10 Best Free Wireframing Tools For Mobile Apps In 2023

Today we will talk about the best free wireframing tools. For UX/UI designers a new app or website design has to be the groundwork when beginning a new development. Wireframing tools let designers model expert-level, contemporary product designs, and systems, lacking the necessity for high-speculation models. They help squads by discovering problem extents and user experience problems in a new app before launch, help describe and split with key investors within an association, and put on as a repo for all criticism on the latest product.

Wireframes – The Mind Of Your Project

Wireframes are sketches that show the essentials of a website. Making a wireframe lets the designer, the customer, and the developer have a detailed look at the basics of the website. Furthermore, they also help them to make amendments effortlessly. Nearly all teams discuss the necessities with their clients and perhaps draft a few quick notions on paper, and then leap right into Photoshop to plan the outline. Others might jump onto the Dreamweaver to do the coding.

Easier Said Than Done?

However, this isn’t always the best technique as this can follow with killing hours of productive time. Plus, you will also waste time on revisions. Therefore, it’s always good to design wireframes as an early step in the planning process to save time and resources. In this way, you can tackle problems at the beginning and not wait to settle the issues during the extensive-color stage. Thus, now come and see why wireframes are so significant for your project and clients.

What Are Wireframes Categorically?

In a nutshell, wireframes are the two-dimensional design of a web-based application or page. It’s an essential piece of graphic and logistical tool for putting out a site’s planning together with its visual building and looked-for functionality. Wireframing is a priceless part of the development process. It’s essential for any Web project and can create the difference between a suave build stage and a wide-ranging logistical horrendous. However, just working on wireframing is not usually a trendy technique. This is because it characteristically deficits graphics, shades, and design. Nonetheless, aesthetics don’t patch into this fragment of the procedure. 

Understanding The Functionality Of A Wireframe

The function of a wireframe is to decrease the website to its unadorned bones to comprehend the interface of each module, showing how they fit as one and how they transform as you or a visitor is moving further on the site. Lots of the components that are observed in a wireframe are basics you’ll find on any internet site. Such as:

• Site imprinting
• Routing menus
• Navigation breadcrumbs
• Search turfs
• Page content
• Header content
• Footer content
• Sidebars

The above-stated elements are a very important part of your website. However, these natural identity elements are usually overlooked.  Nevertheless, the wireframing process exposes and makes a home for these elements, which are vital building blocks in the groundwork of an application user experience.

Benefits Of Creating Wireframes

Usually, when a project is on the table and being discussed, we miss the basics and jumpstart from the other significant items. This is something that is not applicable and usually wastes our time and resources. Thus, the initial phase of a project must be kickstarted from the creation of wireframes. These simple illustrations are going to skin apart from the whole process and bring the nitty-gritty out that you or your team might have initially missed. Below we have highlighted some important aspects trailing along with wireframes. Let’s read them now.

10 Best Free Wireframing Tools In 2022

Wireframing tools have become crucial for those who work in fast-paced development teams and need to have rapid-product iteration. However, many of the most popular wireframing software products – think Axure RP, the Adobe Suite, Marvel, Lucidchart – are expensive and are focused on higher-detailed UX/UI features such as advanced prototyping. Luckily there are many free wireframing tools available to UX/UI designers who are freelancing, own their own business, work for a startup, or have a little budget available for their tech stack – and for non-designers mapping out workflows for things such as onboarding and training, email lifecycles, and organization charts. However, we will discuss the below 10 today. And these are:

1. Figma
2. InVision
3. Draw.io
4. Pencil Project
5. Miro
6. Wireframe.CC
7. MockFlow
8. Jumpchart
9. Framebox
10. Mydraft.CC

Wireframe Apps that Offer Free Trials

Many designers will point out well-known wireframing tools that might be missing from this list of ours. Our roundup was exclusively free wireframing tools that have a “forever free” pricing tier, with the exclusion of Miro, which we included because it’s one of our favorites, and there’s no time limit to build your free initial boards. However, many other wireframe apps offer a free trial ranging from 7-30 days, including:

• Axure RP
• Balsamiq Mockups
• Canva
• Cacoo
• Gliffy
• Lucidchart
• Miro
• Mockplus iDocs
• UXPin

How to Pick The Best Free Wireframing Tools?

Now that you’ve compared the best free wireframe software, it’s time for you to decide on your design needs. Use the following to create a shortlist:

Feature set

Compare free features on the number of users, projects, and collaborators for each of the free wireframing tools. 

Web-based vs. On-premise

Web-based, also known as browser-based apps, are tools that you login to from a browser. Many SaaS products have moved to this model that is hosted in the cloud and has automatic updates. On-premise solutions are downloaded directly to your system – which adds a higher level of security but requires additional storage and hosting from your system, as well as keeping up to date on upgrades.

Freemium vs. Open-source

Freemium tools are made by software companies that look to acquire free users and convert those users to their more advanced paid versions later on. Open-source wireframing tools are completely free and created by a community of users who aren’t affiliated with the product itself.

Desktop vs. Mobile vs. Android vs. iOS.

Be sure to consider what you are creating wireframes websites or apps for. Different wireframe and mockup tools provide design process features specifically for iOS, Android, and desktop environments and experiences.

Integrations

Consider your tech stack and what other software you’ll need to integrate with.

Paid versions

Understand the cost of upgrading to a paid version and what features the premium wireframe software consist of.

Reviews

Read additional reviews and ask your network for testimonials before choosing a product.  And remember – this is a free tool! The ramifications of selecting the wrong product are lesser than going with a paid version, but you still need to be confident that you’re selecting the right tool for your use case.

The Best Free Wireframing Tools And Software in 2022

Here are the free wireframing software apps that give design and non-design professionals the tools to create free wireframes.  All the tools in this list have an offering that is free forever, meaning those tools offering free trials were left off the list – although we do mention those wireframing options after our ranking. These tools are ranked according to user-review ratings, customer satisfaction and many other aspects. Let’s read below:

1. Figma

User-review rating: 4.5/5

Type: Web-based, Freemium

It is an all-in-one design platform for UX/UI pros and offers a robust free offering for creating wireframes. Its starter package is completely free and is one of the most robust free offerings on this list – 3 active projects, 30-day revision history, 2 editors at any time, and unlimited cloud storage. The first paid tier (which is free for students with a valid school email address) is $12/mo. per editor and includes an upgrade to unlimited active projects and version history, custom permissions, private boards, and team collaboration features.

2. InVision

User-review rating: 4.4.5

Type: Web-based, Freemium

InVision is an all-in-one wireframing, prototyping, and mockup tool for designers and is one of the most well-known brands in all wireframing software. InVision came out of applications, specifically Photoshop (at the time) not having screens that could interact with each other (also why many moved to Sketch). It fills the void of It does require some sort of external application (we like Sketch) to create the screens to be bought into InVision. InVision’s free wireframing plan gives individual UX/UI designers the tools to create one active prototype or wireframe at any time. It’s a basic plan designed mostly for freelancers and those not working collaboratively. The next level of pricing for InVision is $15/mo. per user and gives design teams the ability to create up to three projects that can remain active at any time – with full feature access to the InVision app.

3. Draw.io

User-review rating: 4.3/5

Type: Web-based, Open source

Draw.io is a completely free and open-source wireframing software that feels similar in UI to Google Docs. It’s a simple layout with powerful features. Simply put, it may be the most robust free offering of any of the free wireframing tools on this list. Users can export designs to their Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, their desktop, or directly supported integrations including Gliffy, Lucidchart, and more. An added benefit is the active open-source community that works to fix product bugs and issues and add new features.

4. Pencil Project

User-review rating: 4.1/5

Type: On-premise, Open source

Project Pencil is a completely open-source and free wireframing and prototyping tool. It has an unlimited number of designs for UX/UI pros to utilize and all its features come completely free. The open-source community is another perk, meaning developers are constantly keeping the tool updated with new features and security.

5. Miro

User-review rating: 4.7/5

Type: Web-based, Freemium

Miro, which previously operated under the name RealTimeBoard, is an online whiteboarding tool for distribution product and UX teams. A nimble tool for fast prototyping, Miro is extremely collaborative and akin to using an extremely light version of Figma. Miro isn’t as robust as other dedicated prototyping tools, which sounds like a negative, but serves as one of its strengths, since its limitations help facilitate faster prototyping, with an experience that feels like sketching on a whiteboard in a virtual room with the rest of your team. Miro is free for your first three boards, at which point each board costs $3 per-day-logged-in, or you can build unlimited boards for $15 per month per user.

6. Wireframe.CC

User-review rating: 3.8/5

Type: Web-based, Freemium

Wireframe.CC is a browser-based free wireframing solution for designers on the go. Accessible anywhere through a browser, it’s a simple and clutter-free tool with a sleek UI. The free version allows for users to create one simple wireframe at a time and is equipped with tools to customize the grid layout, typography, canvas size, and more. The next level for premium pricing is $16/mo. per user and allows for unlimited projects and revisions, custom branding, and exporting directly into PNG format.

7. MockFlow

User-review rating: 3.4/5

Type: Web-based or On-premise, Freemium

MockFlow is an all-in-one UI tool that offers free mockup and wireframing features in its forever-free plan. Its free offering allows for one active UI project at any time, two reviewers per project for collaboration, feedback, and sharing, and basic wireframing and mockup features. MockFlow’s entry-level paid package starts at $14/mo. per user and includes unlimited projects and reviewers, version history, and MockFlow’s UI asset library.

8. Jumpchart

User-review rating: 3.2/5

Type: Web-based, Freemium

Jumpchart is a browser-based wireframing tool that gives designers the ability to mockup and plans a website wireframe to share with key stakeholders, clients, developers, and more. It includes one active project at a time, 10MB of storage, 10 pages per month, and 2 users per project. Jumpchart’s first paid tier starts at $5/mo. and includes 5 projects, 1 gig of storage, 25 pages per month, and 5 users per project.

9. Framebox

User-review rating: n/a

Type: Web-based, Freemium

Framebox is the second completely free wireframing tool on this list. With no paid plans, all the features of Framebox are included di877rectly on their website’s easy-to-use web app. It’s a complete drag-and-drop tool that allows designers to sketch wireframes using UI elements and allows users to sign in to save progress and have revision history. The tool even allows for UX/UI designers to send their work with a custom link to their entire team or key stakeholders for easy online sharing and feedback.

10. Mydraft.CC

User-review rating: n/a

Type: Web-based, Open source

Mydraft.CC is a completely open-source and free wireframing tool that is accessible anywhere you can use a browser. It has a clean and easy-to-use wireframing canvas and comes packed with hundreds of free shapes and icons that have a simple-to-use search bar. It’s quite a power wireframe editing app that is kept updated by their community of developers.

Closing Thoughts

When it comes to having your project successfully delivered, always ensure to get the initial process done over wireframes. Ask your technology partner to ensure that wireframes are delivered once you share your vision. This initiative will not only save you time, but also money and resources. An expert designer will easily create and share them for you to revisit any pinpoints. This is it from team Clustox as a guide for you to understand the importance of wireframes and various wireframing tools as well. We have an in-house team of UI/UX expert designers who take care of mockups, designs, wireframes, and much more. Connect with us today or subscribe to our newsletter to get real-time insights into website design, development process, and wireframing tutorials.

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