Updated March 2026 · Independent Analysis
GIMPvsSketch
GIMP is free; Sketch starts at $12/mo. Sketch is rated higher at 4.5/5 vs GIMP's 4.3/5.
GIMPvs Sketch
★ 4.3/5-0.2 vs Sketch
Only in GIMP
- ✦ Photo Editing
- ✦ Layer Support
- ✦ Masks & Channels
✓ Free plan10M+ downloads users · est. 1996
Try GIMP Free →
Sketchvs GIMP
★ 4.5/5+0.2 vs GIMP
Only in Sketch
- ✦ UI Design
- ✦ Prototyping
- ✦ Symbols & Libraries
From $12/mo1M+ users · est. 2010
Try Sketch Free →Ratings Breakdown
GIMP
4.3/5 avg
G2 Score4.3/5
Capterra Score4.4/5
G2 Rating4.3/5
Sketch
4.5/5 avg
G2 Score4.5/5
Capterra Score4.6/5
G2 Rating4.5/5
Quick Stats
Feature Comparison
GIMP uniquely offers Photo Editing, Layer Support, Masks & Channels. Sketch uniquely offers UI Design, Prototyping, Symbols & Libraries. Both share 0 features.
Feature
GIMP
Sketch
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
✓
✗
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
✗
✓
Total Features
15
15
Quick Verdict
Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings
Choose GIMP if you need:
- ✓ Photo Editing
- ✓ Layer Support
- ✓ Masks & Channels
- ✓ Advanced Color Tools
- ✓ Customizable Interface
Choose Sketch if you need:
- ✓ UI Design
- ✓ Prototyping
- ✓ Symbols & Libraries
- ✓ Smart Layout
- ✓ Responsive Design
Pricing Comparison
GIMP is free; Sketch starts at $12/mo.
GIMP Plans
Free tier available
Free
Free- • Full featured
- • Cross-platform
- • Open source
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
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