Figma vs. Sketch vs. Adobe XD: Which Design Tool Is Better?

Written By: Manreet Khara   January 20, 2022

Given the omnipresence of UI/UX design, there are a host of apps available to facilitate creativity in fresh ways today! So, how can a designer know which one to use? In the past few years there have been monumental inventions for designers, and Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD are the most popular ones.

Statistics alone shows that the industry has evolved, where Figma has over 4 million users, Sketch has generated over 20 million capital globally, and Adobe has a market cap of $327 billion.

Aren’t the numbers impressive? But, the designers are still figuring out which one is the best to use. Okay, so when it comes to UI/UX design, until and unless you have tried it all, it is hard to find which one works the best for you. Well, most people find that it is a catch-22 situation. So, this article narrates the important pointers and facts to help you get out of this dilemma.

Figma

A robust cloud-based prototyping and vector graphics tool used for comprehensive design tasks. Figma is a web-based tool that serves as the biggest reason for its popularity among designers. This means, you do not have to worry about purchasing a license or software installation, as it is an online tool that lets you work on any platform and browser.

Key Features

  • Multi-plugin support
  • Cloud-based software
  • Live collaboration
  • Web and desktop support

Benefits of Figma

  • Comprehensive and highly accessible designs
  • Easy and quick file sharing features
  • Real-time collaboration with enhanced transparency
  • Support for a variety of plugins

Sketch

A sketch is a vector graphics platform created for MacOS is a go-to tool for many designers. The platform was created for digital design. It doesn’t have any print design features or functionalities.

Key Features

  • Plugin support
  • Instant design preview
  • Cooperative platform support
  • Grids and guidelines

Benefits of Sketch

  • The designs are flexible and easy to make.
  • For consistency and quick reiteration, users can create and maintain a reusable virtual design system and libraries.
  • Due to more precise tools, pixel-perfect designs, and automation, efficiency has increased.
  • Renderings that are faster and more accurate (depends on how they will appear in the browser).
  • It has a strong following.

Adobe XD

A vector-based tool, Adobe XD is a vector-based tool developed for UX designers. With features that help designers craft attention-grabbing designs, it is an upgrade to Photoshop and Illustrator. It can be used for both desktop applications and cloud-based applications on mobile phones.

Key Features

  • Desktop, web, and mobile support
  • Multi-app integration
  • Offline co-editing
  • Voice and speech triggers
  • Auto animation

Benefits of Adobe XD

  • Adobe is recognized for developing robust design software that is built on a solid architecture, and Adobe XD is no different.
  • It supports scaling groups and objects, plus editing and reusability of elements.
  • Voice prototyping, animation, gaming support, mobile previews, and flows are all available in Adobe XD.
  • Adobe XD is simple to use for users who are already familiar with Adobe products.
  • It has cloud-based collaboration in view-only mode and cloud-based saving with associated assets.

Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD – A Comparison

- Performance

Figma

Figma is a web-based application that performs well even on low-end PCs and laptops.

Sketch

While Sketch is a robust software that can handle enormous files with ease and high speed, you may have some difficulties while working with large files on an older Mac.

Adobe XD

It works quicker, but not as well as Figma does. Nonetheless, with each new version, it gets better. Though it still has some issues when dealing with huge files on low-end devices.

- Supported Platforms

Figma

Perfect for various operating systems, like MacOS, Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS. For MacOS and Windows, Figma also offers a useful desktop application.

Sketch

The sketch is the only platform that has no plans for Linux or Windows, it can only support MacOS.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD may be accessed using a web browser, a desktop version, or a mobile app. Adobe also provides the XD phone compatibility for MacOS and Windows users, which lets you see your files and designs on iOS and Android devices, but you'll need to change your design in XD on the desktop.

- Collaboration

Figma

The most interesting aspect of Figma is that it allows for real-time collaboration. The same file can be edited by many users at the same time.

Sketch

The sketch features real-time collaboration on a shared cloud, although it's not as good as Figma, which they're working on.

Adobe XD

Adobe XD does offer real-time collaboration, although it is still in the "beta" stage. It does, however, operate well.

- Plugins

Figma

The plugin library has very few resources. The plugin area needs to be greatly improved.

Adobe XD

It has a good plugin management window where you can search plugins and better resources.

Sketch

This site has a plethora of plugins. You can purchase every sort of plugin you can think of to help you be more productive when creating.

- Design System

Figma

Figma has focused on enhancing its component system to make the design system workflow of every UX/UI designer more efficient.

Sketch

In terms of design system features, Sketch is similar to Figma and Adobe, while many users complain about the requirement to join up for third-party services.

Adobe XD

You can build a design system from the ground up in less than 6 stages with Adobe XD. Building your own design system has the advantage of ensuring uniformity across UX and UI designs for various team members.

Final Thoughts

The best app for you will be determined by the sort of job you do.

Figma is a wonderful option for starting your course as a UX designer. If you work on various projects, from website designs to UI/UX then Figma is the right choice for you - not only it is free, but it also works directly in your browser.

Adobe XD is also a good choice for experimenting with UX and UI design. Adobe XD works nicely with Photoshop and Illustrator, so it's especially beneficial if you already have Creative Cloud programs.

On the Mac, Sketch is still the greatest UX design software. However, the platform's exclusivity makes it difficult to recommend to everyone. However, if you're a Mac user, investing in the Sketch software won't be a waste of money.