14 UI design tools and software for every step of the process

Building a user interface (UI) is a complex process with many moving parts; you’ll need tools to do everything from sketching low-fidelity wireframes to animating interactive prototypes to user-testing designs before (and after) they go live. 

In this guide, we cover some of the best free, premium, and open-source UI design tools and platforms for each step of the UI design process, so you can create designs your users will love. 

1. Contentsquare

Hold up: the first tool in a list of UI design tools is… not for design? Yes! 

Good UI design starts before you drag elements into your wireframe, so you need tools to illuminate how people navigate your existing interfaces and collect feedback from current or potential users before you begin wireframing anything new.

What it is: Contentsquare is an all-in-one experience intelligence platform with capabilities like Journey Analysis, Heatmaps, Session Replay, Surveys—and so much more—which give you insights into how users interact with both live UIs and prototypes.

UI insights from Contentsquare’s Heatmaps capability

UI design stages:

• User research

• Usability testing 

How to use Contentsquare for UI design: 

• Analyze heatmaps to see if users click when you want them to

• Watch replays to learn how users navigate your product

• Find design problems on live UIs to inform your redesigns

• Set up surveys to understand your users’ goals and needs

• Use a feedback widget so users can tag UI elements with their comments 

• Collect insights on UI prototypes to see if they work before you go live

• Spot bugs in new designs as soon as they launch

2. Figma

What it is: Figma is a freemium all-in-one UI design platform for teams. At Contentsquare, we use Figma for brainstorming ideas, UI prototyping, and maintaining our design system.

The Figma dashboard

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Figma to

• Design from a library of free UI kits and wireframe templates

• Work from the browser app or using the desktop and mobile apps (for macOS, iOS, and Windows)

• Test designs with add-ons like Maze and UserTesting.com

How R.M.Williams combines data and design to optimize the user experience

Iconic Australian brand R.M.Williams is revolutionizing user experience by blending Contentsquare’s analytics with Figma’s design tools. Weekly metrics like conversions and revenue are brought to life in Figma, helping teams align on priorities and make data-driven design decisions.

Design teams easily understand behavioral data and are able to see how these metrics change over the course of weeks

This smart approach has delivered real results: a 20% boost in conversions and a 34% increase in order rates over 12 months.

See how they do it—read the full case study.

3. Sketch

What it is: Sketch is premium all-in-one UI design software. The former Hotjar team (now part of Contentsquare) used Sketch to create and test an interactive design of our now-defunct mobile app.  

Designing the UI for a travel app in Sketch for Mac

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Sketch to

• Create and edit designs using the downloadable macOS app

• Collaborate by viewing and commenting on designs using the web app

• Expand functionality using extensions, plugins, and the integration library

4. Adobe Photoshop

What it is: Adobe Photoshop is a powerful image editing and UI design tool that’s part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite. Known for its advanced features like generative AI tools and detailed image manipulation, Photoshop is widely used by graphic designers, photographers, and UI/UX professionals.

Building a UI design system in Adobe Photoshop

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

Use Adobe Photoshop to

• Create intricate, pixel-perfect designs with advanced image editing tools

• Add interactive elements for prototyping and animations

• Leverage AI-powered features like Generative Fill and Expand for rapid design iterations

5. Adobe XD

What it is: Adobe XD is premium collaborative UI design software, downloadable for Windows or macOS. You can subscribe to Adobe XD as a standalone app or as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite, which also includes Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects. 

Building an interactive prototype in Adobe XD

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Adobe XD to

• Create simple wireframes with the Quick Mockup plugin

• Download and use free UI kits and templates

• Build advanced interactive prototypes with animations and voice-enabled features

• Import designs from Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch

• Create and sync reusable elements

• Apply 3D transforms to view designs from different perspectives

6. Anima

What it is: Anima is a freemium UI design-to-code tool that adds functionality to Figma and Adobe XD—it can’t be used as a stand-alone design tool.

Anima works with the 2 major UI design tools: Figma and Adobe XD

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Anima to

• Transform static designs into interactive high-fidelity prototypes

• Convert designs into complete HTML code packages

• Collaborate in real time with comments

7. Axure RP

What it is: Axure RP is a premium all-in-one UI design and prototyping tool. You can download Axure RP software for Windows and macOS.

Adding an interaction to a prototype in Axure RP

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Axure RP to

• Collaborate using Axure Cloud

• Build interactive prototypes without coding

• Import designs from Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD

• Embed fully-functional prototypes into Jira and Confluence

8. Framer

What it is: Framer is a freemium no-code website builder and UI design tool with similar features to Webflow. You can use Framer as a web app or download the software for Windows and macOS.

Working with UI templates in Framer

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Framer to

• Start designing with website and app templates

• Build clickable prototypes and share them via URL

• Import Figma designs and convert them to HTML code

• Collaborate on designs by leaving comments 

9. Balsamiq

What it is: Balsamiq is a rapid low-fidelity UI wireframing tool, available as a desktop app for Windows and macOS or online as part of Balsamiq Cloud.  

Building a wireframe design in Balsamiq for desktop

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Balsamiq to

• Design user interfaces for websites and apps (desktop and mobile) using drag-and-drop elements

• Build low-fidelity wireframes with built-in and community-generated UI components and icons

• Share, comment, and collaborate on wireframe designs in real-time

• Link wireframes together to create simple prototypes for demos or usability testing

💡 Pro tip: you’ll often find it helpful to get direct feedback from users, either by asking them usability testing questions or getting them to ‘think out loud’ during usability tests. By observing and listening to users, you can understand both how they behave in prototype tests and why they behave this way.

10. Marvel

What it is: Marvel is a freemium all-in-one UI design platform. Marvel also runs a separate prototype testing platform called Ballpark. 

Designing a wireframe in Marvel

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing

Use Marvel to

• Draw low-fidelity wireframes

• Build interactive prototypes

• Import designs from Sketch 

• Create whiteboards

• Create user tests and invite participants via URL

🔥 If you’re using Contentsquare

Want to find out which of two design variants your users prefer? Use the concept testing template in Voice of Customer (VoC) to get quick feedback on logos, headlines, graphics, and more.

Concept testing lets you gather feedback on the appeal, relevance, and practicality of your creative ideas

11. Justinmind

What it is: Justinmind is freemium prototyping software for Windows and macOS. 

Prototyping a task management dashboard in Justinmind

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Justinmind to

• Create wireframes for iOS, Android, and Web

• Import designs from Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, and Illustrator

• Design interactive prototypes

• Use preset interactive UI components and design templates

• Create a public prototype URL for usability testing

12. FluidUI

What it is: FluidUI is a freemium web and mobile prototyping tool. Fluid UI can be used as a cloud-based browser app or downloaded as desktop software for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Creating a wireframe in FluidUI

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

Use FluidUI to

• Build wireframes and interactive prototypes using built-in components

• Upload unlimited images

• Collaborate on prototype design with comments and real-time video calls

• View prototypes on FluidUI’s iOS and Android apps

13. Proto.io 

What it is: Proto.io is a web-based premium UI prototyping tool. It’s designed to help teams create, test, and refine fully interactive prototypes that look and feel like real apps. Proto.io supports everything from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes, making it ideal for visualizing complex user flows and interactions without writing code.

Editing a smoothie app UI in Proto.io

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

• Usability testing (with add-on services)

Use Proto.io to

• Build low-fidelity wireframes

• Create interactive prototypes using drag-and-drop component libraries and templates 

• Import designs from Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, and Photoshop

• View designs in Proto.io’s iOS and Android apps

• Share prototype URLs for feedback and usability testing

💡 Pro tip: for more guidance on how to analyze results and prepare a report after your usability test, read our guide on analyzing and evaluating usability testing data for a straightforward, 5-step approach.

14. Pencil

What it is: Pencil (also known as The Pencil Project) is a free and open-source UI design tool. Pencil is downloadable desktop software for Windows, macOS, and Linux. 

Designing a website prototype in Pencil

UI design stages:

• Wireframing

• Prototyping

Use Pencil to

• Draw low-fidelity wireframes using the built-in shapes collection 

• Create simple prototypes from scratch or with the pre-installed Android and iOS UI stencils

The best UI design ‘tool’ is your users

The UI design tools you choose to work with are far less important to the success of your website, app, or business than the purpose of your designs: creating a low-effort experience for users.  

That’s why we recommend you start by using Contentsquare to collect insights on how real people interact with your designs before you try to redesign them, and test out prototypes before pushing them live.

UI design tools FAQs