Sketch

Sketch is a vector design tool built exclusively for macOS. It's used by designers to create user interfaces, icons, illustrations, and prototypes. For over a decade, Sketch was the standard tool for UI/UX design — the app that replaced Photoshop for interface work and created the modern design workflow of symbols, shared styles, and developer handoff. In 2026, Sketch occupies an interesting position. Figma has taken over as the industry default for collaborative design, and Sketch knows it. But Sketch has responded by doubling down on what it does differently: native Mac performance, offline-first work, and a design workflow that doesn't require a browser. If you're a designer who works primarily on Mac, prefers a native app over a browser tab, and doesn't need real-time multiplayer collaboration for every project, Sketch is still a strong choice. The core of Sketch is Symbols — reusable design components with overrides. Create a Button symbol, and every instance throughout your design shares the same structure. Change the padding in the master symbol, and every button updates. Overrides let you change text, colors, and nested symbols per-instance without detaching from the master. This system predates Figma's components and influenced how the entire industry thinks about design systems. Sketch Cloud is the collaboration layer. Upload your designs, and teammates can view, inspect, comment, and download assets from a browser — no Sketch license required for viewing. Developers inspect spacing, colors, fonts, and export assets directly from Sketch Cloud. It's not real-time multiplayer editing like Figma, but it handles the review-and-handoff workflow well. Prototyping is built in. Link artboards together with click, hover, and scroll interactions to create interactive prototypes. Preview them in the Sketch mobile app on your phone. The prototyping is basic compared to dedicated tools like Framer or ProtoPie, but it covers the common cases: clickthrough flows for user testing and stakeholder demos. The plugin ecosystem is extensive. Plugins add functionality Sketch doesn't include natively: content generation (filling designs with real data), accessibility checking, animation, code export, and integration with development tools. The plugin architecture is open and well-documented. Pricing: Standard plan is $12/editor/month (annual billing) or $14/month (monthly). A Mac-only license is $120 per seat with one year of updates. Viewers access Sketch Cloud for free. The honest take: Sketch lost the industry war to Figma. Most design teams have migrated. But Sketch is still an excellent design tool — arguably better than Figma for individual designers who value native performance, offline work, and the Mac-specific experience. If you're a solo designer or work on a small team that doesn't need Figma's real-time collaboration, Sketch is worth considering.