Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sketch VS openCanvas

Compare Sketch VS openCanvas and see what are their differences

Sketch logo Sketch

Professional digital design for Mac.

openCanvas logo openCanvas

openCanvas, popularly abbreviated as oC, is a popular Japanese image editing program.
  • Sketch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20
  • openCanvas Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31

Sketch

Website
sketch.com
Release Date
2010 January
Startup details
Country
The Netherlands
State
Zuid-Holland
City
The Hague
Founder(s)
Emanuel Sá
Employees
10 - 19

Sketch features and specs

  • User Interface
    Sketch has a clean and intuitive user interface that is easy to navigate, which makes it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
  • Design Tools
    Provides robust vector editing tools and a wide range of design features, making it versatile for various kinds of digital design work.
  • Plugins Ecosystem
    Offers a rich ecosystem of plugins that enhance functionality and can be customized to fit specific needs.
  • Community and Resources
    There is a strong community of designers using Sketch, which means plenty of tutorials, resources, and shared assets are available.
  • Symbol and Reuse
    Supports symbols and reusable design components, making it efficient for maintaining consistency across a design project.
  • Performance
    Generally performs well even with complex design files, as it is optimized for the Mac environment.

Possible disadvantages of Sketch

  • Mac-only
    Sketch is available only on macOS, limiting its accessibility to users on other platforms such as Windows or Linux.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is intuitive, mastering Sketch's full suite of tools and features can still take some time.
  • Pricing
    Sketch requires a subscription or one-time payment, which can be a consideration for freelancers or small teams with limited budgets.
  • Collaboration
    Real-time collaboration features are not as advanced as some of its competitors, which can pose challenges for team-based projects.
  • Compatibility
    Because it uses its own file format, working cross-platform or with non-Sketch users can present challenges, requiring conversion tools or additional steps.
  • Limited Prototyping
    While it offers some prototyping functionality, it is not as robust as tools specifically designed for prototyping such as InVision or Figma.

openCanvas features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    openCanvas is known for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, which is welcoming for beginners and efficient for advanced users.
  • Real-Time Drawing
    The software provides real-time illustration features that allow users to see the evolution of their work, enhancing collaborative and solo work experiences.
  • Event Function
    openCanvas's unique 'Event' function records users' drawing processes and allows for playback, which is useful for educational purposes and reviewing one's own art techniques.
  • Variety of Brushes and Effects
    It offers a wide array of customizable brushes and effects that afford artists creative flexibility in their projects.
  • Layer and Filter Support
    The program provides comprehensive layer support and filters that enable complex and detailed art creation.

Possible disadvantages of openCanvas

  • Limited Platform Availability
    openCanvas is primarily available for the Windows platform, which limits its accessibility for macOS and Linux users.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic tools are easy to grasp, mastering the more advanced features of openCanvas may require a significant time investment.
  • Limited File Format Compatibility
    The software supports a limited range of file formats, which may necessitate additional tools for file conversion and sharing outside of its native format.
  • Lack of Regular Updates
    openCanvas does not receive updates as frequently as some other digital art software, potentially leaving users without the latest features or improvements.
  • Less Community Support
    The user community is smaller compared to other mainstream digital art platforms, which can mean fewer resources and tutorials available online.

Analysis of Sketch

Overall verdict

  • Sketch is highly regarded in the design community, particularly for those working on digital interfaces. While it may not have as broad a range of features as some of its competitors, its specialization in UI and UX design makes it an industry-standard tool for many professionals.

Why this product is good

  • Sketch is a vector graphics editor primarily used for user interface and user experience design. It is appreciated for its intuitive design, powerful features tailored for UI/UX designers, and a vibrant community with an extensive library of plugins and integrations. The software is known for its ease of use, real-time collaboration capabilities, and efficient prototyping tools, making it a go-to tool for many designers.

Recommended for

    Sketch is recommended for UI/UX designers, product designers, and digital artists who focus on app and web design. It is particularly suitable for teams that require real-time collaboration and those who benefit from using a tool with a vast ecosystem of plugins that can extend its functionality.

Sketch videos

Sketch Review | Vikram | Tamil Talkies

More videos:

  • Review - Sketch vs. Photoshop: The 5 Things Sketch Can Do That Photoshop Can’t
  • Review - sketch review by prashanth

openCanvas videos

[Steam] openCanvas 6 & 7 - Introduction Trailer

More videos:

  • Review - OpenCanvas 7 Part 1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Sketch and openCanvas)
Design Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Digital Drawing And Painting
Graphic Design Software
Image Editing
93 93%
7% 7

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Sketch and openCanvas

Sketch Reviews

Top 6 Figma Alternatives: Prototyping and UI/UX Tools
Sketch offers 2 premium plans, Standard and Business, which start at $9 and $20 per month per editor, respectively, and include a 30-day free trial. The software is exclusively accessible for macOS, and there is no free tier, although students and educators can obtain it for free through the Sketch for Education initiative.
Source: fronty.com
10 Best Figma Alternatives in 2024
Sketch is another best Figmawith alternative and it is a professional digital design tool used for creating user interfaces and user experience designs. It is popular among designers for its simple interface, powerful features, and focus on vector-based design.
Top 10 Figma Alternatives for Your Design Needs | ClickUp
Sketch started out as a vector editing platform, and it still boasts options like shorthand math operators and effortless editing for multiple borders, making the design process easier.
Source: clickup.com
9 Best InVision Alternatives to Switch to in 2024
Available as a native Mac app, using design tools on Sketch is only available to iOS users. However, non-iOS fans can browse, inspect, and collaborate on designs using the web app.
Source: designmodo.com
Figma Alternatives: 12 Prototyping and Design Tools in 2024
Sketch is a popular design tool used by many freelancers due to its wide range of tools at your disposal. You can create artboards, animated interactions, and prototypes and preview them through the Sketch app on desktop and iOS devices.

openCanvas Reviews

We have no reviews of openCanvas yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Sketch seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Sketch mentions (3)

  • How to make a Portfolio!?
    Start by building the PDF version, as that's easier. I use Sketch (sketch.com) for designing layout. Source: over 2 years ago
  • TurboPad Vector Illustration
    This TG-16 controller was originally drawn in Fireworks CS4 waaaaaay back in the day, but I re-drew it by hand using simple shapes and effects in Sketch and Figma. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Starting off as a UI/UX Designer.
    Every designer has to choose their preferred design tool where they can implement their prototypes.Try Figma, Sketchand Adobe XD. These are the main tools, try each and find your favorite, as for me I love Figma(Very good in collaboration). - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago

openCanvas mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of openCanvas yet. Tracking of openCanvas recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Sketch and openCanvas, you can also consider the following products

Figma - Team-based interface design, Figma lets you collaborate on designs in real time.

Krita - Krita is a professional FREE and open source painting program. It is made by artists that want to seaffordable art tools for everyone. Concept art. texture and matte painters, illustrations and comics.

Inkscape - Inkscape is a free, open source professional vector graphics editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

ibis Paint X - Drawn with + ibisPaint

Affinity Designer - Professional creative software, exclusively for Mac.

Clip Studio Paint - The artist's software for drawing and painting.