CompareStack/Sketch vs GIMP
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Updated March 2026 · Independent Analysis

SketchvsGIMP

Sketch starts at $12/mo; GIMP is free. Sketch is rated higher at 4.5/5 vs GIMP's 4.3/5.

S
Sketch

Design toolkit for Mac focused on UI/UX design and collaboration

★ 4.5/5Founded 20101M+ users users
Try Sketch Free →
G
GIMP

Free open-source image editor as an alternative to Photoshop

★ 4.3/5Founded 199610M+ downloads users
Try GIMP Free →

⚡ Quick Stats

⭐
Avg Rating
Sketch4.5/5
GIMP4.3/5
🏆 Sketch wins
💰
Starting Price
Sketch$12/mo
GIMPFree
🏆 GIMP wins
🔧
Features
Sketch15
GIMP15
🏆 Sketch wins
🎁
Free Plan
SketchNo
GIMPYes ✓
🏆 GIMP wins

📊 Ratings Breakdown

S

Sketch

4.5/5 avg
G2 Score4.5/5
Capterra Score4.6/5
Overall Avg4.55/5
G

GIMP

4.3/5 avg
G2 Score4.3/5
Capterra Score4.4/5
Overall Avg4.35/5

⚡ Quick Verdict

Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings

Choose Sketch if you need:
  • ✓ UI Design
  • ✓ Prototyping
  • ✓ Symbols & Libraries
  • ✓ Smart Layout
  • ✓ Responsive Design
Try Sketch Free →
Choose GIMP if you need:
  • ✓ Photo Editing
  • ✓ Layer Support
  • ✓ Masks & Channels
  • ✓ Advanced Color Tools
  • ✓ Customizable Interface
Try GIMP Free →

🔧 Feature Comparison

Sketch uniquely offers UI Design, Prototyping, Symbols & Libraries. GIMP uniquely offers Photo Editing, Layer Support, Masks & Channels. Both share 0 features.

Feature
Sketch
GIMP
UI Design
✓
✗
Prototyping
✓
✗
Symbols & Libraries
✓
✗
Smart Layout
✓
✗
Responsive Design
✓
✗
Web App
✓
✗
Mac App
✓
✗
Developer Handoff
✓
✗
Version Control
✓
✗
Collaboration
✓
✗
Plugins
✓
✗
Templates
✓
✗
Vector Editing
✓
✗
Export
✓
✗
Design Tokens
✓
✗
Photo Editing
✗
✓
Layer Support
✗
✓
Masks & Channels
✗
✓
Advanced Color Tools
✗
✓
Customizable Interface
✗
✓
Filters & Effects
✗
✓
Scripting (Python/Script-Fu)
✗
✓
Plugin Support
✗
✓
PSD Support
✗
✓
Brushes & Gradients
✗
✓
Path Tool
✗
✓
Clone & Heal
✗
✓
Batch Processing
✗
✓
Cross-platform
✗
✓
Export Formats
✗
✓
Total Features
15
15

💰 Pricing Comparison

Sketch starts at $12/mo; GIMP is free.

S

Sketch Plans

Paid plans only

StandardBest Value
$12/editor/mo
  • • Unlimited viewers
  • • Real-time collaboration
Business
$25/editor/mo
  • • SSO
  • • Priority support
Mac-only
$120/one-time/year
  • • Mac app only
  • • No collaboration
Full Sketch pricing breakdown →
G

GIMP Plans

Free tier available

Free
Free
  • • Full featured
  • • Cross-platform
  • • Open source
Full GIMP pricing breakdown →
🔔 Get notified when prices change

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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