in Figma, sometimes without even realizing it.

Thank you for reading, and hopefully, you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, drop a comment below!