When it comes to designing a website, some designers use pen and paper while others rely on software. The online wireframe tool is becoming more and more popular. In this day and age, there are a lot of options from different types of software to the more simplified online platforms.
Who doesn’t like wireframes? That’s right, no one! You might never even heard about it, but savvy online businesses know the importance of wireframes to test how users interact with their website. If you’re looking for a professional wireframe tool, look no further.
Figma
Figma takes our top spot because of its combination of powerful cloud-based design software and the fact that users can build three projects for free before you have to select one of their payment plans.
Using Figma is as simple and straightforward as you could want it to be. While Figma doesn’t have its own built-in UI components, it does come with the option to upload your own or use a pre-designed kit.
It is, however, remarkably easy to create artboards, add in basic shapes and text, and do a certain level of prototyping.
All of the design organization is handled in one panel, allowing you to quickly move between different artboards, layers, and pages without getting overwhelmed.
The built-in Figma constraints show you how each element will respond on different sized screens, making it much easier to optimize your user experience for mobile devices.
When it comes to collaborative working, Figma allows multiple team members to access and edit the design and leave comments. Once the mockup is completed, you can access the CSS code and export individual elements.
Sketch
When it first hit the market in 2010, Sketch revolutionized what could be done with a wireframing tool.
While it is not available for Windows, Sketch’s simple and intuitive interface and focus on creating effective UIs and icon vector design make it a must for Mac-based designers.
Much like Figma, Sketch doesn’t come with its own built-in UI library, but, because of its popularity, a huge number of third-party UI kits are available and easy to upload.
One of the standout features of Sketch is its Symbol function, which allows you to create elements that automatically repeat across the entirety of your layout.
Sketch does offer a free trial. After that, you can purchase the entire program for a one-off fee rather than paying an ongoing subscription cost.
Justinmind
Justinmind is a wireframing tool available for Mac and Windows designed specifically for less techy designers. The platform is easy to learn and somewhat less complicated than other options like Figma or Sketch.
Just because the UI is more simplistic, however, does not mean that Justinmind lacks functionality. The platform is built to allow you to create wireframes that can be tested as prototypes right from the beginning and includes a range of interactive prototype elements.
Justinmind also includes a range of built-in UI elements, as well as a range of widgets for iOS, SAP, and Android. You can use custom styling options to edit the included elements or import your own.
Once you’re done, the prototype can be exported as HTML.
Adobe XD
For macOS and Windows
Price:
- Starter Plan: $0
- Single App: $9.99 per month
- All Apps: $52.99 per month
Hot Features in Adobe XD:
- Create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes in the same project file
- No need to integrate multiple tools
- 2GB free storage with Adobe XD’s free plan
Adobe XD is Adobe’s UX design app. It allows you to see your product in the prototype stage and can do everything from wireframing to basic prototyping. Its interface has a minimalist feel in comparison to other Adobe tools and new-user onboarding is relatively straightforward.
This tool lets you create a wireframe, mockup, and prototype within the same project file. There’s no need to integrate multiple tools or export after every iteration.
Adobe XD is free for one shareable prototype and up to 2GB of storage. Adobe’s Single App plan starts at $9.99/month and includes unlimited prototypes and 100GB of cloud storage space.
Other popular Adobe programs that you can also use for wireframing include Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
NinjaMock
Collaborative mockup and wireframing application for designing and testing mobile apps and web pages.
Price breakdown
- Free version (one project with 200 elements)
- Personal (three projects, single-user): $6.99/month
Why is NinjaMock great for wireframes?
NinjaMock lives up to its name by making wireframe creation super fast and efficient. It’s simple, quick to learn, and includes many interactive elements for both mobile and desktop.
The speed and intuitiveness of NinjaMock means you can spend less time learning how to work the software and more time getting creative with your wireframes. It’s also available for many platforms including IOS, Android, Windows phones and web.
Sharing and editing designs with clients is also made easy by the ability to produce unique links that can then be shared with customers allowing for real-time collaboration and editing.
Issues you may encounter with NinjaMock
If you’re a smaller company working on multiple projects that require various elements, NinjaMock’s pricing may not be feasible for you. Furthermore, users have reported issues with navigation between mockups and have requested more interactive layouts.
What users are saying about NinjaMock
- “I love the link feature which allows me to navigate through different pages: my customers love the live results!”
- “The major problem is with pricing, it’s a bit high for small companies.”
Conclusion
Wireframe tools help you create mockups of your website quickly by offering you essential design elements, without the need to know HTML or other coding languages. They also allow you to get user feedback on your designs, while avoiding any sort of commitment on behalf of your client.