# Balsamiq vs Sketch

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Balsamiq

| Attribute | Balsamiq | Sketch |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 69 (69% (medium)) | 45.9 (56% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A wireframing and prototyping platform that combines AI-assisted design with real-time collaboration to help teams turn rough ideas into validated, interactive prototypes before handing off to developers. It is indexed under UI/UX & Prototyping Tools.","source":"https://balsamiq.com","question":"What is Balsamiq?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Balsamiq offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $16 per editor per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://balsamiq.com","question":"Is Balsamiq free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Balsamiq. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://balsamiq.com","question":"What platforms does Balsamiq support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Balsamiq, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://balsamiq.com","question":"Can Balsamiq be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for Balsamiq, including Slack, Jira, Confluence, Notion and MCP server (Claude, Cursor). This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://balsamiq.com","question":"What does Balsamiq integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for Balsamiq. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Balsamiq not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://balsamiq.com","question":"What security certifications does Balsamiq have?","confidence":0.48}]` | `[{"answer":"A design toolkit built for designers, with real-time team collaboration, unlimited free viewers, offline support via native Mac app, and developer handoff tools. Runs on web, macOS, and iOS. It is indexed under UI/UX & Prototyping Tools.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","question":"What is Sketch?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Sketch is sold across 6 plans: Subscription (Editor), Mac-only License, Viewer (Free) and Education (Free). We have not confirmed a published price for every tier. There is no free tier. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","question":"How much does Sketch cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Sketch supports the web, macOS and iOS. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","question":"What platforms does Sketch support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Sketch can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","question":"Can Sketch be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 4 integrations for Sketch, including Unsplash, Okta, Ping Identity and TrustLogin. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","question":"What does Sketch integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR for Sketch. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Sketch not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/docs/getting-started/single-sign-on/setting-up-saml-sso/setup-identity-provider/trustlogin-setup/","question":"What security certifications does Sketch have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Sketch is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the Netherlands.","source":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","question":"Where is Sketch available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A wireframing and prototyping platform that combines AI-assisted design with real-time collaboration to help teams turn rough ideas into validated, interactive prototypes before handing off to developers. | A design platform for creating user interfaces with support for design variables, design systems, interactive prototypes, and team collaboration. |
| features.capabilities | `{"ai_design":true,"dev_handoff":true,"pricing_model":"subscription","vector_design":true,"platform_breadth":"Web (Cloud), Desktop, Confluence, Jira","plugin_ecosystem":"Slack, Jira, Confluence, Notion, MCP server for Claude/Cursor","component_libraries":true,"clickable_prototyping":true,"realtime_collaboration":true}` | `{"ai_design":false,"auto_layout":true,"dev_handoff":true,"soc2_type_ii":true,"pricing_model":"subscription","self_hostable":true,"vector_design":true,"platform_breadth":"Web, macOS, iOS","plugin_ecosystem":"Third-party plugins and integrations available","component_libraries":true,"advanced_interactions":true,"clickable_prototyping":true,"realtime_collaboration":true,"third_party_plugin_ecosystem_api":true,"real_time_multiplayer_crdt_cursor_sync":true,"component_variants_and_property_overrides":true,"offline_editing_mode_with_conflict_resolution":true,"advanced_micro_interaction_animation_smart_animate":true,"developer_mode_handoff_environment_css_swift_export":true,"design_token_variable_mapping_colors_spacing_typography":true,"stateful_interactive_prototyping_with_variables_and_logic":true}` |
| integrations.count | 5 | 2 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Slack"},{"name":"Jira"},{"name":"Confluence"},{"name":"Notion"},{"name":"MCP server (Claude, Cursor)"}]` | `[{"name":"Unsplash"},{"name":"Okta"},{"name":"Ping Identity"},{"name":"TrustLogin"},{"name":"Slack","native":true,"category":"chat"},{"name":"Storybook","native":true}]` |
| market.availability | - | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"ios":true,"mac":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Starter","summary":"$16/editor/month billed annually ($192/year)","features":["Up to 10 projects","Unlimited reviewers","500 monthly AI credits per editor","Balsamiq MCP server","Slack integration","Custom UI components","Export to PDF or image"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"editor","amount":16,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Up to 10 projects, 500 monthly AI credits, Slack integration","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"projects":"10","reviewers":"unlimited","ai_credits_monthly":"500"}},{"free":false,"name":"Teams","summary":"$24/editor/month billed annually ($288/year)","features":["Up to 100 projects","Unlimited reviewers","1,000 monthly AI credits per editor","Balsamiq MCP server","Billing admin role and permissions","Custom UI components","Export to PDF or image","Priority support"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"editor","amount":24,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Up to 100 projects, 1,000 monthly AI credits, priority support","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"projects":"100","reviewers":"unlimited","ai_credits_monthly":"1000"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"$35/editor/month billed annually ($420/year)","features":["Everything in Teams, plus:","Up to 400 projects","2,500 monthly AI credits per editor","Balsamiq MCP server","SSO with SAML","Legal and security review support","Data storage in the US or EU","Premium support"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"editor","amount":35,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Up to 400 projects, 2,500 monthly AI credits, SSO, premium support","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"projects":"400","reviewers":"unlimited","ai_credits_monthly":"2500"}}],"summary":"From $16/editor/month. Free 14-day trial. Save 30% with annual billing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://balsamiq.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-01T15:33:44.068Z","freeTrialDays":14,"startingPrice":{"amount":16,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Subscription (Editor)","features":["Web app on any browser","Native Mac app (offline or real-time)","iOS viewer app","Real-time collaboration","Design and prototype tools","Component libraries","Free developer handoff"],"minSeats":1,"commitment":"annual","description":"Per-editor subscription to the full Sketch platform","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"viewers":"unlimited","handoff_tools":"free"}},{"free":false,"name":"Mac-only License","features":["Native Mac app","Offline design","No collaboration features"],"minSeats":1,"description":"One-time license for Mac app only, local file storage","contactSales":false},{"free":true,"name":"Viewer (Free)","summary":"Free","features":["Browse designs in web browser","Comment and feedback","Inspect files and download assets","Test prototypes","Access developer handoff tools"],"description":"Unlimited free viewers can be invited to a Workspace","contactSales":false},{"free":true,"name":"Education (Free)","summary":"Free for verified students, teachers, and institutions","features":["Full Sketch platform","One Editor seat (students/teachers)","Multiple seats (institutions)"],"minSeats":1,"description":"Free Workspace for students and teachers; institutions receive multiple seats","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Non-Profit Discount","summary":"50% discount with organization verification","commitment":"annual","description":"50% discount on yearly Standard subscription or Mac-only license for qualifying non-profits","contactSales":true},{"free":false,"name":"Private Cloud","summary":"One-time setup fee plus potential additional charges for custom requirements","features":["Private cloud environment"],"description":"Custom deployment with one-time setup fee","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Subscription-based starting at a per-editor monthly rate (billed yearly preferred). Free Viewer tier. Free for students, teachers, and qualifying non-profits. Mac-only license available as one-time purchase. Private Cloud option available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://www.sketch.com/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-04T16:00:54.048Z","billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | no |
| pricing.model | commercial | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | mid | unknown |
| pricing.transparent | yes | no |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.9 | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC2","status":"active"},{"name":"ISO 27001","status":"active"},{"name":"PCI Certification","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.pci | - | yes |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://www.sketch.com/docs/getting-started/single-sign-on/setting-up-saml-sso/setup-identity-provider/trustlogin-setup/ |

## Capabilities (UI/UX & Prototyping Tools)

| Capability | Balsamiq | Sketch |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Design** |  |  |
| Vector UI design | ✓ | ✓ |
| Component / design-system libraries | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto layout / responsive | - | ✓ |
| **Prototyping** |  |  |
| Clickable prototyping | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced interactions (variables / conditions) | - | ✓ |
| **Collaboration** |  |  |
| Real-time multiplayer collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Handoff** |  |  |
| Dev handoff / spec export | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Platform** |  |  |
| Platform breadth (Web / macOS / Windows / Linux / self-hosted) | Web (Cloud), Desktop, Confluence, Jira | Web, macOS, iOS |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Self-hostable / open-source | - | ✓ |
| **AI** |  |  |
| AI design assist | ✓ | ✗ |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| Plugin / community ecosystem | Slack, Jira, Confluence, Notion, MCP server for Claude/Cursor | Third-party plugins and integrations available |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:06:14.140Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*