Sketch is the original modern UI design tool that pioneered many features now standard in the industry. It remains a powerful native macOS application with strong performance.
Strengths
- Native macOS performance
- Major 2025 UI redesign (Copenhagen)
- Unique features (Glass effect, Stacks with wrap)
- Free developer handoff via web app
- Local MCP server for AI integration
- One-time purchase option available
- Strong typography controls
Weaknesses
- macOS only for editing
- Smaller market share than Figma
- No free tier
- Limited real-time collaboration
- Smaller plugin ecosystem
Latest Updates
Sketch ships local MCP server and 2026.1 beta
Sketch quietly launched a local MCP server — connect Claude, Codex, or any MCP-compatible tool to your designs for code generation and design queries. Off by default, local only, so you control what gets access. The 2026.1 beta also lands with 150+ improvements: selection colours, a smarter eyedropper that picks up colour variables, and a redesigned workspace invite flow.
Get full control over what you share with Previews
Tags: Web App With previews in the web app, you can choose which pages or prototypes from a document to share — and keep the rest hidden. There’s no need to copy work to a clean document, or worry about clients digging through the “Rough Ideas” page. You can share a preview link with anyone to view in their browser, no Sketch account required. You can choose if previews are password protected, and also when to expire them so their links no longer work. When you set up a preview, you can choose t
Get better previews when you share in Slack
Tags: Web App With our first-party Slack integration you can connect your Workspace and see rich previews of any document or comment link you share. We already show link previews in Slack for public documents, but now you’ll see them for private documents in your Workspace once you’ve connected it. We’ve got some exciting plans to make this Slack integration even more useful, but for now, we hope you’ll enjoy seeing a little more of your documents in everyone’s favorite virtual workplace. Docume
A faster way to organize your Workspace
Tags: Web App You can now quickly select multiple documents or folders in your Workspace, move them by dragging them to another folder, create a new folder from your selection, or even archive them. When you select multiple documents or folders (by dragging a selection or using the checkboxes when you hover their thumbnails), you’ll see a new toolbar at the bottom of the browser window that gives you quick access to common actions. To create a new folder for your selection, use the Move… action
Inspect any document with a full layer list
Tags: Web App When you’re inspecting designs in the web app, we now show a full layer list for the document. Now it’s easier than ever to understand a document’s structure and hierarchy, find specific layers, copy their CSS and export them. Along with the new layer list, we’ve updated the contextual menu for selections in Inspect mode. When you select a layer and right-click, we’ll give you options to export, copy CSS, and navigate to layers related to that selection. If you select a Symbol inst
Similar tools
Adora
Adora offers real-time mapping of product experiences, providing AI-driven insights into user journeys and interactions. It's ideal for product teams looking to optimize user engagement and identify opportunities for improvement.
Dessn
Design and prototyping platform that works directly within your production codebase. AI-powered design language extraction with code generation developers can use.
Opacity
Collaborative design platform merging design and code into a single source of truth. Aims to be 'GitHub for design' - currently in early access with major tech companies.
Affinity Suite
Professional design suite including Vector (Illustrator competitor), Pixel (Photoshop competitor), and Publisher (InDesign competitor). Made completely free following Canva acquisition.