In order to create wireframes or fully functional prototypes for developers, UI designers need the best UI design tools that offer everything they need. However, with many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know which ones will suit a particular designer's needs. In this guide, we evaluate the pros and cons of seven of the best UI design tools as determined by our reviewers.
Many designers use more than one tool, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. While Sketch was once the dominant player, many competitors have emerged with unique features. To determine which tool works best for a designer's needs, we recommend trying out as many as possible, taking advantage of the free trials offered.
We've outlined the strengths and weaknesses of each of the seven best UI design tools, including Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Axure RP, Framer, UXPin, and Marvel. Each tool has its own unique features, from Figma's multiplayer design to Sketch's high-fidelity prototyping and Axure RP's wireframe components.
In addition to these tools, we offer recommendations for web design tools, website builders, and web hosting services.
Our reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services to help you choose the best option for your needs. Whether you're looking for the best UI design tool overall (Figma), the best tool for macOS (Sketch), the best tool for Adobe users (Adobe XD), the best tool for technical UI designs (Axure RP), the highest-rated tool (Framer), the best tool for end-to-end product development (UXPin), or the best tool for rapid prototyping (Marvel), we've got you covered.
Furthermore, each tool comes with its own set of pros and cons, which we have outlined in our guide. Figma, for example, is a full-featured tool that works in the browser and offers excellent collaboration features, but it is relatively expensive. On the other hand, Sketch is a user-friendly tool that offers everything you'd expect, but it is only available for macOS.
Adobe XD is a reliable tool that seamlessly integrates with other Adobe products and works on both Windows and macOS, but it lacks standout features. Axure RP is a powerful tool that is great for technical projects and has wireframe components, but it is costly. Framer is a highly rated tool that offers exceptional UI and granular interactivity, but its community is still relatively small, and it lacks some basics such as the ability to create groups.
UXPin is an end-to-end product development tool that is developer-friendly and allows designers to achieve full consistency with the final product, but it can feel slow and bloated due to its many features. Finally, Marvel is a tool that focuses on democratising design and offers simple UI design tools that make wireframing and rapid prototyping lightning fast, but it has no desktop apps.
Ultimately, the best UI design tool for a designer depends on their specific needs and work flow. We hope our guide helps designers make an informed decision when choosing a UI design tool.