Wireframing is an essential step in the user experience (UX) design process. Before investing time and money into developing a website, app, or other digital product, designers create wireframes to outline the basic structure and layout.
But with so many wireframing tools out there, how do you choose the right one? I evaluated dozens of options based on criteria like usability, features, and pricing. Here are the 7 tools I recommend for expert-level wireframing.
How I Evaluated the Best Wireframe Tools
As a UX design expert with over 10 years of experience, I assessed each tool hands-on by:
- Signing up for free trials when available
- Building out a sample mobile app wireframe
- Testing collaboration features to mimic teamwork
- Evaluating export/developer handoff options
- Comparing against criteria like usability, unique features, and value
I looked at 3 main factors that set the best tools apart:
Robust features: Built-in UI libraries, design fidelity levels, team communication abilities, developer specs/documentation.
Intuitive interface: Easy to navigate, logical workspace layout, fast to build wireframes.
Bonus perks: Integrations, AI assistance, tutorials/onboarding resources.
Keep reading for my full analysis and recommendations!
The 7 Best Wireframing Tools
1. Sketch – Best for Detailed Vector Design
Sketch is one of the most powerful vector design tools available for macOS. While not built solely as a wireframing app, Sketch lets you quickly pull together detailed wireframes and share them with developers.
With an intuitive interface and easy learning curve, Sketch makes it simple to go from idea to fully designed wireframe. Drag and drop shapes onto an infinite artboard to map out website pages or mobile app screens.
While Sketch doesn’t include a built-in UI kit, there are tons of icon libraries and design kits available to import. Premium assets range from totally free to paid options under $20.
Key features:
- Pixel-based vector editing
- Real-time collaboration
- Robust developer handoff integrations
Pricing:
- $10/month per user
- $120 one-time payment for perpetual license
Best for: Designers who prefer the fine control of vector tools to create detailed wireframes and mockups.
2. Moqups – Best Wireframing Tool for Beginners
Moqups makes wireframing simple for beginners, offering a clean drag-and-drop editor with built-in elements like responsive frames and icons.
Unlike other robust tools that have steep learning curves, Moqups lets you dive right into choosing a template and designing user flows or site maps. All the editing features live conveniently along the left side rather than buried in menus.
Moqups also faciliates team collaboration through shared links, allowing for real-time co-editing and built-in comment threads.
Key features:
- Extremely user-friendly
- Numerous templates
- Real-time collaboration
Pricing:
- Free version limited to 2 projects
- $9/month for individuals
- $15/month for teams
Best for: UX beginners who want a straightforward tool to start wireframing user journeys.
3. Figma – Best Free Wireframing Tool
Figma stands out as one of the only free wireframing tools with unlimited features. Even singleton designers can benefit from capabilities like real-time team editing, developer handoff, and interactive prototyping.
While Figma doesn‘t include a UI kit, its vector drawing tools make it easy to design your own simple wireframe components. There‘s also a community of free icons, fonts, illustrations, and templates to spice things up.
For teams, Figma facilitates communication right within project files. The integrated @mention system parses threaded replies by user. Figma also allows for multi-page flows, schematics, and responsive frames.
Key features:
- Unlimited free version
- Powerful collaboration abilities
- Prototyping and interactive links
Pricing:
- Free version with 3 project cap
- $12/month per user (annual billing)
Best for: Teams who want a full-service collaborative wireframing solution at no cost.
4. UXPin – Best Wireframing Tool for Developer Handoff
UXPin takes wireframing a step further with advanced prototyping and documentation features that facilitate smooth handoff to developers.
With UXPin, you can design interactive flows that mimic hover states, clicks, and adaptive behavior to work out UX kinks early on. There‘s also a built-in library of coded components so your wireframes automatically generate the relevant HTML specs.
For presenting ideas and gathering feedback, UXPin allows you to create clickable prototypes, annotate screenshots, and export specifications all in one shareable package. No more chasing people down for approvals!
Key features:
- Coded UI library
- Clickable interactive prototypes
- All-in-one presentation/documentation
Pricing:
- Free limited version
- $15/month per user
Best for: UX designers who need to solicit team feedback and hand off detailed specifications to developers.
5. Mockflow – Best for Wireframe Project Management
Mockflow makes it easy to streamline collaboration while keeping all your UX projects organized from start to finish.
Rather than having wireframes scattered across drives or tools, Mockflow provides a centralized place to map out user flows, build schematics, gather feedback, and even generate supporting documents.
Mockflow also integrates directly with workspace apps like Slack, Teams, and Jira to unite conversations while you work. Everything lives together for easy reference later down the road.
Key features:
- End-to-end workspace
- Integrations
- Project documentation
Pricing:
- $14/month per user
Best for: Teams who want a unified collaboration solution for the full design lifecycle, from ideation to development.
6. Justinmind – Best Interactive Wireframing Tool
While most wireframing tools focus just on basic layouts and schematics, Justinmind lets you add realistic interactivity early on. With pre-made elements like dropdowns, date pickers, and modal popups, you can prototype and user test key flows.
Justinmind also allows for conditional logic, animations, dynamic data loading, and overlays—features typically reserved for higher-fidelity deliverables.
For collaborating with team members, Justinmind offers cloud-based sharing with version histories, comments inline, and read-only review links.
Key features:
- Interactive wireframing
- Logic, data, animations
- Team collaboration
Pricing:
- $19/month per user
Best for: UX/UI designers who want to prototype interactions and gather user feedback at the wireframing stage.
7. Uizard – Best AI-Assisted Wireframing Tool
For a uniquely high-tech approach to UX design, Uizard harnesses AI to accelerate the wireframing process tenfold.
The recently launched Autodesigner feature generates full app and webpage layouts with just a text-based prompt. Describe key parameters like platform, style, and content—Uizard handles the rest!
Uizard‘s other AI tools allow you to transform hand-drawn sketches into digital wireframes instantly. There‘s also automated screenshot live tracing to transform existing UIs into editable layouts.
Beyond AI, Uizard handles all the basics like templates, icons, dynamic links between screens, and developer handoff.
Key features:
- Autogenerated wireframes from text
- Sketch and screenshot tracing
- Real-time collaboration
Pricing:
- $12/month per user
Best for: Designers who want to jumpstart ideation and accelerate repetitive wireframing workflows.
How to Choose the Best Wireframing Tool
With so many options available, it‘s essential to pick a tool aligned with your goals, resources, and team culture.
Here are some key questions to ask yourself:
What fidelity do you need? Low-fidelity tools like Balsamiq are great if you just need to map out rough ideas. For polished, presentation-ready clickable prototypes, try a more robust platform like InVision.
What‘s your budget? Luckily, many generous free plans are fully-featured. But if you need more cloud storage, enhanced security controls, permanent documentation, or premium assets, there are paid plans available.
Will you work solo or collaborate? Nearly all tools today offer real-time co-editing for remote collaboration. But if working solo, you likely don‘t need to pay for unused team management functionality.
Which features boost your productivity? From AI concept generators to interactive widgets for early prototyping, know which bells and whistles will catalyze (or hinder) your unique workflow.
Wireframing Terminology Glossary
Here‘s a quick reference of key vocabulary used throughout this guide:
Wireframe – Basic schematic showing page layouts and content hierarchy
Prototype – Interactive, clickable wireframe simulating user experience
Low-fidelity – Rough wireframes with simple placeholders
High-fidelity – Polished wireframes with detailed visual designs
UI – User interface (colors, fonts, graphics)
UX – User experience (interactions, flows, logic)
Vector graphic – Infinitely scalable shapes based on mathematical points
Raster graphic – Pixel-based images like JPG and PNG files
Artboard – Individual canvases to organize ideas in one file
UI kit – Pre-made user interface elements like buttons
Annotations – Comments, callouts and feedback left on designs
Developer handoff – Exporting assets and specifications for engineers
Transform Your Wireframes into Exceptional Products
Starting a design process right is critical — and wireframes set the stage for product magic or mayhem.
Choose the right tool for your needs today and say goodbye to stagnant workflows or siloed teams. Model ideas faster, test concepts quicker, and thrill customers with polished products they can‘t resist.
The wires are just the beginning!
