Prototyping is a fundamental tool in the development of an interactive product. It makes the process shorter and cheaper by allowing developers to test functionality and look-and-feel of the application. When using prototyping tools, you can also save money due to the ability to change directions during the design process when new ideas emerge. In this article we’ll talk about some free prototyping tools that will help you build a new product.
Ever wanted to try your hand at creating a prototype for your website or app? I know the feeling. As the demand for digital products grows, so does the need to have an efficient way of creating prototypes. Prototyping is essential to the design process, and if you are looking to reduce product cycles, you’ll want to find a prototyping tool that works well with your team’s existing design software, requires little training time, has intuitive functionality, and reduces barriers between designers and developers. No matter what stage of prototyping you are in right now, at some point you will need to create that first clickable prototype. Here are the best free prototyping tools in 2021 that you can use today.
Figma
It is an all-in-one best prototyping tool. It makes the accessibility and collaboration for the designers and developers easier. It is a cloud-hosted platform. It has a very flexible style that offers better control over the text, grid, and other such elements of the design. There are some very useful plug-ins present with it like Autoflow, formation for animation, and more.
Pros:
- Easy switching between the prototype and design.
- It offers real-time feedback and quick sharing.
- It has powerful editing features
Cons:
- There is no convenient given in it to switch between layers.
- There is no version history or action history
- Some items don’t get opened and the restart is required then.
Compatible with: SaaS, Windows, Mac
InVision
It is a reputable prototyping tool for designing. It gives the user the power to put functional prototypes and share them together. It is packed with several features such as vector designing tools, sitewide changing of repeatable components, and other tools for adding animation and other visual effects. Communication and collaboration are two other strengths of InVision. Freehand makes the user draw, make notes and send feedback also. It also has a LiveShare feature which makes different users see the design simultaneously. Team members can work together on this application.
Pros:
- Rich interactive prototypes can be created with it that allow rapid iteration.
- Allows users to communicate, advance projects, and give feedback at the same time.
- All popular graphic formats are supported by it.
Cons:
- This is a very heavy application. It lags from time to time.
- It doesn’t give quick working experience.
- Navigation can be difficult sometimes.
Compatible with: Cloud, Windows, Mac
Sketch
It is mostly used by UX designers. The functionality of this open-source prototyping tool is based upon consistency and uniformity. The vector shapes easily adapt as per the changes in layout, size, and style. There are some really good shortcuts given to it which you can use at your fingertips which speeds up the process of designing.
Pros:
- There is no need of creating form fields in it and other UI elements also before using them in a wireframe layout.
- Multiple width views can be created in it as there is good flexibility of symbols is provided in it.
- It is packed with several features that save a lot of time
Cons:
- It has no tools for real image editing.
- No built-in prototyping functionality
- Third-party plug-ins required to support new versions
Compatible with: Mac OS X
Framer
If you have an understanding of designing the prototypes then this tool can be the best for you. This tool allows you to create master components with the click of a button. There are built-in interactive components that make work easy. It offers a seamless workflow with easy previewing, sharing, and version control options.
Pros:
- These free prototyping tools offer the users limitless possibilities even without built-in controls.
- There are project independent libraries present in it that allow intrinsic sharing of creations.
- The codes can be copied directly from the framer and can be used easily by developers.
Cons:
- It is a bit slower than its competitive tools.
- Mainstream tools interoperability is somewhat lacking in framer.
- There are no spec tools present in it.
Compatible with: Web and Mac
Origami Studio
Designed by Facebook, initially, this tool was meant to help developers design and build their projects. It is one of the very few design prototyping tools, that will allow you to create a prototype or mockup and directly test it out on your devices using the Origami Live app. There are tons of tools and customization options present in the tool, which makes this tool a must-have. The library of this tool has a lot of attractive templates and assets that can be used to create a mockup within a few minutes only.
Pros:
- It is a completely free prototyping tool.
- You can directly preview your creation on a device by using the Origami Live app.
- The asset library is loaded with interesting assets that can make your work easier.
Cons
- This software doesn’t have any type of cross-platform functionality.
Compatible with: Mac OS X
Draw.io
User-review rating: 4.3/5
Type: Web-based, Open source
Overview: Draw.io is a completely free and open-source wireframing software that feels similar in UI to Google Docs. It’s a simple layout with powerful features. Simply put, it may be the most robust free offering of any of the free wireframing tools on this list.
Users can export designs to their Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, their desktop, or directly supported integrations including Gliffy, Lucidchart and more. An added benefit is it’s active open-source community that works to fix product bugs and issues, and add new features.
Miro 
Clique favorite
User-review rating: 4.7/5
Type: Web-based, Freemium
Overview: Miro, which previously operated under the name RealTimeBoard, is an online whiteboarding tool for distribution product and UX teams. A nimble tool for fast prototyping, Miro is extremely collaborative and akin to using an extremely light version of figma.
Miro isn’t as robust as other dedicated prototyping tools, which sounds like a negative, but actually serves as one of its strengths, since its limitations help facilitate faster prototyping, with an experience that feels like sketching on a whiteboard in a virtual room with the rest of your team.
Miro is free for your first three boards, at which point each board costs $3 per-day-logged-in, or you can build unlimited boards for $15 per month per user.
MockFlow
User-review rating: 3.4/5
Type: Web-based or On-premise, Freemium
Overview: MockFlow is an all-in-one UI tool that offers free mockup and wireframing features in its forever free plan. Its free offering allows for one active UI project at anytime, two reviewers per project for collaboration, feedback, and sharing, and basic wireframing and mockup features.
MockFlow’s entry-level paid package starts at $14/mo per user and includes unlimited projects and reviewers, version history, and MockFlow’s UI asset library.
Adobe Experience Design:
Cost:
- Free
Runs on:
- OS X
- Windows
- Android
- iOS
Prototypes for:
- All
With Adobe XD, you can draw, reuse, and remix vector and build artwork to create wireframes, screen layouts, interactive prototypes, and production-ready assets all in the same app. We can switch easily from design to prototype right within the app. Also, add interactions and transitions and share with teammates and stakeholders to test the look and feel of your design.A product coming from adobe allows integrations with several of its products like Photoshop and After Effects which is a big plus.
Designers can be more productive by just importing files from their tools of Adobe without any hassle.Clients can make comments on your prototypes when you share directly, and view designs in real time on actual devices.
Axure:
Cost:
- 30-day Trial — Free
- Pro — $29/month ($495 to purchase)
- Team — $49/month ($895 to purchase, per user)
- Enterprise (includes on-premise solutions) — $99/month
Runs on:
- OS X
- Windows
Prototypes for:
- All OS’s
Axure provides powerful prototyping without the need for coding. It provides features like:
– Dynamic content for providing hover functions if present.
– Conditional flow statements for checking conditions
– Math functions like adding or removing from cart which reflects the amount
– Data-driven sorting
– Adaptive views for sizing the screen depending on the screen size
– Animations on the prototype can also be catered.
It also makes sharing a prototype to be viewed by your team or client very easy with the click of a button. Also, Axure RP will publish your diagrams and prototypes to Axure Share on the cloud or on-premises. Just send a link (and password) and others can view your project in a browser.
Conclusion
Prototyping tools are becoming popular because they do half the job of designing the website. They allow you to design quickly without much hassle. This article talks about best free prototyping tools that designers should definitely know about.