Comparison

Adobe XD vs Sketch

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Adobe XD

Instantly preview your Adobe XD designs on native devices with real-time transitions. Connect via USB or load cloud documents to see your creations come to life before development.

Highlights
  • Real-time prototype preview
  • Transitions on native devices
  • USB connection
  • Cloud document loading
  • Optional storage upgrade
Features
Read full description

Eliminate the guesswork by previewing your Adobe XD designs, complete with transitions on native devices, in real time via USB or by loading them as cloud documents. If you enjoy using Adobe XD, please share a nice review. It really helps! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE STORAGE (Optional in-app purchase) You can purchase an additional 20GB for $1.99 (US dollars) of Creative Cloud file storage per month. The recurring payment is automatically charged to your iTunes account. To stop service, go to account Settings and turn off auto-renew at least 24-hours before the end of your billing period. Prorating is unavailable — when you turn off auto-renew, service will continue until the end of that month’s billing period. The Fine Print You must be 13 or older and agree to Adobe’s terms and privacy policy, viewable at: https://www.adobe.com/go/privacy_policy http://www.adobe.com/go/terms Do not sell or share my information: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/us-rights-linkfree.html Use of Adobe mobile apps and online services requires registration for a free Adobe ID as part of a free, basic level of Creative Cloud membership. Adobe online services require an Internet connection, are not available in all countries or languages, and may be subject to change or discontinuation without notice.

About

Sketch

Access and interact with design documents and prototypes on your mobile device. View projects, test prototypes on a real device, and collaborate with comments. Offline access to previously opened documents is also supported.

Highlights
  • Sign in to Workspaces (SSO/2FA)
  • Browse projects and documents
  • Play and test prototypes
  • Mirror Mac documents
  • View and respond to comments
  • Offline document browsing
Features
Read full description

We’ve rebuilt our Mirror app from the ground up to offer a more flexible, reliable and feature-rich experience with Sketch. With Sketch on your iPhone or iPad, you can: → Sign in to every Workspace you’re a part of (with SSO and 2FA support) → Browse projects and explore documents — anywhere, anytime → Play prototypes and test out ideas on a real device → Mirror the document you’re currently editing on your Mac → Explore documents with a full canvas view → View, create and respond to comments on the Canvas → Browse documents you’ve already opened when you‘re offline → Open local documents from the Files or other third-party file storage apps This app requires an internet connection, an existing Sketch subscription and works exclusively with documents in your Sketch Workspace. This app is not compatible with Mac-only licenses.

Screenshots

Adobe XD4 screens
Sketch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Adobe XD at 4.7 against Sketch's 3.5. Adobe XD also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 38) and review sentiment (40% vs 25%). Sketch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Adobe XD sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Sketch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Adobe XD holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe XD has 11K ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Adobe XD's written reviews are positive against 25% of Sketch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Adobe XD ships an update every 5 weeks, Sketch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Adobe XD versus Sketch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAdobe XDSketch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (11K ratings) — better3.5 (38 ratings)
Positive reviews40.1% of reviews — better25.4% of reviews
Number of ratings11K — better38
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdobe Inc.Sketch B.V.

Customer experience

Adobe XD

All ratings10,769 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews726 reviews
Positive40.1%
Neutral14.0%
Negative45.9%

Sketch

All ratings38 ratings
Positive57.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative34.2%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive25.4%
Neutral10.2%
Negative64.4%

User reviews

Adobe XD

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Live preview on mobile
  • 👍 Seamless integration with desktop XD
  • 💡 Potential for full iPad functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔌 Compatibility issues with iOS 16
  • 👎 Limited editing capabilities on mobile
  • 🔍 Difficulty accessing and managing files

Sketch

From 38 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for showcasing designs
  • 👍 Handy and helpful app
  • 👍 Beautifully displayed designs on iPad
  • 👍 Real-time changes visible
  • 👍 macOS Handoff is nice

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Slow to load documents
  • 🐛 Custom fonts not displayed
  • 🐛 Quits on open, unusable
  • 🐛 No offline mode
  • 🐛 Prototype actions below visible area

Bugs and requests

Adobe XD

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues with Adobe account
  • Inconsistent performance and refresh
  • Fonts not rendering correctly
  • Prototype viewing limitations

Requested features

4 requests
  • Full XD editing capabilities on iPad
  • Wireless connectivity for prototyping
  • Improved font support and rendering
  • Ability to open files from cloud storage

Sketch

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App quits on open
  • Prototype related actions below visible area
  • Crashes on prototypes
  • Mirror app not working
  • Crashes after loading large prototype
Show 9 more
  • Prototype not working, pressing action buttons leads to main overlay UI
  • White screen instead of design
  • Not updating specific artboard
  • Cannot get prototype full screen
  • Cannot sign in or out, zombie account
  • Can't open file
  • Elements not aligned, not the same as desktop
  • Cannot access files on mobile
  • Have to delete app to sign out

Requested features

12 requests
  • Include classic mirroring mode
  • Add offline mode
  • Allow mirroring local documents in real-time
  • Allow mirroring local documents over cable
  • Add ability to clear cache
Show 7 more
  • Enable local Wi-Fi sync like old Mirror app
  • Make it work with local files
  • Provide option to download prototype locally
  • Full screen prototype option
  • Support local files without Workspace
  • Allow local mirroring via USB or Wi-Fi
  • Add dark mode option

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Adobe XD

Subscriptions1
  • CC Storage (20 GB)$1.991 Month
None

Sketch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Adobe XD free?
Adobe XD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sketch free?
Sketch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Adobe XD or Sketch?
Adobe XD is rated higher. Adobe XD averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Sketch averages 3.5 from 38 ratings.
Do Adobe XD or Sketch have ads?
Neither Adobe XD nor Sketch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Adobe XD or Sketch?
Adobe XD ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sketch every 3 weeks. Most recently, Adobe XD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sketch on October 24, 2026.

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