Application design is definitely trendy and every year more and more tools appear promising to be the best option for the process of designing an app. There are so many options that many people don't know which one they should choose or even where to start comparing them. Accessibility, tools, price and many other factors change in between every editor.
In this article we will share with you 8 of the most popular application designs and their main characteristics to compare them and help you decide which one will work better for your case.
8 application design tools
Let's have a look at these 8 application design tools and their main characteristics.
Figma
Figma is an UI and UX design vector graphic editor and prototyping tool adaptable for any screen format, that can be used in Safari, Edge, Chrome and Firefox. One of the main attributes of Figma is their well developed real-time collaboration system between designers on the same project.
Figma has integrations with Slack, Trello, Jita and others, something great for working with large groups. There are some free plans with limitations, and pricing starts from $12 per month per editor.
Fluid UI
Fluid Ui is, in my opinion, the best tool from this list for sharing your prototypes with your team members in an easy and effective way. Collaborations and feedback can be done in the same platform in a clear way, something great for big group projects. The main con is that if you are a beginner you might find some troubles while using it because of its lack of intuitiveness at the design process. Fluid Ui has free options and paid plans starting from $8.25 every month.
Sketch
If you are a MacOS user this might interest you. Sketch is exclusively created for MacOS and is an editor that works similar to Adobe Photoshop. One of the main advantages is the accessibility to create avatars, symbols, icons and other personalized design elements that can be saved to use in future works. It also has some integrations that can make team work easier: WeTransfer, Jira and Zeppelin are some of them. Prices start from $9 per month per editor.
Mockplus
Mockplus is a great prototyping tool for Android and iOS mobile apps. One of the big advantages is that its interface is very intuitive and easy to use and it has a big stock of pre-designed components, icons and templates that will help you to make the design process easier and faster. Sketch, PS, Adobe XD, Axure, Figma and Slack are some of the many integrations that you can find in Mockplus. With a free version, Mockplus paid plans start at $5.95 per user per month.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is one of the most powerful and probably my favorite of this list. This user experience design tool is great for designing, prototyping, and sharing user interfaces and experiences. The big benefit of this tool is the adaptability it has for on-the-go changes. The main problem that we can point out is that you will definitely need plug-ins if you want to do CCS code export. Adobe XD can be used in Windows, Android, iOS and MacOS and paid plans start from 9.99 per user per month.
Proto.io
Proto.io is probably the easiest tool to use from this list, that is why I recommend it if you are a beginner or just doing application design for fun. Its interface is almost everything drag-and-drop, generating a very intuitive environment that will allow you to create a good design without having many previous skills. Is perfect for learning on the go. Dropbox, Photoshop and Lookback are some of the integrations that Proto.io has and that can make your job easier. One disadvantage is that it is quite pricey, you will need to pay $24 every month.
Origami Studio
Origami Studio is a completely free application design tool that was created by Facebook engineers. It has some good drawing tools, text edition and image management. Its library with multiple patches is the other big advantage that you will find in this tool.
Invision
This new platform is great for designers whose main tasks are to create prototypes and animations. Its intuitive vector based drawing with flexible layers is a big advantage of this tool that can be used in Windows and iOS systems. Some big businesses use Invasion to develop their designs, like Airbnb, HBO and Amazon.
Invision also has free plans and their paid plans start from $7.95 per month per editor.
Bottom Line
With this list of 8 application design tools and their principal characteristics now you will be able to compare them and decide which one best meets your needs.
