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New Features in Sketch: Is It Worth Coming Back in 2025?

Sketch Gets an Upgrade: With Smart Animate, Advanced Prototyping, and Web Collaboration — Is It Time to Reconsider?

2025-05-20

For years, Sketch was a go-to tool in the design world. However, with the rise of Figma and other competitors, many designers moved on. In 2025, Sketch introduced a series of significant updates — but are they enough to bring it back into the spotlight?

What’s New in Sketch in 2025

1. Smart Animate

One of the most anticipated features is Smart Animate, which enables smooth transitions between artboards, similar to Keynote’s “Magic Move.” This allows designers to create interactive prototypes with advanced animations, improving the user experience. Smart Animate automatically detects changes between layers with the same name across different artboards and animates the transitions, offering a more dynamic and realistic feel.

2. Advanced Prototyping

Sketch has enhanced its prototyping capabilities with new transition options like dissolve and better control over motion and timing. You can now create more complex interactions — such as hover, press, and toggle — directly within the app, without relying on external tools. These features allow for realistic behavior simulation, making prototypes feel closer to the final product.

3. Web Collaboration

Sketch’s web version has been completely redesigned, now featuring a more intuitive interface and powerful collaborative tools. You can work in real time with your team, share prototypes, and gather feedback directly in the browser. Features like inline commenting and version control help streamline communication and project management.

4. Command Bar and Minimap

To improve navigation and efficiency, Sketch introduced a Command Bar for quick access to tools and actions, and a Minimap that provides a project-wide overview for better orientation. The Command Bar allows for fast execution via keyboard shortcuts, while the Minimap makes it easier to navigate complex documents.

Sketch vs. Figma: The 2025 Comparison

A recent comparison shows that Sketch and Figma share many features, but with some key differences:

• Compatibility: Sketch is macOS-only, while Figma is cross-platform.
• Collaboration: Figma still offers smoother real-time collaboration, but Sketch has made major improvements with its new web app.
• Performance: As a native app, Sketch delivers better performance — especially with large, complex projects.

Is It Worth Coming Back to Sketch?

If you’re a designer working primarily on macOS and looking for a high-performance native app, Sketch in 2025 is a solid choice. The new features make it competitive again, especially for those who value a focused workflow and advanced prototyping tools.

However, if real-time collaboration and cross-platform compatibility are essential for your work, Figma may still be the better choice.