Overview

Affinity Designer

Stacks162

Followers119

Votes11

Sketch

Stacks1.7K

Followers1.0K

Votes59

Affinity Designer vs Sketch: What are the differences?

Introduction

Affinity Designer and Sketch are both popular graphic design tools used by professionals in the industry. While they both serve similar purposes, there are key differences that set them apart.

Vector vs. Raster Editing: One of the fundamental differences between Affinity Designer and Sketch is their primary focus on vector and raster graphics, respectively. Affinity Designer excels in vector editing, offering powerful tools for creating scalable graphics. On the other hand, Sketch is primarily designed for raster editing, making it more suitable for UI/UX design work.
Platform Compatibility: Affinity Designer is available for both Windows and Mac platforms, offering more flexibility to users working across different operating systems. In contrast, Sketch is exclusively designed for Mac users, limiting its accessibility for those on Windows or other platforms.
Plugins and Integrations: Sketch has a wide range of plugins and integrations available, allowing users to customize their workflow and add additional functionality to the software. Affinity Designer, while lacking in extensive plugin support, offers a robust set of features built into the software itself, reducing the need for external plugins.
Pricing Model: Affinity Designer follows a one-time purchase pricing model, providing lifetime access to the software with no subscription fees. In contrast, Sketch requires a subscription-based payment plan, which may be more costly in the long run for users who prefer a one-time payment solution.
Collaboration Tools: Sketch offers better collaboration tools, such as shared libraries and real-time collaboration features, making it easier for teams to work together on design projects. Affinity Designer, while suitable for individual designers, may lack the collaborative features required for team-based projects.
Export Options: Affinity Designer offers a wide range of export options, allowing users to export projects in various file formats with customizable settings. Sketch, while versatile in exporting assets for web and app design, may not offer the same level of flexibility in export options as Affinity Designer.

In Summary, Affinity Designer and Sketch differ in vector vs. raster editing focus, platform compatibility, plugin support, pricing model, collaboration tools, and export options.

Detailed Comparison

Affinity Designer	Sketch
No bloat, no gimmicks, just all the tools you need, implemented how you always dreamed. It is a stripped back, pro-end workhorse that will always get your job done. It was created to thrive on the electric pace of the latest computing hardware. Live, responsive and incredibly fluid, it’s simply a joy to use.	Easily create complex shapes with our state-of-the-art vector boolean operations and take advantage of our extensive layer styles.
Statistics
Stacks 162	Stacks 1.7K
Followers 119	Followers 1.0K
Votes 11	Votes 59
Pros & Cons
Pros 3 Easy of use 2 Feels like Illustrator 2 Love the UI 2 No subscription 1 Customizable layouts	Pros 23 Lightweight alternative to Photoshop 11 Mirror designs on mobile devices 9 Reusable elements/components 7 Vector 5 Plugins for everything Cons 4 Not for Windows 3 Horrible for slide presentations
Integrations
No integrations available	macOS

What are some alternatives to Affinity Designer, Sketch?

Figma

Figma is the first interface design tool with real-time collaboration. It keeps everyone on the same page. Focus on the work instead of fighting your tools.

Adobe Photoshop

It is the best in the world of graphic design and image processing software that will realize any of your ideas. Create and enhance photos, illustrations and 3D graphic objects.

Adobe XD

A vector-based tool developed and published by Adobe Inc for designing and prototyping user experience for web and mobile apps.

Zeplin

Collaboration app for designers & developers. Supports Sketch and Photoshop (on beta!).

Blender

It is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.

ProtoPie

It is the easiest tool used to turn your UI/UX design ideas into highly interactive prototypes for mobile, desktop, web, all the way to IoT. ProtoPie runs on macOS & Windows and the player app is on iOS and Android.

Readymag

Readymag—an online platform for website creation focused on design & creativity. Advanced typography. Powerful animations. Code injection & third-party tool integrations.

Inkscape

It is professional quality vector graphics software which runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. This software can be used to create or edit vector graphics such as illustrations, diagrams, line arts, charts, logos and complex paintings.

Affinity Photo

It is born to work hand-in-hand with the latest powerful computer technology, it’s fully-loaded photo editor integrated across macOS, Windows and iOS.