What is Abstract's best feature?

Reviewers rate Versioning highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of Abstract are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).

Abstract Reviews & Ratings 2025

Overview

What is Abstract?

Abstract, from the company of the same name headquartered in San Francisco, offers a collaboration tool for developers and others, featuring a version controlled master file set and approval workflow.

A source of truth for design operations

Rating: 2 out of 10

July 6, 2021

IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User

The Design, Product, and Engineering teams use Abstract as a point of design collaboration and design/engineering handoff. In addition, the Product Design team uses Abstract t...

Verified user

Team Lead

2 years of experience

Keep your design department happy.

Rating: 8 out of 10

February 20, 2020

IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User

A great tool for our design department who use Abstract together with Sketch and Adobe. It is a great tool for collaboration and integration with the different design tools us...

Christopher Fritz

Technician - Information Technology

Head of Global IT

Vertic

2 years of experience

Abstract will eliminate the headache of design file management and collaborative design

Rating: 10 out of 10

January 25, 2020

IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User

Abstract helps us maintain version management of the design files. It is especially useful for teams to work on the same files in parallel. The idea of using Git to keep your ...

Verified user

Contributor

2 years of experience

A Necessary Addition to any Sketch-Based Product Team

Rating: 8 out of 10

January 24, 2020

IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User

Our product team uses Abstract in conjunction with Sketch for collaboration, file management, and versioning. It's imperative for us. Our team has three user experience design...

Verified user

Director

3 years of experience

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Pricing

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Abstract

N/A

Unavailable

What is Abstract?

Entry-level set up fee?

No setup fee

Offerings

Free Trial
Free/Freemium Version
Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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3 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

Zeplin

Free

What is Zeplin?

Zeplin, from the company of the same name, is a platform supporting collaboration in application development by engineers and designers by providing an API with popular collaboration, development and prototyping tools and creating a space where productions can be shared and reviewed.

Miro

$10

per month per user

What is Miro?

Miro provides a visual workspace for innovation, where distributed teams can build the future together. Miro counts more than 90 million users, who improve product development, speed up time to market, and ensure that new products deliver on customer needs.

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Product Details

About
Tech Details

What is Abstract?

Abstract Technical Details

Operating Systems	Unspecified
Mobile Application	No

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Comparisons

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Reviews From Top Reviewers

May 7th 2024

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Business Problems Solved
Pros
Cons
Recommendations

Abstract is a powerful tool that has effectively implemented version control, making it a key functionality for collaborative design projects. Users appreciate the ease of learning and using Abstract, although the higher price point may not be affordable for everyone.

The software facilitates collaboration within the team, allowing for easy sharing and modification of master/template files. With Abstract, multiple designers can work on the same project in real-time, improving productivity and iteration. It serves as a collective repository for design software source files like XD and Sketch, providing essential features for a design team's workflow, including sketch file versioning and remote collaboration.

Abstract helps in keeping design files organized and streamlining workflows between design teams. By enabling real-time collaboration and allowing designers to see each other's work, it brings accountability and transparency within the design team. The software also simplifies the process of sharing and versioning Sketch files among larger teams.

Compared to Github for designers, Abstract provides a reliable solution for finding and managing the latest versions of design files. Its ability to checkout and merge files with the work of other designers makes it a powerful tool. Abstract also enables easy feedback through features like the marque tool for selecting and commenting on specific parts of the design.

Additionally, Abstract is particularly useful for teams working in different time zones as it allows them to work together and roll back to old versions. It facilitates design collaboration, design/engineering handoff, and management of sketch pattern libraries. The software helps maintain version management of design files and allows teams to work on the same files in parallel.

Overall, Abstract solves the challenges of version control and collaboration in design teams by providing an intuitive platform that replaces other tools while saving costs.

Intuitive Interface: Users appreciate the intuitiveness of Abstract's interface, which simplifies tasks and makes them easy to accomplish. Multiple reviewers have highlighted this feature, making it a common sentiment among users.

Enhanced Collaboration: The ability to work on the same set of files in parallel with other designers is highly valued by users. This functionality enhances collaboration and allows for exploring different concepts without interfering with the master files. Several users have expressed their appreciation for this feature.

GitHub-Like Interface: Users who are familiar with GitHub or version control find Abstract's interface intuitive and easy to navigate. They appreciate the software's ability to maintain multiple versions of a project and request reviews before merging changes. Several reviewers have made comparisons between Abstract and GitHub in terms of its version control features, further highlighting their positive experience with Abstract's interface.

Complicated Branch Creation: Many users have expressed frustration with the branch creation feature in Abstract, stating that it is overly complex and makes it difficult to create branches for new projects. Some reviewers found the process confusing and time-consuming.

Issues with Manual Branch Merging: Several reviewers have encountered problems when manually merging branches in Abstract, resulting in various issues such as code conflicts and data loss. These issues have caused inconvenience and delays for users.

Technical Discoverability of Features: Some users, particularly those with less experience in branching, have found it challenging to navigate and discover certain features in Abstract due to their technical nature. They mentioned that the interface could be more intuitive and user-friendly for better usability.

Users recommend implementing processes for team members to follow when using Abstract to avoid chaos. They also suggest keeping an eye out for new releases from Abstract as it is still considered relatively new in the field. Additionally, users recommend Abstract for teams with multiple designers and for working with remote designers. They suggest watching YouTube videos to learn how to use Abstract effectively. Users believe that Abstract simplifies the way you work with your design team and keeps files well organized. Lastly, if you know GitHub, you will love Abstract.

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A Necessary Addition to any Sketch-Based Product Team

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

January 24, 2020

Verified User

Director in Other

Design Company, 5001-10,000 employees

Vetted Review

Verified User

3 years of experience

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Our product team uses Abstract in conjunction with Sketch for collaboration, file management, and versioning. It's imperative for us. Our team has three user experience designers and six user interface designers. So while we have a long to-do list, we are always working in groups on a single feature set from wireframing all the way to final designs for IT handoff.
Due to that, Abstract allows for robust versioning and file management without losing work. Before finding Abstract a few years ago, my team at the time had to carefully plan what features would be worked on and by who. Then make sure we don't have the same files open via Google Drive and clearly explain what artboards were changed and need to be addressed. It was a nightmare.
Abstract scans each of the Sketch files and looks for differences combine work and allows all of us to be working in one file at once.

Pros

Allows for collaboration within Sketch.
Allows for approval of work by team leads.

Cons

Frequent bugs between Abstract and Sketch.
Takes a lot of processing power and battery.

Likelihood to Recommend

Abstract, to me, is a necessary addition to a large team using Sketch. Without it, file management and sharing designs updates are impossible. However, if you have a small team, it's not worth the money. For us, a team of 9, it's a lifesaver. Even more so, because we are not all co-located, and ability to share a link to a specific file/artboard is a needed workaround from pointing at someone's screen.

Abstract Feature Ratings

Project Management (1)

70%

7.0

Workflow Automation: 70%
7.0

Communication (3)

80%

8.0

Notifications: 80%
8.0
Discussions: 90%
9.0
Internal knowledgebase: 70%
7.0

File Sharing & Management (5)

62%

6.2

Versioning: 100%
10.0
Document collaboration: 50%
5.0
Access control: 90%
9.0
Advanced security features: N/A
N/A
Device sync: 70%
7.0

Return on Investment

Saves time on file management
Keeps old, archived work

Alternatives Considered

Google Drive and Egnyte

Cloud services help hold files that everyone can access. Absrtact is not that, this is unparalleled for Sketch users; this allows for multiple users to be in the same file and help guide them through conflicts if there are even any of them. Abstract is the only one here solving this issue. However, if you use something like Figma or Adobe XD, it has this same collaboration built-in.

Support Rating

Abstract by nature is complex and has to respond to whatever changes in Sketch. So there are frequent issues. Support can be slow to respond and are not always helpful, but they are quick to find and patch the bugs. Overall, it's not the best support, but it hasn't been detrimental.

Keep your design department happy.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

February 20, 2020

Christopher Fritz

Head of Global IT

Vertic (Marketing and Advertising, 51-200 employees)

Vetted Review

Verified User

2 years of experience

View profile

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

A great tool for our design department who use Abstract together with Sketch and Adobe. It is a great tool for collaboration and integration with the different design tools used. It's especially great as we have designers working across the pond who need to work together as a team from different time zones. It gives a good option to work in files and document the process together, with the option of rolling back to old versions.

Pros

Versioning for desginers
Collaboration between team members

Cons

Integrations only work on Mac.
You need to use a seat as admin, even though we're not daily users.

Likelihood to Recommend

Our design department is indeed very happy with Abstract to solve their issues with regard to versioning and collaboration, etc. The admin side of the program is not that great. It's easy and simple, however, it would be nice to limit access more easily and maybe even link Abstract with our directory. The flexibility for accessing the work designers do can't be beaten!

Abstract Feature Ratings

Project Management (3)

76.66666666666667%

7.7

Workflow Automation: 80%
8.0
Mobile Access: 70%
7.0
Search: 80%
8.0

Communication (4)

90%

9.0

Chat: 100%
10.0
Notifications: 100%
10.0
Discussions: 80%
8.0
Internal knowledgebase: 80%
8.0

File Sharing & Management (5)

78%

7.8

Versioning: 100%
10.0
Document collaboration: 100%
10.0
Access control: 50%
5.0
Advanced security features: 40%
4.0
Device sync: 100%
10.0

Return on Investment

Collaboration between offices has been made easier and saves time
Easy to get back to a different version.

Alternatives Considered

I purchased and administer Abstract. It was requested by our design department who evaluated it.

Support Rating

Customer support seems to be fast at responding. We haven't had issues yet at least.

A source of truth for design operations

Rating: 2 out of 10

Incentivized

July 06, 2021

Verified User

Team Lead in Product Management

Hospitality Company, 1001-5000 employees

Vetted Review

Verified User

2 years of experience

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The Design, Product, and Engineering teams use Abstract as a point of design collaboration and design/engineering handoff. In addition, the Product Design team uses Abstract to facilitate a feature branch workflow—allowing team members to work on granular elements of larger projects—for Sketch files, design reviews, and management of Sketch pattern libraries. All communications within Abstract create a captured timeline of interactions that are useful for managers to see how projects progress through the design lifecycle.

Pros

Feature branch workflow
Design/engineering handoff
Design reviews
Pattern library management
Source of truth for UI design artifacts

Cons

People and permission management.
Sharing particular states (presentation, inspection, etc.).
New projects from templates.
Pattern library migration (new users).

Likelihood to Recommend

Large teams with dedicated design operations support
UX managers that want a facilitated workflow for their teams
Disciplined teams of individual contributors that want to adopt a process in their UI workflow
Cross-discipline teams that want a central collaboration space for reviewing and critiquing UI artifacts
If your files are named "FOR-REALS_FINAL_FINAL_FINAL_Super-Important-Project (copy).sketch"
If you're managing multiple pattern libraries

Abstract Feature Ratings

Project Management (2)

80%

8.0

Mobile Access: 70%
7.0
Search: 90%
9.0

Communication (2)

85%

8.5

Notifications: 90%
9.0
Discussions: 80%
8.0

File Sharing & Management (3)

76.66666666666667%

7.7

Versioning: 100%
10.0
Access control: 60%
6.0
Advanced security features: 70%
7.0

Return on Investment

Abstract allows the design team to focus on specific roadmap features
Abstract allows individual contributors to explore without impeding production work.
Abstract allows visibility into cross-departmental work.

Usability

Abstract has a difficult learning curve. If a feature-branch workflow is new to you, then it will take some getting used to. They make a lot of updates to the interface and these feature releases get ahead of their documentation. They rely heavily on an excellent customer support team and are present on various Slack channels to help design professionals with issues.

Support Rating

The support team is great and will be your primary method for interacting with Abstract after onboarding. The onboarding team is even better and provides custom consultation to get you and your team going. The only issues I've had with support are complicated corner cases, but they have either resolved the issue or provided a workaround in every case.

Other Software Used

Sketch, UserTesting, Whimsical, Zeplin, InVision

Abstract will eliminate the headache of design file management and collaborative design

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

January 25, 2020

Verified User

Contributor in Research & Development

Consumer Electronics Company, 5001-10,000 employees

Vetted Review

Verified User

2 years of experience

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Abstract helps us maintain version management of the design files. It is especially useful for teams to work on the same files in parallel. The idea of using Git to keep your design resources up to date and working is brought to life by Abstract. It is one of the best tools for a designer to maintain and rollback to various versions of their design and nothing is ever lost.

Pros

Branch management for design files.
Good collaborative features like comments and sharing.

Cons

Asset exports are not as great as Zeplin and others.
Filtering within files.

Likelihood to Recommend

Abstract is very useful for decently sized design teams, but might not be as useful for single designers. It is also only to be used within the design team for work management and sharing with anyone outside the design team is not advised. I personally find it useful to maintain archives of work in the cloud that I can access from anywhere. It also helps maintain a hygienic work structure.