Optimum performance comes with knowledge and through the use of the right tools comes perfection. To beat the competition, any handy product that promises to improve the performance level is a welcome change. Wireframe tools available for free are one such product feed that can help UI/UX designers fair better. These wireframe tools come loaded with several features including the availability of free SVG icons for use that allows the UI/UX designer to work at a faster pace.
But before we delve more into different Wireframe tools and their features, would it not be right to know a bit more about the Wireframe itself? People who are new, or are still learning can understand better about them. Wireframe tools make designing easier for a UI/UX designer and with their help designing even complicated projects becomes more easily achievable.
The wireframe is nothing but the skeletal framework of any website or app design, interfaces, and even dashboards on which the UI/UX designer works to create the entire picture. If you have obtained the names of a few Wireframe tools by now, you should not go with them without checking if they are the right tools for you.
How do you check if you are using the right Wireframe tool? Of course, by comparing the Wireframe tool features with your requirements and sometimes that could be something as simple as the availability of free SVG icons or even their price.
Essential features for a wireframe tool to be an ideal match
Several essential features which must be part of any paid or free Wireframe tool to make it a good one are being shared below for your reference.
UI is well-designed for the Wireframe tool
You must always watch out for unique tool features but you must also lookout for the other different features the tool can provide apart from the essential ones. That way, the tools can serve better.
Serves several unique features
You must always watch out for unique tool features but you must also lookout for the other different features the tool can provide apart from the essential ones. That way, the tools can serve better.
User friendliness of the tool
The tool should be such that it can even be used by novice UI/UX designers.
Good money value if the tools provide these facilities
- Options to do an SVG icon download if required.
- Availability of more interactive materials.
- Collaborative features like facilities to attach files, export them, and also comment on them.
- Integration with other tools.
- Drag and drop facility for images, and even free SVG icons .
Team friendly
Team-friendly options must be at play with the Wireframe tool.
Handoff option for tools
After creating the wireframe, the design is sent directly by the UI/UX designer to the developer. Usually, the developer can merely copy the designs down easily but if a hand off option comes with the Wireframe tool, it can serve as an added advantage to you. A hands off tool can alter the design into their respective codes thereby increasing the understandability factor between the UI/UX designer and the developer.
Check the fidelity of your tool
This is another feature that must not be compromised. There are three types of fidelity used within a tool- high fidelity, low fidelity, and medium fidelity. Lorem ipsum sites are low fidelity tools and high fidelity tools replace these lorem ipsum texts with real-time pictures, and texts. Now that we know what to check in these tools, we will go ahead and share the 7 best tools with you that can help solve the problems of any UI/UX designer easily. Tools that give you access to all the desirable features including even free SVG icons are being discussed below for your reference.
Here are 7 Best Wireframe Tools For UI/UX Designers?
Here’s a list of all types of fidelity and price ranges with different property sets. Of course, there are many more but these are the best in many ways. Some of the best Wireframe tools for UI/UX designers include the following for your best reference.
1- Mockplus
With Mockplus, you have no learning curve, and the minute you have the tool with you, all you have to do is, hop into it and just start using it. The most striking feature of the tool is its user-friendliness and the basic tool can be obtained free of cost.
Basic Features:
Price: The basic is free and the pro package is $29 for a month.
Fidelity: Low fidelity options
Compatibility: Useful for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
Notable Features of Mockplus:
- 200 different components for use, an abundance of templates, able to host 3000 paid and all free SVG icons for use.
- Interactive design creation options as you require no training for starting your Wireframe projects.
- A simple drag and drop option for creating your best and most effective Wireframe designs.
- There are 8 ways in which you can share your Wireframe projects with others.
- You have different template designs and there is one for every designer.
2- Gliffy
Primarily, meant for creating Wireframes for mobile apps, websites, and also for home pages of different sites. Gliffy brings you different templates of different types, shapes, and forms to create professional-looking websites.
Price: For 1 to 9 users, it is $8 and for a team size of 10-50 users, it is $6. If you host an enterprise, you can ask for a quote.
Fidelity: Low fidelity Wireframe
Compatibility: Useful for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and even Opera.
Notable Features of Gliffy
- Importing and editing Wireframes is easy
- The drag and drop facility is well developed
- Exporting diagrams in different file formats is possible including the free SVG icon use and downloads.
- One can integrate it with Atlassian and can share it with friends.
3- Wireframe.cc
Wireframe.cc offers a cloud-based solution for website and mobile application wireframe creation. With it, you can export projects either as PDF or PNG files.
Price: $16 for every user every month, $39 per month for a trio, and $99 for a month.
Fidelity: low fidelity tool but with high fidelity mockups with this Wireframe maker
Compatibility: Useful for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
Notable Features of Wirefram.cc
- It allows appropriate collaboration between teams.
- They provide suitable mobile interfaces and page linking options.
- There is a drag-and-drop facility with the tool
- It has packages for every size- people going solo, in threesomes, and a whole enterprise.
4- Cacoo
The Wireframe tool is loaded with designer-friendly features and with Cacoo, your team can virtually work from anywhere.
Price: $5 for every user for a month.
Fidelity: low fidelity wireframes but provides high fidelity mockups
Compatibility: Useful for Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox.
Notable Cacoo features:
- 900 plus templates that offer you a variety, of collaboration available with Cloud-based software
- Importing and editing the already available Visio files is possible with Cacoo.
- Exporting files, all types of free SVG icons, and photos are possible
5- Pencil Project
- An open-source tool, Pencil Project is a wireframe option designed by Mozilla and compatible with Windows. If you have a Chrome browser, Pencil Project might lose its charm.
Price: Free to use.
Fidelity: Low fidelity wireframes
Compatibility: Useful for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Notable Pencil Project features:
- It has built-in shape collections and also provides support for diagram drawings.
- Exporting files including all types of SVG icons download is possible in different output formats using the Pencil Project.
- Using ClipArt from the internet is easily possible using the Pencil Project.
6- Invision
The tool picked up pace when a few Photoshop users migrated to enable the generation of more interactive screens. It operates on a freemium model and brings the best even to the free users.
Price: Free to use with a Pro plan of $7.95 per month as an annual payment.
Fidelity: Low fidelity wireframes
Compatibility: Useful for Windows, and Mac
Notable Invision Project features:
- With Invision you can link different artboards into one animation.
- Mirroring prototypes is possible over phones
- Using Sketch like shortcuts is possible with the app
- Fixing elements through your scroll, resizing, and cropping images is possible
7- JustinMind
It is also a wireframing tool that helps generate high-fidelity prototypes for the web and even for mobile apps.
Price: Free to use for a basic plan, $9 per user every month, and a professional co-editing will require $19 every month.
Fidelity: High fidelity web prototypes
Compatibility: Useful for Chrome, and Mac iOS.
Notable Features of JustinMind:
- They regularly update their UI libraries.
- You can pre-design UI elements to create wireframe apps
- It is an easy to use as a medium with a drag-and-drop interface
Wrap up lines
All these tools can sustain you well if you are a designer. Whether new or old, you can use the tools to make your journey faster and easier. If you are in search of an appropriate tool, you can use these for meeting your requirements.
