Sketch vs Zeplin

Development of web applications and websites is rising and due to this, there is tough competition among website owners to grab audiences through the first impression, studies show that good images increase audiences 3 times compared to websites not using many images. Hence images become essential for the development industry and to create good images, certain software is required. Sketch and Zeplin are two frequently used designing software so let’s compare them to find the right one.

What is Sketch?

Sketch is a graphic designing and editing software to produce high-quality vector designs for different platforms. Originally it was developed by Bohemian Coding which was a Dutch company now known as Sketch B.V. First version of the sketch was launched in 2010 and later in 2022, a stable version was released.

Advantages of Sketch

• It helps designers in making mobile and web designs easily.
• It follows industry standards and hence the final output can be used for various purposes.
• All the design code can be exported easily for web and app development.
• It comes with a real-time sync feature.

Disadvantages/Limitations of Sketch

• It is not compatible with Mac operating system.
• It is a heavy software and requires a large amount of RAM.

What is Zeplin?

Zeplin is a proprietary tool that is used by designers and developers for collaborating and sharing UI/UX designs. A group of 4 core members namely Merih Akar, Ismail Ceylan, Berk Çebi, and Pelin Kenez designed Zeplin in 2014 and later releases a stable version. It can be run on Mac as well as Windows operating systems. 

Advantages of Zeplin

• It allows users to use the software for free with basic features.
• It is compatible with different files from other designing software.
• It helps in safe sharing and managing files using permissions and tags.

Disadvantages of Zeplin

• Subscriptions are costly.
• It has an intimidating interface which is quite confusing for beginners.

Following is a table of differences between Sketch and Zeplin:

Category	Sketch	Zeplin
Definition	Sketch can be defined as a vector manipulation tool for creating stunning web designs.	Zeplin can be defined as a common tool for bridging the gap between designers and developers.
Top Clients	The top clients of the sketch are Angry Ventures, Typeform, Foretag, etc.	Alibaba Group, Shelf, N26, etc. are some of the top clients of Zeplin.
Support	Support is available through chat, phone, email, etc.	It provides support to its customers through Phone, Email, FAQ, etc.
Launch Date	It was launched in 2010.	It was launched in 2014.
File Extension	It saves files with the .sketch extension.	Files are saved with the .zeplin file extension.
Integrated Tools	Some of the best-integrated tools of Sketch are Typekit, Axure, Storybook, etc.	Pixelmator, Photoshop, Polypane, etc. are some of the best-integrated tools of Zeplin.
Training	It offers only two training options either through Videos or Documentation.	It offers various training options like Videos, Webinars, Live Online, Documentation, etc.
Official website	Its official website is https://www.sketch.com/	Its official website is https://zeplin.io/
Pricing	It offers a 30-day free trial after which a subscription starts at $9 per month.	Its basic plan is free while a team subscription is available at $8 per month and the organization plan costs $16 per month.

Conclusion/Summary

Comparing Zeplin features with that Sketch features we found that both are nearly similar and can be used depending on the budget, preference, and project requirement of the users. Both offer collaboration features along with advanced design. Both are used by multiple top companies for different purposes.