Much like a storyboard for movies or comic books, a wireframe creates a visual guide outlining the basic structure and layout of your website’s pages and interface. Wireframing tools are apps used to help you create wireframes when you’re in the planning stage of your website design process.
Wireframing software can be used for early-stage design planning, ecommerce user experience (UX) design, client or team communications, and even developer handoffs. The primary users of wireframing tools tend to be UX and user interface (UI) designers, who use these tools to create wireframes for initial designs and to improve layouts.
For an ecommerce website, this might include the way a product listing or checkout page looks and works. These tools are also used by front-end developers, ecommerce marketing teams, and even site owners; really, anyone who has ideas or involvement in how their business’s website might look or work.
How to choose the best wireframing tool for your needs
The best wireframing tools will share several common features. For example, good wireframing tools let multiple team members work on the same file at the same time on different devices. It will allow commenting and notes within the app itself so you don’t need to use a separate method to share feedback.
The best wireframing tool for your website may differ based on your needs. Assess the following software-specific elements when making your decision:
-
User interface and usability. Does the tool have an intuitive interface for both designers and non-designers to use? Can team members learn it quickly without lots of training?
-
Feature depth. Does the tool support both low- and high-fidelity wireframes? Can it handle interactive prototyping or hover states? Does it offer reusable components or support design systems?
-
Real-time collaboration. Can multiple users edit at the same time? Does it update in real time to reflect new comments and markup notes?
-
Integrations. Does it integrate with common dev tools like Jira, Slack, Trello, or GitHub? Can it connect to a shared design process system like Figma libraries or Adobe XD assets?
-
Developer handoff features. Can the wireframing tool generate specs, assets, or code snippets? Is there a clear path from wireframe to working prototype?
-
Cross-platform compatibility. Is it browser-based, or does it have clients for Mac, Windows, and Linux? Are there mobile apps or tablet-enabled versions?
-
Export and sharing options. Can you share wireframes as common documents like PDFs, PNGs, or HTML page links?
There are also several business factors involved in choosing the right wireframing tool, including:
-
Budget. Does the pricing model fit your team? Does the vendor offer a free wireframe tool? For its paid tiers, what is the billing structure? Are there any hidden costs for things like storage, extra users, or more advanced features?
-
Team size and roles. Does the tool work just as well for solo designers, midsize teams, and enterprise-level collaboration? Can you scale it over time if needed?
-
Project scope. Does the wireframing tool allow for quick concept sketches, full user flows, and prototypes? Does it facilitate the full wireframe life cycle, from ideation to production?
-
Client and stakeholder access. Can you share wireframes with clients, partners, or non-designers without them needing their own software license or to register?
-
Support. Does the tool come with tutorials, community forums, or customer support options? Does the vendor offer onboarding or training for your team?
-
Security and permissions. Does the tool offer secure sharing and role-based access? Are files encrypted or stored in a way that complies with your company’s policies?
8 top wireframing tools
With all of the above in mind, you can confidently research and choose the most compatible wireframing tool for your circumstances. This list of eight top wireframing tools can help you get started.
Figma
Figma is a browser-based wireframe and UI design process tool known for its real-time collaboration features. More than one user can work on a file at the same time, and it has a reusable component system that works across projects (meaning you can reuse designs for menus, buttons, etc.). It is frequently used to develop responsive design for ecommerce sites and supports prototyping, commenting, and developer handoff.
Pricing: Offers a free version for individuals. Paid plans start at $3 per month for view and comment access (called a “collab” seat), $12 per month for read-only access to source and design files (a “dev” seat), and $16 per month for a full seat—all billed annually.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD has functions for wireframing, prototyping, and the UI design process. It can be useful for teams already using Adobe products, such as design tools like Creative Cloud. It offers voice prototyping, responsive resizing, and sharing via cloud links. Its integration with Photoshop and Illustrator is helpful for high-fidelity ecommerce product pages.
Pricing: Adobe XD is only available as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud package. Monthly billing starts at $59.99 for individuals; the business plan costs $89.99 per license.
Balsamiq
Balsamiq intentionally keeps things low-fidelity and simple. It helps you focus on website layout and functionality instead of pixel-perfect details. It simplifies the design process with drag-and-drop functionality. That makes it great for early-stage planning, especially if you’re working with team members who aren’t designers.
Pricing: Free for 30 days; pricing for one to two projects costs $12 per month or $144 per year. As project count increases, so do costs. Balsamiq also offers free plans for educational institutions and nonprofits.
Sketch
Sketch is a popular interface design tool available since 2010. It’s great for building out reusable components and polished layouts. While it’s not as collaborative as Figma is out of the box, you can use plug-ins and web-based tools (like Abstract, for instance) to help your team work together.
Pricing: Its standard subscription, which includes web-based collaboration tools, costs $10 per month, per editor, billed annually. It offers a Mac-only license for a one-time fee of $120, though this version doesn’t include the in-browser collaborative wireframing tools or a few other specific features.
Lucidchart
Originally developed for flowcharts, Lucidchart has solid wireframing features baked right in. You can sketch out pages and user flows in the same space. This is great for mapping what the user interface looks like as a customer moves from product page to purchase. Plus, it easily connects to tools like Slack and Google Docs.
Pricing: There’s a free version available. Paid plans start at $10 per month for teams and include more advanced controls, revision history, and integration with Microsoft 365, Confluence, Jira, and LeanIX.
Whimsical
Whimsical is great for quick ideas and team collaboration. It’s fast and includes tools to create wireframes, flowcharts, and sticky notes all in one place. It’s especially handy during brainstorming sessions or early in the planning phase of the wireframing process when you just need to get ideas out quickly.
Pricing: Free for up to three team boards and 10 guests. When you choose monthly billing, paid plans start at $12 per editor, per month and go up to $20 per editor, per month.
UXPin
UXPin goes a step further than many other tools, letting you build real, functional components into your wireframes. You can use conditional logic and input validation, and even pull in real data for user testing. This is ideal if you need to test interactive prototypes for your ecommerce site that need to feel like the real thing. It can also integrate with various prototyping software options.
Pricing: After a free trial, UXPin costs $8 per editor, per month for 20 prototypes. Annual billing drops the cost down to $6. On the high end, you’ll pay $149 per editor when billed monthly (or $119 per editor, per month, billed annually).
Axure RP
Axure RP is a heavy-duty tool that can create interactive prototypes and usable wireframes. It allows you to add real logic, dynamic content, and advanced interactive wireframes. This interactivity can be useful for more complex ecommerce website features, like multistep checkouts or user account flows.
Pricing: Axure RP’s first tier costs $29 per user, per month billed annually. Its second tier—which costs $49 per user, per month, billed annually—adds co-authoring, revision history, and cloud hosting.
Best wireframe tools FAQ
Are there free wireframe tools?
Rather than functioning as fully free wireframing tools, several top wireframe apps offer no-cost plans, mostly for individual users. For example, Figma has a free tier that includes unlimited personal files and collaborators. Balsamiq and Whimsical have more limited but still useful free tiers, which can be good enough for quick sketches or if you’re still in the early planning stages.
Is Figma good for wireframing?
While many users see Figma as being geared toward UI design, it works well as a wireframing tool, especially when just starting the design process. It has a good library of basic shapes, UI components, and icons you can use, plus a drag-and-drop intuitive interface that makes it easy to sketch out wireframes. It also has sufficient real-time collaboration tools, so your whole team can jump in and work on your wireframe together.
Is there an AI to create wireframes?
Though they’re still evolving, AI wireframing tools—like Uizard and TeleportHQ— do exist. They may have a learning curve, but can turn text prompts or hand-drawn sketches into actual workable and clickable wireframes. AI tools can save time upfront, but may need a designer to refine their output.
