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As a product manager, you face challenges balancing creative design needs with practical business goals. Sketch has been a go-to tool, but it might not fit your unique requirements. Maybe it's compatibility issues, team collaboration needs, or specific features lacking.

In my experience, finding the right design tool can transform your workflow and enhance productivity. That's why I've independently tested and reviewed various Sketch alternatives. My focus is to provide you with unbiased insights into tools that might better suit your team's needs.

In this article, I'll share the best alternatives to Sketch, highlighting their unique features and benefits. My goal is to help you make an informed choice, aligning your design process with your business objectives.

What Is Sketch?

Sketch is a product design tool used for creating user interfaces and digital artwork. It's popular among designers, UX/UI professionals, and product managers who need to develop engaging, user-friendly digital experiences. Features like vector editing, prototyping, and collaborative design support your team's creative process and improve efficiency. Overall, Sketch offers valuable capabilities for turning your design ideas into reality.

Why Look For a Sketch Alternative?

While Sketch is a good choice of product design software, there are a number of reasons why some users seek out alternative solutions. For example, you might be looking for a Sketch alternative due to any of the following.

  • You need Windows compatibility
  • Your team requires real-time collaboration
  • You're looking for a lower-cost option
  • You want more advanced prototyping features
  • You need integration with other tools
  • Your team prefers cloud-based solutions

If any of these sound like you, you’ve come to the right place. My list contains several product design software options better suited for teams facing these challenges with Sketch and looking for alternative solutions.

Best Sketch Alternatives Summary

This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top Sketch alternative selections to help you find the best one for your budget and business needs.

Tool Best For Trial Info Price
1
Canva

Canva simplifies content creation with templates, drag-and-drop tools, and accessibility.

Best for quick social media designs

Free plan available

From $12.99/month (billed annually) Website
2
Mockplus

Mockplus enables real-time collaboration with instant feedback and rapid prototyping.

Best for real-time collaboration

Free plan available

From $24.99/user/month (billed annually) Website
3
Marvel

Marvel simplifies team collaboration with built-in feedback tools and easy prototyping.

Best for rapid prototyping and quick iteration

7-day free trial + free plan available

From $16/user/month (billed annually) Website
4
Balsamiq

Balsamiq supports quick, low-fidelity wireframing for efficient idea generation.

Best for low-fidelity wireframes

30-day free trial

From $9/user/month (billed annually) Website
5
UXPin

UXPin creates dynamic prototypes with code-based components and interactive logic.

Best for code-based prototypes

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $6/user/month Website
6
Sketchboard

Sketchboard enhances brainstorming with visual collaboration and real-time updates.

Best for team brainstorming

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $4.90/user/month (billed annually) Website
7
Framer

Framer designs responsive web prototypes with animations and custom interactions.

Best for responsive web design

14-day free trial + free plan available

From $5/month (billed annually) Website
8
Proto.io

Proto.io simplifies mobile app prototyping with interactive testing and animations.

Best for mobile app prototyping

15-day free trial + free demo available

From $29/user/month Website
9
Corel Vector

Corel Vector offers cloud-based editing, smart tools, and templates for vector designs.

Best for vector illustrations

15-day free trial

From $89/year Website
10
Zeplin

Zeplin supports design-to-dev handoff with specs, guides, and code generation.

Best for design-to-development handoff

Free plan available

From $8/user/month Website

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

We’ve been testing and reviewing product management software since 2020. As product managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software. We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions.

We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different product management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & check out our software review methodology.

Best Sketch Alternatives Reviews

Below are my detailed summaries of the best Sketch alternatives that made it onto my shortlist. My reviews offer a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each tool to help you find the best one for you.

Best for quick social media designs

  • Free plan available
  • From $12.99/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Canva is an online design tool catering to individuals and teams needing to create a wide range of visual content. It's mainly used by marketers, educators, and small business owners for tasks like social media graphics, presentations, and posters.

Why Canva is a good Sketch alternative: Canva offers user-friendly templates and a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for your team to create designs without needing advanced skills. Unlike Sketch, which is more focused on UX/UI design, Canva simplifies quick content creation with a vast library of images and fonts. You can design directly in your browser, so there's no need for software installation. This accessibility supports quick social media designs, making it ideal for fast-paced projects.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include an extensive template library, easy-to-use photo editing tools, and a vast collection of stock photos and fonts. Canva also offers team collaboration tools, allowing you and your team to work together on designs in real time. Its intuitive interface helps you create professional-looking designs without needing prior design experience.

Integrations include Dropbox, Google Drive, Instagram, Slack, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Extensive stock library
  • No design skills required
  • Wide range of templates

Cons:

  • Not ideal for high-fidelity prototypes
  • Less suitable for UX/UI design

Best for real-time collaboration

  • Free plan available
  • From $24.99/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Mockplus is a design and prototyping tool aimed at designers and product teams who need to create interactive prototypes efficiently. It enables you to design, prototype, and collaborate on web and mobile applications in one platform.

Why Mockplus is a good Sketch alternative: Mockplus focuses on real-time collaboration, allowing your team to work together on projects simultaneously. Unlike Sketch, Mockplus provides features like instant feedback and team management, making it easier to coordinate efforts and iterate designs. Its drag-and-drop interface and pre-built components speed up the prototyping process. These features make it an excellent choice for teams prioritizing collaboration and rapid prototyping.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a component library with over 3000 elements that help you design quickly. Mockplus supports interactive prototyping with gestures and animations, giving your prototypes a realistic feel. The platform also offers design system management, ensuring consistency across your projects.

Integrations include Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, Slack, Jira, Trello, Google Drive, Dropbox, Axure, and Microsoft Teams.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Instant feedback from team members
  • Fast prototyping with pre-built components
  • Supports simultaneous team collaboration

Cons:

  • Requires learning for complex interactions
  • Limited advanced design features

Best for rapid prototyping and quick iteration

  • 7-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $16/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Marvel is a graphic design software and prototyping platform aimed at designers and teams who need to quickly create and share interactive designs. It helps you transform your ideas into interactive prototypes and gather feedback efficiently.

Why Marvel is a good Sketch alternative: Marvel offers collaboration features that make it easy for you and your team to work together, even remotely. With built-in user testing and feedback tools, Marvel simplifies communication between design and other departments. Its intuitive interface allows you to create prototypes without extensive design experience, facilitating faster iteration. This focus on collaboration and feedback makes Marvel suitable for teams focused on efficiency and teamwork.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include the ability to perform user testing directly within the platform, helping you get real-time feedback from your users. Marvel also offers an intuitive design tool that enables you to create wireframes and prototypes easily. The handoff feature allows you to generate specs and assets for developers, streamlining the development process.

Integrations include Slack, Jira, Trello, Sketch, Adobe XD, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Figma, and Confluence.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Developer handoff feature
  • Fast prototyping
  • Simple design interface

Cons:

  • Not ideal for high-fidelity designs
  • Basic animation capabilities

Best for low-fidelity wireframes

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $9/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Balsamiq is a wireframing tool that caters to designers, product managers, and developers who need to quickly sketch and iterate on user interface designs. It enables you to create low-fidelity wireframes that focus on structure and content layout rather than aesthetics.

Why Balsamiq is a good Sketch alternative: Balsamiq is ideal for low-fidelity wireframes, allowing you to sketch out ideas quickly without getting bogged down in design details. Unlike Sketch, Balsamiq's focus is on simplicity and speed, providing a sketch-like interface that helps your team brainstorm and iterate on ideas efficiently. Its drag-and-drop components make it easy to build and modify layouts on the fly. This approach is perfect for teams prioritizing quick idea generation and collaboration.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a vast library of UI components that save you time when building wireframes. Balsamiq's sketch-style interface encourages creativity without the pressure of visual perfection. The tool also supports linking between wireframes, allowing you to simulate basic user flows and interactions.

Integrations include Google Drive, Confluence, Jira, Trello, Slack, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Asana, GitHub, and Basecamp.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Sketch-like interface
  • Focus on structure over aesthetics
  • Quick wireframing process

Cons:

  • Limited functionality for detailed graphic design
  • Requires learning for complex layouts

Best for code-based prototypes

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $6/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

UXPin is a design tool aimed at UX/UI designers and product teams to build interactive prototypes with code components. It bridges the gap between design and development, allowing you to create functional prototypes using production-ready code elements.

Why UXPin is a good Sketch alternative: UXPin enables code-based prototypes, offering design systems and components that integrate logic and functionality. Unlike Sketch, UXPin lets you utilize real HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to enhance your designs, making them interactive and realistic. Its ability to simulate components like dropdowns and forms helps your team create detailed and dynamic prototypes. This approach ensures your designs reflect the end product's behavior more accurately.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a design system manager, allowing you to maintain consistency across projects with reusable components and styles. UXPin's accessibility features ensure your designs meet industry standards, which is helpful for inclusive product design. The real-time collaboration feature supports teamwork by enabling multiple members to work on a project simultaneously.

Integrations include Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, Jira, Slack, Confluence, Microsoft Teams, Trello, GitHub, and Google Drive.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Helps ensure design consistency
  • Design system management
  • Supports real code components

Cons:

  • Not ideal for quick prototypes
  • Limited design templates

Best for team brainstorming

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $4.90/user/month (billed annually)

Sketchboard is an online whiteboard tool designed for teams to collaborate and brainstorm visually. It helps you create diagrams, mind maps, and sketches to facilitate idea sharing and project planning.

Why Sketchboard is a good Sketch alternative: Sketchboard excels in team brainstorming, offering a shared space where you and your team can visually communicate ideas. Unlike Sketch, which is focused on design, Sketchboard provides a flexible canvas for freeform sketching and diagramming. Its real-time collaboration feature ensures that everyone can contribute and see changes instantly, making it great for remote teams. Plus, it is browser-based making it Linux-friendly for those who prefer this operating system. This focus on visual collaboration supports creative thinking and problem-solving in a group setting.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include an infinite canvas that allows you to expand your workspace as needed, accommodating complex projects and ideas. Sketchboard also offers a range of diagramming tools that help you create flowcharts, concept maps, and more. The built-in chat function facilitates communication within the app, enhancing collaboration. 

Integrations include Google Drive, Slack, Jira, Confluence, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Trello, Asana, Zapier, and monday.com.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Ideal for brainstorming sessions
  • Facilitates visual communication
  • Flexible and expandable canvas

Cons:

  • Less suitable for detailed design work
  • Not focused on high-fidelity prototypes

Best for responsive web design

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $5/month (billed annually)

Framer is a design tool tailored for creating interactive, high-fidelity prototypes mainly used by designers and product teams. It allows you to design and prototype responsive websites and applications effortlessly.

Why Framer is a good Sketch alternative: Framer offers responsive web design capabilities that allow you to create fully functional prototypes with interactions. It supports advanced animations and transitions, providing your team with a more realistic representation of the final product. Unlike Sketch, Framer includes built-in code components, letting you add custom interactions with ease. This makes it particularly beneficial for teams looking to design and prototype responsive web applications efficiently.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a visual editor that lets you design interfaces without writing code. The built-in smart components allow you to create reusable design elements, saving your team time. Framer also supports collaborative design, enabling multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously.

Integrations include Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Slack, Jira, Trello, Dropbox, Google Drive, Notion, and Airtable.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Responsive design capabilities
  • Realistic prototype interactions
  • Supports custom code components

Cons:

  • Requires technical knowledge
  • Steeper learning curve

Best for mobile app prototyping

  • 15-day free trial + free demo available
  • From $29/user/month

Proto.io is a prototyping tool aimed at designers and developers who create interactive mobile app prototypes. It enables you to design, build, and test mobile app prototypes without needing to write code.

Why Proto.io is a good Sketch alternative: Proto.io offers mobile app prototyping capabilities that allow you to simulate app interfaces with a high degree of interactivity. Unlike Sketch, Proto.io provides a drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the creation of animated transitions and gestures, letting your team focus on the user experience. Its ability to test prototypes on actual devices ensures that your designs are practical and user-friendly. These features make it an excellent choice for teams looking to create detailed mobile app prototypes efficiently.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a library of pre-made UI components that help speed up the design process. Proto.io also allows you to record user interactions, providing valuable insights into how users interact with your prototype. The platform's user testing capabilities enable you to gather feedback directly within the tool, helping you iterate quickly.

Integrations include Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, Dropbox, Google Drive, Jira, Slack, Zapier, Trello, and Microsoft Teams.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Quick prototyping process
  • Pre-made UI components
  • High interactivity in prototypes

Cons:

  • Limited advanced animations
  • Not ideal for large projects

Best for vector illustrations

  • 15-day free trial
  • From $89/year

Corel Vector is a web-based vector graphics application designed for both hobbyists and aspiring professionals. It offers a user-friendly interface and powerful tools, enabling you to create and access designs from any internet-connected device.

Why Corel Vector is a good Sketch alternative: Corel Vector differentiates itself with its cloud-based accessibility, allowing you to work from anywhere without software installation. Its intuitive design process and curated templates make it easy for beginners to start creating immediately. The powerful editing tools, including smart shape creation and live Boolean operations, cater to detailed vector illustrations. These features make Corel Vector an attractive option for those focusing on vector design rather than UX/UI projects.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include touch compatibility, allowing you to use it on touch-enabled devices with stylus tools. The app offers over 35 non-destructive live effects for enhanced design depth. Its intuitive color picker and live palette help you manage colors efficiently throughout your projects.

Integrations include Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, Evernote, Slack, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, and monday.com.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Non-destructive editing tools
  • Extensive template collection
  • Intuitive design process

Cons:

  • Less suited for complex animations
  • Not ideal for UX/UI design

Best for design-to-development handoff

  • Free plan available
  • From $8/user/month

Zeplin is a collaboration tool designed for designers and development teams to support the handoff process. It allows you to share design specs, assets, and style guides efficiently, ensuring consistency across projects.

Why Zeplin is a good Sketch alternative: Zeplin offers an easy design-to-development handoff, making it ideal for teams that prioritize efficient collaboration between designers and developers. Unlike Sketch, Zeplin provides features like automated specs and style guides that help reduce misunderstandings and errors during the handoff process. Its ability to generate code snippets and design components ensures that your team can maintain design consistency. This focus on handoff efficiency makes it perfect for teams aiming to improve their workflow.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include a style guide generator, which helps maintain consistency by organizing design elements and styles. Zeplin's annotation tools allow you to add notes and instructions directly onto your designs. The platform also offers version control, enabling you to track changes and revert to previous design iterations easily.

Integrations include macOS, Windows, Slack, Jira, Trello, Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, Microsoft Teams, Confluence, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Supports version control
  • Code snippet generation
  • Automated design specs

Cons:

  • Focused on handoff, not prototyping
  • Requires additional plugins for design software

Other Sketch Alternatives

Here are some additional Sketch alternatives that didn’t make it onto my shortlist, but are still worth checking out:

  1. Axure RP

    For detailed UX prototypes

  2. ProtoPie

    For interactive prototypes

  3. Figma

    For browser-based design

  4. Lunacy

    For offline design

  5. Fluid UI

    For app prototyping

  6. Miro

    For whiteboarding sessions

  7. Vectr

    For free alternative for vector editing

  8. Affinity Designer

    For vector design

  9. Adobe Illustrator

    For existing Adobe users

  10. Omnigraffle

    For diagram creation

  11. CorelDRAW

    For graphic illustrations

  12. MockFlow

    For beginner-friendly wireframing

  13. Moqups

    For integrated wireframing

Sketch Alternatives Selection Criteria

When selecting the best Sketch alternatives to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points related to most product design software and the product design process, like cross-platform compatibility and real-time collaboration. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:

Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion in this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:

  • Design creation
  • Prototyping
  • User interface design
  • Collaboration tools
  • Export options

Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique and advanced features, such as:

  • Code export capabilities
  • Interactive animations
  • Customizable design systems
  • Cloud-based access
  • Real-time feedback

Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:

  • Interface Intuitiveness
  • Learning curve
  • Customization options
  • Performance speed
  • Accessibility features

Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:

  • Availability of training videos
  • Step-by-step tutorials
  • Interactive product tours
  • Access to templates
  • Live webinars

Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:

  • Response time
  • Availability of support channels
  • Quality of help resources
  • Access to live chat
  • Community forums

Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:

  • Pricing tiers
  • Features included at each price level
  • Cost compared to competitors
  • Return on investment
  • Transparency of pricing

Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:

  • Overall satisfaction ratings
  • Frequency of updates
  • Mention of support quality
  • Ease of use feedback
  • Feature requests and improvements

Sketch Key Features

Here are some of the key features of Sketch, to help you contrast and compare what alternative solutions offer:

  • Smart Animate: Enhances animations between artboards, adding fluid transitions to your designs.
  • Color Variables: Allows for consistent color management across designs, making it easy to maintain brand colors.
  • Real-time Collaboration: Enables multiple users to work on a project simultaneously, improving teamwork and efficiency.
  • Symbols: Reusable design elements that ensure consistency and save time by allowing you to update multiple instances with one change.
  • Prototyping: Create interactive prototypes with layers, overlays, and animations to test user flows and interactions.
  • Libraries: Supports asset management and sharing, allowing your team to utilize shared components and styles.
  • Smart Layout: Automatically adjusts layouts based on content changes, keeping your designs organized and responsive.
  • Export Options: Provides multiple file formats and presets for exporting assets, making it easy to share your work with developers.
  • Commenting: Facilitates feedback directly on designs, enabling clear communication within your team.
  • Layer Management: Offers tools to organize, lock, and align layers, helping you maintain a tidy workspace. It looks like your message might have been cut off. Could you please provide more details or let me know how I can assist you further?

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Breanna Lawlor
By Breanna Lawlor

Breanna is a Market Research Analyst for BWZ. A one-time stand-up comedian, Breanna infuses empathy, and humour into her work. She brings interviewing skills, writing chops, and B2B SaaS marketing experience into her conversations. Plus, she's always on the hunt for a good story. Her goal is to help build, and nurture, a community of brilliant, kind, and savvy product people.