Design, UI, UX, Insights
10 Figma Competitors and Alternatives for Design and Prototyping
The best prototyping and design tools available in 2023
Exploring options beyond Figma? Figma has earned its reputation as a top-notch tool in the Design Collaboration category, appreciated for its Free version, Competitive pricing, Easy-to-use interface, and seamless Design collaboration. So why consider Figma competitors as alternatives?
Prototyping and design play a pivotal role in the creative process, and Figma is a go-to platform for many designers. However, if you seek alternatives, there are compelling reasons to do so. Using design tools like Figma allows you to see what the final version would look like, helping you identify any flaws beforehand. A Figma alternative should be able to provide a similar experience and enhance your design workflow.
In this article, we’ll present 10 of the best prototyping and design tools available in 2023, allowing you to identify flaws beforehand and make the design process even better. Let’s delve into these top-notch alternatives to Figma and discover the perfect fit for your creative needs. Read below to learn more.
InVision: Tool for Prototyping and Collaboration
InVision serves as a comprehensive platform for design teams, facilitating collaboration among designers, product managers, engineers, marketers, clients, and stakeholders. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York, InVision offers real-time presentation, design communication, version control, and synchronization.
🔑 Key Features
As an all-in-one solution, the tool caters to every aspect of a designer’s workflow. This includes wireframing, prototyping, design handoff, and management across various devices. You will find features such as Alerts/Notifications, Animation, Collaboration Tools, Commenting/Notes, Configurable Workflow, Data Import/Export, and Data Linking.
- Design Sharing and Presentation: You can share your designs with others and present them to gather feedback and insights.
- Design Prototyping: To create interactive prototypes that simulate user interactions.
- Project Management for Designers: For managing your design projects efficiently, keeping track of tasks, timelines, and collaborations.
- Real-Time Design Meetings and Whiteboarding: You can collaborate with team members and stakeholders in real time, brainstorm ideas, and sketch out concepts on virtual whiteboards.
- User Testing and Research: To conduct user testing and research within the platform to gather valuable insights and improve your design based on user feedback.
- Design Feedback and Commenting: To get feedback directly on the design, making it easier for team members to understand and address specific points.
- Design Organization and Collaboration: For organizing and collaborating on design projects and ensuring everyone is on the same page and design elements are well-managed.
💲 Pricing
InVision presents a range of pricing options that are customized to suit various user needs. Their offerings include a “Free Plan” which encompasses one project without any charges. For those seeking a bit more, the “Starter Plan” is available at $15 per month, allowing access to three projects.
Stepping up, the “Professional Plan” comes in at $25 per month, granting the freedom of unlimited projects. For teams aiming to collaborate efficiently, the “Team Plan” can be availed for $100 per month, offering unlimited project capabilities while accommodating up to five team members.
InVision comes with certain limitations to consider. It functions exclusively through the web, necessitating an internet connection for use. It’s compatible primarily with Sketch and not as integrable with other design tools. Additionally, while it excels for enterprises, its pricing might be less suitable for freelancers.
👍 Advantages of Using InVision:
- An all-encompassing platform for designers
- Integration with a wide array of tools
- Active community for market insights
- Strong customer service
👎 Disadvantages of Using InVision:
- Requires internet connection for use
- Limited integration with non-Sketch tools
- Pricier for freelancers
- Challenges with certain imports
⚖️ Verdict
InVision suits those who can invest in their designs. It’s also known for its reliability in remote work settings.
In a nutshell, this is a reliable alternative to Figma, designed for seamless designer collaboration and sharing. While it has many benefits, certain limitations and costs make it important to assess its suitability for your specific needs.
Adobe XD: Powerful, Vector-Based Prototyping Tool
Adobe XD is a tool for designing and creating prototypes. It lets you simulate how users would interact with a design. You can adjust objects as needed and add elements like animations, voice interactions, and transitions. Once designs are reviewed and approved, they can be published for development. Adobe XD works offline on macOS and Windows.
🔑 Key Features
The tool has the awesome feature Auto-Animate that simplifies advanced animations. You can create interactive components with animations like hover, toggle, and scroll. It also supports linking pages with various animations. Unlike Figma’s seamless real-time collaboration, Adobe XD may involve syncing issues when multiple users work on the same file simultaneously.
- Developers can access specific design files and assets for export.
- Offers free and paid UI kits for a range of design needs.
- Prototyping Capabilities: A diverse array of interactive tools for prototyping, facilitating the creation of wireframes and prototypes featuring interactive components.
- Seamless Creative Cloud Integration: Users gain effortless access to Adobe Photoshop files and other creative resources. Adobe XD boasts an array of functions simplifying the generation of intricate designs.
- Three-Dimensional Transformations: The ability to manipulate objects in three dimensions enhances the creation of intricate designs and facilitates smoother transitions between artboards.
- Dynamic Animations and Transition Design: Utilize auto-animate to swiftly transform static designs into functional prototypes with a realistic feel. Develop micro-interactions employing triggers and actions, such as tapping, dragging, hovering, and more.
- Efficient Repeat Grids: This feature empowers designers to choose an element and replicate it horizontally or vertically, enhancing efficiency in design creation.
💲 Pricing
Adobe XD comes with Creative Cloud starting at $52.99/month, including other Adobe software. A standalone XD plan is available for $9.99/month.
👍 Advantages of Using Adobe XD:
- Auto-Animate: Adobe XD’s Auto-Animate feature simplifies complex animations with ease, making interactive components more engaging.
- Seamless Prototyping: It offers robust prototyping capabilities, enabling designers to create interactive components and test user experiences.
- UI Kits: Adobe XD provides a range of UI kits, both free and paid, which accelerate the design process and improve efficiency.
- Integration: The tool integrates well with external tools, enhancing the workflow for UI/UX designers.
- Offline Access: Adobe XD can be used offline, offering the convenience of designing without requiring a constant internet connection.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Adobe XD:
- Collaboration Limitation: Collaborating on the same project simultaneously might involve syncing issues, which can lead to potential progress loss.
- Syncing Delays: When multiple users work on the same project file, saving and syncing processes might cause delays and disruptions.
- Creative Cloud Dependency: The full Adobe XD experience is tied to a Creative Cloud subscription, which might be an added cost for some users.
- Lack of Real-Time Collaboration: Unlike Figma, Adobe XD’s collaboration may not be as seamless and real-time, affecting team collaboration.
- Standalone Plan Limitation: The standalone Adobe XD plan is priced separately and lacks the comprehensive suite of Adobe Creative Cloud offerings.
⚖️ Verdict
Adobe XD suits those already using Creative Cloud, and those needing offline desktop access, website wireframing, and strong prototyping capabilities. Indeed, determining a clear winner between Figma and Adobe XD can be challenging. Both tools offer comprehensive solutions for designing, wireframing, prototyping, sharing, and exporting, eliminating the need for additional software.
To make an informed choice, consider your workflow’s specifics and priorities. Do you require browser-based accessibility or offline capabilities? Are advanced UX animations and interactions vital for your projects? Additionally, take into account collaboration needs, especially if multiple team members are working on the same project.
Still, the big question remains: which one is the better tool? Check out our comparative Figma vs Adobe XD review, based on factors such as pricing, performance, collaboration, functionalities, and everything else that could help you make a decision.
UXPin: A Collaborative UX Design Tool
UXPin is a free and open-source graphic design software that focuses on drawing and vector graphics. It provides a wide array of features catering to the creation of logos, illustrations, icons, and various graphics.
🔑 Key Features
The tool is simple to use for tasks like uploading files, selecting ranges, and transitions. While it may differ from its primary purpose, it works well for presentations and sharing small images. Commenting functionality enhances collaboration during screen viewing.
- Cost-Effective Solution: UXPin’s free and open-source nature makes it an attractive choice for designers seeking high-quality graphics without a significant financial investment.
- Diverse Design Capabilities: The platform boasts an extensive toolkit suitable for designing logos, illustrations, icons, and other graphical elements.
- User-Friendly Interface: UXPin offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. Regular updates ensure the software stays aligned with the latest graphic design trends.
- Cross-Device Compatibility: UXPin is compatible with various devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, ensuring flexibility in design work.
- Prototype Sharing: Easily share prototypes with teams or audiences for preview and review, facilitating collaboration.
- Built-in Data: Access a library of auto-generated data to populate prototypes with names, cities, images, and more.
- Suitable for Businesses: UXPin is well-suited for businesses of all sizes.
- Team Library Creation: UXPin empowers users to establish team libraries, fostering uniformity in branding and design elements across various projects and designs.
💲 Pricing
UXPin offers a range of pricing options to suit diverse user needs. Their offerings include a free version, which serves as an introductory level with no associated costs. The Basic plan, priced at $15.00 per editor per month, provides essential features for users.
For those seeking more advanced capabilities, the Advanced plan is available at $25.00 per editor per month. For enterprises requiring tailored solutions, UXPin offers custom pricing under their Enterprise plan. This array of pricing tiers ensures that users can select the option that aligns best with their requirements and budget.
👍 Advantages of Using UXPin:
- Cost-Effective: Being free and open-source, UXPin is an economical choice for designers who want quality graphics without hefty expenses.
- Versatile Design: The software offers a wide array of tools suitable for creating diverse graphic elements like logos, icons, and illustrations.
- User-Friendly: UXPin’s user-friendly interface simplifies design tasks, and regular updates keep it up-to-date with design trends.
- Cross-Device Compatibility: It works seamlessly across various devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobiles.
👎 Disadvantages of Using UXPin:
- Limited Popularity: Not as popular as Figma, finding support and resources for UXPin might be more challenging.
- Less Versatility: Compared to Figma, UXPin might not provide the same level of creative flexibility.
- Learning Curve: UXPin might require a steeper learning curve compared to Figma, potentially deterring some users.
⚖️ Verdict
In summary, UXPin serves as a suitable option for cost-conscious designers aiming to produce high-quality graphics. Its extensive feature set accommodates the creation of logos, illustrations, icons, and more, coupled with its user-friendly interface.
However, it’s worth noting that UXPin might not offer the same versatility as Figma and might lack readily available support and resources. The software is available on various operating systems, including Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Moqups: Perfect Tool for Non-Designers
Moqups is a cloud-based visual collaboration tool that helps companies make and test prototypes for websites and apps. Teams can work together on drawings, plans, and mock-ups using the whiteboard. Also, the drawing tools let designers make sitemaps, storyboards, and charts, and move between different parts easily.
🔑 Key Features
Moqups provides stencil kits that let users create custom designs using various elements such as icons, fonts, shapes, and widgets from a built-in library. It includes features like managing roles and permissions, keeping track of activity with audit logs, having personal projects, using single sign-on (SSO), and working in multiple teams. Managers can also add notes or comments, make changes to designs, and communicate through chat, making it easy to collaborate in real time on projects.
- Templates: Ready-made designs for quick project kickstart.
- Auto-Layout: Automatic arrangement of elements for a consistent design.
- Collaboration Tools: Features for seamless teamwork and feedback sharing.
- Data Import/Export: Capability to bring in or send out project data.
- Desktop Interface: User interface optimized for desktop computers.
- Wireframe Creation: Designing basic outlines for project structure.
- UX Prototyping: Creating interactive experiences to test user flow.
- UI Prototyping: Developing interactive interfaces with user interactions.
- Search/Filter: Functionality to easily locate and organize design elements.
- Mockup Creation: Crafting visual representations of final designs.
- Design Management: Tools to organize and manage design projects.
💲 Pricing
Moqups provides a free plan with basic features and no credit card requirements. This lets you explore its capabilities without commitment. Additionally, there are three paid options: Solo, Team, and Unlimited. The Solo plan, priced at $17/month, covers one user. The Team plan, at $32/month, includes three users. The Unlimited plan costs $89/month or $67/month when billed annually.
👍 Advantages of Using Moqups:
- User-Friendly: Moqups is easy to use, making it accessible even for beginners.
- Time Saver: Its templates help create charts and flow quickly, saving you and your company time.
- Creative Freedom: Customize stunning designs to match your creativity.
- Unique Features: Offers animations, powerful expressions, and designs not found in other competitors.
- Dynamic Collaboration: Create dynamic wireframes and mockups that foster seamless collaboration among employees and across management levels.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Moqups:
- Lack of Renewal Notifications: The platform doesn’t send renewal alerts, and refund processes can be challenging.
- Editing Process: Editing elements one by one with the drag-and-drop editor can be time-consuming. Rearranging flowcharts might also take a while.
- Mockup Access: To download mockups, you need to upgrade to a paid plan, which can contradict the purpose of a free plan.
⚖️ Verdict
Figma and Moqups are popular design and prototyping tools, but they differ in features, collaboration, and users. Figma is a cloud-based design tool with extensive features for making interfaces, interactive prototypes, and teamwork. Multiple designers can work together in real-time, making it great for teamwork. It has advanced design options like vector editing and component libraries. Moqups, a web-based tool, focuses on wireframes and mockups for UI design. It offers ready-to-use UI elements and templates for low and high-fidelity prototypes. Moqups supports collaboration but not as much as Figma.
Mockplus: Tool for Quick Prototyping
Mockplus is a cloud-based tool for quick prototyping. It helps developers create interactive prototypes and wireframes easily. With pre-made components and drag-and-drop features, you can swiftly design screens. Mockplus supports online collaboration, allowing teamwork, syncing, and testing in eight methods. Clients can give feedback directly on designs. This user-friendly tool is great for beginners and needs no coding. It’s available through a yearly subscription and offers support via email, chat, and documentation.
🔑 Key Features
Mockplus is your go-to tool for effortless and rapid prototyping, including wireframe creation. It boasts a gentle learning curve, making it accessible right from the start. With pre-designed components, you can easily drag and drop elements onto your design canvas, offering a visual depiction of your project’s evolution.
- Loaded with Components: Access to a library of nearly 200 components like buttons, video players, and image carousels for accurate design representation.
- Prototype Style: Choose between Sketch or Wireframe styles to render your designs with a paper-like or clean-edged appearance.
- Annotation Capabilities: Add comments and notes using Markup components to highlight specific areas of your prototype.
- Page/Version Comparison: Easily compare pages with split, fade, slide, and difference views. Historical versions are saved automatically with changes.
- Document References: Attach document and link references in “Comment” and “Review” modes, ensuring easy access for teammates.
- Full-View Storyboard: View and rearrange all screens of your project using Storyboard, complete with logical lines and descriptions.
- Sketch/PS/XD/Figma/Axure Integration: Import designs from various platforms directly with the Mockplus Cloud plugin for seamless collaboration and iteration.
- Smart Gestures and Animations: Choose from 8 gesture options and 15 animation effects to create realistic and clickable web/app prototypes.
- Archive/Favorite Project: Archive finished projects and mark essential ones as favorites. Projects can be moved back and forth from the Archive.
- Layer Tree and Layer Panel: Hierarchical relationships between layers are shown in the layer tree, while the layer panel displays properties and CSS codes.
💲 Pricing
It’s worth highlighting that Mockplus comes in different versions: Mockplus Cloud and Mockplus RP. Both offer a range of plans to select from.
Mockplus RP is designed for interactive prototyping and comes with Basic, Ultimate, and Enterprise plans. The Basic plan is free, enabling you to create 3 prototypes with 10 pages each. The Ultimate plan starts at $10.95 per user/month for 3 users, granting access to unlimited prototypes and pages. The Enterprise plan offers personalized solutions tailored to your company’s requirements.
On the other hand, Mockplus Cloud serves as a collaboration and handoff platform, also available in Basic, Ultimate, and Enterprise options. The Basic plan is free and accommodates 10 users and 10 active projects. The Ultimate Plan, priced at $4.95 per user/month for 3 users, allows unlimited active projects. The Enterprise plan is customizable to meet your corporation’s specific needs.
👍 Advantages of Using Mockplus:
- Effective Collaboration: Mockplus has received praise for its collaboration features, fostering smooth communication and quicker product delivery between developers and design teams.
- Efficient Workflow: The auto-generation of specs, assets, and code snippets in Mockplus has streamlined design workflows, reducing misunderstandings among team members and enhancing collaboration.
- Comprehensive Design Solution: Mockplus is recognized as an all-encompassing platform, covering a range of design needs from low-fi wireframing to prototyping and team collaboration.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Mockplus:
- Limitation on Active Projects: The free plan has a restriction on the number of active projects, potentially limiting users who require multiple ongoing projects.
- Limited Customer Support Availability: Some users have noted that customer support is not accessible round-the-clock, which could pose challenges for urgent issues.
- Challenges with Complex UI Designs: Mockplus may not be the best choice for intricate UI designs, as it could lack certain advanced features required for handling complex design scenarios.
⚖️ Verdict
Mockplus is extremely useful for creating initial prototypes that aren’t too complex. The extensive components library speeds up the design process significantly. However, some improvements in terms of responsiveness and more advanced gestures are needed, as these are crucial aspects of designing apps.
Miro: Online Collaborative Tool
Miro is an online whiteboard platform that replicates the functionalities of a physical whiteboard. It’s akin to Google Docs for whiteboard tasks. With real-time visibility into your teammates’ actions, collaboration becomes seamless. Creative teams can collaboratively work on wireframing, prototyping, and mockup projects in real time. Additionally, Miro serves as a virtual meeting space, combining the features of a whiteboard, marketing tool, project management platform, and brainstorming tool all in one.
🔑 Key Features
This versatile online collaboration tool goes beyond the usual offerings of similar software, even including features like video conferencing. At its core are “boards,” blank spaces where much of your work takes place. While starting from scratch might seem daunting, Miro provides pre-designed templates to simplify the process. Among these templates are mind maps, Kanban boards, flowcharts, product roadmaps, and timelines, which are useful for various tasks, including project management. Users acquainted with tools like Airtable or Trello will find the concepts familiar.
- Whiteboarding: The tool allows you to visualize ideas and concepts through interactive whiteboards, facilitating collaborative brainstorming and creative discussions.
- Collaboration: Collaborate with your team to share ideas regardless of location or device, ensuring seamless teamwork and real-time interaction.
- Templates: Ready-made frameworks and established workflows
- Developer Documentation: Comprehensive documentation to build and customize on the Miro platform.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: High-level data protection measures, safeguarding sensitive information within an enterprise environment.
- Apps & Integrations: Ability to connect Miro with various tools and applications.
💲 Pricing
Miro provides a range of pricing options to address diverse organizational requirements. Starting with a complimentary plan, users can access foundational features, including one workspace with three editable boards, a repository of over 1,000 templates, and integration with 100+ third-party tools like Zoom and Slack.
The Starter Plan, priced at $10 per month (or $8 per month with an annual subscription), delivers unlimited boards within a workspace, version tracking, collaborative tools such as video conferencing and polling, and heightened control over sharing permissions.
For a more comprehensive offering, the Business Plan is available at $20 per month (or $16 per month with an annual commitment). It features unrestricted workspaces and boards, expanded integration options, and single sign-on (SSO) support, with a 20% discount for annual payments.
Tailored to larger organizations, the Enterprise Plan provides customized solutions with administration controls, elevated security measures, and 24/7 customer support. Pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Furthermore, educational institutions benefit from complimentary access, granting staff and students unlimited boards for collaborative use.
👍 Advantages of Using Miro:
- Ease of Use and Implementation: Miro boasts an intuitive interface that requires minimal setup time, making it easy for users to start quickly.
- Workflow Visualization: Ideal for displaying workflows, Miro’s tools aid teams in understanding processes and optimizing their work.
- Customizable Templates: Ready-made templates that can be personalized help save time and enhance efficiency, tailoring solutions to team needs.
- Cross-Team Collaboration: Miro facilitates seamless collaboration, regardless of location, fostering cohesion among team members.
- Unlimited Planning and Brainstorming Space: Miro’s expansive space promotes unrestricted planning, brainstorming, and creative idea generation.
- Face-to-Face Whiteboard Emulation: Remote collaboration feels personal and interactive, emulating physical whiteboard use.
- Continuous Improvements: Regular updates showcase Miro’s commitment to evolving its collaboration solution to meet user needs.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Miro:
- Limited Custom Templates: The inability to save custom templates might hinder process standardization within teams.
- Functionality Overwhelming: An abundance of features could lead to a steep learning curve for newcomers.
- Session Expiration Issues: Users have reported session expiration causing disruptions or loss of unsaved work.
- Navigational Challenges: Handling interconnected projects may pose challenges, impacting user experience.
- Limited Job Functions: Incorporating more specialized job functions could enhance usability across diverse teams.
- Free Tier Limitations: Constraints in Miro’s free tier, like board limits, could hinder full platform exploration without an upgrade.
⚖️ Verdict
Miro proves advantageous for a variety of individuals and groups including creative teams such as designers and copywriters, website publishers, small business owners, as well as engineers and STEM students. It stands as a functional team collaboration tool, offering an infinite canvas and templates to foster creative thinking. With the integration of Smart Meetings, it replicates an in-person teamwork environment.
Moreover, it provides robust widgets, customer journey maps, and Miro for Zoom, enhancing collaboration and refining marketing strategies.
Zeplin: A Dedicated Handoff Tool
Zeplin serves as a collaborative platform bridging front-end developers and UI designers, easing their teamwork. It simplifies the handoff process by converting designs from Adobe XD, Sketch, Photoshop, and Figma into style guides, code snippets, and specs. This eliminates manual tasks like writing margins, exporting icons, and copying text.
Irrespective of the project’s target platform, whether Android, iOS, or the web, the software generates tailored assets, precise specs, and code fragments. Once the design is finalized, sharing it with the team empowers engineers to reference it across various projects, ensuring uniformity. Furthermore, real-time updates and easy access to design resources keep everyone informed, aided by automatic change notifications.
🔑 Key Features
Zeplin enables efficient iteration and collaboration for product teams comprising designers, developers, and product owners throughout the design process. When designs are finalized, they are automatically converted into code, streamlining the handoff to developers.
- API: Facilitates integration with other tools and systems.
- Access Controls/Permissions: Manage who can access and modify project resources.
- Activity Dashboard: Provides a centralized view of project activities and progress.
- Alerts/Notifications: Keeps users informed about updates and changes in real time.
- Brainstorming: Enables creative idea generation and collaboration.
- Collaboration Tools: Enhances teamwork by providing tools for joint work.
- Commenting/Notes: Allows users to leave comments and notes on designs for feedback.
- Communication Management: Streamlines communication among team members.
💲 Pricing
Zeplin offers a range of options to suit various preferences and needs. Users can begin with a free trial or opt for the free version, which accommodates a single project. For more comprehensive features, paid plans are available through monthly and yearly subscriptions.
These include the Free Plan for a single project, the Team Plan for up to 12 projects with a cost of $8 per seat per month, the Organization Plan providing unlimited projects at $16 per seat per month (with a minimum of 12 seats), and finally, the Enterprise Plan tailored for specific requirements and available upon request.
👍 Advantages of Using Zeplin:
- User-Friendly and Flexible: Zeplin is easy to use and offers flexibility in sharing and collaborating on design screens within a team.
- Cross-Platform Availability: The tool is accessible on various platforms including web, iOS, and Android, making it convenient for team members to access and collaborate.
- Readymade Code Snippets: Zeplin provides ready-to-use code snippets, streamlining the process for developers to implement designs and reducing guesswork.
- Consistent Dimensions: It offers dimensions for iOS, Android, and Web designs, eliminating the need for developers to constantly verify measurements during implementation.
- Effortless Download of Design Assets: Zeplin enables developers to easily download digital design assets, enhancing organization and implementation efficiency.
- Automatic CSS Generation: Zeplin automatically generates CSS for web designs, aiding developers in translating designs into code seamlessly.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Zeplin:
- Incomplete Screen Download: Zeplin lacks the ability to download complete screens, which can be limiting for some workflows.
- Cumbersome Asset Slicing and Export: Some users find the process of slicing and exporting assets in Zeplin to be cumbersome and could benefit from improvements.
- Lack of Dedicated Web Application: The absence of a dedicated web application could be seen as a drawback, affecting the accessibility and user experience for certain users.
- Learning Curve: Zeplin may pose a learning curve for new users, making it less straightforward to start working with initially.
- Limited Features for Mockups and Prototypes: Some users express a desire for more features in Zeplin to make it a more comprehensive tool for mockups and prototypes.
⚖️ Verdict
The tool proves to be the go-to solution for a smooth handoff process. Its effectiveness is particularly pronounced in achieving pixel-perfect designs flawlessly translated by developers. This makes it an excellent choice for projects that demand meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in execution.
In addition to its design and development capabilities, Zeplin holds relevance for remote workers as well.
Framer: Prototyping Tool for Developers
Framer is a versatile tool for making interactive prototypes of websites and apps. Unlike traditional design tools, Framer blends design and coding, letting designers create customized designs with JavaScript and React.
It’s great for designers who want to use code or developers who want to design. Framer helps create responsive designs, animations, and interactions. It has a visual design interface for arranging components and also lets you use code to design.
Framer is known for its strong prototyping features. It helps simulate user actions and make interactive prototypes that look like the real thing. It also supports teamwork, version control, and sharing prototypes with clients.
🔑 Key Features
Framer provides an intuitive interface featuring drag-and-drop functionality, catering to both novices and seasoned designers. Its user-friendly design enables swift learning and effective creation.
- Design & Layout: Create adaptable layouts quickly on a familiar canvas.
- Navigation: Seamlessly move between various site pages or sections.
- CMS (Content Management System): Easily handle content for blogs, job listings, and marketing pages.
- Site Management: Efficiently manage website settings, including passwords and custom domains.
- SEO & Performance: Enhance search engine optimization and performance aspects.
- Data Encryption: Framer safeguards your data using SSL/TLS encryption during transit between your browser and their servers, ensuring unauthorized parties cannot intercept your uploaded or downloaded information.
- Secure Hosting: Framer employs secure servers with robust physical and network security, monitored around the clock to maintain the integrity of your data.
- Access Control: You have the authority to manage who can access and edit your projects in Framer. You can opt for private, selective sharing, or public visibility.
- Data Visualizations: Framer offers the capability to design dynamic data visualizations, encompassing various charts, graphs, and maps. For instance, Framer can be utilized to craft an interactive data visualization presenting the outcomes of a recent survey.
💲 Pricing
Framer presents a variety of pricing options to accommodate different needs. The Free Plan includes 100 CMS items and up to 1000 visitors per month. The Mini Plan, specifically tailored for landing pages, comes at a cost of $5 per month. For more robust websites, the Basic Site Plan at $15 per month offers 1000 CMS items, a custom domain, and up to 10,000 visitors.
Stepping up, the Pro Site Plan is priced at $25 per month, delivering expanded CMS items, visitors, integrated analytics, and site staging. Framer’s pricing structure seems to provide a range of affordable solutions for users.
👍 Advantages of Using Framer:
- Advanced Customization: Framer provides comprehensive customization options, enabling detailed design personalization, from animations to responsive layouts.
- Integration with Other Tools: Seamlessly integrates with popular design tools like Sketch and Figma, enhancing usability and flexibility.
- Component Store: Access a Component Store with pre-built components, accelerating your design workflow.
- State Management: Built-in state management in Framer simplifies the creation of intricate interactions and animations.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Framer:
- No Back-End Integration: Framer lacks back-end integration capabilities. You’ll require a separate solution for implementing server-side functionality.
- No Native App Export: While you can design and prototype mobile apps with Framer, you can’t directly export designs as functional native apps. App development requires a separate coding step.
- Limited Features: Despite its power, Framer lacks some features that certain users might require. For instance, it lacks a built-in animation tool.
- Performance Issues: Framer’s performance can be sluggish, particularly when working on larger projects.
⚖️ Verdict
Framer is an excellent option for startups seeking quick website design and prototyping with advanced customization. With an affordable starting price of $19 per month, it’s budget-friendly and offers a drag-and-drop interface suitable for non-coders. This platform provides ample customization, allowing you to match your website’s look to your brand. Its optimization for search engines ensures better visibility in search results. Overall, Framer is a valuable tool for startups aiming for professional websites without the complexity.
Balsamiq: Low-Fidelity UI Wireframing Tool
Balsamiq serves as a low-fidelity UI wireframing tool, enabling the quick creation of UI blueprints without coding. It provides sketch-style controls for rapid idea sketching and brainstorming. For presentations, Balsamiq offers a clean wireframe mode to switch skins and showcase work. Its quick wireframing feature prioritizes structure and content over intricate details.
🔑 Key Features
Balsamiq offers a no-code wireframing tool accessible via Cloud, Desktop, or Google Drive. Utilize it to craft mock UX/UI designs or low-fidelity prototypes, digitally sketching your app, website, or ideas and sharing your blueprint.
- Built-in and Community UI Controls and Icons: Balsamiq provides a range of UI controls and icons, both pre-built and community-contributed, along with a user-friendly drag-and-drop design interface, catering to non-technical users.
- Export and Sharing: Finished skeletal frameworks can be easily exported to PNG or PDF formats, facilitating effortless sharing and presentation on the web, as images or interactive PDFs.
- Quick Add: Balsamiq’s Quick Add feature accelerates the addition of UI controls. By typing a few letters from the control’s name, you receive a list of suggestions for swift inclusion.
- Symbols and Templates: The software supports symbols, templates, masters, and customizable component libraries, streamlining design consistency and reusability.
- Interactive Prototypes: Balsamiq enables the creation of interactive prototypes. You can link wireframes together to construct a simple prototype for websites or applications, facilitating click-through demonstrations and usability testing.
💲 Pricing
Balsamiq offers wireframing editors on Cloud, Desktop, and Google Drive platforms, all starting with a 30-day free trial.
Balsamiq Cloud is charged per Space, this option provides unlimited wireframes, users, flexible sharing, real-time co-editing, comments, chat, project history, and backups. Plans include:
- 2 Projects: $9/month or $90/year for up to 2 projects.
- 20 Projects: $49/month or $490/year for most teams.
- 200 Projects: $199/month or $1,990/year for larger teams.
Balsamiq Desktop costs $89 per user, this offline option offers project files on your machine and collaboration via file sharing or interactive PDFs.
Balsamiq Google Drive costs $5/month or $50/year per Wireframe editor, this option allows project storage and collaboration through Google Drive. Viewer access is free, and up to 500 editors can be subscribed. Users can also purchase wireframes for Confluence Cloud/Server and Jira Cloud/Server, with commercial license prices starting at $100 for three editors and increasing based on the editor count. Academic licenses receive a 50% discount.
👍 Advantages of Using Balsamiq:
- Swift and Expressive Mockups: Balsamiq excels at creating quick, rough mockups.
- User-Friendly for All: Impressively accessible even for non-technical users.
- Rapid Modifications: Easily accommodate changes and updates swiftly.
- Seamless Idea Sharing: Enables effortless idea-sharing with colleagues and clients.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Balsamiq:
- Limited Canvas Size: Not ideal for expansive, client-facing presentations.
- No Interactive Prototyping: Lacks support for interactive prototyping; focuses on depicting behaviors through static images.
- Limited Collaboration: Offers restricted sharing and collaborative features.
- Lack of Annotations: This does not allow annotations on the interface.
- License Restrictions: Quantity limitations for elements, pages, and projects unless paid for.
⚖️ Verdict
Balsamiq caters to business owners, product managers, analysts, developers, agencies, and those exploring UX. It supports team collaboration and is popular among software teams and consultants working together and with clients. It’s also suitable for non-coders wanting to create wireframes.
Axure: Tool for Interactive Prototypes
Axure is a top pick among UX designers for making prototypes and wireframes. It’s especially great for web apps and desktop software. With Axure, you can create interactive prototypes with deep interactions and connections. You can also use pre-made components by dragging and dropping them into your design. This makes building engaging prototypes quick and easy. Axure is loved by designers who work on desktop and mobile apps, and big companies like using it too because it adds a lot of detail to prototypes.
🔑 Key Features
Creating advanced prototypes in Axure doesn’t require coding knowledge. Complex interactions can be established through the Interactions panel using simple “if this, then that” statements. Here are more Axure features:
- Built-in Widgets: Quickly create wireframes and prototypes using ready-made widgets.
- Browser-Based Prototypes: Build interactive prototypes without coding.
- Sketch Asset Integration: Develop interactions using Sketch assets.
- Mobile Emulation: Emulate and preview prototypes on mobile devices.
- User Input: Include working form fields for user interactions.
- Conditional Logic: Add logic, variables, and expressions.
- Dynamic Content: Work with dynamic content and adaptive views.
- Animation Effects: Incorporate animation for dynamic interactions.
- Offline Prototype Viewing: View prototypes offline.
- Custom Widget Libraries: Create and use personalized widget libraries.
- Adobe XD Integration: Integrate with Adobe XD and utilize plugins.
- Axure Cloud Sharing: Share prototypes on Axure Cloud for browser viewing.
- Co-authoring and Collaboration: Collaborate with multiple users on the same project.
- Shared Assets: Create and share interactive component libraries.
- Developer Handoff: Publish designs with automatic redlines, CSS, and image export.
- Documentation and Specification: Generate process flows, specifications, and more using visual aids.
💲 Pricing
Axure offers various pricing tiers and operates under two models: subscription-based and perpetual licenses. The perpetual license options include Axure RP 9 Pro starting at $495, Axure RP 9 Team at $895, and an enterprise option tailored to team size. Subscriptions begin at $29 per month for Axure Pro 9.
👍 Advantages of Using Axure:
- Impressive prototyping interactions.
- Comprehensive product information, extensive training, and support documentation.
- Quick design with a drag-and-drop feature.
- The all-in-one tool supports multi-platform prototyping.
- Reusable design elements with master components, supporting nesting.
👎 Disadvantages of Using Axure:
- Some dynamic panel functions can be complex for new users.
- Higher cost for individual users: $289 for the standard edition, and $589 for the professional edition.
- Limited features for the standard edition, including documentation and team collaboration.
- The mobile device prototype preview experience needs improvement.
⚖️ Verdict
In terms of comparison, Figma emerges as the winner due to its collaborative capabilities and multi-platform accessibility. The real-time collaboration and live embedding feature in Figma cater to the needs of design systems and front-end development integration. However, Figma’s online nature could pose security challenges for enterprise use.
Axure secures its spot as one of the best Figma competitors for its robust built-in components, interactive prototyping, and document creation abilities. Axure excels when real-world data interaction is essential for feature testing. In such cases, it stands out as the preferred choice.
Feeling motivated and inspired to roll up your sleeves? Awesome. In case you need a web development partner for your current and future projects, here at htmlBurger, we are more than glad to discuss your needs. Wanna talk?
Let’s Wrap It Up!
To sum up,
when seeking alternatives to Figma for design and prototyping needs, it’s important to consider a variety of factors. Each tool has its unique strengths and weaknesses, catering to different requirements and preferences. To be a solid Figma alternative, a tool should possess:
- Collaborative Capabilities: Like Figma, the alternative should allow seamless real-time collaboration among team members, ensuring efficient design workflows.
- User-Friendly Interface: A user-friendly interface with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality is crucial for quick and easy design creation.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Multi-platform accessibility, including web, desktop, and mobile, enables flexible usage across different devices.
- Wireframing and Prototyping: The tool should offer comprehensive wireframing and interactive prototyping features to bring designs to life.
- Design System Support: Integration with design systems and front-end development should be seamless, facilitating streamlined design-to-code processes.
- Customization and Flexibility: Tools with extensive customization options allow designers to tailor their projects according to unique design needs.
- Data Interaction: For scenarios requiring real-world data interaction to test features, the alternative should provide robust capabilities.
- Security Considerations: Enterprise-grade security features are essential for tools used in corporate environments, ensuring data protection.
- Cost-Effectiveness: A good alternative should provide value for the cost, balancing features with affordability.
- Documentation and Support: Adequate documentation and customer support contribute to a smoother learning curve and efficient troubleshooting.
By evaluating these criteria against the needs of your project and team, you can choose the best Figma alternative that aligns with your design and prototyping goals.
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