Prototyping tools act as a bridge that gap between the initial design and the finished product. It is a rough draft to identify what works and what doesn’t. It can help us solve design problems before writing even a single line of code. Today’s clients want to see interactive prototypes, which show the concepts in action and help them see how their ideas will take shape.
The possibility of promptly sharing different iterations of ideas with clients can accelerate the design process. This flexibility is more important when we consider various device formats we must now factor in.
I feel happy because designing with particular emphasis on intuitive user interaction and ergonomics is becoming a common practice for many app designers, web developers, web designers and programmers. Also, designers who design for products that goes far beyond displays.
At the same time, we will see the difference between wireframe, mockup and prototype before looking at the prototyping tool. The terms wireframe, mockup and prototype are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. But, they are not the same.
Wireframe
A wireframe is a static, low fidelity representation of a design. If you want to design a web application or a mobile application, you will first need a sketch of how each page is going to look like. You can define the application flow and a first draft of design. It has a sketch of how it will look like, what buttons will be there, what fields will be there, etc . It is a visual illustration of a web page that showcases how each component of the web page is organized and how it will look like.
Mockup
Mockups are middle to high-fidelity, static, design representation. Mockup is a visual design draft, or even the actual visual design. They are static displays of how the visuals of the final product should look. Mockup represents the structure of information, visualises the content and demonstrates the basic functionalities in a static way. It encourages people to actually review the visual side of the project. This offers you the opportunity to make the vital decisions about color schemes, typography, and style.
Prototype
A prototype is middle to high-fidelity representation of your final design to almost any degree of detail you choose. It is a simulation of the final interaction between the user and the interface. It allow users to explore the UI, pinpointing which elements work best, and predicting usability problems before they become problems.
Prototypes provide a variety of functions in the web design process. Here I’ve compiled them into four main categories:
- Test logic — You want to see for yourself whether or not an idea will work as you planned.
- User testing — You want to fine-tune the product based on your target users’ preferences.
- Pitch an idea — You want to demonstrate how your idea works while presenting to clients.
- Proof of concept — You want to get the rest of your team on board with your suggestion.
Of the three, the one that would make the most of an impression would be the prototype. Each prototype tool has different end goals and audiences. However, the same prototyping tool does not work for every situation.
There are so many UI/UX prototyping tools out there how do you know which tool to choose? Choosing the perfect tool will bring you twice efficiency with half the effort. Ask yourself some questions before making your choice.
1. Learning: How long do I need to learn this tool? How long will it take me to create the prototype once the tool was up and running? Avoid heavy tools featuring an abundance of unnecessary whistles.
2. Fidelity: What is the reliability requirement of your prototypes? Do you need something that supports more details and complex interactions? Are wireframes that shows the app layout and structure sufficient?
3. Skills: Are you a newbie or professional in this filed? Do you have visual design experience? Is programming knowledge or coding required?
4. The purpose of the application: Are you prototyping mobile apps, desktop apps, websites, or all of the above?
5. Share: It is important to consider the collaboration features supported by the prototyping tools. You can ability to share your prototype with others and work collaboratively on the prototype.
6. Pricing: How much do you want to pay for design tools?
There are many tools available on the market for prototyping websites and mobile applications. Below I’ve compiled a list of the most popular ones that ease the process of conceptualizing, wireframing, prototyping, mockups and designing digital products. I hope you find out the one fit your exact need.
1. Sketch
Sketch is a power, flexibility, lightweight and easy-to-use package tool. It is a vector design tool entirely focused on user interface design. Vectors mean scalability. Its Vector shapes easily adapt to changing styles, sizes and layouts, which allows you to avoid a lot of painful hand-tweaking. Sketch is built for modern graphic designers that use a single unit, styles only relevant to UI design, a built-in iPhone previewing tool called Mirror and Artboards, the most efficient way to design multiple screens.
Designers can easily edit the position, rotation and size of one or more objects at a time. You can reuse the named Layer Style in on multiple objects. Sketch comes with unlimited gradient fills , different blending modes, infinite borders, shadows and more. This tool lets designers dynamically edit 4 different types of blur like Gaussian, Motion, Zoom, and Background. It is ideal for iOS design. You can export your layers with one click directly out of Sketch. No need to add separate slice layers.
Sketch is made specifically for Mac OS X users to design interfaces, websites and icons. Sketch is perfect for designing for multiple devices, and delivering assets is a breeze. It is the ultimate tool for iOS, Android and Web design.
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Premium – $99
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
- Android
- Web
OUTPUT
- PNG
- JPG
- HTML
2. Framer
Framer is a professional tool for concepting, prototyping and sharing interactive design projects. It is ideal for prototyping high fidelity animations or complex interactions for desktop or mobile apps. In Framer, you will have to code. You won’t be limited as other apps like dragging and dropping, pushing buttons, or connecting dots.
Framer is a code-based prototyping tool. Prototypes are built with Coffeescript, a simpler and more legible way of writing JavaScript. Framer Studio has a live interactive preview, which updates instantly when you change something. Prototypes can also be viewed on Android and iOS devices using a Mirror app.
Framer supports Sketch and Photoshop projects, and will also preserve your design’s layers. You can also import After Effects files. Framer lets generate a URL that can be shared with your clients, which can be opened on mobile devices for live previews.
PRICING
- Trial – 14 days
- Monthly License – $15/month
- Yearly License – $159/year
- Enterprise – Contact
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Advanced support for gesture-based interactions
- Fine-grain control for adding interactivity and animations to individual elements
- Great tool with robust functionalities
- High fidelity output for animations and interactions
- View prototype on Android, iOS, or web through Mirror app
- Thorough documentation available for Coffeescript language
3. Justinmind
Justinmind was created in 2008. It is a flexible prototyping tool. JustInMind provides designers with the best design solution to prototype feature-rich mobile and web apps, web products and enterprise apps, and more. It can be downloaded to your computer instead of being used in a browser, which allows you to work offline.
You can use items from UI libraries and ability to download add-ons in form of ready-made modules, including Twitter Bootstrap, Google Charts and more.
It allows you to build interactive prototypes with drag and drop placement, re-sizing, formatting and export/import of widgets. Justinmind is a great wireframe tool for those trying to get some sophisticated prototyping results.
PRICING
- Trail – 30 days, Pro – 29/month
- Annually – $228
- Unlimited Perpetual License – $495
(Free updating for the first year, after that you should pay $99 every year for updating)
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
- Web
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- All-in-one prototyping tool
- Offline work
- Sophisticated prototyping features
- Medium-to-high intricacy in prototypes
4. Draftium — Turbo wireframing tool for websites
Draftium has 350+ ready-made blocks and 300+ prototype templates that allows you to visualize a website idea within 15-30 minutes. It is a free online turbo prototyping tool for website ideation and collaboration. It helps web-designers or studios, marketers, and account managers to make everyday easy.
Prototyping in Draftium is based on blocks. You can remove or add them with checkboxes. So you do not have to add elements one-by-one, they already exist.
Once the project is done, You can share the link with team members or clients to collect feedback right on the prototype. All the edits will be displayed online.
PRICING:
- Free — Up to 3 prototypes — 50 prototype templates — 250+ ready-to-use blocks — Free icons and images
- PRO Subscription — $199/year — Unlimited prototypes — 300+ prototype templates — 250+ ready-to-use blocks — Custom domain and branding removal
RUNS ON
- Web
- Mobile (in the process of development)
PROTOTYPE FOR:
- Web
OUTPUT:
- HTML
- Website with SSL certificate
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Ideate your website in minutes with 300+ templates and 350+ ready-made blocks
- Edit prototype elements in one click with block settings panel
- Add texts, pictures, and make it interactive – to make it look like a real site, just black&white
- Check final user experience on any device – it will be responsive even on iPhone XI
- Collect feedback and get approval from your team members, clients or even your mom
Read More: Incredible future of Metaverse in 2023
5. TemplateToaster
TemplateToaster is a popular Prototyping Tool cum Website Builder. Thus TemplateToaster is a complete tool that you need to create a website, right from the prototyping to the designing of the website. In fact, TemplateToaster has been a big name amongst UI/UX designers and can be efficiently used by beginners as well as professionals. It is a flexible, but powerful prototyping tool, which comes with an easy-to-use interface and almost an insubstantial learning curve.
TemplateToaster allows you to quickly put together low-fidelity prototypes which can later transform into stunning prototypes.
You can use it to create wireframes from scratch and add basic UI elements from the extensive library. Other than this, you can also customize the pre-designed templates and choose from a wide array of selections. As a prototyping tool, TemplateToaster is built to enhance the speed and ease of the designing process for UI/UX designers. You can create prototypes in just minutes with more than thousands of pre-made templates.
You can also enjoy handy features like drag-and-drop, pre-made templates and theme designs and also create an entire website without any coding. With TemplateToaster you can easily customise the properties of the elements in your document, including layers, animations, and more in just a single click. You can also customise the colours, and make it look more appealing.
Pricing:
- Free Trial: Available
- Standard Edition: $99
- Professional Edition: $149
Runs On:
- Windows
Prototype For:
- Desktop
- Tablet
- Mobile
Output:
- HTML
Recommended For:
- Beginners and professionals looking for intuitive prototyping tools.
- Improve requirement gathering, wireframing, and prototyping.
- A powerful library of wireframing elements and pre-designed templates.
- Intuitive interface with no learning curve.
6. Axure
Axure is well-known in the UX design field. Unarguably, Axure is one of the most popular and robust prototyping tools around. This widely-used tool has been around since 2002 and is among the most comprehensive of prototyping tools in terms of functionality.
In Axure, you can quickly create prototypes of responsive websites and mobile applications. Axure allows designers to create very advanced interactive prototypes, create Master Pages and use ready-made components from widget libraries. For each component, designers can import images, add colors, gradients, and change transparency.
Axure is that it aids diagramming and documentation. The prototyping tool facilitates the creation of “flowcharts, mockups, user journeys, wireframes, personas, idea boards, and more. If you are a professional designer, you can use Axure to build more sophisticated and interactive prototypes. However, it requires some time to master and the basic knowledge of programming.
PRICING
- Trail – 30 days, Pro – $29/month, Pro Perpetual License – $495
- Team – $49/month, Team Perpetual License – $895
- Enterprise – $99/month
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Built-in widgets and a huge library of third-party widgets
- Highest level of intricacy for prototypes
- Good for making interactive prototype with complex interaction
- Hands-on designers
- Designers familiar with the basics of coding
7. Balsamiq
Balsamiq Mockups is a rapid wireframe tool that helps you work faster. It is an interesting product running on Adobe AIR. Balsamiq is intended to recreate the experience of using a whiteboard with computer as a medium.
Wireframes created in Balsamiq are very low-fidelity, similar to freehand sketches. You can choose from more than 500 pre-made icons and many basic ready-made items stored in the UI libraries. It allows the designer to arrange pre-built widgets using a drag-and-drop editor.
This tool allows you to produce quality roughs. Balsamiq offers a standard collection of interactive screen elements, which is helpful to start off with. It introduces BMML (a flavor of XML), which enables you to export your wireframes. If you are not a professional designer and you would like to create simple and static wireframes, this is the application for you.
PRICING
- Trail – 30 days, Single User License – $89 (lifetime)
- Multi-User license – start at $178 for two users (Volume License – Varies by number of users)
RUNS ON
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
- Web
OUTPUT
- PNG
- BMML (a flavor of XML)
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Low-fidelity wireframes
- Rapid conceptual prototyping
- Brainstorming
8. Webflow
Webflow is a professional drag and drop tool build for designing website using only the visual-based UI. A CMS for your prototypes offers the ability to create powerful, dynamic and responsive websites without writing a single line of code. Webflow’s content management system allows designers to create a system that keeps the design in the developer’s hands but allows the client to access and change information. It is easy to export the prototype into code. The clean and semantic code can save your engineers hours of code clean-up.
Webflow is responsive by nature, so your website layouts will be optimised for all devices, such as desktop, mobile and tablet. You can also design animations that will work on mobile devices and all modern browsers. Webflow makes it easy to connect your live prototypes to Slack, MailChimp, Google Drive, Zapier, Trello, and more than 400 other services.
PRICING
- Starter plan – Free
- Personal – $16/month
- Pro – $35/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- CSS
- JS
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Prototypes are easier to visualize
- No coding
- High-fidelity prototypes
- All-inclusive prototyping, CMS, and hosting
- Better for implementing responsiveness
- Independent designers
9. InVision
InVision is one of the most reliable web-based prototyping tool that make your design live quickly. It allows designers to upload their design files and add animations, gestures, and transitions to transform their static screens into clickable, interactive prototypes. InVision supports multiple file types, including JPG, PNG, GIF, AI, and PSD.
The team are constantly adding new features to help designers prototype more efficiently. InVision is “always-on” platform that allows team collaboration, feedback, and the building of high-fidelity prototypes so easy. Clients and design teams can conveniently provide comments directly on the prototype. The InVision’s project management page with drag-and-drop workflow like Trello. You can set columns for To-do, In Progress, Needs Review and more.
You can import design files from Sketch or Photoshop, animate design assets, link pages to simulate real-life websites, and preview prototypes on mobile devices. You can also view history of previous versions, restore their earlier appearance and synchronization with Dropbox, Creative Cloud, Google Drive, and Slack, prototypes update themselves every time you edit source files.
PRICING
- Free – 1 Active project
- Starter – 3 Active Projects – $15/month
- Professional – Unlimited Projects – $25/month
- Team – Unlimited Projects, 5 Users – $100/month
- Enterprise – Unlimited Projects, advanced features come with a free trial
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
- Web
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Easy to learn
- Team collaboration and workflow management
- Quick and intuitive to add screens and create hotspots (drag + drop)
- Options for adding animation to page transitions (mobile only)
- Enterprises
- Asset management features via web tool or Dropbox-like folder for easy file sharing and editing
10. Proto.io
Proto.io is a web-based mockup tool, so you can run Proto.io on any platform. It enables you to prototype mobile applications and websites. It comes with ready-made templates for websites and apps enable you to get a quick start on a project.
It is ideal for prototyping mobile devices that include transitions and multiple states. It is a dedicated mobile prototyping platform that runs on all modern browsers and requires no coding. It allows you to deploy fully-interactive mobile app prototypes and simulations that have the look and feel of the real thing. Proto.io comes with offline mode that makes download your prototypes to your device and use them anywhere and anytime you need them. Proto.io can be used to build both low fidelity and high fidelity mockups and prototypes.
Proto.io enables you to incorporate Sketch and Photoshop designs through a simple drag-and-drop. You can instantly transfer Photoshop and sketch designs into Proto.io, which keeps your assets in place, so you don’t have to waste time realigning them. If your designs have been already imported or transferred into Proto.io, you can continue to make changes to your assets in Sketch or Photoshop. They Sync your assets automatically through Dropbox sync. You no need to export and import again.
PRICING
- Trail – 15 days
- Freelancer – 5 Active Projects – 1 user – $24/month
- Startup – 10 Active Projects – 2 users – $40/month
- Agency – 15 Active Projects – 5 users – $80/month
- Corporate – 30 Active Projects – 10 users – $160/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Offline mode
- Support for Sketch and Photoshop plugins
- Support for gesture-based interaction
- Support for adding interactivity to individual elements
11. Mockplus
Mockplus is created by the fast-growing startup Jongde Software LLC. It is a fast growing alternative for rapid prototyping. Mockplus is a desktop-based application that allows you to create interactive mobile mockups with just a few clicks. This prototyping application supports for multiple major platforms, such as mobile application, desktop application and website.
The ease of use and the clean interface will greatly improve your efficiency by focusing on design itself and less on the functions. Mockplus is really a good choice for users at any level of experience.
Mockplus comes with a set of pre-designed interaction components, such as popup menu, sliding drawer, image carousel and more. It also comes with more than 3000 vector icons. The huge standard library of components and vector icons can help you to creating design faster and easier. The interaction design in Mockplus is fully visualized, that’s What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG). You can build interactive prototypes with simple drag and drop, without any programming knowledge.
It provides the most comprehensive ways to preview and share your project, such as publish to cloud and scan QR code, export to HTML, export project tree, export to demo package, export to images. If you need a mobile friendly and rapid prototyping tool, Mockplus is one of the best tools for that.
PRICING
- Basic – Free forever, Pro – $29/month
- Annually – $129
- Unlimited Perpetual License – $399
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
- Web
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Low-cost projects
- Designers who prefer simplicity and WYSIWYG interfaces
- Rapid prototyping
- Beginner designers (although it also works for expert designers who just prefer simple UIs)
12. Flinto
Flinto is a comprehensive app prototyping tool that allows designers quickly make interactive prototypes of their mobile, desktop, or web apps. You can create anything from simple tap-through prototypes, to comprehensive prototypes with impressive interactions.
There’s no programming or timelines. Your animated transitions can be simple or complex, and transitions are reusable. You have precise control over each layer, including spring or cubic-bezier easing.
Once you start a project, all you need to do is to drag and drop. You just drop ready pngs to each application screen, add interactions and link them together. Next you can add an application icon and startup screen then the project is ready to send to anyone.
Design micro-interactions with behaviors – Use the “Behavior Designer” to create micro-interactions that exist within one screen. This is ideal for things like button effects, looping animations, toggle switches and scroll-based animations.
Scrolling option lets adding scrolling areas to your screens is easy too. First select some layers then click the “scroll group” button. You can adjust various options, create paging scroll groups, nest scroll groups and even create scroll-based animations.
You can install your prototype on Tablets and smartphones as an app and test it. Users will also be able to see any changes that you make.
PRICING
- Flinto for Mac: Trail – 14 days; Flinto Lite: Trail – 30 days
- Flinto for Mac: $99(one-time purchase); Flinto Lite: $20/Month(Web-based subscription)
RUNS ON
- Web
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Easy to learn
- One click to share prototype with other users on a device or via web browser
- Extremely fast—created first prototype in only 5 minutes
- Automatically creates scrollable area for overflow content
- Easily edit by dragging and dropping new files over existing files
13. Origami
Origami was originally developed by Facebook that has been used to create mockups for several apps like Instagram, Messenger, and Paper. You can export your prototype components (including animations) with just one click, so designers can copy anything from Sketch and paste native layers into Origami Studio.
Origami is predominantly used for iOS apps due to its integration with Apple’s Quartz Composer. However, it also supports the development of interactive Android prototypes. It requires more work to install than other prototyping options. However, once it is installed, you can begin creating design concepts that simulate scrolling, taps, swipes and page links.
Origami lets users to quickly adjust, add behavior, and animate any layer property without going back. This tool offers designers an array of gestures and transition animations that are common to mobile UI patterns.
It has “Export to Code” feature, which allows you to convert your visual design into written code samples for iOS, Android, or web. Origami includes a presentation tool that enables you to add a custom background to your design, view in fullscreen, and simulate different devices.
In Origami, you can’t directly share prototypes with individuals operating on devices other than your own while you can preview your prototypes with Origami Live. This app can be downloaded from Android and iOS App store.
As a free prototyping solution, Origami has lots of features such as plugins for Sketch and Photoshop, extensive documentation library complete with forums, video tutorials, and guides. However, one drawback is that it doesn’t yet let your clients or design team comment directly on the project or versioning history.
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
- Android
OUTPUT
- Desktop
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Severe budgets
- A lone app designer focusing on iOS interfaces
- Mac users
- High fidelity output for animations and interactions without writing any code
- Amateur designers breaking into the industry
- Individual or freelance designers
14. UXPin
UXPin is an online UX design tool, which allows you to drag and drop various elements to mock up an interface without a single code. It is ideal for prototyping web or desktop apps that require lightweight interactions, but has libraries to support mobile apps and wireframes as well. This tool allows designers to smoothly transition between each and every stage in the design process, all in the same document. Prototypes can be created from existing mocks, Photoshop files, Sketch files or by building screens out within UXPin using extensive UI libraries.
You can make a pixel-perfect mockup in Sketch or Photoshop, and then upload it directly into the same document to create a high-fidelity prototype from the same original wireframe layout. People can co-design in one file simultaneously, and also comment on designs and notify people of updates. UXPin has built-in version control so people can review past design decisions.
You can insert code snippets that travel with elements. In that way, when you move an element, the documentation follows along. It has auto-generate style guides, assets, and specs for developers. As well as it has Smart Guides, which allow you to measure the exact distance between elements. You can simply edit images like correct brightness, contrast, sharpness and transparency. UXPin lets create interactions and simulate the entire project. You can be exported your finished prototype to pdf, html or png formats.
In April 2018, UXPin have released a Desktop App, a few enhancements to the UXPin Editor and Design Systems, and new versions of the Sketch plugin. The brand new desktop application that has all the tools you know and love from the original browser version. Download here for Mac or Windows.
In July 2018, UXPin have added a few features that allow building better high fidelity prototypes: new curve types for pen tool, loop for interactions, flipping elements. They have released some enhancements to the UXPin Editor to improve the workflow.
In October 2018, UXPin have released variables and conditional interactions for more interactive prototyping. Your prototypes have officially gained superpowers. Prototyping just got a whole lot more interactive.
In April 2019, UXPin have released API Request, When you open UXPin and go to Interactions, you’ll see a new type of action — API Request. It allows your prototypes to communicate with devices in ways one could only imagine.
PRICING
- Free – 1 user, 1 prototype, Review 1 prototype at a time, 1 component librar
- Professional – $20/month
- Team (Up to 5 users) – $79/month
- Enterprise – Contact
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- All-in-one tool for entire design process
- Robust library of UI elements for many different devices
- Projects prioritizing wireframes and mockups
- Support for importing layered designs from Sketch and Photoshop
- Early user testing
- Good tool for collaboration
Read More: HTML Canvas Cheat Sheet
15. Kite Compositor
Kite Compositor is a new animation and prototyping application for Mac and iOS. It is built directly on top of Apple’s Core Animation framework which provides all of the heavy lifting to create beautiful interface animations. It provides many basic building blocks like layers, animations, actions and scripts that allow you to assemble your interface interactively like Lego pieces. Kite exposes a JavaScript scripting engine to further fine-tune every detail of your design.
It has a familiar interface. The source pane on the left allows you to organize your design as a tree of layers. The center canvas allows you to select objects and use the different tools provided in the toolbar. Inspect and change object properties in the inspector pane on the right. The bottom utility pane displays the animation timeline and JavaScript console.
A robust and powerful object inspector allows you to edit the properties of the items in your document like layers, animations, and actions with just a few clicks. You can set colors, adjust animation curves and add Core Image filters.
Its integrated smart timeline allows you to drag tracks to sync-up animation times and keyframes in relation to one another. Tracks and keyframes will snap to each other at appropriate time periods so you can set precise timings for your animations. Save arbitrary pieces of your layer tree into your own library item. You can drag and drop several different types of media directly on the canvas to create layers directly from images, videos, or music files.
PRICING
- Trial – 21 days
- Pro – $99
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- App Player
16. Marvel
Marvel is a web-based prototyping tool, which will allow you to create prototypes of websites and mobile applications. You can transform static screens into clickable, interactive prototypes with a series of gestures, animations and transitions. You can create prototypes for the iPhone, iPad, Desktop, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Android. It is a design, prototyping and collaboration platform.
Marvel supports direct uploading of certain image file types including PSD, PNG, JPG, and GIF, plus you can uploading via Google Drive, Sketch, or Dropbox.
You just click and drag to create interactive hotspots on your designs that react when they’re clicked or touched. This app also lets you work with clients, colleagues and stakeholders and get feedback easily.
PRICING
- Free – 2 Projects – 1 user
- Pro – Unlimited Projects – 1 user – $14/month
- Company – Unlimited Projects – 4 users – $56/month (number of users unlock when you’re willing to pay more)
RUNS ON
- Web
- Android
- iOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- A beginner web designer or someone looking to create a mockup quickly
- Easy to learn
- Support for exporting image from local, Dropbox, Google Drive and Dropbox
- Quick and intuitive to add screens and create hotspots
- Export options (PDF, ZIP, APK (Android) or IPA (iOS)) available with Pro plan
- Support for gestures and transitions
17. Moqups
Moqups is a web-based prototyping tool that helps you create and collaborate on wireframes, mockups, diagrams and prototypes. You can create a functional prototype by adding interactivity to your designs, which simulate the user experience, uncover hidden requirements, find dead ends, and get final sign-off from all stakeholders before investing in development.
It’s simple to use and has pre-built stencils so you can get started straight away, including radio buttons, links, image placeholders, text boxes, sliders and much more. The quick wireframes and detailed mockups lets validate your envision test and ideas. It explores your design and iterate as your team builds momentum – moving seamlessly from lo-fi to hi-fi as your project evolves.
This tool allows designers to create site-maps, flowcharts, storyboards – and jump effortlessly between diagrams and designs to keep your work in sync. It keeps everybody on the same page, providing feedback at every stage of the design process.
PRICING
- Free – 31 components available
- Basic – 10 Projects – Unlimited Users – $13/month
- Professional – 50 Projects – Unlimited Users – $19/month
- Ultimate – Unlimited Projects – Unlimited Users – $29/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
18. POP
POP is an application for mobile prototyping that helps you transform your pen-and-paper ideas into a real working prototype quickly. The name itself stands for Prototype On Paper. It is the best tool for transferring your sketches into an interactive prototype. Pop can sketch out your idea on paper, take pictures and upload them directly into the app, or upload .psd files to Adobe Creative Cloud.
It allows you to duplicate your projects, mockups and links easily which will improve your productivity. POP lets users to add transitions between views, gestures and interactions. For collaboration, you can synchronize with Dropbox. There are several ways to share your app including URL, email, SMS and social media.
PRICING
- Free – 2 Projects – 1 User
- Basic – 10 Projects – 3 Users – $10/month
- Pro – Unlimited Projects & Users – $25/month
RUNS ON
- Web
- Android
- iOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Web
- Android
- iOS
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Digitizing paper prototypes
- Prototyping mobile devices
19. Antetype
Antetype is the best and most productive tool for UI design. It allows you to create responsive websites, mobile apps or even software. Antetype comes with more than 400 widgets for all major platforms and templates for different devices. You can easily drag and resize each element without disturbing the layout. And also you don’t need to toggle between design software while working in this tool.
Antetype provides all the tools to create hi-fidelity prototypes such as gradients, shadows, rounded corner and more. It comes with interaction features, which makes it easy to demonstrate the feel of your prototype.
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Pro – $189.99
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- iOS App Player
20. Fluid UI
Fluid UI is a web-based wireframing and prototyping tool that enables you to easily create and test working prototypes for mobile devices within minutes. It has 16 built-in libraries for iOS, Android, web, desktop and more. Prototypes can be created from existing mocks or by building screens out within Fluid built-in UI widgets. Fluid UI allows you to make screen flows to map out your ideas and show off your entire project on one page. It is a very intuitive user experience, letting you drag and drop different elements and mix them up to your liking.
PRICING
- Free – 1 Project – 10 Pages
- Solo – 5 Projects – Unlimited Pages – $8.25/month
- Pro – 15 Projects – Unlimited Pages – $19.08/month
- Team – Unlimited Projects – Unlimited Pages – $41.58/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Support for gesture-based interaction
- Quick and intuitive to add assets via drag + drop or uploading files
- Large library of elements for many different devices
- Fast to create new pages and link pages together
- Quick and easy to share interactive prototype via URL or QR code for devices
- Option to add transition effects to links
21. Atomic
Atomic is an ideal tool for prototyping animations or interactions for mobile or desktop applications. Its beautiful UI and intuitive, easy-to-use animation timeline makes a great first impression. It is a web-based app that integrates with Sketch, and also allowing you to import designs from there or anywhere of your choosing.
Atomic focuses on motion design that gives designers the ability create more robust animated prototypes. If you have used After Effects to prototype animations, you will feel right at home with Atomic’s animation timeline. It gives you the flexibility and control you need to fine-tune your interaction with just click the play button to see your changes and animations in action.
You can share it with a URL preview on any device and also possible to gather design feedback from your clients and team via inline comments. You can add custom CSS directly into Atomic and also possible to export CSS, so you can simply copy and paste it into your project. Atomic allows you to rewind to see previous iterations and create new versions from any point. It has launched an iOS kit with a library of iOS design elements, to enable rapid prototyping.
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Free – 1 User – 1 Prototype
- Designer – 1 User – Unlimited Prototypes – $19/month
- Team – 10 Team Members – Unlimited Prototypes – $39/month
- Organization – Unlimited Team Members – Unlimited Prototypes – $59/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Design in the browser and view on any device
- Straight forward and easy to learn interface
- Easy to share and collect feedback on prototypes within the Atomic interface
- Straight forward and easy to learn interface
- Fine-grain control for adding interactivity to individual elements
- Extensive control for creating high fidelity animated prototypes
22. Principle
Principle is ideal for prototyping intricate motion design explorations for mobile and desktop applications, which uses a timeline interface giving the designer the flexibility to express experiences using motion. It has a record feature that can export prototypes to a video or an animated GIF that can be shared on Dribbble, Twitter or anywhere. It allows users to create complex experiences in very short periods of time. Though you can create prototypes for web projects, the current focus of Principle is on mobile.
It uses artboards to animate elements between states, so as you work on your prototype, you can live-preview your designs on the top right-hand side window. Alternatively, you can mirror your designs on an iOS device. Prototypes are built using screens imported from Sketch or Photoshop. The imported elements are then manipulated within Principle to create a wide array of interactions.
Principle does not include a collaboration tool, this drawback will likely be overshadowed by its offline capabilities. However, the flexibility of working offline is further highlighted by increased speeds, since you’re not relying on a potentially unreliable or slow connection.
PRICING
- Trial – 14 days
- Pro – $129
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
OUTPUT
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Extremely polished prototypes
- Easy to share prototypes via the iOS app or movie exports
- Demonstrating complex interactive elements
- Motion design explorations
- Create complex and motion explorations very quickly
23. OmniGraffle
If you need to create a quick diagram, process chart, page layout, website wireframe, or graphic design, OmniGraffle is the best choice for you. It is a beautiful diagramming and digital illustration application for Mac, iPhone and iPad. OmniGraffle is used to create graphics and visuals that can also be used as a prototyping tool, with the ability to link canvases (pages).
In OmniGraffle, you can produce a complete HTML prototype in one operation. OmniGraffle features several design tools include, along with a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG interface and also you can, via the use of the notes function, easily annotate and complete the specification documentation for your prototype objects as you go.
OmniGraffle is best suited as a tool for wireframes, screen flows, and content maps. Visuals are often referred to as “graffles.” It allows you to import your base content structure from a CSV or XML file via a fully customizable rule-based layout function, which can be especially handy for documenting large and ever changing content maps. It is an industry tool, which lacks interactivity capabilities and is not easily used for team collaboration due to its limitations as a desktop and tablet application.
PRICING
- Trial – 14 days
- Standard – $99.99 per license
- Pro – $199.99 per license
RUNS ON
- macOS
- iOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iPhone
- iPad
OUTPUT
- HTML
24. Vectr
Vectr is a free vector-editing tool that lets you draw shapes, insert text, doodle freehand, and add images to design graphics and prototype interfaces. You can design your prototypes on web browser, or with its desktop app (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook). The prototypes stay synced whether you’re working on the desktop or web browser, freeing you to work whenever you’re ready and ensuring you always have access to the latest changes.
You can share your projects with one click to your team members via a single URL and integrated into apps like Slack for powerful collaboration. And also you can share your mockups with can annotate and edit them.
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Chromebook
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- PNG
- JPG
25. iRise
iRise is a new powerful prototyping and wireframing tool that contains an integrated requirements manager. It will allow you to build interactive prototypes such as web, mobile and wearable products. Prototypes can be built using screens that are exported from other wireframing tools and you can build your own wireframe elements using iRise.
iRise gives a large collection of global assets, including UI elements, interactive widgets and so on. It supports mobile gestures like swipe, pinch, rotate, long press, and supports collaboration with others in real time. Hotspot linking, widgets, and data integration can be combined to create a robust prototype. You can create user flows, business process diagrams and export your information instantly into the documents. iRise combines prototyping with requirements management so that everyone can be on the same page.
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Starter – 5 Projects – $29/month
- Team – Unlimited Projects – $99/month
- Enterprise – Contact
RUNS ON
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
- Web
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Enhances requirement gathering and refinement
- Allows for quick application design
- Enables users to share comments and questions about application builds
- Ability to play with large sets of data in order to see the application mirror production
26. Pidoco
Pidoco lets you quickly create click-through wireframes and fully interactive UX prototypes. It is a cloud-based collaboration software for planning, designing and testing websites, mobile apps, web applications, and enterprise software. Pidoco lets users to quickly create clickable wireframes, mockups and interactive low-fidelity prototypes of GUIs without programming by using drag-and-drop placement of pre-fabricated elements.
It allows users to share projects with team members and other project stakeholders for real-time online collaboration, reviewing and user testing. The web application is used to visualize requirements, collaborate in the design phases of software development, involve end users, and generate optimized specifications for traditional or agile development processes. Pidoco is a browser-based online wireframe and UX prototyping tool that compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux.
PRICING
- Trial – 31 days
- Starter – 2 active projects – $12/month
- Standard – 8 active projects – $25/month
- Premium – 30 active projects – $55/month
- Platinum – 100 active projects – $175/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- App Player
Read More: HTML And CSS Cheat Sheet – #Infographic
27. HotGloo
HotGloo is ideal for prototyping low fidelity wireframes for web, desktop, and mobile apps. It helps to visualize planning processes, build and test drive interactions very easily. Images of existing mocks can be brought it, but HotGloo was not optimized to work with full-screen mocks. The prototype elements must be built within the tool using an existing library or wireframe UI elements. You can create and share fully interactive prototypes with your team and clients and gather feedback on the process.
PRICING
- Trial – 7 days
- Group – 2 Projects – 4 Users – $13/month
- Team – 6 Projects – 10 Users – $27/month
- Agency – 15 Projects – 20 Users – $54/month
- Enterprise – Contact
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
- PNG
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Solid library of basic wireframe UI elements with default behaviors
- Fine-grain control for adding interactivity to individual elements
- Collaborative features allow multiple people to edit/review a project
28. Adobe Comp CC
Adobe Comp CC provides the tools you need to transform natural drawing gestures into production-ready graphics. It allows you to create print, web and mobile layouts that seamlessly integrate with Adobe design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Adobe Comp CC works with Adobe Stock and Typekit, thereby providing you with images, graphics, and hundreds of fonts that can easily be incorporated as you work on your design prototype.
Comp CC seeks to remove the barriers between creative ideas and their implementation. It allows you to sketch out drafts, but you also can access the exact files, colors, shapes, drawings, photos, brushes and fonts you need for your final prototype. Designers can easily share your layouts and collaborate with clients and colleagues. Any layouts you create can be easily sent to Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign via the Share menu as fully editable native files.
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- iOS
- Android
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Web
- Mobile
OUTPUT
- PNG
- JPG
29. Evolus Pencil
Pencil is an open-source GUI prototyping tool that’s available for all platforms. It is built for the purpose of providing a free and open-source GUI prototyping tool that people can easily install and use to create mockups in popular desktop platforms.
Pencil supports more features, including loading of corrupted files having documents partially recovered, opacity attribute in ShadowStyle property type, full range of font weights for user-installed fonts and post-processing in shape generating. It comes with quick test button added under shape canvas to allow quick testing.
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
30. PowerMockup
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Individual – 1 User – $59.99
- Small Team – 5 Users – $269.95
- Team – 10 Users – $479.90
- Enterprise – 50 Users – $2099.50
RUNS ON
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Mobile
- Web
OUTPUT
- PNG
31. MockingBot
PRICING
- Free – 5 Projects
- Pro – Unlimited – $99/year
- Startup – Unlimited – $499/year
- Standard – Unlimited – $999/year
- Enterprise – Unlimited – $3999/year
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
- Ubuntu
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Mobile
OUTPUT
- HTML
- PNG
32. Lucidchart
PRICING
- Free – Free plan comes with some limitations (unable to edit documents with over 60 objects)
- Basic – $4.95/month
- Pro – $8.95/month
- Team – $20/month
- Enterprise – Contact
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Web
- Mobile
OUTPUT
- PNG
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Intuitive user interface with no learning curve
- Import and export Microsoft Visio documents
- Enterprise-level security and admin controls
- Integration with Google Apps, Confluence, JIRA
- Collaborate in real-time with colleagues
33. Skala Preview
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
- Android
OUTPUT
- App Player
Read More: 108 Best Free Logo Fonts for Your 2023 Brand Design Projects
34. Visio
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Visio Standard – $299.99
- Visio Professional – $589.99
- Visio Pro for Office 365 – $13/month
RUNS ON
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Web
OUTPUT
- HTML
- PNG
- JPG
35. Indigo Studio
Indigo Studio is suitable for prototyping interactive and animated web, desktop or mobile apps. You can create custom UI components once, and reuse them for any prototype. You can combine built-in UI elements or make your own custom components complete with nested interactions and behaviors. Therefore, you can immediately prototype your next mobile app without creating new UI elements. The built-in screen transitions and touch gestures lets to create prototypes that look, feel, and act like a real app on your mobile device.
You can share your prototypes with one-click. You can experience your prototypes on any device, with no installs necessary, unlimited guest access, anyone can use your prototypes from anywhere in the world. Indigo Studio lets invite members to publish design alternatives or edit prototypes in a group workspace. It comes with real time commenting, so viewers can add markers and comments directly on the prototype.
PRICING
- Essential – Free
- Professional – $25/month (Discount for Annual $249/year)
- Enterprise – $399/year
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Any
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Support for gesture-based interaction
- Fine-grain controls for adding interactivity to individual elements
- Fast and easy to create a scrollable canvas within an iPhone viewport (vertical or horizontal)
- Option to add transition effects when linking to new pages
- Built-in library of widgets that can be customized with specific actions and behaviors
- Ability to create repeatable “screenparts” (similar to symbols)
- Flexible—can be used to prototype products for any digital platform
36. Framework7
It is a free and open source mobile HTML framework to develop hybrid mobile apps or web apps with iOS and Android native look and feel. Framework7 gives you an opportunity to create iOS and Android apps with JavaScript, HTML and CSS easily and clear. Framework7 is focused only on iOS and Google Material design to bring the best experience and simplicity.
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- Any (HTML)
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
- Android
OUTPUT
- HTML
37. SmartDraw
PRICING
- Standard – $297 (One-time Purchase)
- Business – $397 (One-time Purchase)
- Enterprise – $697 (One-time Purchase)
RUNS ON
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Web
OUTPUT
38. ConceptDraw Pro
PRICING
- Single – $199
- Suites – $399
- Multi – $199 (1 User); $920 (5 Users); $1692 (10 Users)
- Upgrade – $149 (1 User); $689 (5 Users); $1267 (10 Users)
- Academic – $99 (1 User); $458 (5 Users); $842 (10 Users)
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- ‘Project Whiteboard’ to visualize necessary business and project-related information in the form of charts and diagrams
- Organize project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- Track tasks execution on an intelligent dashboard
39. Keynotopia
PRICING
- Keynotopia Bundles – $97 (Requires Keynote, Powerpoint or OpenOffice, iOS UI Design Patterns)
- Individual UI templates – cost between $39-$49
- Get All Templates for Keynote and PowerPoint – $149 (Limited Time Super Bundle Deal)
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
- Android
- Web
OUTPUT
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Create user interaction and animations in Seconds, without writing code
- Export and test your prototypes on mobile devices, without doing any extra work
- Design user interface screens without messing with colors, pixels or layers
- Customize and edit UI components without needing additional design tools
40. AppCooker
PRICING
- $29.99
RUNS ON
- iPad
PROTOTYPE FOR
- iOS
OUTPUT
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Beautiful, intuitive design
- Being able to design on-the-go
- Having the ability to see your design, on the device, as you create it
- Actively being developed by its creators
41. Avocado
Avocado is an interaction design toolbox. It enables designers to quickly create interactive prototypes — without any programming knowledge. Built on top of Facebook’s Origami framework, Avocado provides ready-to-use patches that can be easily combined to create fully-customized prototypes.
This tool makes interaction design accessible to a broader set of people. It supports fast-paced live prototyping, allowing for a more efficient design process and ultimately deeper insights sooner in the creative process.
PRICING
- Free
RUNS ON
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
OUTPUT
- Desktop
42. ProtoPie
ProtoPie is a sensor-aided code-free prototyping tool, which allows designers to build complicated interactive mobile prototypes. It fully utilizes sensors in smart devices and prototypes across multiple devices like smart phones, smart watch and IoT devices.
ProtoPie works with the simple concept model. In ProtoPie, you can create interactions that involve two or more smart devices and test a variety of use-case scenarios through prototypes. There’s no need for programming knowledge. You can share your prototypes via links or the dashboard and customize the playback experience for your prototypes.
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Single License – $99
- Volume License – Contact
- Enterprise License – Contact
RUNS ON
- Windows
- macOS
PROTOTYPE FOR
- Android
- iOS
OUTPUT
- App Player
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Inter-device interactions
- Sensor-aided interactions
- Multi-finger gesture support
- Multiple Scenes for page flows
- Playback speed control without editing the original prototype (You can slow down the animations to look into the details)
- Timeline user interface for timing adjustment
43. Prott
Prott is a rapid prototyping and radical collaboration tool. It is the best tool for transferring your sketches into an interactive prototype. You can use just the app to create prototypes drawing your interface on paper and taking photos. Prott lets designers to quickly create screens for all interfaces with simple drag and drop. It also comes fully loaded with iOS, Android, web and other commonly used UI elements.
Users can enjoy real-time syncing on all devices. You can check and update your prototypes anytime and anywhere. And also you can translate your ideas into prototypes quickly and work seamlessly with Sketch App. Preview your prototypes using Prott for Mac’s sidekick app and Prott Mirror. Designers can do all of this and more with the added flexibility of working completely offline.
You can share your projects with one click to your team members via a single URL — no descriptions needed. Using the Prott app to show off your work progress and get feedback in real-time. Leave a comment anywhere within the project to get the conversation going, and encourage feedback from your team.
PRICING
- Free – 1 Project – 1 user
- Starter – 3 Projects – 1 user – $19/month
- Pro – Unlimited Projects – 1 user – $39/month
- Team – Unlimited Projects – 2 users – $74/month
- Enterprise – Unlimited Projects – 15 users – Contact
RUNS ON
- macOS
- Web
- Windows
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Ease of use
- Rapid output
- Seamless collaboration
- Intuitive UI
- Native prototypes
44. Solidify
Solidify allows the user to make clickable prototypes from mock-up, wireframe, or sketches. Solidify lets users to add links to elements of screens of prototypes. You can easily add a link by clicking and dragging over the element and setting your link options to dictate where you want that link to lead to, and more. At the same time, you can easily set users who want to see the elements of your screens and pages by choosing your audience type between users and member types.
Solidify comes with built-in Analytics for your prototype. So, you can easily view who checked out your prototype, feedback and users spending time on each individual page and entire prototype.
When viewing your prototype and tester analytics it even shows each individual person that visited and tested your prototype even if they are not registered as your team member or as a member of Solidify itself.
PRICING
- Trial – 30 days
- Basic – $19/month
- Plus – $49/month
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML
RECOMMENDED FOR
- Flexible—can be used to prototype products for any digital platform
- Support for mobile/touch gestures
- Quick and easy to share prototypes with others
- Options for adding animation to page transitions
- Excellent features for running usability tests, collecting qualitative and quantitative feedback, and generating reports of testing results
- Great for setting up simple, click-through prototypes
45. Weld
Weld is a fast and responsive UX prototyping tool for websites and apps, which makes it simple for non-programmers to create responsive web and app prototypes. It is a cloud-based interactive content creation platform for marketing teams and designers. With Weld you can create animated, interactive content without any coding.
You can publish your creation as stand-alone websites or embed into your existing platform. Select different screen sizes based on various devices, including phone, tablet, desktop, a wearable device layout (e.g. Apple Watch), and large TV layout (e.g. gaming on Xbox). You can preview instantly while creating your content. Collaborate instantly with other team mates while creating and work on the same design project together.
PRICING
- Free (Weld Branding)
- $9/month (No Branding)
RUNS ON
- Web
PROTOTYPE FOR
- All
OUTPUT
- HTML