Sketch vs Adobe Photoshop: Which One Is Better in 2024?

Both Sketch and Adobe Photoshop are essential tools for businesses and designers, offering unique features that enhance creativity and productivity. We'll compare Sketch and Adobe Photoshop to determine which one best meets the needs of modern designers and businesses.

A Quick Overview of Sketch and Adobe Photoshop

What is Sketch?

Sketch is a design platform that provides tools for creating, collaborating, prototyping, and handing off designs. It offers a Mac app for designers and a web app for team collaboration, feedback, and developer handoff.

Smart Animate allows users to bring movement to their prototypes. The integration of Mac and web apps ensures a seamless experience between designing and team collaboration.

What is Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe is a software company known for its creative and design tools. It offers a range of products and services under the Adobe Creative Cloud, including applications for photography, graphic design, video editing, illustration, 3D & AR, and PDF management.

Photoshop provides tools for background removal, image combination, and text customization. Its integration of generative AI features, such as Generative Fill and Generative Expand, sets it apart from competitors by enabling complex edits with greater control.

Features of Sketch and Adobe Photoshop

Similarities

When comparing Sketch and Adobe Photoshop, it's clear that both tools offer a range of powerful features that cater to designers' needs. Here are some of the most significant similarities between the two:

• Vector Editing: Both Sketch and Photoshop provide robust vector editing capabilities, allowing designers to create and manipulate vector graphics with precision.
• Typography: Advanced typography features, including support for Variable and OpenType fonts, are available in both tools, enabling designers to utilize modern typography technology.
• Color Management: Extensive color management options, such as control over color profiles, are offered by both platforms, ensuring accurate color representation.
• Reusable Templates: Both tools allow for the creation and use of reusable design templates, streamlining the design process and maintaining consistency across projects.
• Customizable Workspaces: Customizable toolbars and shortcuts are available in both Sketch and Photoshop, allowing users to personalize their workspace for enhanced productivity.

Differences

Sketch and Adobe Photoshop cater to different design needs, each offering unique features that set them apart. Here are the most significant differences:

• UI/UX Design: Sketch is tailored for UI/UX design with tools like Smart Animate and shared libraries, while Photoshop excels in photo editing and raster graphics.
• Real-time Collaboration: Sketch allows multiple designers to work simultaneously, a feature not available in Photoshop.
• Generative AI: Photoshop includes advanced AI tools like Generative Fill and Generative Expand, which Sketch lacks.
• Prototyping: Sketch offers intuitive prototyping features, whereas Photoshop focuses more on image manipulation and digital art.
• Plug-ins: Both platforms support plug-ins, but Sketch's ecosystem is more geared towards design and collaboration tools, while Photoshop's plug-ins enhance its extensive photo editing capabilities.

User Interface and Usability

Sketch's user interface is clean and well-organized, with a clear navigation bar and sections divided by headers and subheaders. This structure makes it easy to find information and access different features. The user experience is designed to be intuitive, with detailed descriptions and links to additional resources. Interactive elements like buttons for viewing, testing, and organizing enhance user interaction.

Adobe Photoshop's user interface is also clean and well-organized, featuring a clear header, main content area, and footer. Navigation is facilitated through a top menu with dropdowns for different categories. The user experience is enhanced by an intuitive layout and easy navigation, with interactive elements like video tutorials and accordions for FAQs. Clear calls to action guide users towards making a purchase or trying the software.

Neither company has a clear advantage in user interface and usability.

Collaboration

Sketch offers robust collaboration features, including real-time collaboration, offline support, and feedback management. Users can store and sync work, making it accessible from any device. Shared libraries and browser-based tools further enhance teamwork by allowing easy sharing and organization of documents.

Adobe Photoshop, on the other hand, relies on Adobe Creative Cloud for collaboration. While it supports shared libraries and cloud storage, the collaboration features are not as integrated within Photoshop itself. The "Teams" plan provides some collaborative tools, but the focus remains on individual design capabilities.

Overall, Sketch appears to be more geared towards seamless collaboration compared to Adobe Photoshop.

Sketch and Adobe Photoshop Pricing

Sketch offers a Standard subscription at $10 per month per Editor, billed yearly, or $12 monthly. A Mac-only license is available for a one-time fee of $120 per seat, including one year of updates. The Business subscription costs $22 per month per Editor, billed yearly. Discounts are available for nonprofits and educational purposes.

Adobe Photoshop's standalone subscription is NIS 81.00 per month, with a Photography Plan at NIS 70.00 per month. The Creative Cloud All Apps plan costs NIS 205.00 per month. Students and teachers receive significant discounts, and a 7-day free trial is available. Photoshop does not offer a one-time purchase option.

Sketch's pricing is more flexible with one-time purchase options and lower monthly rates, making it potentially more cost-effective for individual users and small teams.

Comparing Sketch and Adobe Photoshop to Piktochart

Piktochart transforms complex ideas into captivating visuals that inform and engage your audience. With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, and presentations in seconds, perfectly aligned with your brand. No design experience required.

Pros of Piktochart

• Ease of Use: Piktochart's intuitive interface allows users to create professional visuals without any design experience.
• Variety of Templates: A wide range of templates for infographics, presentations, flyers, posters, and reports ensures that users can find the perfect starting point for any project.
• Content Creation Capabilities: The platform supports the creation of customized bite-sized video clips from long videos, webinars, and virtual events, making content repurposing straightforward.
• Automatic Subtitles: Piktochart automatically adds subtitles to videos, enhancing accessibility and engagement for a broader audience.
• Drag-and-Drop Functionality: The easy-to-use drag-and-drop feature simplifies the design process, allowing users to quickly create and publish stunning visuals.

Piktochart's Pricing

• Free: $0 (Free forever)
• Pro:
  • $29 per member/month (billed monthly)
  • $14 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
• Business:
  • $49 per member/month (billed monthly)
  • $24 per member/month (billed annually, save 52%)
• Enterprise: Custom Pricing (Contact for details)
• Campus: Custom Pricing (Minimum 3000 seats, contact for details)

What Are Others Saying?

Sketch Reviews

Overall, users have given Sketch a rating of 4.5 out of 5. While many appreciate its ease of use and powerful features, frustrations include platform exclusivity and performance issues with large projects.

"The place where I started my career. The app which inspired thousands." - Verified User, 2.5 out of 5

"Sketch is great but can be slow with larger files." - John D., 3 out of 5

"Good for design but lacks some collaboration features." - Jane S., 3.5 out of 5

Find more of Sketch reviews on G2!

Adobe Photoshop Reviews

Adobe Photoshop has received mixed reviews, with users appreciating its powerful features but finding the learning curve and cost frustrating. Overall, users have given it a rating of 4.6 out of 5.

"The power to do whatever you want in the palm of your hand." - Pankaj P., 3 out of 5

"Photoshop is Amazing!" - Aenglan K., 3 out of 5

"A Comprehensive Toolbox for Creative Professionals" - Rachit K., 3 out of 5

Find more of Adobe Photoshop reviews on G2!

Piktochart Reviews

Our users have praised Piktochart for its ease of use and powerful features, giving it an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5. Here are some highlights from their feedback:

• "Easy to create content even if you're not a designer." - Jessica D.
• "My Go-To for ALL Professional Presentations!" - Jennifer K.
• "Incredibly intuitive design app." - Katie S.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why a consumer might want to use Sketch over Adobe Photoshop:

• Sketch is ideal for UI/UX designers who need robust prototyping and collaboration tools. It's perfect for teams that require real-time collaboration and shared libraries.

Why a consumer might want to use Adobe Photoshop over Sketch:

• Adobe Photoshop is suited for professional photographers and graphic designers who need advanced image editing and AI-powered tools. It's the go-to for those requiring comprehensive design capabilities and integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud.

Why a consumer might want to use Piktochart over Adobe Photoshop and Sketch:

• Piktochart is perfect for marketers, educators, and small business owners who need to create engaging visuals quickly without design experience. Its ease of use and variety of templates make it accessible for creating professional-quality infographics and presentations.

Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, or Piktochart: Which is the best platform for you?

Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and Piktochart each offer unique strengths to meet your creative needs. While Sketch and Photoshop are excellent for specialized design tasks, Piktochart stands out for its user-friendly interface and versatility, making it a fantastic choice for anyone looking to create stunning visuals effortlessly. We believe you'll find Piktochart to be the perfect tool to transform your ideas into captivating visuals.