I prefer Sketch for several reasons, many of which have already been discussed. For me, it’s about supporting a diverse range of tools rather than conforming to a single, all-encompassing solution. I believe this fosters a healthier environment for everyone. Just consider Adobe and their monopolistic practices; it took me years to break free from their ecosystem, and since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to use a variety of different tools.
I’m also tired of the toxic startup culture in Silicon Valley and their relentless pursuit of growth, often at the expense of their customers. I recall the early days of Figma, when they leveraged Sketch’s open file format to create an import tool, only to later lock down their own file format. Even today, they employ dark patterns in their billing practices, despite the backlash they’ve received. Ultimately, Figma is a growth-focused company, and they will do whatever it takes to continue growing. If that means leaving designers behind at some point, I have no doubt they will.
This is why I advocate for a variety of specialized tools. Currently, I use Sketch, Pixelmator Pro, Affinity Publisher, Principle, Linear Move, Acorn, and others. I also use Figma when necessary, as it’s often a requirement. That’s the challenge with monopolies; once a tool gains dominance, it becomes incredibly difficult to move away from it. Figma has managed to lock in our entire industry, much like Adobe did before them.
Beyond these practical considerations, there are intangible reasons why I prefer Sketch over Figma. It’s hard to articulate, but using Sketch feels like working with a well-crafted tool, like a nice camera. While it may not have every possible feature, it feels good to use and also inspires a sense of craftsmanship in my work. I also think Figma’s endless features can sometimes lead designers into a mindset where using the tool becomes more important and time-consuming than the design itself.
Is Sketch perfect? No. They had a period of a few years where they let Figma out-innovate them. They were also sometimes a bit stubborn about implementing some of the essential Figma features into Sketch. However, that comes with the type of team they are – they will never just blindly copy other solutions; instead, they will try to create something they think is better. Many times that works, but sometimes it gets them into a blind alley.
I’m ok with that. 