Our 19 Favorite Free Web Design Software Tools to Build a Website

With approximately 1.1 billion websites in existence right now, competition is fierce. But don't worry because there are plenty of free website design tools that can help your company stand out from the crowd.

When looking for the best web design software for free, there are a few things to keep in mind. In this post, I‘m going to walk you through everything you need to know to use the best free web design tools that will allow you to create an engaging, user-friendly website. Then, I’ll share some that you can try yourself.

Table of Contents

• What Is Website Design Software?
• Best Web Design Software: Features to Look For
• Best Free Web Design Software
• Best Free Web Design Software for Beginners
• Simple Free Web Design Software
• Code Free Web Design Software
• Why Is Using Web Design Software Important?
• How to Choose the Best Website Design Software

What Is Website Design Software?

Website design software is any type of software that can help you with some or all of the process of designing and launching a website, including creating, editing, and manipulating all of the visual elements that make up a website.

On one end, you have full website builder tools such as Content Hub, Wix, and WordPress, which are full-service solutions that can help you design, create, and manage a working website.

On the other end, you have tools such as Figma and Sketch that are focused on helping you create the design for your website. However, once you have that design, you need to find a different solution to turn it into a working website, whether that's using a content management system (CMS) or coding it from scratch.

HubSpot's Free Website Builder

Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.

• Build a website without any coding skills.
• Pre-built themes and templates.
• Built-in marketing tools and features.
• And more!

Get Started for Free

In this post, I‘ll include all different types of web design software so that there’s something for everyone. Basically, whether you‘re just looking for an offline tool to help you with design, an AI tool to do the work for you, or you’re looking to actually build and launch a website, you'll find some great options on this list.

Best Web Design Software: Features to Look For

What makes the best web design software so effective? You're about to find out. When considering different web design tools, here are a few capabilities and features I think are important to look out for.

Visual Editor

Web design primarily focuses on the visual aspect of websites as opposed to the content management side. As such, good web design software should include a visual editor that allows you to design seamlessly. There's no need to touch actual code (unless you want to).

Not all of the software on my list has a visual editor because it really depends on what you‘re looking for. If you are looking to interact with your website and make changes to the back end, a good visual editor is a must. If you are looking for something to solve a more specific problem, don’t worry. I've still got some good solutions for you.

Compatibility with Current Systems

Whether you're using Content Hub or WordPress, your web design software should be compatible with your current website builder or CMS. For instance, after using Sketch, you should be able to export the prototype's CSS code and import it into your chosen CMS.

Templates

A piece of great web design software will offer you a point to work off of. Because this type of software is meant to be beginner-friendly, you shouldn‘t have to start from scratch. That’s where templates come in.

The best web design software will offer various templates for you to create a site that looks and feels the way you envision it. Templates are also beneficial for designers who are just starting out and want something to build on.

It‘s also important that the design software you choose has a template design that you actually like. Would you rather have a million templates to choose from that you’ll never use? Or one beautiful template that you know will help you make the most of your website?

AI Website Design Tools

With the rise of AI, a lot of web design software have started incorporating AI functionality into their feature set.

Personally, I don‘t think AI is currently capable of building an entire website from scratch. That is, I haven’t seen any AI website builders that can take a text prompt and turn it into a complete website that I would be proud to share with people without any adjustments.

However, AI can help with a lot of parts of the web design process, which is why I think it's helpful to look for web design software with built-in AI functionality.

I recommend looking for functionality to generate images, text, code, and maybe even basic layouts. These features won't build a beautiful website by themselves, but they will be able to speed up the web design process.

A quality AI website builder can also work as a great jumping-off point. I just wouldn't recommend using the AI website as is … yet, at least.

Fonts and Graphics

You shouldn‘t feel short-changed when trying to use a free web design tool. It’s imperative you have access to the fonts and graphics you need to create a stunning prototype or wireframe. Your web design tools should offer you plenty of options for fonts and graphics, and if it doesn't, you should look for an alternative.

Some web design tools will also include hosting services, SSL certificates, content management tools, and domain names. Others will only offer tools for wireframing and visual design. Others are still only designed for writing code.

Whether you‘re looking for an all-in-one solution or a standalone design tool, I’ve got you covered with this list of top web design software.

Best Free Web Design Software

1. Content Hub: Best All-in-One Web Design Software for Beginners
2. WordPress: Best Free Blog Design Software for Beginners
3. Figma: Best Free Collaborative Wireframing Tool for Beginners
4. Sketch: Best User Interface Design Tool for Mac Users
5. Lunacy: Best Free User Interface Design Tool for Windows Users
6. Adobe XD: Best Prototyping Software for Adobe CC Users
7. Origami: Best Free Web Design Tool for Animations
8. Fluid UI: Best Simple Web Design Tool for Prototyping
9. Vectr: Best Simple Web Design Tool for Vector Drawing
10. GIMP: Best Simple Web Design Tool for Photo Editing
11. Marvel: Best Simple Web Design Tool for User Testing
12. Wix: Best Simple Website Builder
13. Framer: Best Simple Design Tool for Web Apps and Products
14. Durable: Best for Getting a Workable Website Design Within Seconds
15. Galileo AI: Best for design inspiration
16. Bootstrap: Best Prebuilt Web Design Framework
17. Sublime Text: Best Free Code Editor for Mac
18. Visual Studio Code: Best Free Code Editor for Windows
19. Dorik AI: Best for Automated Website Creation

With hundreds of tools available, it can be overwhelming to decide which are worth your time. That‘s why I’ve graded and curated a list of some of the best design tools that you can use for free.

To make it easier for you to find the best tool for your specific situation, I'll divide this list into three subsections:

• Best Free Web Design Software for Beginners
• Simple Free Web Design Software
• Code Free Web Design Software

Let’s begin.

Best Free Web Design Software for Beginners

1. Content Hub: Best All-in-One Web Design Software for Beginners

Pricing: Free, Premium version available.

OS: Any (web-based)

Get started with Content Hub for Free

If you're seeking a two-in-one website builder and content management system, Content Hub is my top choice. Some of its main features include a visual drag-and-drop editor, a robust collection of templates, and even an SSL certificate. Because using CMS requires zero coding knowledge and provides everything you need to launch a website, it comes out on top as the best all-in-one design software for beginners.

Content Hub is also integrated with all other products in the HubSpot platform, including CRM, marketing software, sales software, and service software.

According to Sean Landry, Principal Product Designer at HubSpot, Content Hub is an excellent choice of web design tools because of how comprehensive it is.

“HubSpot offers an all-in-one solution,” he says. “Since the CMS is part of the platform, it keeps your content and your customers in the same place. Knowing how your customers are interacting with your content allows for seamless data management and automation across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service.”

Here's a look at my own Content Hub website from start to finish.

I love that Content Hub is great for someone like me who has literally run away at the sight of Python and Java. I don‘t have to do any coding, and I can be absolutely sure that I’m not skipping any steps.

After installing my theme, the world is my oyster. I get to pick between some landing pages, an about, a contact, and a homepage. Just for fun, let's see what the “landing page — coming soon” page looks like.

Everything on this page is customizable, and I love the customizable timer widget. The bottom line with Content Hub is that every part of building a website is thought of for you. All you have to do is click through and decide what you want, then customize each page for your project.

This can be a blessing and a curse, and it mostly depends on your coding experience/what you want to do with your website. If you‘re a newer web developer, this is the perfect experience for you. If you’re more experienced and want to add unique customization, you'd be better off with one of the other options on this list.

If you want an even simpler experience, Content Hub also launched its own AI website generator that can help you get up and running with your basic website.

You can check out the Content Hub web design inspiration showcase to see some real-world examples of what it can do.

HubSpot's Free Website Builder

Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.

• Build a website without any coding skills.
• Pre-built themes and templates.
• Built-in marketing tools and features.
• And more!

Get Started for Free

Content Hub Core Functionalities

• Web Design
• Collaboration
• Wireframing
• Content Management
• Website Structure
• URL Mapping
• Analytics Reporting
• Security
• AI Content Generation

Content Hub Pros

• Free!
• Comprehensive content management system.
• No coding is required with an easy drag-and-drop page builder.
• A healthy selection of templates.
• Seamless integration with the rest of the HubSpot CRM platform.
• Hosting is included.
• Built-in access to AI tools, including a website generator and text generator.

Content Hub Cons

• If you opt for a premium plan, it may be more costly than other options listed that offer paid plans (though this includes hosting costs).
• Content Hub can feel limited compared to other options on this list. You don't get much customization beyond what is given through the templates.

Why I Picked It

Content Hub offers a full-service solution for web design, which can save you time and simplify your setup. If you want one tool to both design and build a website, it‘s a great one to consider. Plus, you get access to lots of advanced marketing tools that you won’t find in many other website builders.

Total

Content Hub is the perfect solution for newer web developers and small businesses. You don‘t need a big team to get a beautiful website up and running. The most obvious benefit is getting built-in integration with the HubSpot CRM platform. I’d recommend this to any solopreneur, small to medium business, and/or anyone just curious about starting a website.

2. WordPress: Best Free Blog Design Software for Beginners

Price: Free

OS: Any (web-based)

WordPress is an open-source content management system that makes it easy to set up a website in minutes. There are thousands of free plugins available to download and install so that you can extend the functionality of your site. By taking advantage of plugins, the entire site customization process is streamlined. In other words, you don't need coding skills to start designing.

It's important to note that WordPress is free to use, but there are other costs associated with building and running a site on the platform. We break down the cost of building and launching a WordPress website here.

Landry shares some of his favorite WordPress features, which include how the tool is “Free to use, [and has] lots of available tools to either host your own site or use a hosted solution. They have a large community of users to help troubleshoot problems, and an extensive library of plugins that makes extending your site really easy without needing to know how to code.”

If you‘ve ever even thought about building a website, you’ve heard of WordPress. The infinite number of plugins and themes can be intimidating to a newcomer, but seasoned veterans will find the number of options preferable.

If you want to install your own plugins and themes, you'll need to either self-host the WordPress software on your own web hosting or pay for the Creator plan at WordPress.com.*

*“WordPress” and WordPress.com are different things — you can learn about those differences here.

WordPress Core Functionalities

• Content Management
• Blog Design
• Website Structure
• Extensibile (Plugins and Themes)
• Code Editing

WordPress Pros

• Most popular CMS on the internet — a massive 43% of the internet is built using WordPress.
• Highly customizable and configurable thanks to its open-source build.
• Thousands of themes and plugins to customize and optimize your site.
• SEO-friendly with built-in integration and plugins to help maximize your search ranking.
• Can easily access AI functionality via WordPress plugins.
• Lots of different web design plugins.

WordPress Cons

• The WordPress CMS is free, but you’ll still have to pay for good hosting.
• Can feel too hands-on for those who want a more streamlined site-building experience.
• You can rack up the costs with plugins and templates depending on your website's needs.

Why I Picked It

WordPress gives you access to a lot of flexibility for building a website. It also lets you access lots of additional web design tools via third-party page builder plugins such as Elementor and Divi, which gives you a ton of options for designing your website. Basically, it's hard not to include one of the most flexible website building/designing tools.

Total

I'd recommend WordPress for medium-big businesses with teams capable of maintaining your website. And also for newer developers who are brave of heart and willing to pore through the developer content and forums out there on WordPress.

HubSpot's Free Website Builder

Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.

• Build a website without any coding skills.
• Pre-built themes and templates.
• Built-in marketing tools and features.
• And more!

Get Started for Free

3. Figma: Best Free Collaborative Wireframing Tool for Beginners

Pricing: Starter - Free; Professional - $15 per seat/month; Organization $45 per seat/month; Enterprise - $75 per seat/month.

OS: Any (web-based)

Best defined as an interface design tool, Figma enables multiple designers to collaborate in real time. As such, it‘s ideal if you have various project stakeholders involved in the design process. Figma is a web application, so you won’t need to download a tool to your desktop.

If you use the free version, you get three Sigma and three FigJam files, as well as unlimited personal files, collaborators, templates, a mobile app, and plugin use.

Landry loves that teams have the ability to try this web design tool out before they commit.

“Since they offered a free version it made trying and adopting easy,” he says. “By offering a web version they made collaboration much easier without needing to have an Invision license to let other non-designers comment on your designs. The built-in prototyping allows a designer to create interactive and animated prototypes without the need for additional tools.”

If you upgrade to the Professional tier, you'll get unlimited projects and unlimited history, while the Organization tier gives you access to advanced security and analytics.

Figma Core Functionalities

• User Interface Design
• Collaboration
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• AI Design Mockups

Figma Pros

• An excellent piece of web design freeware for wireframing, mockups, and prototyping.
• Unlimited drafts, commenters, and editors are allowed on the free version (however, projects are limited).
• Real-time collaboration with team members.
• Built-in AI tools can help you generate wireframes and prototypes more quickly.

Figma Cons

• The free version is slightly limited.
• Only tracks 30 days of changes.
• Can experience performance issues, especially over weaker connections.

Why I Picked It

Figma is one of the best options for quickly designing great-looking websites and apps. If you already have a tool for actually building and managing your website, adding Figma to your stack will really help with the design part.

Total

Figma is a solid option for design-oriented professionals who want to collaborate with teammates on wireframing with good functionality for both free and premium users.

4. Sketch: Best User Interface Design Tool for Mac Users

Pricing: Free Trial; Standard - $10 per editor/month; Business - $20 per editor/month; Mac-only license - $120 per seat.

OS: macOS

Sketch is one of the most (if not the most) well-known and used tools for web designing. It comes with an advanced vector tool, which aids in the collaborative development of interfaces and prototypes. This tool was built particularly for making websites and web apps.

Its prominence among the designer community is at least partially due to its clean interface and high performance; however, it only works on Mac. Since many designers work on Windows, you might be better off with a web-based option such as Content Hub or a Windows-based option such as Lunacy.

According to Landry, “[This was the] first vector-based interface design tool that made it easy to design UIs quickly. The ability to save symbols was revolutionary. The integration with Invision made it easy to create prototypes and collaborate with team members. The large library of plugins developed made extending the tool's functionality easy.”

Sketch Core Functionalities

• User Interface Design
• Collaboration
• Wireframing
• Prototyping

Sketch Pros

• Intuitive, easy-to-use, and popular design tool.
• Clean, simple displays for users who hate page clutter.
• Handles all phases of the design process from wireframes to prototypes and developer handoff.

Sketch Cons

• Free trial only.
• macOS only.
• Weaker collaboration features than other options on this list.

Why I Picked It

I had to include Sketch because it‘s one of the best web design tools for Mac users. Plus, you can still collaborate with users on other systems thanks to the browser-based feedback interface, so you’re not totally locked into the Apple ecosystem.

Total

If you‘re on a Mac, Sketch is the best UI design tool for you. It’s easy to integrate, easy to use, and easy to collaborate with others. It‘s not completely free, as you’ll only get a 30-day free trial. After the free trial, you'll have to pay $10/month billed yearly.

5. Lunacy: Best Free User Interface Design Tool for Windows Users

Pricing: Free; Pro - $11.99 per user/month; Enterprise - custom pricing.

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

The free alternative to Sketch for Windows, Lunacy is now a fully functional graphic design software that's rich in features. A couple of years ago, all it could do was open Sketch files on Windows. Today, it offers all the standard features of a UI and screen design tool and a library of free, high-quality graphic assets.

It includes full support for Sketch files, so if you ever switch from Windows to Mac or vice versa, you can edit your Sketch design without a problem.

Lunacy Core Functionalities

• User Interface Design
• Collaboration
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• AI Design Tools

Lunacy Pros

• Built-in graphic assets to quickly add content to your screens.
• Compatible with Sketch files, letting you edit them on a Windows device.
• Allows for offline editing, unlike web-based competitors.

Lunacy Cons

• Performance issues have been reported, especially when dealing with large files.
• Lacks prototyping features.

Why I Picked It

I didn‘t want to leave Windows users out in the cold, so I’m including Lunacy as a great Windows alternative for Sketch. Basically, this one is for people who value cross-platform compatibility in their web design software. Lunacy is also embracing AI design tools, which I think is really cool.

Total

Lunacy is like Sketch, except it works across platforms and offers full functionality completely free. It‘s also the only design tool among its competitors to offer AI functionality. You can upscale images, remove backgrounds, generate placeholder text, and create user avatars for contact lists and testimonials. Here’s a comparison of Lunacy versus some of the other tools on this list.

6. Adobe XD: Best Prototyping Software for Adobe CC Users

Pricing: Free Trial; $9.99/month.

OS: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android (web version also available)

Though it's one of the newer tools on this list, Adobe XD quickly became the go-to tool for many in the web design community. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator hold three of the first four spots in the graphics software market share. Because of this, Adobe XD became the natural choice for graphic and web designers.

Even if you're an Adobe newbie, Adobe XD is a top-of-the-line web design tool worth trying. The tool offers a repeat grids feature, which allows you to easily create grids and populate them with images, text, and other one-of-a-kind content. Additionally, this tool is handy for creating and testing variations in the spacing between UI elements.

The only downside is that Adobe is no longer adding new features to the tool, though it is still maintaining and supporting it.

Adobe XD Core Functionalities

• User Interface Design
• Collaboration
• Wireframing
• Prototyping

Adobe XD Pros

• Great reputation as an end-to-end UX design tool.
• Seamless integration with other products in the Adobe suite like Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.
• Good performance when handling large files.
• Handy UI kits from top tech brands to build out interfaces more quickly.

Adobe XD Cons

• You‘ll have to pay if you want to use Adobe XD — there’s only a free trial.
• Lacks real-time collaboration ability.
• While there is an extension library, it is not as robust as some competitors.
• Adobe XD is currently in “maintenance mode” — this means that Adobe will continue to maintain it and fix any issues, but Adobe has no plans to add new features to the tool.

Why I Picked It

I included Adobe XD because it's a great user experience design tool for people who are already invested in the Adobe ecosystem.

However, because Adobe placed this tool in “maintenance mode” in 2024, I would be careful about relying on this tool long term. While Adobe XD will continue to work fine, you'll miss out on the cool AI design features that a lot of other web design tools have started to add.

Total

Adobe XD Pro gives you plenty of functionality and is probably the best bet for a big business. There‘s the added bonus that if you’re already familiar with and/or regularly using Adobe tools, Adobe XD is easy to integrate into your workflow.

7. Origami: Best Free Web Design Tool for Animations

Pricing: Free

OS: macOS

Origami is an interface design tool created by the designers of Facebook. It‘s everything you wish Sketch had when it comes to making high-fidelity UIs and prototypes. It’s tailored to building mobile prototypes, which support all popular mobile interactions and gestures.

I think that Origami truly shines in terms of adding screen interactivity. Most UI design tools offer limited micro-interaction settings, but this tool enables you to fine-tune spacing, timings, triggers, animation types, and more.

The best part is that it allows you to use it in conjunction with Figma and Sketch, so if you‘re using those web design tools, you can toggle back and forth without losing any of your progress. Now that’s a win!

Origami Core Functionalities

• User Interface Design
• Animation
• Wireframing
• Prototyping

Origami Pros

• Easy prototyping, animations, and micro-interactions.
• Specializes in mobile prototyping.
• Compatibility with Sketch and Figma.

Origami Cons

• Lacking collaboration features.
• More difficult to learn than other options.
• Less support and community if you run into problems using the tool.

Why I Picked It

I included Origami because of its focus on animations and interactivity. While there are other web design software tools that support these, Origami does it really well. Whether you want to use it as a standalone tool or pair it with something like Figma, it's a great one to have in your toolbox.

Total

As a smaller tool on our list, Origami has a more niche use. This could be a benefit because you‘re getting features that you wouldn’t get anywhere else, like the ability to fine-tune specific animation types. It could also be a detriment if you run into any issues because you can't find support online as easily.

HubSpot's Free Website Builder

Create and customize your own business website with an easy drag-and-drop website builder.

• Build a website without any coding skills.
• Pre-built themes and templates.
• Built-in marketing tools and features.
• And more!

Get Started for Free

Simple Free Web Design Software

8. Fluid UI: Best Simple Web Design Tool for Prototyping

Pricing: Free; Solo - $99/year; Pro - $229/year; Team - $499/year.

OS: Any (web-based)

Fluid UI is a free online tool that is ideal for prototyping and building UIs quickly. This tool, combined with the library of standard Apple and Google material assets, enables direct editing in your browser. You can also share prototypes via email and share links so that others can review and leave comments on the page.

Building prototypes only takes a matter of minutes with the assistance of this tool. Plus, you can access it anywhere, whenever you want — whether you are using a desktop app or accessing via a browser.

Fluid UI Core Functionalities

• Quick Prototyping
• User Interface Design
• Wireframing

Fluid UI Pros

• Quick, easy web design freeware for prototypes and wireframing.
• Accommodates both high-fidelity and low-fidelity prototyping.
• Real-time collaboration and easy sharing.

Fluid UI Cons

• The free version is limited — you’re allowed one project with 10 pages and one user.
• It is less ideal for higher-fidelity designs, as it's meant for fast iterative prototypes.
• Paid plans are more expensive than other options here but necessary for collaborative projects.

Why I Picked It

I like Fluid UI because of how quickly it lets you get up and running with an interface design. You can build something in minutes, which isn't always possible with other tools. This means that you can iterate and collaborate right away, which can be really useful for some teams.

Total

Fluid UI allows for real-time collaboration and easy sharing, making it a great choice for team projects. The free version is limited, with only one project allowed and 10 pages per project. For collaborative projects, paid plans are available but come at a higher cost compared to other options.

9. Vectr: Best Simple Web Design Tool for Vector Drawing

Pricing: Free; Premium 1 - $3.99/month; Premium 2 - $5.99/month.

OS: Any (web-based)

Vectr is a cloud-based, free illustration tool with similar features to Adobe Illustrator and Sketch. Vector offers everything you need to get started building complex illustrations or designing a site or mobile application. Plus, one of its keynote features is that it's easy to learn and does not have a steep learning curve.

I think learning how to use the drag-and-drop editor is easy, and because it's cloud-based, sharing designs is exceedingly simple. That means your team will be able to collaborate and gather feedback without the headache.

Vectr has also added AI-powered image manipulation tools to help you work more efficiently. For example, you could generate a vector image based on a text prompt and then easily tweak it using Vectr's editor.

Vectr Core Functionalities

• Vector Drawing
• Prototyping
• Wireframing
• AI Image Generation

Vectr Pros

• A solid Adobe Illustrator/Sketch alternative for vector graphics.
• Easy cloud-based collaboration.
• Simple, intuitive interface and features.
• AI vector generation tools can help you work more efficiently.

Vectr Cons

• Requires an internet connection to use.
• Importing and exporting have been reported as occasionally difficult.
• The tool displays ads.

Why I Picked It

Incorporating vector graphics into your web design can help you enhance the user experience and branding of your site, which is why I thought it was important to include at least one vector drawing tool in this list.

Total

Vectr is another good, simple tool that you can use for drawing. Unlike some of the other options in this category that I‘ve presented, Vectr is easy to learn, and you can get started immediately. Your functionality is limited compared to other options, but that’s a trade-off you have to be willing to make for the intuitiveness of the tool and how easy it is to collaborate with others.

10. GIMP: Best Simple Web Design Tool for Photo Editing

Pricing: Free

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is an open-source, popular photo editor that offers cross-platform support for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Although the interface looks a bit outdated, it packs quite a bit of power and is capable of almost everything Photoshop can do.

It's a wonderful choice for designers who have limited budgets and need to design UIs or edit photos. Plus, it has third-party plugins available you can use to enhance functionality.

GIMP Core Functionalities

• Photo Editing
• Prototyping
• Wireframing

GIMP Pros

• A powerful alternative to Photoshop for designers on a budget.
• Feature-rich and sufficient for rudimentary and advanced photo editing.
• A large community of users for support.

GIMP Cons

• Outdated interface.
• Tools and icons are not always intuitive for non-experts, resulting in a steeper learning curve.
• Primarily intended for photo editing and lacks out-of-the-box prototyping and wireframing features.

Why I Picked It

I wanted to include GIMP for people who would prefer to use open-source web design software, rather than a closed-source or SaaS tool. While I think the interface is a bit dated and it doesn‘t have flashy new AI tools, it’s still one of the best open-source options that you'll find.

Because it‘s free, I also think it’s important to include options for people on a tight budget, as not everyone can afford to pay hundreds of dollars for web design software.

Total

GIMP is the best alternative to Photoshop and is powerful for those who need to edit a picture on a budget. It‘s admittedly built on outdated software, but it’s good enough to get the job done.

11. Marvel: Best Simple Web Design Tool for User Testing

Pricing: Free; Pro - $12/month; Team - $42/month; Enterprise - custom.

OS: Any (web-based)

Marvel is ideal for producing and refining an interface exactly how you want it to appear and for creating prototypes. It offers a truly innovative way of creating pages and enables you to simulate the design via a prototype.

There are several integrations available that enable you to insert your designs into the project workflow. There is also an integrated user testing feature, which is still rare in the web design space. Another reason I love it is because it provides the opportunity to centralize feedback.

Marvel Core Functionalities

• Prototyping
• User Testing
• Collaboration

Marvel Pros

• Fast and efficient creation and user testing.
• Integrated user testing features.
• Simple, user-friendly interface.
• Includes a handoff option that translates prototypes into CSS.

Marvel Cons

• The free version limits you to one project and requires Marvel branding on projects.
• Performance issues have been experienced with larger projects.
• Handoff does not include HTML, just CSS.

Why I Picked It

I picked Marvel primarily because of its built-in user testing tools. It offers a lot of the same core functionality as some other web design prototyping tools, but being able to access user testing right from the same tool is something that makes it unique.

Total

This tool is like the “Ant-Man” of web design software tools. It‘s a good tool that does exactly what it’s supposed to do and gets the job done. But once you need it for bigger projects, you start running into problems. I'd recommend Marvel for solopreneurs and small businesses who want a fast way to get user testing feedback on a budget.

12. Wix: Best Simple Website Builder

Pricing: Light - $17/month; Core - $29/month; Business - $36/month; Business Elite - $159/month. 14 day money back guarantee.

OS: Any (web-based)

An affordable, easy-to-use WordPress alternative, Wix is a website builder offering free and premium plans. Similar to WordPress, Wix makes it possible to build all kinds of sites, including stores and blogs, in just a few minutes. But the experience of managing a Wix site will be very different from WordPress.

If you opt for one of the premium plans, you'll get a fully managed subscription service. This means Wix takes care of all the technical details around site hosting, back-ups, and security. You can also choose the free ad-sponsored plan, which comes with hundreds of options and templates to choose from—plus access to its AI website builder. Therefore, if you are seeking a less hands-on option than WordPress, Wix might be for you. 

Wix Core Functionalities

• Web Design
• Collaboration
• Content Management
• Online Business Management 

Wix Pros

• Simple drag-and-drop website builder aimed at helping anyone build a high-quality online presence
• All-in-one option, including codeless building tools, hosting, and security
• More than 900 website templates
• AI website builder available  
• Built-in (and many AI-powered) tools for marketing, eCommerce, and more
• Free forever plan available

Wix Cons

• Wix’s free offering is pretty bare-bones and requires Wix branding in your site’s URL. You'll have to pay at least $17/month for a premium subscription
• Less flexible than WordPress — for example, you’re unable to change your site template once you’ve started building, though you can freely tweak your site via its drag-and-drop editor or create a new site whenever
• Limits in terms of page layouts, as well as color and text styling make it less suited for visually complex sites

Why I Picked It

Wix is one of the top options if you want an all-in-one website builder and web design tool. I also think Wix is worth including because of its focus on AI web design tools, as it was one of the first website builders to embrace AI and it remains one of the leading AI website builders today.

Total

Wix is a popular choice for many web developers' very first website. It's incredibly easy and simple to get something started with no extra cost. I'd recommend this tool for beginning web enthusiasts who want to build a simple website for their hobbies or perhaps even a personal portfolio website. However, once you want more functionality from your website, I'd switch to Content Hub or WordPress, depending on your needs.

13. Framer: Best Simple Design Tool for Web Apps and Products

Pricing: Free; Basic - $20/user per month; Pro - $40/user per month; Enterprise - custom.

OS: Any (web-based)

Originally, Framer was simply a library of JavaScript and a prototyping tool set. It has since evolved into one of the most powerful tools for creating responsive designs. Now, this fast prototyping tool enables designers at every skill level to create complex animations and generate code for React components.

It offers a design experience similar to that of Figma. But while Figma is just for the web design part of things, I like that Framer lets you actually publish your designs as a working website, powered by Framer's content management system and other tools.

Framer Core Functionalities

• Web App Prototyping
• Wireframing
• Collaboration
• Website Builder
• AI Website Localization

Framer Pros

• Powerful all-in-one design alternative to tools like Figma and Adobe XD.
• Tight control over interactive components and animations.
• Compatibility with React components.
• Lets you publish your design as an actual website.
• Option to localize your website using AI tools.

Framer Cons

• The free version of Framer limits you to two editors and three projects.
• Steep learning curve due to intimidating interface and complex workflow.
• Having JavaScript knowledge is key to using the tool to its full potential.

Why I Picked It

While I‘ve included other website builders on this list, I’ve chosen to include Framer because it gives you more flexible web design tools than most other builders. I also like how Framer has added AI localization, which lets you use AI to easily offer your website in different languages and locales.

Total

As far as free software tools go, Framer doesn‘t give you a lot of functionality compared to the other options I’ve listed. You would use Framer if you eventually plan on switching over to the paid version. Still, Framer is one of the most powerful tools in the category for web apps and prototyping, giving you a similar design experience to Figma but with the ability to actually publish your design as a website.

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14. Durable: Best for Getting a Workable Website Design Within Seconds

Pricing: Free; Starter - $12/month; Pro - $20/month; Mogul - $80/month.

OS: Any (web-based)

Durable is an AI-based website design tool that lets you get started with a website in seconds. Rather than tell you about it, let me just show you. Let's say I wanted to build a website for my colorful socks empire.

All I needed to do was fill out what type of business I‘m building, where my business is located, and my business name to get started. Here’s what my generated website looks like.

Just at a glance, there are a lot of great design principles going on here for a beginner web developer:

• Social media tags in the top right give you the chance to link to your business across multiple platforms.
• The banner is prominent and accompanied by a compelling CTA to help you convert site visitors into customers.
• Categories that let you customize your website feature your best products.
• “Regenerate” button lets you completely redo the website if you don't like what you got the first time.

I encourage you to try out the tool for yourself because that‘s the best way to understand how quickly you can set up your website. You do have to sign up for a free account to edit the website. Here’s what that looks like.

As you can see, it's pretty similar to the last image, but you have the option to add new sections, edit existing sections, and publish the website.

Durable Core Functionalities

• AI Web Design
• Fast and Efficient Creation
• Customizable
• Built-in CRM Tool

Durable Pros

• Intuitive and easy to use.
• Custom domain name with subscription.
• AI copy included.
• Pricing: Only $12/month (billed yearly) gets you a custom domain, access to millions of stock images, and blog articles.

Durable Cons

• Limited features if you want to build a more advanced website.
• Limited to three pages with a free subscription.

Why I Picked It

I included Durable on this list to provide a good option for people who are looking to try out AI web design software. Personally, I wouldn‘t use an AI-generated website “as is,” but you might feel different. Either way, AI can still be a great jumping-off point if you’re looking to speed up your web design process.

Total

Durable is the perfect solution for situations where you need to get a website up and running as soon as possible. It takes care of all the nitty gritty and gets you a nice-looking, albeit limited, website. If you need to build a more advanced website, I'd definitely look toward more established web builders like Content Hub or WordPress, but as far as beginner websites go, you could do far worse than Durable.

15. Galileo AI: Best for Design Inspiration

Pricing: Free; Standard - $16/month; Pro - $32/month; Enterprise - custom.

OS: Any (web-based)

Galileo AI is my second pick for an AI-based design tool that you can use to improve your website. You can use it to generate AI-powered interface mockups for both websites and mobile apps.

This tool is better for UX designers who are trying to focus on design ideas rather than a workable website. I think it's great for experimentation and ideation but is a limited tool compared to some of the others on this list.

Here's an example of a design that I really liked from the prompt “a job-hunting app, in the style of a dating app.”

Galileo AI Core Functionalities

• Interface Experimentation
• Early-Stage Design Ideation
• Convert Text or Image to User Interface

Galileo AI Pros

• Simple.
• Easy-to-use.
• Lets you convert an image (or a text prompt) into an actual user interface.
• Option to export an interface straight to Figma.

Galileo AI Cons

• While functional, the designs can sometimes be basic.
• Potential Delays: The server can take some time to get back to you on a design idea if it's complicated. I tried to generate a website for “displaying pianists from every state with a thumbs-up, thumbs-down voting system for users to decide which videos are featured at the top,” but the website was unable to fulfill my request.

Why I Picked It

I wanted to include Galileo AI because it‘s the fastest tool I’ve found for going from “basic idea” to “interface mockup.” While you might not be able to use its designs “as is,” the Figma export option means that you can easily use Figma to tweak the design as needed.

Total

As of writing this article, Galileo AI is really good for one thing only: mobile mock-up ideation. If this functionality is useful for you, you‘ll love Galileo AI. If you don’t need this niche tool, then you won‘t find it helpful. It’s as simple as that.

Code Free Web Design Software

16. Bootstrap: Best Prebuilt Web Design Framework

Pricing: Free

OS: Any

Built originally by the Twitter engineering team, Bootstrap is now the most popular framework in the world for building mobile-first, responsive websites. It's basically a free library of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which helps streamline the process of building a site from scratch. There are dozens of features — including a grid system, a series of responsive breakpoints, and a rich components library — that make coding easier and faster.

The component library has buttons, navigation bars, forms, headers, alerts, and so forth. I love that you can simply download the current version of Bootstrap, or load it locally with BootstrapCDN, copy one of the sample templates, and begin customizing.

Bootstrap Core Functionalities

• Framework for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript
• Front-End Web Design
• User Interface Design

Bootstrap Pros

• A must-know for mobile-first web development.
• Allows you to build websites for both desktop and mobile without creating two different sites.
• Dozens of responsive interface options, each with multiple easy style customization.
• Extensive documentation that’s clear for beginners.

Bootstrap Cons

• Coding knowledge is required (as it’s a CSS framework).
• As far as styling goes, Bootstrap has native options for its components, but they’re not extensive, which can make Bootstrap-powered websites look homogenous.
• Minimal backward compatibility with older versions of the framework.

Why I Picked It

While Bootstrap isn‘t "software" per se, I still think it’s worth including on this list because learning how to use Bootstrap will let you very quickly build usable websites. If you can handle coding yourself, Bootstrap is a great way to go from an idea to a working website without wasting any time.

Total

Bootstrap is a great option if you want to code your website but you don't want to write all the code from scratch. Using its premade elements, you can implement your web design with minimal fuss.

17. Sublime Text: Best Free Code Editor for Mac

Pricing: Free; $99 for license.

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Sublime Text is a free web design tool that's optimal for coding a website from the ground up. It allows you to keep HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code all in one unified file, and it color-codes different tags and attributes for easier reading and editing.

If you pair Bootstrap with Sublime Text, you'll be able to easily build a high-performing website — and efficiently. While this tool has a niche use, it will quickly become a favorite because of how reliable and easy to use it is.

I personally use Sublime Text for my own code editing needs, so I think it's a great option for you, too.

Sublime Text Core Functionalities

• Code Editor
• Text Editor
• Support for Multiple Languages
• Extensible With Plugins and Themes

Sublime Text Pros

• Among the most popular and well-reviewed free code editors available.
• Customizable interface.
• Essential code editing features like color coding, search functionality.
• Options to extend the tool with third-party plugins and themes.
• Lightweight.

Sublime Text Cons

• Sublime Text is free to try but you will eventually need to purchase a license for continued use.
• Coding knowledge is required (as it’s a text editor).
• Some users have complained that Sublime Text is light on native features compared to its plugin offerings.

Why I Picked It

I think Sublime Text is a great option for people who prefer a more lightweight code editor, rather than a more heavy-duty integrated development environment (IDE). Based on my personal use, I feel like it offers all of the essential features that I need without adding any bloat.

Total

I picked Sublime Text for the best free code editor for Mac because it lives up to its name, though you're also free to use it on Windows or Linux. It has a friendly user interface, is easy to organize, and also has plugins to extend its functionality beyond the native features. To comply with the license, you will need to purchase a license for continued use. However, this is essentially done on the “honor system.”

18. Visual Studio Code: Best Free Code Editor for Windows

Pricing: Free

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Visual Studio Code is a cross-platform code editor from Microsoft that offers a little more heavy-duty functionality than what you'll find in Sublime Text.

You can use it to intuitively write and edit HTML and CSS code. You can also use it to build a Bootstrap website. Visual Studio Code gives you access to a wealth of extensions to expand the functionality of the tool. For instance, you can download GitLive to collaborate with other developers and designers.

It also integrates with Microsoft's GitHub Copilot service, which lets you access AI code assistance and can speed up your web design workflows.

Visual Studio Code Core Functionalities

• Coding
• Text Editing
• AI Programming (GitHub Copilot)

Visual Studio Code Pros

• Powerful and efficient.
• Large extension library to improve the editor, including a GitHub integration.
• Extensive documentation for beginner users.
• Developed by Microsoft, so there are a lot of resources behind it.
• Access AI programming tools via the GitHub Copilot integration.

Visual Studio Code Cons

• Coding knowledge is required (as it’s a text editor).
• A steep learning curve compared to Sublime Text, but still manageable for beginners.

Why I Picked It

I chose to include Visual Studio for people who are looking for a bit more of a heavy-duty development environment than what Sublime Text offers. Visual Studio is a true integrated development environment (IDE), whereas Sublime Text can feel a bit more like a lightweight text editor sometimes.

Total

Visual Studio is a powerful code editor that has been around for over 25 years. Because it‘s been around so long, there’s an extensive amount of information through various forums to help answer any questions you might have. On the flip side, learning can be tougher since it's not as intuitive as Sublime Text. The choice between the two really comes down to preference and whether you need access to more advanced features.

19. Dorik AI: Best for Creating Websites in Minutes

Pricing: Free; Personal - $18/month; Business - $39/month; Agency - custom pricing.

OS: Any (web-based)

Dorik is a user-friendly AI-powered website builder. You can generate any type of website with a single prompt. The builder features a robust AI text generator and AI image generator. So, you no longer need to invest in hiring copywriters and purchasing stock photo subscriptions.

Dorik AI generates websites and landing pages using the latest web design principles. For example, you will get a professionally designed header with a relevant Menu section, compelling CTAs, complete footer sections, and more. It is also capable of generating relevant sections mentioned in your prompt.

What makes this platform more customizable is its “Regenerate” button. You can regenerate any specific section or the full layout in just a click. You can also regenerate the web copies and images by writing customized prompts.

Dorik Core Functionalities

• AI Website Creation
• AI Text and Image Generation
• White-label CMS
• Custom Fields & Collections

Dorik Pros

• User-friendly interface.
• Powerful website editor and no code needed.
• Built-in blogging platform with advanced SEO settings.
• Option to export clean code.
• Unlimited storage & bandwidth.
• Multilingual website creation.

Dorik Cons

• Limited ecommerce functionalities.

Why I Picked It

While I don't personally think full AI website builders are ready for primetime quite yet, you might feel differently. For that reason, I still wanted to include another AI web design tool on this list as an alternative to other tools like Durable and Wix.

If you want to build a website as fast as possible to get your idea out to the world, Dorik can be a good one to consider.

Total

Dorik is a great option for those who want a fully functioning website in a few minutes. Dorik lets you enhance the functionalities of your website by adding analytics and marketing tools. Dorik ensures that your website will be fast, secure, and optimized for search engines.

Why Is Using Web Design Software Important?

Whether you are building your website from scratch or redesigning it, making use of these tools can be essential to doing so in a timely, cost-effective manner. (Psst: wondering why you should redesign your website? We've got you covered.)

Without web design software, though, you can easily build a website that won‘t perform as expected. That’s why wireframing, prototyping, and coding are important — and you can use the tools above to get that done.

Here's why I think using web design software is important:

1. Your web design sets the first impression.

Your website is often the first impression consumers have of the business. You want to make it a good one, and fast. An outdated or poorly designed website could sour a visitor’s first impression of your brand, and deter them from staying on your site or returning.

2. Good web design impacts your SEO.

Web design practices and elements not only impact the visitor experience — they also impact how search engine bots crawl and then index your website.

You can learn web design best practices through diligent research and practice. To simplify the process and save time, you can also work with a website development company that knows what they’re doing.

3. A good design sets the tone for your customer service.

By simply looking at your website, visitors can glean insights into how you would treat them as customers. If you thoughtfully include web design elements that make it easier for them to navigate your website, learn about your products, and more, then that indicates they can expect the same thought and care from your customer service.

On the other hand, if no effort was put into your web design, then that indicates to visitors that your business would not put effort into helping them as customers either.

4. A good design fosters trust with your audience.

If your site is outdated or poorly designed, consumers will be less likely to trust your brand and more likely to view you as less credible and professional than your competitors.

By updating your design, you can build audience trust. This is critical. If you gain their trust, visitors will be more likely to stay on your website longer and give their personal information, which means you’ll have more opportunities to convert them into leads.

5. Good web design builds consistency.

When you are attempting to gain new business leads, you want to generate brand awareness. If your audience is familiar with your business, then they will be more likely to choose you when they are ready to purchase.

Web design plays a huge part in brand consistency. Considering its importance, you might want to work with a web design company to help you create a beautiful design across your site.

How to Choose the Best Website Design Software

With 19 options on this list, I tried to provide you with a ton of different tools that you can consider for your next web design project. But with so many options on offer, I know that you might find it a little difficult to choose the best software for your unique situation.

If a specific tool already jumped out at you as the perfect option, that‘s great! But if you’re still on the fence, here are some of the things that I think you should consider when making your choice:

• Pure design tool or all-in-one website builder. For the simplest approach, I recommend choosing one of the all-in-one web design tools that can help you both design and publish a website, such as HubSpot Content Hub, Wix, WordPress, and so on. On the other hand, if you just want a pure design tool, look to tools like Figma, Sketch, and Lunacy.
• Knowledge level. Try to choose a tool that matches your technical knowledge level. For example, something like Wix can be great if you never want to look at code, while something like Framer will give you more code access and tools like WordPress and HubSpot Content Hub fit somewhere in the middle. Or, you could use Bootstrap to build your website with code, which you can edit in Sublime Text or Visual Studio Code.
• Integrations. Make sure the software integrates with the other tools that you rely on in your web design workflows. Many of these tools also work well together. For example, you could use Galileo AI to generate interface design ideas and then export them to Figma for tweaking.
• Initial and long-term cost. If you ever need to upgrade from the free versions of these tools to the paid versions, make sure to consider both the initial costs and the long-term costs. Some tools might cost more upfront but actually save you money over time.

By factoring in these elements, I hope that you can choose the best web design software for your specific situation.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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• Built-in marketing tools and features.
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