CompareStack/GIMP vs Sketch
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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.

G
GIMP

Free open-source image editor as an alternative to Photoshop

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

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

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

⚡ Quick Stats

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

📊 Ratings Breakdown

G

GIMP

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

Sketch

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

⚡ 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
Try GIMP Free →
Choose Sketch if you need:
  • ✓ UI Design
  • ✓ Prototyping
  • ✓ Symbols & Libraries
  • ✓ Smart Layout
  • ✓ Responsive Design
Try Sketch Free →

🔧 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

💰 Pricing Comparison

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

G

GIMP Plans

Free tier available

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

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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