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Any web designer, be it an amateur or a professional, would be familiar with Wireframes and their role in website design and development.
If you aren’t aware of Wireframes, here’s a quick recap:
Wireframes are skeleton structures that help you plan the design layout of a website or app. They are something akin to blueprints, used in construction and other industries. The wireframe helps both the designer and the client, evaluate if the project is headed in the right direction. There’s often a gap between the intended workings of a site or an app and the client’s goals. This is where a Wireframe comes in.
“A Wireframe ensures that both the designer and the client are on the same page, regarding the working and functionality of the site.” Instead, of verbally explaining how a particular site will work, you can make use of Wireframes to strip down the product and explain the functions and user-interactivity visually.
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Options Aplenty
The number of Wireframe Tools in the market is a lot more than ever before. Each one offers various functionalities. While a few are simple and just give you the bones of the project, others can even help you in creating a working prototype. Here in this article, we present you the top 10 Wireframe Tools in the market in no particular order. Most of these tools offer free trials. Use the free trial period to work with it, and then choose the right that suits your specific needs.
Wireframe.Cc
It’s one of the most commonly used Wireframe Tools. It’s simple, easy to use, thereby making it the most preferred choice for web designers. They use it to create a design workflow. Since the interface is straightforward, and the features are limited, it makes it easy for developers to concentrate on the task at hand, without getting distracted. Thereby, one can create effective wireframes using this tool.
Pros:
It has a simple WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface. You can get started with it, without creating a user account.
Ideal for:
Works well for beginner web designers, who are looking for a simple tool, to digitize their paper wireframe designs.
Platforms:
Since it’s a web-based app, you can access it anytime, anywhere and on any device, irrespective of whether it’s a Mac or a Windows PC.
Usage Cost:
It has a basic account that you can access free. But, if you’re looking for additional features like embedded elements, then you must subscribe to a paid account that costs $15 per month.
Mockflow
This is another option for those who are new to wireframing and aren’t aware of the intricacies of the process.
Pros:
Mockflow has an online store that has third-party templates, which you can use for a fee. Even if you aren’t looking to buy a template, you can just browse through the store for some design inspiration.
Ideal for:
Designers and web developers who are looking to integrate their wireframe designs with Trello and/or Slack.
Platforms:
It’s available on both Mac OS and Windows.
Usage Cost:
The basic plan starts at $14 per month. However, this plan has several benefits like Unlimited projects, access to both the Mac OS and Windows app and up to five different users on different machines.
Axure
If you’re looking for a tool with advanced features and functionalities, then opt for Axure. It’s completely data-driven and provides users with the option to validate any ideas before implementing codes.
Pros:
It can include animations, conditional flows, and dynamic content. It gives designers the control over all parts of the design, right from start to finish.
Ideal for:
Intermediate to Advanced Web Designers
Platforms:
It’s available on both Mac OS and Windows.
Usage Cost:
It’s a bit on the expensive side and costs around $29 per month or $495 for a permanent license. However, when you pay this fee, you get the ability to create wireframes, sketch flow diagrams and more.
InVision
It’s one of the most popular tools used in the web design fraternity.
Pros:
It’s easily integrated with both Trello and Slack.
Ideal for:
Web designers who are looking for wire-framing tools with the ability to create beautiful and robust prototypes
Platforms:
Since it’s a web-based app, it can be accessed anytime from anywhere.
Usage Cost:
It’s completely free. Only enterprises are required to pay a monthly fee.
MockPlus
It’s advertised as a fast wire-framing and prototyping tool. It promises more rapid design, interactions, and testing.
Pros:
It has a variety of features that help in a fast operation like Sketch, InDesign, predesigned components, markup elements, QR codes for testing, a WYSIWYG editor, master documents and several others.
Ideal for:
Web Designers who are looking to develop wireframes and prototypes quickly and without much of a hassle
Platforms:
It’s available on Windows, iOS, Mac OS and Android.
Usage Cost:
The subscription fee is $129 annually for a single user. However, you can pay $399 for a lifetime license. Alternatively, there is also a free version, but it doesn’t have all the features of the paid version.
Moqups
It’s a vibrant wire-framing tool that lends a crisp aesthetic to every project. It provides features that lie on both ends of the spectrum. From lo-fi features like flow charts to hi-fi functionality like prototypes and interactivity, you can get all that you require with Moqups.
Pros:
It integrates cloud storage, real-time user feedback, and provides the option of unlimited users for a single subscription.
Ideal for:
Freelancers who work with others or small agencies looking to digitise their wireframes
Platforms:
It’s web-based, making it accessible anytime and anywhere.
Usage Cost:
If you’re a small team, then you can opt for the $13 per month plan and house ten projects at a time, with 1 GB of storage. Bigger teams can choose the $29 per month plan and house unlimited projects and get 20 GB of storage.
Balsamiq
One of the biggest draws of Balsamiq is that designers can create low-fidelity frames, thereby emphasizing concepts. The simple mantra of this tool is: Honest Feedback paves the way for better products and happy end users.
Pros:
More than prototypes, it helps in creating great stories that impress clients. The emphasis is more on storyboarding than on interactivity. So, if you’re looking for honest feedback from customers, then this is the way to go.
Ideal for:
Designers who are looking to get the clients involved in the design with healthy discussions.
Platforms:
It’s available as a web app as well as desktop software for Windows and Mac OS.
Usage Cost:
You can get the desktop version for a flat fee of $89 or subscribe to the web-based application for a fee of $12 per month.
SimpleDiagrams
This tool adds a fun, sketching element to the process. This makes it appealing for designers who want to add some flair and creativity to their designs.
Pros:
It has over 500+ pre-drawn shapes and a vast background library. It’s a great tool to share ideas among your team members.
Ideal for:
Perfect for web designers to sketch their ideas and concepts quickly, before moving on to other wire-framing and prototyping tools
Platforms:
It’s available for both Windows and Mac OS.
Usage Cost:
You can purchase it for a flat-rate of $49 and use it on up to three devices.
HotGloo
It’s a web-based tool that helps in improving collaboration among team members, who are located in different geographical locations.
Pros:
It has several attractive features like the option to implement wireframes and prototypes in HTML, 2000+ UI elements that you can include in your project, ability to change viewpoints to see how a design will look on desktops and handheld devices.
Ideal for:
Web Designers who have a firm understanding of Wire-framing and looking for out of the box UI solutions
Platforms:
It’s entirely web-based.
Usage Cost:
The most popular subscription plan costs $27 per month and allows ten users to collaborate on six different projects.
MockingBot
It’s a tool that is aimed at developers who are looking to bring their designs quickly to life. While it’s neither feature-rich nor robust, it’s an excellent tool for frequent and dynamic prototype building and wire-framing. It’s a great tool for budding web designers to practice and test their wire-framing skills before moving on to complicated projects.
Pros:
It lays particular emphasis on mobile app development. It has the option to drag-and-drop content blocks, images, and transitions into the mock-up. You can create a client-ready wireframe within ten minutes using this tool.
Ideal for:
Web designers looking for wireframe tools specifically geared to building mobile apps
Platforms:
It’s available as a desktop application for Windows, Mac OS, and Ubuntu. Additionally, you can use the plug-in for iOS, Android, and Sketch.
Usage Cost:
The subscription fees vary depending on the number of users. The starting plan is around $10 per month for five collaborators.
The Bottom Line
While there are a number of tools available for web designers to create, conceptualise and bring ideas to life, what works for one may not work for another. Instead of choosing a tool based on its reviews, try out different tools, before you zero in on the perfect one that works the best for you.
Most of the tools on this list offer free trials or even free, basic accounts. Try out a few and then decide on the one that you love.
