# Figma vs Sketch — Design

As of 28 Oct 2026, the panel rates [Figma](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/figma) 2.5/5 and [Sketch](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/sketch) 3/5 in Design. Weighted by what each judge cares about, 0 of the 6 judges pick Figma and 6 pick Sketch. Figma scores higher on 4 of 7 criteria (Pricing transparency, AI features & rights to the work, Brand assets & governance, plus 1 more). Sketch scores higher on 3 of 7 criteria (Files, formats & portability, European sovereignty and Collaboration, review & developer handoff). Provenance — Figma: Rest of world; Sketch: EU-Made. Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering).

- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/compare/figma-vs-sketch
- Figma: https://whats-best.ai/software/design/figma ([md](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/figma.md))
- Sketch: https://whats-best.ai/software/design/sketch ([md](https://whats-best.ai/software/design/sketch.md))
- Category: [Design](https://whats-best.ai/software/design.md)
- Data as of: 2026-10-29

**AI-generated.** Both products were evaluated from public evidence by the same panel of AI judges under the same rubric; without that, no comparison is published. Not a hands-on test; no score can be bought, on either side. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## The short answer

The two benches split along clear lines rather than settling on one verdict. Figma's means lead on pricing transparency (8.0 vs 6.3; 6–0), AI and content rights (5.0 vs 4.0; 6–0), design and prototyping (7.0 vs 6.7; 2–0 with four ties) and brand asset governance (4.0 vs 3.2; 3–0 with three ties). Sketch's means lead on file ownership and portability (8.0 vs 4.5; 6–0), sovereignty (3.7 vs 1.3; 6–0) and collaboration and handoff (6.8 vs 6.5; 3–1 with two ties). The weighted totals shown run to Sketch for five judges — product designer 6.1 vs 6, frontend engineer 6.8 vs 5.3, brand marketer 5.1 vs 5, data protection officer 5 vs 4.3, skeptic 5.6 vs 5 — with no totals shown for the agency owner. The attributes list Figma's data residency as US default and subprocessor exposure as US CLOUD Act; Sketch's entity jurisdiction is listed as NL, with ownership, data residency and subprocessor exposure as unknown.

**Choose Figma if:**
- You need per-seat euro prices published before purchase: pricing transparency leans 6 judges to 0 toward Figma (8.0 vs 6.3), with €16/mo for a Full seat at Professional, €55/mo at Organization and €90/mo at Enterprise stated on the pages.
- You plan to use AI features and want AI credits stated per plan: the AI and content rights lean is 6 to 0 toward Figma (5.0 vs 4.0).
- Your team's main need is design and prototyping, where Figma's mean leads 7.0 to 6.7 with 2 judges leaning Figma, 0 leaning Sketch and 4 ties.
- You need a documented logo-to-brand-kit generator: brand asset governance leans 3 to 0 toward Figma (4.0 vs 3.2), with 3 judges tying.

**Choose Sketch if:**
- You need design files readable without the vendor's app: file ownership and portability leans 6 to 0 toward Sketch (8.0 vs 4.5); documents are ZIP archives of JSON with an independently versioned JSON Schema on npm.
- Your procurement requires an EU legal entity: Sketch's legal entity jurisdiction attribute is NL, and the sovereignty lean is 6 to 0 toward Sketch (3.7 vs 1.3); Figma's data residency attribute is US default.
- Your developers inspect files in the browser: collaboration and handoff leans 3 to 1 toward Sketch (6.8 vs 6.5), with free browser-based developer inspection documented.
- Your team is frontend-heavy: the frontend engineer judge's weighted total is 6.8 for Sketch against 5.3 for Figma.
- Your data protection officer must sign off: that judge's weighted total is 5 for Sketch against 4.3 for Figma.

## Overall

| | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Panel rating | 2.5/5 | 3/5 |
| Provenance | Rest of world | EU-Made |
| Sovereignty | 1 of 4 dimensions proven | not determined |

## The bench's picks

| Judge | Figma | Sketch | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Product Designer | 3/5 | 3/5 | Sketch |
| The Frontend Engineer | 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Sketch |
| The Brand Marketer | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | Sketch |
| The Agency Owner | 3/5 | 3/5 | Sketch |
| The Data Protection Officer | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | Sketch |
| The Skeptic | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | Sketch |

## Criterion by criterion

Bench average per criterion, out of 5; the lean counts which product each judge scored higher.

| Criterion | Figma | Sketch | The bench leans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design, prototyping & design systems | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Figma, 2 of 6 judges |
| Collaboration, review & developer handoff | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Sketch, 3 of 6 judges |
| Brand assets & governance | 2/5 | 1.5/5 | Figma, 3 of 6 judges |
| Files, formats & portability | 2.5/5 | 4/5 | Sketch, 6 of 6 judges |
| AI features & rights to the work | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | Figma, 6 of 6 judges |
| European sovereignty | 0.5/5 | 2/5 | Sketch, 6 of 6 judges |
| Pricing transparency | 4/5 | 3/5 | Figma, 6 of 6 judges |

## Sovereignty, side by side

| Dimension | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | Not determined |
| Ownership | Not determined | Not determined |
| Data residency | Not determined | Not determined |
| Subprocessors | US CLOUD Act reach | Not determined |

## Facts, side by side

Only facts both products carry under the same definition; each is the vendor's own dated statement ([S*n*] → Sources).

| Fact | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance · Scc transfers | Module 2 (4 June 2021) · yes · yes [S1] | yes [S2] |
| Legal · Entity | Figma, Inc. and its affiliates [S1] | Sketch B.V. [S3] |
| Legal · Entity name | Figma GmbH [S4] | Sketch B.V. [S5] |

## Sources

- [S1] Privacy policy: https://www.figma.com/legal/privacy/ (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S2] Privacy policy: https://www.sketch.com/privacy/ (checked 2026-10-01)
- [S3] AI features & rights to the work — found from sitemap: https://www.sketch.com/license/ (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S4] Legal notice: https://www.figma.com/legal/impressum/ (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S5] Terms of service: https://www.sketch.com/legal/ (checked 2026-10-13)

## Questions

### Which is better, Figma or Sketch?

As of 28 Oct 2026, the panel rates Sketch higher: 3/5 against 2.5/5. Weighted by what each judge cares about, 0 of the 6 judges pick Figma and 6 pick Sketch. Which one fits depends on the criteria that matter to you; the table on this page shows both side by side, and each judge’s reading has its own page. Both were scored by the same AI bench under the same rubric, from public evidence only, [as the methodology describes](https://whats-best.ai/methodology).

### Is Figma or Sketch European?

Figma is not European by provenance (Rest of world). Sketch is European (EU-Made). Provenance is read from each company’s own legal pages: who builds it and who owns it.

### Do Figma and Sketch have a free plan?

As of 28 Oct 2026, Figma’s own pages state a free plan; Sketch’s pages as captured do not. Each product page links the pricing page it was read from.

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "Figma vs Sketch", AI panel comparison, as of 2026-10-29. https://whats-best.ai/compare/figma-vs-sketch