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How to choose a wireframing tool: The best questions to ask before buying


There are many options when it comes to wireframing software. Choosing the right tool for your needs can be daunting, especially if you are new to this space.

We wrote this quick guide to help you evaluate wireframing software by giving you a set of questions to think about when considering different tools.

Here are the most important questions to ask when evaluating a wireframe design tool:

  1. Do you even need a tool for wireframing?
  2. What is the tool's main purpose?
  3. How much does it cost?
  4. How easy to use is the tool?
  5. Who’s behind it? Will they stay in business?
  6. Is it updated regularly? Is it reliable?
  7. What do other people think of it?

Do you even need a tool for wireframing?

Before you even consider committing to a wireframing tool, ask whether you even need one at all.

Wireframing is the process of using quick and rough sketches to help you come up with and iterate on interface design ideas. Great wireframing is as much about technique as it is about tools.

You may want to focus on learning how to wireframe before deciding on a tool.

And it might be that the best wireframing tool for you is completely free - pencil and paper, a whiteboard, or a tool you already have.

Once you’re ready to choose a tool, read on to learn what to take into consideration.


What is the tool's main purpose?

Among software tools, wireframing may be a minor or major feature of the product, depending on the main purpose of the tool.

The following categories of software offer wireframing capabilities ranging from merely being able to make wireframes to those that are optimized for making them.

  • Image creation software - These are generic drawing tools that can also be used for creating wireframes, but are better suited to creating pixel-perfect mockups. Tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch fall into this category.
  • Diagramming software - Tools, like Miro or Microsoft Visio for example, that let you create lots of different kinds of diagrams, such as flow charts, UML charts, wireframes, and network diagrams.
  • UX Prototyping software - Tools that help you create click-through software prototypes. Some prototyping and UX tools let you create wireframes, while others focus on linking existing images together. Figma is a well-known product in this category.
  • Wireframing software - Tools that focus on the ideation phase, early stage, back-of-the-napkin wireframes. They include pre-installed drag-and-drop user interface templates. Balsamiq fits in this category.

What is Balsamiq’s main purpose?

  • Balsamiq is a quick, low-fidelity wireframing tool that can be used to wireframe any kind of software interface — desktop, web, mobile, kiosks, etc.

  • Balsamiq intentionally offers just enough prototyping capabilities, but not more. Generic diagramming or image manipulation software will do the job, but it won't be as fast or fun to use; wireframing is just not their focus.

Diagram labeled Techniques for Specifying Interaction with Wireframes that shows the types of deliverables that Balsamiq is optimized for, such as wireframes, flow charts, and click through prototypes

  • Balsamiq is not designed to output code, like some prototyping tools. We believe that good wireframes can allow you to jump straight to coding without the need for intermediary tools that try to translate from one to another.

How much does it cost?

The cost of wireframing software varies a lot. Software that does a lot of different things (such as Adobe Creative Cloud) can be very expensive, while other software can be fairly cheap, depending on how many users you purchase or what features you want.

You may even find wireframing software that is completely free to use. If you try one and you like it - great! But with free tools you run the risk of the company going out of business or not updating it regularly.

How much does Balsamiq cost?

  • Balsamiq starts at $9/month, yet it generates plenty of revenue to keep us independent and healthy year after year!

  • We stay very focused on solving one specific problem really well: early-stage UI design ideation and communication. More features means higher cost and often means worse support.


How easy to use is the tool?

When using wireframing software for the ideation phase of a project, the goal is to get from idea to visualization as fast as possible. This encourages a cycle where more designs inspire more ideas, which lead to more designs, and so on, until the best design emerges.

That’s why it’s essential that your wireframing tool gets out of the way, to allow you to ideate and iterate quickly. The best wireframing comes from a "flow" state, and tools that offer too many options and features can often interrupt that. (We call this kind of software Zenware.)

How easy is Balsamiq to use?

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  • You can edit the controls by typing into them or changing common settings in the properties panel.

  • Balsamiq has over 70 UI controls to choose from, as well as a large library of UI and app templates that are pre-installed. This makes it easy to design any screen you can imagine based on common UI patterns or templates.


Who’s behind it? Will they stay in business?

A pretty website doesn't mean that there's a serious company behind it. Always visit the company page and look for the following information:

  • Where is the company located? Will it be easy to do business with them? Does the company look trustworthy?
  • When was the company established? Are they profitable? Does it look like this company is built to last or to be flipped to someone who'll likely acquire it and ruin it in the process?
  • Is the company's business model clear? Will the company behind the tool remain in business to improve the software and answer your support requests when you need them?
  • How many customers do they have? Are your competitors using this tool already?

Who is behind Balsamiq?

  • Balsamiq is a small, bootstrapped company that strives to be the kind of company we'd like to do business with ourselves. We treat our employees and customers very well and aim for longevity over rapid growth. (Read more on our company page.)

A group photo of our employees from a recent company retreat

  • Balsamiq launched in 2008 as a tool to allow Product Managers and other non-designers to communicate their ideas more effectively by making the process of creating wireframes as easy as possible. To this day, that continues to be our focus.
  • We have been profitable since day one and are known for great support and giving back to our community. Over 1.4 million people have used Balsamiq in over 204 countries.

Is it updated regularly? Is it reliable?

We have seen many new tools pop up and get abandoned after a couple of years, even from large and well-funded companies (Adobe xD and InVision, for example).

A quick way to verify the health of the tool and the company behind it is to look at their blog or social media accounts, to verify that the tool is still being maintained, supported and improved.

The frequency of releases is also important; if you find a bug, how long will you have to wait to see it fixed?

How often is Balsamiq updated?

  • Balsamiq is alive and well. We regularly release new features, updates, and fixes — about every other month — and closely track customer requests to make our product better through your feedback and ideas.

What do other people think of it?

You can also search online for reviews, rating, and feature comparisons of wireframing tools.

Just make sure to check the dates on the reviews, as they're often outdated, and avoid sites that publish paid or sponsored reviews.

What do real people think of Balsamiq?

While there are many online review sources, here are two sites we've found that offer unbiased reviews and comparisons that are regularly maintained:

Here are just a few of the nice things our customers have said about us there:

5 star review titled Best in class tool for wireframing
5 star review titled Easy to use, has just the features I need
Review titled Simple and easy tool for creating low-fidelity wireframes and prototypes

One last thing: Try before you buy

Last but not least, try it out!

Most software comes with a free trial period, and many companies will be happy to extend your trial period if you need more time evaluating their software. Take advantage of it!

Sign up for your free 30 day trial of Balsamiq now. No credit card required.