ReviewDeck vs SyncSketch
SyncSketch and ReviewDeck agree on more than most rivals do: reviews should be frame-accurate, drawn on, and built for people who make animation and games. They disagree on two things - whether a review happens live, and where your media lives. This page is a factual comparison; both tools are good at what they're actually for.
Facts on this page were checked on 18 August 2026 against SyncSketch's published documentation. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and it'll be corrected.
| ReviewDeck | SyncSketch | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your media lives | On drives you own - a folder, a NAS, or a cloud folder you already pay for | SyncSketch's cloud |
| How reviews happen | Async by design - everyone leaves notes in their own time, merged into one timeline | Live synchronised sessions are the headline: everyone on the same frame, drawing together. Async works too |
| 3D review | Meshes and Gaussian splat captures, in a viewport, offline. Notes pinned to the exact camera view | 3D models including shading, textures and UV maps, in the browser |
| Sending work out | One .rdeck file; the recipient opens it in a browser portal that's blocked from the network. No account | Link sharing to the cloud platform; a recipient without an account can join a review as a guest by giving a name |
| Commercial use on the free tier | Yes - the free app is the full tool, for your own work and the work you're trusted with | The free plan is for individuals; commercial work requires a paid plan |
| Buying it | Own it. Indie free; Team £100 once (coming soon). No subscription | Subscription only - no product licence is offered to purchase |
| Pipeline hooks | Timeline markers for DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro and Final Cut | Maya, Unity and Flow (ShotGrid) integrations, plus a Python API |
| Made by | An independent developer who uses it on his own game work | Unity (acquired SyncSketch in 2021) |
Where SyncSketch is the better choice
If your dailies are a call - a director and five animators drawing on the same frame at the same moment - SyncSketch is genuinely the tool for that, and ReviewDeck deliberately isn't. Its 3D annotation is mature, its Maya and Flow integrations slot into studio pipelines, and the synchronised player is the thing it was founded on. Remote teams who live in real-time sessions should use it.
Where ReviewDeck is the better choice
When the review can't leave the building - or the drive. When notes need to land in an edit timeline rather than a pipeline tracker. When "free" needs to cover client work, not just personal projects. When you want to review a splat capture next to the trailer cut and the key art in one library. And when you'd rather pay once and own the tool than rent it monthly: your library is plain files in your own folders, so it stays readable on your drive no matter what happens to any company - including this one.
Questions
Does ReviewDeck do live synced sessions like SyncSketch?
No, and it won't pretend to. ReviewDeck is async by design: people review in their own time and every note merges into one timeline. If your workflow is a live drawing session, SyncSketch does that well. See What it isn't.
Which is better for 3D review?
Both review meshes with drawn notes. SyncSketch adds live synchronised 3D sessions and Maya-pipeline hooks; ReviewDeck adds Gaussian splat captures, notes baked to exact camera views, and the whole thing running offline on your own drive.
Can I use the free version for paid client work?
With ReviewDeck, yes - the free Indie app is the full tool for your own work and the work you're trusted with. SyncSketch's free plan is for individuals, and commercial work requires a paid subscription.
Is my footage uploaded anywhere?
No. ReviewDeck has no server. Media, notes and drawings live on your drives, and a sent review file opens in a portal that is blocked from all network access.
What happens to my reviews if a tool shuts down?
A ReviewDeck library is ordinary files in your folders - media, notes and drawings stay on your drive and stay readable regardless of any company's fate. That's a property of the file-based design, not a promise.
Also compare: ReviewDeck vs Frame.io →