Sketch vs GIMP: Which One Is Better in 2024?

Both Sketch and GIMP are essential tools for businesses and designers. Sketch offers a comprehensive design platform for collaboration and prototyping, while GIMP provides a cost-effective, versatile image editing solution. We'll compare Sketch and GIMP to determine which one best meets the needs of designers and businesses.

A Quick Overview of Sketch and GIMP

What is Sketch?

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

Sketch features powerful vector editing, allowing precise control over design elements. Its integration of Mac and web apps offers a seamless experience between designing and collaborating, setting it apart from competitors.

What is GIMP?

GIMP is a free and open-source image editor available for multiple operating systems, including GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows. It provides tools for graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, and scientists to perform high-quality image manipulation, create original artwork, and produce graphic design elements.

GIMP's cross-platform availability ensures it can be used on various operating systems. Its extensibility and flexibility through integration with multiple programming languages and numerous community-created scripts and plugins set it apart from many proprietary image editing tools.

Features of Sketch and GIMP

Similarities

Sketch and GIMP, while distinct in their primary focus, share several key features that make them powerful tools for designers and image editors alike.

• Both offer robust vector editing tools, allowing precise control over design elements.
• They support various color profiles and advanced typography options, ensuring high-quality visual outputs.
• Both platforms provide extensive plugin and extension support, enabling users to enhance functionality and customize their workflows.
• Each tool includes customizable interfaces, allowing users to tailor their workspace to their specific needs and preferences.
• Both Sketch and GIMP support layers and advanced editing tools, making them suitable for detailed and complex design work.

Differences

Sketch and GIMP cater to different design needs, each excelling in unique areas. Here are the most significant differences in their features:

• Vector Graphics: Sketch specializes in vector graphics, making it ideal for UI/UX design, while GIMP focuses on raster graphics.
• Prototyping Tools: Sketch offers advanced prototyping tools, including Smart Animate, which GIMP lacks.
• Real-time Collaboration: Sketch supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work simultaneously, a feature not available in GIMP.
• Photo Manipulation: GIMP excels in high-quality photo manipulation and retouching, areas where Sketch is not designed to compete.
• Open Source: GIMP is free and open-source, allowing users to modify and distribute its source code, unlike Sketch, which is a proprietary software.

User Interface and Usability

Sketch's user interface is designed to be intuitive, featuring customizable toolbars and an infinite canvas. The user experience is enhanced by real-time collaboration and seamless feedback management. Overall, Sketch's usability is geared towards both solo designers and teams, making it flexible and scalable for various design tasks.

GIMP's user interface offers sophisticated tools for graphic designers and photographers, with extensive customization options. The user experience benefits from cross-platform availability and support for third-party plugins. GIMP's overall usability is high, catering to a wide range of image manipulation tasks with a focus on flexibility and extensibility.

Sketch has a better user interface and usability over GIMP.

Collaboration

Sketch offers a robust platform for real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously. Its web app facilitates sharing, feedback, and handoff, making it easier to manage design projects without constant back-and-forth communication. Offline support ensures that work can continue uninterrupted, even without an internet connection.

GIMP, on the other hand, lacks built-in collaboration tools. It focuses more on individual use and customization, with no specific features for real-time teamwork. While it integrates with other free software like Scribus and Inkscape, these integrations do not provide the same level of collaborative functionality found in Sketch.

Sketch is better for collaboration than GIMP.

Sketch and GIMP Pricing

Sketch offers a variety of pricing plans tailored to different user needs. The Standard Subscription costs $10 per month per Editor when 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. Business Subscriptions are priced at $22 per month per Editor, billed yearly.

GIMP, on the other hand, is entirely free and open-source. There are no subscription costs or one-time purchase options. Instead, users can support the project through donations, which help sustain its development. Given that GIMP is free, it offers a more cost-effective solution compared to Sketch's subscription-based model.

Comparing Sketch and GIMP 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

• AI-Powered Design Generator: Create stunning visuals quickly with the help of AI, saving you time and effort.
• Extensive Template Library: Access a wide variety of templates for infographics, presentations, social media posts, and more, making it easy to produce professional-quality content.
• Customizable Video Tools: Utilize tools like the Screen Recorder, Social Media Video Maker, and Video to Text Converter to create and repurpose video content effortlessly.
• Versatile Visual Tools: From Infographic Maker to Brochure Maker, Piktochart offers a comprehensive suite of tools to meet all your visual communication needs.
• Cross-Sector Support: Tailored solutions for various sectors, including education, healthcare, marketing, and nonprofits, ensuring that your specific needs are met.

Piktochart's Pricing

• Free Plan: $0 (Free forever)
• Pro Plan: $14 per member/month, billed annually (or $29 per member/month if billed monthly)
• Business Plan: $24 per member/month, billed annually (or $49 per member/month if billed monthly)
• Enterprise Plan: Custom Pricing

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 vector editor, frustrations include platform exclusivity and performance issues with large projects.

"The app is only available for macOS, which limits its accessibility." - Verified User (Small-Business), 2.5/5

"Sketch can be slow when handling large files, which is frustrating." - Verified User (Mid-Market), 3/5

"It lacks some advanced features compared to competitors like Figma." - Verified User (Enterprise), 3.5/5

Find more of Sketch reviews on G2!

GIMP Reviews

Overall, users have given GIMP a rating of 4.3 out of 5. While many appreciate its free services and features, frustrations include a steep learning curve and poor navigation.

"It's user interface is little complex to be understood by any new user. Other than that it's a good tool." - Verified User in Market Research, 3/5

"It sometimes have technical issues like multilayer selection and transformations which used to be issue before but recent update has fixed it. The user interface is not very friendly like other alternatives but seemingly does the job." - Vishal L., 3.5/5

"It's a bit heavy: if you want to do just a quick change it might take more time to load GIMP than really doing the job. Also might seem a bit complex at the beginning, as it has a million options, but is quite easy to get used to it." - Verified User in Entertainment, 3/5

Find more of GIMP reviews on G2!

Piktochart Reviews

Our users have given Piktochart an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5. They appreciate its ease of use, extensive template library, and powerful design tools.

• "Easy to create content even if you're not a designer." - Jessica D.
• "Piktochart is very easy and simple to use online graphics creation tool." - Andrea V.
• "Piktochart has top-notch templates for your needs." - Megan B.

Find more of our reviews on G2!

Why choose one over the other?

Why a consumer might want to use Sketch over GIMP:

• Sketch is ideal for product designers and UX professionals who need advanced prototyping and real-time collaboration tools, making it perfect for team-based projects and design systems.

Why a consumer might want to use GIMP over Sketch:

• GIMP is perfect for graphic designers and photographers who require a free, open-source tool for high-quality photo manipulation and extensive customization options.

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

• Piktochart is suited for communications professionals and marketers who need an easy-to-use, all-in-one tool for creating engaging visual content quickly, without requiring design experience.

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

Whether you're a designer, photographer, or marketer, Sketch, GIMP, and Piktochart each offer unique strengths to meet your needs. While Sketch and GIMP are excellent for specialized tasks, we believe Piktochart stands out for its user-friendly interface and versatile visual tools. For those looking to create stunning visuals effortlessly, Piktochart is your go-to solution. Give it a try and see how it can transform your content creation process.