Canva is the fastest path to polished marketing and social graphics for non-designers using a huge template library. Figma is the dominant browser-based,…
Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Desktop App, Mobile App
Web, Mac
Team collaboration
Yes
Yes
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Standout Differences
Template-Driven Simplicity
Canva offers more than 250,000 templates and a drag-and-drop editor built specifically for non-designers.
Canva
Real-Time Multiplayer Collaboration
Figma pioneered live, simultaneous multi-user editing in the browser; Sketch added its own collaboration features later but remains a Mac-only native app.
Figma, Sketch
Native macOS Performance
Sketch is a purpose-built native Mac application, in contrast to Figma and Canva's fully browser-based approach.
Sketch
One-Time License Option
Sketch offers a $120 one-time Mac-only license for freelancers who don't need collaboration features, unlike Canva and Figma, which are subscription-only.
Sketch
Free Entry Tier
Canva and Figma both offer a genuinely usable free plan; Sketch has no free plan, only paid per-editor subscriptions or the one-time license.
Canva, Figma
Feature-by-Feature
Design Capabilities
Feature
Canva
Figma
Sketch
Vector-based design tools
Not documented
Available
Available
Interactive prototyping
Not documented
Available
Available
Template library
Available
Not documented
Not documented
Collaboration and Handoff
Feature
Canva
Figma
Sketch
Real-time multiplayer editing
Not documented
Available
Available
Developer handoff tools
Not documented
Available
Available
Platform and Pricing
Feature
Canva
Figma
Sketch
Native desktop app
Available
Not documented
Available
One-time purchase license option
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
Free plan
Available
Available
Unavailable
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Canva
Free — $0 N/A
Pro — $15/month or $120/year Monthly or annual
Business — $20/user/month or $200/user/year Monthly or annual
Professional — $16/month (Full seat) Monthly or annual
Organization — $55/month (Full seat) Annual only
Enterprise — $90/month (Full seat) Annual only
Sketch
Standard — $12/editor/month Billed annually
Professional — $24/editor/month Billed annually
Enterprise — $44/editor/month Billed annually
Mac-only License — $120 one-time One-time purchase, 1 year of updates included
Pros & Cons
Canva
Pros
Free plan is genuinely usable with a large template and asset library
Magic Studio AI tools speed up common design and copywriting tasks
Cross-platform apps for web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows
Free Pro-equivalent access for verified teachers, students, and nonprofits
Broad integration ecosystem via the apps marketplace
Cons
Less precise, pixel-level control than professional tools like Photoshop or Illustrator
Enterprise plan requires a roughly 150-seat minimum and custom pricing
AI Pass add-on is a significant extra cost on top of Pro or Business
Most features require an internet connection, limiting offline design work
Figma
Pros
Pioneering real-time multiplayer collaboration makes team design work dramatically faster than file-based desktop tools
Fully browser-based and cross-platform, requiring no installation and working consistently across operating systems
Extensive plugin ecosystem and Dev Mode significantly streamline design-to-development handoff
Broad product suite covering design, whiteboarding, presentations, and AI-assisted prototyping in one connected platform
Cons
Organization and Enterprise tiers require annual billing, which may not suit teams wanting monthly flexibility
Stock has been highly volatile since its 2025 IPO, reflecting broader uncertainty despite the product's strong market position
Full-featured seats are notably more expensive than Dev or Collab seats, which can add up for larger design-heavy teams
Reliance on a constant internet connection, being fully browser-based, can be a limitation in low-connectivity environments
Sketch
Pros
Mature, polished native Mac performance
Strong plugin and shared library ecosystem
Flexible one-time license option for freelancers
Solid developer handoff tooling
Long track record in the UI/UX design industry since 2010
Cons
Native app is Mac-only, unlike fully cross-platform competitors
Lost significant market share to Figma's browser-based collaboration model
Per-editor pricing adds up for larger design teams
Real-time collaboration only available on subscription plans, not the one-time license
Enterprise-level features cost significantly more than the base plan
Use Cases
Choose Canva: Non-designers, marketers, and small businesses who need fast, template-driven graphics for social media, presentations, and print.
Choose Figma: Product design teams who need real-time collaborative UI design, prototyping, and developer handoff in the browser.
Choose Sketch: Mac-based UI and UX designers who want a native app experience and the option of a one-time license instead of a subscription.
Canva
Social Media & Marketing Content — Small business owners and marketers produce on-brand social posts and ads without hiring a designer.
Team Brand Management — Mid-sized companies use Brand Kits and approval workflows to standardize visual assets across many contributors.
Classroom & Student Projects — Teachers and students create presentations, worksheets, and assignments using free Canva for Education access.
Figma
Collaborative UI and product design — Design teams use Figma's real-time multiplayer editing to work together on interface designs, components, and design systems without exporting or emailing files.
Design-to-development handoff — Developers use Dev Mode to inspect finished designs, extract specifications and code snippets, and implement interfaces accurately based on the design file.
Team workshops and brainstorming — Cross-functional teams use FigJam's real-time whiteboarding for retrospectives, brainstorming sessions, and workshop facilitation beyond structured interface design.
Sketch
UI/UX designer building app interfaces natively on Mac — A product designer uses Sketch's native macOS app to design and prototype mobile and web interfaces.
Design team collaborating on a shared design system — A design team uses shared libraries and real-time collaboration to maintain a consistent design system across many projects.
Freelance designer preferring a one-time license — A freelance designer purchases the one-time Mac-only license instead of a recurring subscription for occasional project work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three tools is easiest for non-designers?
Canva is by far the easiest for non-designers, thanks to its drag-and-drop editor and library of more than 250,000 templates. Figma and Sketch are both built around structured interface design and assume more design familiarity.
Does Sketch work on Windows?
No. Sketch's native application is Mac-only, though it also offers a browser-based web app and mobile companion apps for previewing designs. Figma and Canva, by contrast, are fully cross-platform.
Can multiple people edit the same file at once in Figma and Sketch?
Yes. Both support real-time multiplayer collaboration on their subscription plans. Figma pioneered this model as a fully browser-based product, while Sketch added collaboration features to its native Mac app later.
Is there a free plan for Sketch?
No. Sketch has no free plan; it is sold on a per-editor subscription starting at $12/month billed annually, or as a $120 one-time Mac-only license without collaboration features. Canva and Figma both offer genuinely usable free tiers.
Which tool is best for developer handoff?
Figma and Sketch both include dedicated developer handoff tools for inspecting specs and exporting assets, with Figma's Dev Mode being the more actively developed of the two. Canva is not built for structured design-to-code handoff.
Can I buy Sketch without a subscription?
Yes. Sketch offers a $120 one-time Mac-only license that includes one year of updates, aimed at freelancers who want an offline native app without ongoing collaboration features. Canva and Figma are both subscription-based, with free tiers available.