Canva vs Sketch
Canva and Sketch are both design options. Canva lists 5 features across 5 platforms; Sketch lists 6 features across 4 platforms — see the full breakdown below, sourced from each vendor's own site rather than ratings or reviews.
Side-by-side summary
Best for Canva
Positioned for general users and teams who want to create marketing and visual content without dedicated design skills.
Best for Sketch
Best suited to UI/UX designers and design teams that work primarily on macOS and want a native design editor with shared workspaces, browser review, prototyping, and developer handoff.
Feature comparison
Every feature listed here comes directly from each vendor's own official site.
Canva
- Templates for social media, presentations, documents, and print
- AI-assisted tools including image generation and layout suggestions
- Photo and video editing with background removal
- Brand kit for brand consistency
- Collaborative whiteboards and docs
Sketch
- Nestable frames and flexible stack layouts for responsive design
- Vector editing tools
- Smart Animate for prototype transitions
- Real-time co-editing
- Free developer handoff and inspection tools
- Component libraries and frame presets
Pros and cons
Canva
- Templates for social media, presentations, documents, and print
- AI-assisted tools including image generation and layout suggestions
- Photo and video editing with background removal
- Brand kit for brand consistency
- Collaborative whiteboards and docs
We don't infer weaknesses from missing or differently worded vendor marketing copy. Use documented plan limits, migration requirements, and other sourced constraints as decision inputs; anything not supported by a source remains unverified.
Sketch
- Nestable frames and flexible stack layouts for responsive design
- Vector editing tools
- Smart Animate for prototype transitions
- Real-time co-editing
- Free developer handoff and inspection tools
- Component libraries and frame presets
- Sketch does not offer a permanent full-featured free editor plan; subscriptions start after a 30-day trial, aside from education offers and free viewer access.
- The primary design editor is a native Mac app, so teams that require native Windows design editing should compare cross-platform alternatives.
- The $12, $24, and $44 per-editor monthly rates shown for Standard, Professional, and Enterprise are billed yearly; Private Cloud is quote-based.
Key differences
- Canva lists Templates for social media, presentations, documents, and print, AI-assisted tools including image generation and layout suggestions, Photo and video editing with background removal, Brand kit for brand consistency, Collaborative whiteboards and docs that Sketch doesn't list.
- Sketch lists Nestable frames and flexible stack layouts for responsive design, Vector editing tools, Smart Animate for prototype transitions, Real-time co-editing, Free developer handoff and inspection tools, Component libraries and frame presets that Canva doesn't list.
- Canva supports Windows, Android, Chromebook, which Sketch doesn't list.
- Sketch supports Web, iPadOS, which Canva doesn't list.
Choose Canva if…
Choose Canva if this fits: Positioned for general users and teams who want to create marketing and visual content without dedicated design skills. Compared with Sketch specifically, Canva also offers Templates for social media, presentations, documents, and print, AI-assisted tools including image generation and layout suggestions, Photo and video editing with background removal, and 2 more features that Sketch doesn't list, plus Windows, Android, Chromebook support that Sketch doesn't list.
Choose Sketch if…
Choose Sketch if this fits: Best suited to UI/UX designers and design teams that work primarily on macOS and want a native design editor with shared workspaces, browser review, prototyping, and developer handoff. Compared with Canva specifically, Sketch also offers Nestable frames and flexible stack layouts for responsive design, Vector editing tools, Smart Animate for prototype transitions, and 3 more features that Canva doesn't list, plus Web, iPadOS support that Canva doesn't list.
Facts on this page are sourced from each vendor's official site (linked below), not from ratings or reviews. Products change — verify anything that matters to your decision directly on the vendor's own site before switching. See our Disclaimer and Sources Policy.
Sketch sources
Last verified October 8, 2026
- https://www.sketch.com/pricing/
- https://www.sketch.com/docs/
- https://www.sketch.com/support/subscriptions/manage/free-plan/
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