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The 10 best wireframe tools to make wireframes, mockups & prototypes

wireframe tools
By James Rose. Last Updated September 18, 2023
Wireframe Tools

For a website to be born, a wireframe, mockup, or prototype has to come first. For website designers, wireframe tools are essential in the design process. They allow them to create options before coding the final result. So, as UI or UX designers, what are the best wireframe tools to create your digital masterpiece? We’re going to look at the 10 best wireframe tools to make wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to help you can narrow down your selection.

1. Template Toaster

Template Toaster

Template Toaster is wireframe software downloaded directly to your desktop. It’s a simple and powerful tool to bring your website design dreams to life.

Features:

  • Simple and easy to use
  • Two available paid plans, Standard and Professional.
  • Includes optional pre-built templates, icon sets, and free stock images.
  • Pre-designed easy to use mockups
  • Resulting wireframes and mockups work seamlessly on any device, regardless of size
  • Mockups act as a real website so you can interact with all of the elements without setting anything in stone, including testing links
  • After your wireframe or mockup is complete, it can be exported and uploaded to the server where you can ask for client feedback for any comments or changes

2. Mockplus

best wireframe tools

Mockplus is one of the best when it comes to creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes and certainly one of the most powerful. Mockplus lets you preview your project so you can get feedback from other users. Unfortunately, Mockplus does not have all the features of Template Toaster. You can’t export your project, there’s no cloud storage and no email notification. That said, Mockplus does have plenty of pros.

Features:

  • Free and paid versions of the software
  • Supports all platforms, including iOS, Android, and web apps
  • Low-fidelity prototyping tool
  • Includes over 200 components with over 3000 icons
  • Although you cannot export the file, Mockplus gives you a variety of options to share and test wireframes and prototypes
  • No coding required
  • Drag and drop design

3. Moqups

Moqups

Looking for a purely web-based platform instead of software you have to download to your computer? Moqups may just be for you. One of the benefits of a web-based platform is that you can work from anywhere across different devices.

Features:

  • Creates a wireframe for both mobile and web applications
  • Supports platforms including iOS, Android, Web, MacOS, and Windows
  • Choose from a variety of drag-and-drop pre-made templates
  • Create your own web frame from scratch with plenty of styling and front options available
  • Comes with stencil kits integrated into the program

4. Balsamiq Mockups

Balsamiq-Mockups

Balsamiq Mockups is known for designing wireframes fast as it focuses on sketching the wireframe rather than worrying about filling in too many details. Balsamiq Wireframes and Mockups is also an online wireframe tool.

Features:

  • Supports platforms like MacOS and Windows
  • Easy to use drag-and-drop features
  • Low-fidelity wireframes
  • Option to print prototypes and run online user tests.
  • Variety of sketch and wireframe skins
  • Mock files transfer easily to Google Drive
  • Option to work offline or online

5. InVision

InVision

InVision is a fantastic cloud-based option for creating high-fidelity prototypes that allow the user to create fully functioning examples of their website.

Features:

  • Supports iOS, Android, and web platforms
  • Quick and easy construction of prototypes with drag and drop function
  • Clickable prototypes
  • Easily share the link to your prototype to get instant feedback from your client or other designers

6. OmniGraffle

OmniGraffle

OmniGraffle is one of the best tools out there for designing wireframes, diagrams, and page layouts and it works flawlessly with Mac.

Features

  • 14-day trial offer with three paid versions to choose from afterward
  • For use with MacOS and iOS only
  • Customize a stencil or select from a library of completed stencils
  • Great to create diagrams and other advanced features
  • Contains a drag-and-drop environment to simplify the process as much as possible
  • Create fully functional wireframes, UI mockups, and flow charts

7. Gliffy

Gliffy

Gliffy is another web-based application that lets you use a wide variety of tools in your website production - including wireframes, technical drawings, network diagrams, UML diagrams, and flowcharts.

Features:

  • Includes three paid versions
  • Gliffy allows the user to create helpful Venn diagrams
  • Easy drag and drop interface
  • Protects accidental change and track changes
  • Capability of sharing wireframe on any platform

8. Marvel

Marvel

Marvel is a web-based design tool that allows you to create wireframes and prototypes. It includes support for sketch and Photoshop files that can then be added to a Marvel library to be stored or to receive feedback.

Features:

  • Compatible with iOS and Android
  • Four paid plans available
  • Can test your design on any size screen, even as small as an Apple watch
  • Offers easy collaboration with clients and other designers

9. Canva

Canva

You may have heard of Canva for creating virtually any kind of web-based design – wireframes, mockups, and prototypes are no exception.

Features:

  • A wireframe can be designed in a matter of minutes
  • Apps are available for iOS and Android
  • Easy drag-and-drop interface
  • Ready-to-use wireframe layouts library with stock images available
  • Wireframes are easily shareable via email or direct link

10. Proto.io

Proto.io

Proto.io is a purely browser-based wireframe tool that is easy to learn and work with. Proto.io is known for creating prototypes that function and feel real without any coding necessary.

Features:

  • Compatible with Mac and Windows
  • Four paid plans available
  • High fidelity interaction experience
  • Allows you to test prototyping on a mobile device while still being able to make changes
  • Sketch import and Dropbox synchronization options

Although there are plenty of wireframe tools available, these are certainly ten of the best. Whether you’re looking for software you can download onto your computer or a cloud or browser-based platform, there are plenty of simple and effective tools available for your needs.

If you are unsure as to where to begin, check out a list We've compiled with some of the best website wireframe examples.

James Rose

James is the co-founder of Content Snare - a software platform that helps professionals collect content & files from clients.

Once an automation engineer, his new priority is to help business owners regain their lives, be more productive and get more done in less time.

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