The vast availability of modern prototyping tools is overwhelming. There are a lot of great new tools available in the market and these are worth your time as well as money. Today, we are talking about the most interactive prototyping tools that are efficient in easing your tasks. Several factors have been considered while making this compilation such as their availability for web, mobile or desktop, trial version, support available and more.
Here are the most popular prototyping tools:
1) Flinto
Flinto is one of the popular choices for prototyping tools. It is easy to use and you can build a prototype in a matter of just few minutes. When you want quick, high fidelity mobile prototypes of iOS apps, it is the right choice.
Some useful insights about Flinto:
Runs on: Web
Prototype for: Android, iOS
Trial: 30 days
Price: $20/month
Pros:
- Easy to learn
- One click to share prototype with others
- Automatically creates scrollable area
Cons:
- No control of individual elements
- No gestures or design supported
2) Invision
Invision shares many features with Flinto. It is a good choice of prototyping tool for web and mobile. It creates fast click-through prototypes of web, desktop and mobile applications that can be easily shared. It is easily sharable and is optimized for mobile and has version controlling from PSD files.
Some useful insights about Invision:
Runs on: Web
Prototype for: Android, iOS, Web
Trial: No
Price: $0-$100/month
Pros:
- Quick and intuitive to add screens and create hotspots
- Fast setup account
- Simple web display
Cons:
- Linking pages based on filenames is not intuitive
- Limited visibility of the entire mocks
3) Axure
Axure is a robust prototyping tool for websites and apps. It includes complicated interactions and multiple states. With Axure, you get prototyping and documentation tools needed to make informed design choices and document your design. You can choose from the standard edition or go Pro to add documentation and collaboration features.
Some useful insights about Axure:
Runs on: OS X, Windows
Prototype for: Android, iOS, Web
Trial: 30 days
Price: $289-589/month
Pros:
- Excellent support
- Built-in library of widgets
- Flexible
- Controls for adding interactivity to individual elements
Cons:
- No device specific features
- First time users take time in learning
4) Fluid UI
Fluid UI is another good choice when looking for wireframing tools. It is an excellent tool and comes with 2000 ready-made wireframe UI widgets for phone and tablet for iOS and android. Though it is ideal for prototyping mobile apps, it has also libraries to support desktop apps as well.
Some useful insights about Fluid UI:
Runs on: Web
Prototype for: Any
Trial: Project limited
Price: $12-49/month
Pros:
- Quick and intuitive
- Various elements for different devices
- Easy to share interactive prototype
Cons:
- Some features are not discoverable
- Take time to learn
5) Justinmind
Justinmind is a flexible prototyping tool that works well for click-through prototypes. It allows you to prototype faster and better and the widgets are designed to fit your iOS and Android apps. The widget library allows you to easily insert HTML, Docs and video, such as online widgets, and other content. One can create prototypes from existing mocks or by building screens out.
Some useful insights about Justinmind:
Runs on: OS X, Windows
Prototype for: Any
Trial: 30 days
Price: $19 -$495 a month
Pros:
- Quick and intuitive
- Support for gesture-based interaction
- Drag-drop images from browser and files
- A complete set of mobile gestures
Cons:
- Difficult to operate multiple actions
6) Marvel
When talking about top prototyping tools, we cannot forget to include Marvel. This is an ideal tool for click-through prototypes for web and mobile apps. It is a free mobile and web prototyping for everyone and is easy to learn as well. It offers you the easiest way to turn your mockups into realistic prototypes. One can create prototypes from existing mocks by importing them via Dropbox or Sketch file.
Some useful insights about Marvel:
Runs on: Web
Prototype for: Any
Trial: Unlimited
Price: $0 -$100 a month
Pros:
- Easy to learn
- Keeps files in sync
- Create prototypes for iOS, Android, apple watch and web
- No coding required
Cons:
- No features for creating or modifying mocks
- Limited interactivity
7) Pixate
Pixate is a powerful prototyping platform that generates 100% native prototypes. This live prototyping tool for iOS and android apps allows you to manage projects with complete control. You can upload layers from your designs, add animations and see your design come to life with beautiful prototypes. The tool features only layers, actions and animations.
Some useful insights about Pixate:
Runs on: Web
Prototype for: Android, iOS
Trial: 7 days
Price: $0-$16.67/month
Pros:
- Easy sharing with one click
- Support for multiple gesture based interactions
Cons:
- Takes time to learn
- Limited controls
So, this was a roundup of best interactive prototyping tools available. If you did not find your favorite one in our list, feel free to share it with us in the comments!
