What is Sketch?
Sketch is a design editor that runs only as a native macOS app, made by Sketch B.V., an independent company that has built it since 2010. Designers draw screens and icons on an infinite canvas with a vector editor, stack layouts, symbols and shared Libraries, then link frames into prototypes they can test in a browser or on an iPhone or iPad.
The main difference from Figma is where the work lives. Sketch saves local files and works offline, and adds a cloud Workspace with real-time co-editing only on a subscription. Developers inspect files and export assets in any browser for free.
Who is Sketch best for?
Sketch is best for Mac-based UI designers who want a native, offline-capable editor with local files and free developer handoff.
Designers who work on a Mac
A native app that works offline with local files suits designers who would rather not design in a browser tab.
Privacy-minded teams
Files can stay on your own Mac, and Sketch says it does not use your designs to train AI models.
Teams with many developers
Developers inspect designs, export assets and download design tokens in the browser at no cost, so you pay only for Editors.
Buyers who avoid subscriptions
The $120 Mac-only license keeps working for good and includes a year of updates.
What's included with Sketch?
Stack layouts, symbols and Libraries, prototypes with Smart Animate, real-time co-editing on subscriptions, free browser handoff and a built-in MCP server.
- Stacks and frames
- Stack layouts with minimum and maximum sizes, relative sizing and nestable frames keep screens in shape as content changes.
- Symbols and Libraries
- Reusable components, styles and color variables are shared across documents through Libraries, with component variants in beta.
- Prototyping
- Links, overlays, scroll areas and Smart Animate turn frames into prototypes you can test in a browser, on an iPhone or an iPad.
- Real-time collaboration
- Subscriptions add a shared Workspace where Editors co-edit, comment in threads and keep version history.
- Developer handoff
- Developers measure layers, copy CSS and color values, and export assets and design tokens in the browser for free.
- MCP server
- A local MCP server lets Claude, Codex, Cursor or VS Code read documents, export assets and run SketchAPI code at no extra cost.
How much does Sketch cost?
Sketch Standard costs $14 per Editor a month, or $12 billed yearly; Professional is $24 and Enterprise $44 billed yearly, and the Mac-only license is $120 per seat. There is no free plan, only a 30-day trial.
- $12 per Editor a month billed yearly
- Real-time collaboration, version history, free Viewers
- 50GB storage per Editor
- Everything in Standard
- Single Sign-On and project archiving
- Permission groups
- SCIM provisioning and BYOK encryption
- Unlimited storage
- Dedicated support from 15 Editors
- Native Mac app, offline work, local files
- One year of updates included
- No collaboration, online sharing or iOS previews
Sketch has no free plan. A 30-day free trial needs no credit card, but the Mac-only license has no trial. Viewers are free on every subscription. Students and teachers get a free Workspace with one Editor seat, and qualifying non-profits pay half price for yearly Standard or the license. Private Cloud is priced on request. Prices exclude VAT and other taxes. Full pricing on sketch.com. We checked these prices on .
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Sketch pros and cons
It is a quick native Mac app with free developer handoff and a one-time license option, but it runs only on macOS and its community is far smaller than Figma's.
Pros
- It runs as a native Mac app that works fully offline, which reviewers on G2 and Reddit single out.
- Developer handoff costs nothing: developers inspect and export in the browser without a paid seat, where Figma sells Dev seats.
- Users who are tired of subscriptions can buy the one-time Mac-only license instead.
- Reviewers describe the interface as clean, focused and quick to learn.
Cons
- The editor runs only on macOS 15 or newer, so Windows and Linux teammates and many freelancers cannot design in it.
- Its community, tutorials and plugin choice are far smaller than Figma's, and several designers say most clients and employers now expect Figma files.
- There is no free plan beyond the 30-day trial and education offer, and users point to Figma's free tier as the reason many switched.
- There is no browser editor: people without a Mac can only view, comment and inspect.
How do I connect Sketch to my AI agent?
Sketch MCP is Sketch's official MCP server. Add it to your agent once, then ask it to inspect Sketch documents and turn designs into code.
Connects your agent to the Sketch app on your Mac, so it can read the open document, its layers, styles and symbols, and help you hand designs to code or tidy files.
$ claude mcp add --transport http sketch http://localhost:31126/mcp
It runs on your computer, so Claude Code starts it when it needs it.
Sketch's setup guide covers the sign-in.
Then ask your agent
- Runs
- On your computer
- Sign-in
- See guide
- Maker
- Sketch
- Guide
- sketch.com
What are the best Sketch alternatives?
Three tools on Recaply do Sketch's job. Penpot is open source, so you can run it on your own server.
FigmaFreeChoose it when your team includes Windows users or clients who expect Figma files; it has a free Starter plan, and a Professional Full seat costs $16 a month billed yearly.
PenpotOpen SourceChoose it when you want a free, open-source design tool that runs in any browser and that you can host on your own servers.
FramerFreeChoose it when the goal is a live marketing site, since it designs, hosts and publishes pages from one canvas and has a free plan on a Framer domain.
How does Sketch compare with Figma?
Sketch costs less per designer and gives developers free access, but Figma runs anywhere and has a free plan.
- Where you design
- Sketch edits only in its Mac app; Figma edits in any browser as well as its desktop apps.
- Price per designer
- Sketch Standard is $12 per Editor a month billed yearly; a Figma Professional Full seat is $16.
- Developers
- Sketch handoff is free in the browser; Figma sells Dev seats from $12 a month billed yearly.
- Free use
- Figma has a free Starter plan; Sketch has a 30-day trial and free Workspaces for education.
- Files
- Sketch can keep work in local files that open offline, and its file format is open.
Questions about Sketch
What is the difference between a Sketch subscription and the Mac-only license?
The Mac-only license costs $120 per seat once and keeps working, with a year of updates, but has no online sharing, collaboration or iOS previews. A subscription adds the cloud Workspace, real-time co-editing, version history and free Viewers.
Who is Sketch for?
Sketch is best for Mac-based UI designers who want a native, offline-capable editor with local files and free developer handoff.
Is Sketch free for students?
Yes. Students and teachers can get a free Sketch Workspace with one Editor seat, and schools can ask for a free Workspace with more seats. Everyone else gets a 30-day free trial with no credit card needed.
How much does Sketch cost?
Sketch's paid plans are Standard at $14 per Editor per month, Professional at $24 per Editor per month, billed yearly, Enterprise at $44 per Editor per month, billed yearly and Mac-only license at $120 per seat, one-time.
Does Sketch have an MCP server?
Yes. Sketch MCP is Sketch's official MCP server, so agents such as Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and GitHub Copilot can inspect Sketch documents and turn designs into code. It runs on your computer.
Is there an open source alternative to Sketch?
Yes. Penpot is an open source tool that does the same job, so you can run your own.
What are the best Sketch alternatives?
The closest alternatives on Recaply are Figma, Penpot and Framer.
Where can I try Sketch?
On its official website, sketch.com.
Does Sketch work on Windows?
No. The Sketch editor is a Mac app that needs macOS 15 Sequoia or newer. Teammates on Windows or Linux can open shared documents in a browser to view them, comment, inspect layers and export assets for free.
Can I use Sketch with Claude, Cursor or other AI tools?
Yes. Sketch has a built-in local MCP server that Claude, Codex, Cursor, VS Code and other MCP clients can connect to at no extra cost. It needs Sketch 2025.2.4 or later and is not in the Mac App Store version.
Does Sketch use my designs to train AI?
No. Sketch says it does not use your designs to train AI models, collects minimal analytics and cannot see your files unless you share them. You can also keep your work only in local files on your Mac.
Our verdict
Sketch is a good pick for designers and teams who all work on Macs and want a native app with free developer handoff.
A Standard Editor costs less than a Figma Professional Full seat, developers inspect for free, and files can stay local and offline.
- Skip it for
- Teams with Windows users, and designers whose clients or employers expect Figma files.
- Check first
- Whether the people you hand work to can open and use Sketch documents before you commit.
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