Sketch
Spline
| Feature | Sketch | Spline |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $12/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | ui-designers, mac-users, design-agencies, icon-designers | web-designers, product-designers, front-end-developers, creative-agencies |
| Founded | 2010 | 2020 |
| Vector Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Symbols | ✓ | ✗ |
| Prototyping | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Libraries | ✓ | ✗ |
| Developer Handoff | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plugins | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud Workspace | ✓ | ✗ |
| 3d Modeling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Real Time Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Animations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Interactions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web Export | ✗ | ✓ |
| Materials | ✗ | ✓ |
| Physics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Sketch Pros
- Lightweight and fast native macOS performance
- Mature plugin ecosystem with thousands of extensions
- Excellent symbol and library system
- One-time license option for Mac app
✗ Sketch Cons
- Mac-only (no Windows or Linux support)
- Collaboration features lag behind Figma
- Market share declining as teams move to Figma
✓ Spline Pros
- Browser-based with no installation required
- Easy to learn compared to traditional 3D tools
- Real-time collaboration like Figma for 3D
- Direct export to web (React, iframe, vanilla JS)
✗ Spline Cons
- Limited to simpler 3D scenes (not production rendering)
- Performance issues with complex models
- Fewer modeling tools than dedicated 3D software
The Verdict
Sketch is built for ui designers and mac users, with a focus on vector-editing and symbols. Spline targets web designers and product designers and leads with 3d-modeling and real-time-collaboration.
Pricing is close: Spline starts at $9/mo versus $12/mo for Sketch — not a deciding factor on its own.
Spline has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Sketch requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
