Wireframing is an essential step for creating an effective web design as it allows for rapid prototyping and highlights potential issues early in the web design process. It can be really helpful to have a proper hierarchy, layout and visual representation of your content elements. Wireframing tools make it easier to convey your ideas, reduce scope creep, and enable greater upfront usability and functionality testing. Wireframing tools make creating a website or an app fundamentally easier. There are a number of wireframing tools available in the market, each offers a different level of functionality. This post highlights the best wireframing tools available. So take the advantage of these amazing wireframing software and make your website user-friendly.

1.  Balsamiq

This wireframing tool has become very famous as designs created with this software resembles drafts, making it closely obvious that wireframes are not a final product but a work in progress. Balsamiq contains a wide library of reusable components which you can easily drag and drop to create your wireframes.

2.  Omnigraffle

Omnigraffle has a widely supported library of reusable components, Graffletopia. This software is specifically developed for diagramming application and has complex features of automatic layout, custom object styles feature, guides and graph tools. Some of these features are available in Adobe CS suite for creating detailed wireframes.

3.  Axure

It is the King of wireframing tools that is considered as a professional class prototyping tool. It is only available on Windows and many industry professionals use it widely for creating drafts.

4.  Flairbuilder

Flairbuilder has a big component library that supports master pages and you can export the prototype to be viewed online.

5.  Online Applications

There are some online applications like mockflow, hotgloo and mockingbird that can be used as a wireframing tool.

6.  Keynote/Powerpoint

Keynotopia transforms your favorite presentation application into a perfect rapid prototyping tool for creating mockups for mobile, web and desktop apps. For non-mac users, it also offers PowerPoint templates. Keynote Kungfu is an alternative for creating wireframes for mobile applications.

7.  Fireworks

You can create entire web design in Fireworks, from basic wireframing to complete visual representation. It supports master pages, element libraries and you can make interactive drafts relatively quickly.

8.   Illustrator

It is effective for creating quick and complex wireframes and can export files as a PSD with editable layers. It has a copy and paste feature to Photoshop with typography controls, type styles to edit and save and reuse your draft.

9.   Indesign

It has stronger typographic style controls than Illustrator, strong master pages support and the recent ability to make interactive prototypes.

Wireframing tools can be extremely helpful in developing your website. Are you currently using any of these wireframing tools for your web design process? What work best for you, share your experience with us.