12 Best Web Design Tools in 2023: Comparison Guide
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12 Best Web Design Tools in 2023: Comparison Guide

Last updated:
June 9, 2023
Contents
    Contents

    In this blog post, we compare the 12 best web design tools on the market, covering use cases, features, and pricing.

    Designing a website that’s functional and looks good requires the right set of tools.

    If you’ve been looking for solid tools for wireframing, prototyping, collecting feedback on designs, and more—we’ve got you covered.

    We’ve made it easy and laid it all out for you.

    Let’s see what out there!

    12 Best Web Design Tools 

    Here’s a comparison of the 12 best web design software on the market to streamline your workflow, gather feedback, and design websites that exceed client expectations.

    1. Marker.io

    Visual web design feedback tool where notes, annotations, and screenshots go straight into your project management tool. 

    Marker.io is a tool for collecting web design feedback, from live and staging sites alike.

    Web designers working on projects need a feedback tool that comes with the following features:

    • Simple to use, with a shallow learning curve for internal QA, clients, and end-users;
    • One-click so that anyone can send website feedback quickly. Visually capture what designers need to know, including annotations, screenshots, and a short session replay;
    • Save yourself from inbox overload. Everything goes into your PM tool, so design feedback tasks can be allocated, and clients can be automatically notified once changes have been made. 

    The good news is, Marker.io ticks all of those boxes (and plenty more!). 

    Here are a few reasons why Marker.io is an awesome web design feedback tool. 

    Visual feedback and annotations to save time 

    During web development, designers need feedback that’s easy to understand and implement.  

    Fortunately, Marker.io's website feedback tool comes with:

    • Arrows
    • Shapes
    • Text over screenshots 
    • Blur (for sensitive information…)
    • Different colors
    • Emojis 

    Everything colleagues, clients, or web visitors want to say about the website’s design can be overlaid with screenshots.

    Plus, more detailed notes can be left too, and all of this goes into your PM tool. 

    Sending web design feedback with Marker.io is a simple, 3-step process:

    1. Notice something that needs changing? Just click the button.
    2. Fill out the report and input details.
    3. Click “Create issue”—done!

    Marker.io can be installed on any website via a simple snippet of code, or as a WordPress plugin.

    Check it out in action:

    Session Replay

    Even with annotated notes and screenshots, it sometimes helps designers to see exactly what a user or client saw when they sent in feedback. 

    Well—Marker.io's toolkit includes the Session Replay feature for that reason.

    And these recordings go straight into your PM tool. Simply click the “Watch replay” link.

    You can then watch the last 30 seconds (or more) before anyone submits feedback. 

    This way, it’s easier for designers to understand why feedback was submitted in the first place. 

    Check out session replay in action:

    Data-rich bug reports

    In some cases, a design feedback note turns into a technical issue that needs fixing. 

    Clients and users rarely know what info developers need to resolve technical problems. 

    To make this easier, you need a feedback tool that automatically captures:

    • What URL they were on;
    • Environment (OS, device, browser, etc.) and console logs so devs can reproduce the bugs;
    • Metadata;
    • Session replay/recording, etc.

    With Marker.io, all of this is automatically collected—and sent off to your PM tool with the rest of the report.

    Automatic 2-way sync with PM tools

    One of the main advantages of Marker.io is the deep 2-way integrations with project management tools and software.

    Unlike other website feedback plugins, you don’t need to go back-and-forth between multiple dev tools and your PM software.

    Marker.io integrates with ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Linear, and loads of others! 

    The benefit of this is:

    • Every piece of visual feedback and every bug report automatically goes into your PM tool; 
    • Nothing gets overlooked or lost in email chains, Slack threads, messages, or on pieces of paper; 
    • Every time an issue is marked as “Done” in your PM tool, that same issue will be marked as “Resolved” in Marker.io.

    Project managers can also automate notifications, to ensure reporters are kept in the loop when nan issue has been resolved.

    Check out our 2-way sync in action:

    Marker.io's 2-way sync keeps your clients in the loop.

    Want to give Marker.io a go?

    Try Marker.io free for 15 days as an easy-to-use web design feedback plugin.

    Pricing: starts at $39/mo.

    2. Figma

    Connect everyone in the design process using a single platform. 

    Figma is a powerful and popular design tool for web designers. Features include:

    • A collaborative interface so that multiple designers, developers, and stakeholders can work together on the same project;
    • Dozens of plugins and apps in the Figma ecosystem;
    • FigJam, an online whiteboard, and loads more! 

    Pricing: From $15/mo per user.

    3. Adobe XD

    Vector design tool for website and app designers. 

    Adobe XD is one of Adobe’s numerous design SaaS suites; this one is for vector design. 

    Features include:

    • A seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps, providing a comprehensive design ecosystem;
    • Web design tools for creating everything from icons to call-to-action buttons;
    • Collaborative features to move the design process forward.

    Pricing: Included in Creative Cloud, with pricing from $84.99/mo per user.

    4. Canva

    Web design tool with collaborative features. 

    Canva makes design easier for designers and non-designers alike with tools such as: 

    • An extensive library of templates that you can use and customize;
    • Numerous ways to collect feedback from team members and clients with whiteboards and docs;
    • Customizable layouts, drag-and-drop interface, photo editing tools, and brand kit management.

    Pricing: From Free, with a $12.99/mo Pro or $14.99/mo per user Team plan.

    5. Webflow

    No-code website builder and content management system (CMS). 

    Webflow allows you to take control of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a visual canvas.

    It also doubles as a CMS, and no-code environment for building and publishing websites.

    Features include:

    • A drag-and-drop visual toolkit with templates for web designers and developers.
    • A solution that can be used for anything from eCommerce to SaaS.
    • Give team members and clients login access so they can provide feedback.

    Pricing: From $18/mo 

    6. InVision

    A real-time collaborative platform for designers. 

    InVision is a web-based platform for designing, managing, and testing digital products.

    It includes: 

    • Wireframes and prototypes for websites and landing pages;
    • Product design features so that designers can create mockups and receive instant real-time feedback;
    • LiveShare, so everyone involved in a website design project can stay on the same page from wireframes through to sign-off.

    Pricing: Free for individuals, with a Pro plan for Cross-collaborative teams from $4.95/mo per user.

    7. Sketch

    Mac-specific prototyping tool. 

    Sketch is a Mac prototyping tool for web designers. Features include: 

    • A robust plugin ecosystem, allowing designers to extend its functionality and integrate with other tools seamlessly;
    • Collaborative tools so that designers can collect feedback and work through to design handoff ;
    • Features to make prototyping, icon design, symbols, and other actions easier (without needing to use multiple design apps).

    Pricing: From $12/mo per user.

    8. WordPress

    Popular website builder and content management system.

    WordPress needs no introduction. It’s a free CMS with premium tiers and is separate from WordPress.org, a self-hosted, open-source version of WordPress. 

    With WordPress, you get the following features: 

    • Tools and plugins to collaborate with devs and clients to design and build websites;
    • Flexibility and an extensive plugin ecosystem enabling designers to create dynamic and customizable websites with ease;
    • Customize themes, use tools and plugins for SEO optimization, and implement one-click bug-tracking solutions.

    Pricing: Free or premium plans from $9/mo up to $70/mo for an eCommerce plan.

    9. Designmodo

    Interactive and collaborative web design platform. 

    Designmodo is a web design tool—but also an all-in-one platform with a website builder, hosting, monitoring, and even an email marketing platform. For web designers, features include: 

    • Drag-and-drop templates and a user-friendly interface;
    • A website and email template builder;
    • Templates for startup web designers.

    Pricing: No public pricing, you’d need to select a product and sign-up for a free trial.

    10. GoProof

    Accelerate the review process within Adobe products. 

    GoProof makes it easier for web designers to get approval for website design projects. 

    Features include:

    • Designed for Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and InCopy;
    • A collaborative proofing system, allowing designers to share designs with clients and stakeholders for feedback and approval;
    • Make edits to copy and design, helping devs to save time when building websites.

    Pricing: No public pricing, you’d need to contact sales to request a demo.

    11. Marvel

    All-in-one design platform for digital apps and websites. 

    Marvel is a web design platform for everything from rapid prototyping to handoff. 

    Features include:

    • A simple, user-friendly interface for bringing ideas to life, making work easier for designers to collaborate with devs and clients;
    • Creating a single home for the end-to-end design process;
    • Connect Marvel with other tools and apps so that you can manage what happens after a mockup goes to devs and other teams.

    Pricing: From $9/mo.

    12. Venngage

    Create professional designs—for designers and non-designers alike. 

    Venngage promotes itself as an infographic design tool, but you can do a lot more with it, including: 

    • Design anything from reports to eBooks, with over 7,500 customizable templates and drag-and-drop features;
    • Use AI-powered design features;
    • Share designs before they’re finished to collect feedback and make pre-publish edits.

    Pricing: From Free (5 designs), with premium plans from $19/mo 

    Wrapping up...

    We hope you’ve found this list of 12 web design tools useful. 

    Which do we recommend? 

    For web design feedback on live and staging sites, we recommend Marker.io.

    For collaborative working earlier in the design process, Figma has a powerful suite of features.

    Finally, for no-code, no-headache website design, we recommend Webflow.

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