Canva vs Sketch
A side-by-side look at 2 Design tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
canva.com
Best for Non-designers and marketers
Design anything, even if you are not a designer.
Visit Canva
sketch.com
Best for Mac-based designers, agencies and product teams who want a native design app with collaboration and developer handoff.
A Mac-native design tool with real-time collaboration, prototyping and free developer handoff.
Visit SketchPricing compared
Canva
$15/user/mo
Sketch
$12/editor/mo
Head to head
| Canva | Sketch | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/user/mo | $12/editor/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Free trial | 30 days | 30-day free trial, no credit card needed |
| Platforms | — | macOS · Web · iOS · Tablet |
| Founded | 2013 | 2010 |
| HQ | Sydney, Australia | — |
| Team size | 5000+ | — |
Pros & cons
Canva
Pros
- Huge library of templates and design assets
- Very easy drag-and-drop interface
- Generous free plan with 1M+ templates
- Excellent for social media and marketing content
- Affordable Pro plan with strong AI tools
Cons
- Limited flexibility for complex design work
- Not suited for UI/UX prototyping
- Brand kit restricted on free plan
- Exporting files in some formats requires paid plan
Sketch
Pros
- Native Mac app with offline use feels fast and focused.
- Unlimited free Viewers can comment, inspect and download assets.
- Simple per-editor pricing with a one-time Mac-only license option.
- Real-time collaboration and version history included from Standard.
- Free Education workspace and 50% nonprofit discount.
Cons
- Editing requires a Mac running macOS Sequoia (15.0.0) or newer.
- No permanent free plan beyond the 30-day trial.
- Direct purchases from customers in India stopped on 15 July 2026.
- Payments are by card only on Standard and Mac-only purchases.
Features compared
| Canva | Sketch | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans & pricing | ||
| Free tier | — | ✗ No |
| Free trial | — | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing model | — | Per editor subscription or one-time Mac license |
| Platforms & access | ||
| Web app | — | ✓ Yes |
| Mobile apps | — | ✓ Yes |
| Desktop app | — | ✓ Yes |
| Offline mode | — | ✓ Yes |
| Security & compliance | ||
| SSO / SAML | — | ✓ Yes |
| Collaboration | ||
| Real-time collaboration | — | ✓ Yes |
| Role-based permissions | — | ✓ Yes |