Sketch is a modern graphics design app for macOS that took the world by storm after its release in 2010. It is now the staple for the web, mobile, UI / UX and icon design. The app is universally loved and has very few direct competitors, but unfortunately, due to the technologies exclusive to macOS that it relies on, the developers are not considering releasing it on Windows and Linux. While a good number of graphics designers use Macs, many do not, and thus, Sketch’s Mac exclusivity becomes a problem. So, if you are primarily a Windows or Linux user, here are the 10 best Sketch alternatives for Windows and Linux that you can use in 2020.
Here, we have enlisted all the Sketch alternatives for Windows and Linux. You can easily move to your choice of alternative by simply clicking on the link below.
List of Best Sketch Alternatives
1. Figma
Figma is one of the best Sketch alternatives for Windows and it brings a robust and powerful UI/UX designing tool. The tool is browser-based which comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of being a browser-based tool is that you can use it on any operating system including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
The UI of Figma is very much like Sketch so you will find yourself right at home. Coming to its features, Figma brings feature-rich prototyping tool which allows you to quickly create beautiful prototypes and allows you to share them with your client with just one click.
Availability: Windows, macOS, and Web (Free, $12/month)
2. Lunacy
Lunacy is one-of-a-kind software that has everything that you are looking for. Just as Sketch is exclusive to macOS, Lunacy is exclusive to Windows and it works on the same principle. Great design and great tools mean great result. It’s a free graphic design software without any bloatware, ads or spam which is awesome.
- Free and private
- 2X faster
- Compatible with .sketch files
- Built-in assets
- Best for Windows machines
Availability: Windows (Free)
InVision Studio is another top graphic designer software that has got huge praise from the designer community. It’s seen as a potential alternative to Sketch because of its powerful layout engine which is said to be the best in the industry.
Basically, the designing experience is top-notch just like how you feel while working on Sketch on macOS. Add to the fact that InVision Studio is completely free to use and prototype your design. I would say, if Figma and Lunacy don’t cut it for you then InVision Studio will surely take you right home.
Availability: macOS and Windows (Free)
Adobe is a giant in the creative industry and seems to offer a tool for all the creative needs including video editing, audio editing, photo editing, and more. Similar to all of its other popular creating apps, Adobe XD is a powerful tool which can easily replace the Sketch app for Windows users.
Availability: Windows, macOS (Free, $9.99/month)
5. Affinity Designer
The Apple Design Award winning vector editor Affinity Designer was originally created as an alternative for Adobe Illustrator. That, however, does not negate the fact that depending on the use case, it is one of the best Sketch alternatives on the market. I have been a long time user of Affinity Designer on Mac and I am happy to report that the Windows version is no different than the Mac version when it comes to features.
Features:
Availability: Windows / macOS ($49.99)
Vectr is a free graphics designing tool which can be used to create graphics easily and intuitively. The app doesn’t come with a massive learning curve and anyone including beginners can get up and running with the software quite easily.
Apart from the normal UI/UX designing features which you can expect from such a software, Vectr brings a ton of other cool features. My favorite is the real-time collaboration link feature. The feature basically allows you to send a link to the project you are working on to other Vectr users so that you both can work on the same project in real-time.
Availability: Windows, Linux, and Web (Free)
Adobe Illustrator is easily the most well-known and feature-rich vector graphics editor in the world. From logos, icons, mobile and web design to sketching, print design and typography, Illustrator lets you do it all. Just like most other Adobe titles, the community for guides, tutorials and resources, both free and paid is enormous.
Some of the features include perspective drawing tools, shaper tool, live shapes, dynamic symbols, smart guides, multiple artboards, transparency in gradients, and live gradient editing.
- Best for vector graphics designing
- Cloud syncing
- Royalty-free images
- Plethora of design tools
- Cross-compatible with many Adobe products
Availability: Windows, macOS (Free 7-day trial; $19.99/mo with Creative Cloud)
Gravit Designer has evolved a lot over the past few years and has become the best free and open source Sketch alternative for both Windows and Linux users. First of all, now the app not only works on the web but also offers native applications for all the three major desktop platforms including macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Also, now you don’t need a constant internet connection to use this app as it can work offline and the changes you made are automatically synced when you go online. The new app also brings a clean UI which adjust itself according to your needs. Overall, Gravit is an excellent app and is better than most of the paid apps out there. It’s definitely one of the best Sketch alternatives that you will find on the market right now.
Availability: Windows, Linux, macOS, and Web (Free)
The venerable open-source tool Inkscape is a general-purpose vector graphics editor. While it is neither as feature-rich nor as powerful as Sketch, it makes up for the shortcomings by being cross-platform and extremely lightweight. It has support for importing the greatest number of file formats, including Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Microsoft Visio and Sketch (using an extension).
Inkscape packs in features such as flexible drawing tools, including a pencil tool for freehand drawing, a pen tool for creating Bézier curves and straight lines, a text tool, and other powerful tools for illustrations, web design, and general vector image editing. Due to it being free and cross-platform, it is a great tool for students, people with older computers, and beginners to vector graphic design.
Availability: Windows, Linux, macOS (Free)
Xara Designer Pro is one of the most comprehensive solutions for graphics design. Other than basic support for vector design, it has tools for illustrations, web design, photo editing and more. Some of the advanced features include Live Effects, non-destructive photo handling, vector masking, layer blending, website creation tools, and support for PDF and PSD file formats.
Compared to the UI / UX design bent of Sketch, Xara is a more of a general-purpose graphic design application, offering something for nearly everyone. It is also much more conducive to web design. If all you need is a basic raster and vector image editing, Xara is overkill for you, both in scope and in price. Fortunately, you can choose to buy only the Graphic Design, or Web Design components separately.
Note: During installation, Xara offered to install a “PC cleaner” app called Simplyclean, marked to be installed by default. This qualifies as bloatware and is simply unacceptable for a program of Designer Pro’s repute and price.
Q. Is There a Free Version of Sketch?
While Sketch does not offer a free version, you can get a similar level of tools on Figma and InVision Studio without paying a dime.
Q. Is Sketch for Mac Only?
Yes, Sketch is exclusive to macOS only.
Many prefer Sketch because of its responsiveness and pixel perfect layout. However, many designers like working with Adobe XD because it’s compatible with other Adobe products. I won’t say Sketch is better than Adobe XD, but it depends on your use-case.
Sketch is not available on Windows. If you want to use something like Sketch on Windows and for free then I would highly recommend Lunacy.
