Over the years, Sketch has held a prominent position as a favored design tool for both user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. Nevertheless, recent years have witnessed the emergence of strong alternatives, with Figma and Adobe XD being two of the most significant contenders. The question arises: which design tool is superior for UI and UX designers?
All three of these tools are remarkable in their own right, each with its distinct strengths. For designers who prioritize collaboration, Figma stands out as the clear winner. If you place a premium on the customizability of third-party plugins, Sketch might be your preferred choice. In the case of designers already familiar with the Adobe ecosystem through Creative Cloud, Adobe XD may offer a more seamless learning experience.
The choice of software to learn hinges on several factors, each of which will be explored in greater detail in this article.
Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD: What’s the Difference?
To help you make an informed decision regarding where to invest your time and resources, let’s delve into the key distinctions between these three UI and UX design applications.
Platform and Operating System
The choice of platform is a significant differentiating factor to consider when selecting a design tool. Sketch is exclusively compatible with MacOS, rendering it inaccessible to users on Windows or Linux systems. Figma primarily operates as a cloud-based application, but it also offers desktop apps for both Windows and MacOS. Adobe XD, like Sketch, functions as a desktop application that syncs with Adobe’s Creative Cloud.
Collaboration
Differences in platform compatibility directly impact the collaboration capabilities of each application. Figma was purposefully designed with collaboration in mind, enabling real-time teamwork, version tracking, and the embedding of comments and feedback within designs. Sketch introduced its real-time collaboration feature in 2021 but restricts access to subscribers using the Mac app. Adobe XD’s coediting feature permits cloud-based collaboration, accommodating both Mac and Windows users, although it may not be as seamless as Figma’s real-time collaboration.
Getting Started
The ease of acclimating to a new tool plays a vital role in the learning curve. Adobe XD and Figma have a slight advantage in this regard, thanks to their extensive collections of learning materials and tutorials. Both Figma and Adobe XD provide free tutorials, guides, and learning resources to assist users in becoming familiar with the software. Figma offers concise written lessons and design exercises, while Adobe XD offers step-by-step video guides, video tutorials, and recorded live streams. Sketch, while offering documentation and some how-to information, may not be as beginner-friendly as its counterparts.
Plugins
Sketch stands out for its broad array of third-party plugins, making it highly customizable. The Sketch plugin repository includes plugins for a wide range of functions, such as animation, translation, adaptive layouts, prototyping, and developer handoff. Various apps, including InVision and Zeplin, offer direct integration with Sketch. Figma is in the process of expanding its library of plugins but has yet to reach the extensive level of Sketch. Adobe XD supports both native and third-party plugins, but its selection is notably smaller than that of Figma and Sketch. It’s worth considering whether a specific plugin is indispensable, as this factor could influence your choice of design software.
Vector Manipulation
Figma excels in terms of vector manipulation, offering more flexibility by employing vector networks that allow multiple lines to connect to a single point. This accelerates the creation of vector drawings. In contrast, Sketch and Adobe XD utilize paths that restrict users to a sequence of connected points, also known as nodes.
Developer Hand-off
Figma’s robust collaboration features make it a compelling choice for facilitating hand-offs to developers. Developers can be invited as viewers, enabling them to explore prototypes, leave comments, and export assets from a single link. Sketch offers a web inspector that allows developers to inspect Sketch files and export assets, even if they are not using a Mac computer. Adobe XD offers a Development Share option, enabling the marking of design files and assets for export, which developers can then download from a single link to their own computers.
Pricing
For aspiring designers, Figma stands out with its free starter version. Although it has limitations in terms of team projects, team file storage, and version history, it offers ample functionality for beginners learning the software or working on personal portfolio projects. The pro version of Figma is the priciest among the three, with a cost of $12 per editor per month for annual payment, or $15 for month-to-month subscription. Sketch initially offered a one-time purchase for a Mac-only license at $99, but it has since transitioned to a subscription model that includes real-time collaboration and web tools. The standard subscription is priced at $9 per month per editor, and it offers a 30-day free trial (at the time of this update). Adobe XD offers a subscription plan at $9.99 per month or $52.99 per month as part of a Creative Cloud app bundle. A seven-day free trial is available.
Conclusion
Which Design Tool to Learn All of these programs offer substantial functionality and features for effective UI design. However, for those new to UI design, Figma’s free version, extensive learning materials, and cross-platform compatibility make it a strong choice for beginners. If you are interested in delving deeper into these popular design tools, consider enrolling in a course on Coursera, where you can gain practical knowledge of Figma or Adobe XD.
For a comprehensive introduction to UX design, explore the Google UX Design Professional Certificate on Coursera. This program covers high-fidelity prototyping in Figma and responsive web design in Adobe XD. If you’re interested in the development aspect of UX design, the IBM Front-End Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera is worth considering. It covers fundamental programming concepts, software architecture, web development, and more. Upon completion, you’ll gain exclusive access to career resources such as resume reviews, interview preparation, and career support.