10 Best Mockup Tools Shortlist
There are seemingly countless mockup and prototype solutions available, so figuring out which one is best for you is tough. You want to conceptualize and communicate design ideas, ensuring a clear representation of the final product's structure and layout but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience managing big, complex products, and being exposed to dozens of different tools to bring you this shortlist of the best mockup tools.
Why Trust Our Software Reviews
We’ve been testing and reviewing product management software since 2020. As product managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.
We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different product management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our software review methodology.
Best Mockup Tools Summary
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top mockup tools selections to help you find the best one for your budget and business needs.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for collaborative interface design | Free plan available | From $16/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 2 | Best mockup tool for generating packaging and print designs | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $12.25/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 3 | Best for effective collaboration amongst product & technical stakeholders | Free plan available | From $12.45/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 4 | Best for streamlining design feedback processes | Free plan + free demo available | From $12/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 5 | Best mockup tool for mobile application focused product managers | Free plan available | From $14/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 6 | Best for generating mockups based on existing websites or applications | 14-day free trial + free demo available | From $49/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 7 | Best for designing responsive website mockups | Free plan available | From $19/user/month | Website | |
| 8 | Best mockup tool for building link-connected prototypes | Free plan + free demo available | From $8.25/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 9 | Best mockup tool for preparing visual flowcharts and mind maps | Free plan available | From $6/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
| 10 | Best mockup tool for implementing interaction events and conditional logic | 30-day free trial | From $29/user/month | Website |
Best Mockup Tools Review
Below are my detailed summaries of the best mockup tools that made it onto my shortlist. My reviews offer a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each tool to help you find the best one for you.
Figma is a collaborative interface design tool that operates as an all-in-one design platform, offering features for design, prototyping, design systems, and development. It was created with the goal of making design tools accessible to more people by utilizing the web, allowing for real-time collaboration and eliminating the need for multiple versions of design files.
Figma was developed in 2015 as the first design tool to combine the accessibility of the web with the functionality of a native app, and it has since become a popular choice for teams looking to streamline their design process and work together more efficiently.
Why I picked Figma: Figma provides a platform for users to create and share wireframes for web and mobile mockups. The tool is designed to support UI and UX design, wireframing, diagramming, brainstorming, and team collaboration, making it a versatile choice for design professionals.
Figma facilitates collaboration by allowing users to share wireframes and collect feedback, either in real time or asynchronously, by simply sharing a link. Figma's ability to allow users to drop comments directly on the wireframes adds a layer of contextual feedback that can be crucial during the design process. Users can also convert wireframes into detailed, high-fidelity components, which is suitable for both beginners and experienced designers.
Figma Standout Features and Integrations
Features include interactive prototyping, design systems with with linked UI components and style libraries, plugins and widgets to automate repetitive tasks, aggregate data, and more, and features for organizing design files, including team spaces, project folders, and file browsing.
Integrations include Dropbox, Trello, Jira, Confluence, GitLab, Storybook, Notion, Slack, Asana, and Zoom.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Community support is available
- Supports an atomic design approach
- User-friendly interface for UI designing and prototyping
Cons:
- Real-time prototype views can be slow with many screens
- Limited language and translation features
Visme offers tools to make professional presentations, social media advertisements, and several different kinds of mockups. You can also use Visme to create infographic templates, logos, charts, and other graphics for blogs and social media.
Why I picked Visme: I picked Visme because of the sheer simplicity the tool offers. If you want to create some product mockups of a physical object, Visme intelligently transposes your assets (brand logo, text, etc.) onto the object. You can also prepare design mockups to showcase your brand’s packaging on a paper bag or box.
Moreover, from a personal brand perspective, Visme helps you create customized brochures, flyers, and business cards. Visme also supports mockups for apparel like T-shirts, hoodies, and polo shirts.
Visme Standout Features and Integrations
Features include elegant mockup templates, a drag-and-drop designer, device templates, customizable design capabilities, and easy resizing.
Integrations include 10+ tools, like GIPHY, Google Drive, HubSpot, Jotform, Loom, One Drive, Salesforce, Vimeo, Wistia, YouTube, Zapier, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Impactful business presentation templates
- Good customer service
- Easy to use
Cons:
- No support for guest collaborators
- Formatting and layout bugs
Mockplus
Best for effective collaboration amongst product & technical stakeholders
Mockplus has over ten years of experience in the mockup software industry. Mockplus specializes in prototyping software and effective collaboration. Some of the biggest brands, including IBM, Microsoft, and Huawei, vouch for Mockplus.
Mockplus features three products called Mockplus Cloud (focussed on collaboration), Mockplus RP (for prototype designing) and Mockplus DS (for fine tuning design nuances). The Mockplus Cloud offering allows product managers to brainstorm and review changes to wireframes, prototypes and mockups. What’s also noteworthy is that Mockplus supports several design tools like Photoshop, and Adobe XD, etc., meaning designers can import assets from various software into Mockplus Cloud.
Why I picked Mockplus: As a former product manager, I always strive for effective team collaboration, and Mockplus helps achieve that. With Mockplus, product managers can involve developers and designers early in the ideation process. As a result, all key stakeholders are on the same page from day 1.
Mockplus has all the firepower developers need regarding code compatibility and versatility in downloading assets. Also, tracking “user stories” or development progress is critical for product managers. Using Mockplus, you can visually prioritize and track progress.
Mockplus Standout Features and Integrations
Features include vector UI designing, drag-and-drop designing, remote collaboration, streamlined design handoff, custom codes, rapid prototyping, prototype user testing, and version control.
Integrations include 10+ tools, such as Adobe XD, Axure, Confluence, Figma, Jira, Lark, Photoshop, Sketch, Slack, Symbol, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easy drag-and-drop functionality
- Streamlines design workflow
- Great plugins for design handovers
Cons:
- Design uploading requires Adobe Flash plugins
- A slightly steep learning curve
Marvel started as a side hustle in 2013 and quickly rose to prominence in the mockup and wireframe designing industry. Marvel's powerful collaborative platform helps reduce friction from multiple iterations with stakeholders to attain sign-offs on product ideas.
Why I picked Marvel: In my books, Marvel is an absolute marvel mainly because of the supreme collaboration and handoff features. As a product manager, getting sign-offs on ideas to start development takes time and effort. With Marvel, you can promote effective cross-company collaboration and reduce the GTM (go-to-market) time for a new feature or product.
With shared folders and real-time activity notifications, all relevant stakeholders are constantly in the loop to close open points and march towards sign-offs. Additionally, maintaining team libraries on Marvel helps you elevate brand consistency in your company.
Marvel Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a drag-and-drop design interface, editing Sketch designs, team libraries, a huge repository of pre-made images & assets, and effective design handoff tools.
Integrations include 5+ tools, such as Ballpark, Dropbox Paper, Jira, Sketch, Slack, Userflows, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Easily shareable links to prototypes
- Clean and simple UI
- Nifty slack integration
Cons:
- Animations are not very fluid
- Assets could be more comprehensive
MockFlow
Best mockup tool for mobile application focused product managers
MockFlow helps product and development folks achieve flow in their work. MockFlow has several wireframing and product design tools to help you quickly nail low-fidelity designs and business processes.
If you’re a product manager handling a mobile application launch, MockFlow is your ally! Using MockFlow, you can draw UI for many mobile devices. The tool provides several UI wireframe libraries to design a visually stunning low-fidelity wireframe quickly.
Why I picked MockFlow: As a product manager, you often get bombarded with several ideas. Being able to translate these ideas into something presentable quickly is crucial. MockFlow offers valuable tools to visualize the UI for a mobile app or website effortlessly.
Mockflow also has direct CSS support that helps add an extra layer of customization to your wireframes and mockups. The annotation feature is quite helpful in dropping insights and suggestions.
MockFlow Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a comprehensive UI change log, UX design documentation, a proposal creator, file management, a UI heat mapper, a time-tracker, and video feedback. The whiteboard feature helps you effectively present UI designs during meetings.
Integrations include 10+ tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Azure, Confluence, Google Drive, GSuite, Jira, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Okta, Slack, Trello, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Frequent product updates
- Easy to learn
- Lots of pre-built UI templates
Cons:
- Requires an Adobe flash plugin to operate
- Difficult to use for non-English users
UXPin
Best for generating mockups based on existing websites or applications
UXPin has been around in the prototyping and wireframing industry for over a decade. Founded in 2010 in Poland, the company was acquired by Xenon Partners in 2020. UXPin offers a revolutionary technology called Merge that allows you to import and maintain in-sync ReactJS elements.
UXPin promotes component-driven design. This means you can build upon your existing UI components and design mockups with these exact elements.
Why I picked UXPin: UXPin made my cut because of the emphasis the tool places on design customizations. You can design inclusive mockups aligning with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. Features like color blindness simulator and contrast checker help test your prototypes. UXPin enables you to build a tailored UI anatomy focusing on color usage, content layout and typography.
Component-driven design is a significant feature that enables you to create mockups in line with your brand style guidelines easily. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; leverage existing designs using UXPin’s prototyping tool.
UXPin Standout Features and Integrations
Features include user journeys, usability testing, user research, animation, remote collaboration, and logic-based prototyping with variable definitions and conditional interactions. Heat Mapping is a nifty feature that allows you to visualize where users click or scroll and how far users scroll.
Integrations include 10+ tools, such as Asana, Google Sheets, Microsoft Dynamics 365, NPM, Salesforce, Storybook, Zendesk, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Password protected prototypes
- Custom fonts upload
- Rapid prototyping
Cons:
- Lots of marketing spam emails
- Poor customer service
Justinmind is a prototyping software company based out of San Francisco, California. The company has been specializing in software simulations and wireframe tools since 2005.
Justinmind helps product managers create a highly responsive website mockup in minutes. Even if you don’t know basic HTML commands, Justinmind enables you to create aesthetic and interactive mockups.
Why I picked Justinmind: I was impressed with the liquid layouts that Justinmind offers. You can use liquid layouts to create interactive prototypes that dynamically adapt to several screen resolutions. Justinmind takes the sting out of complicated web-design concepts like pinning elements on a specific position and auto-resizing elements. If you’re dealing with a mobile application, Justinmind has fantastic app transitions like a pop, flip, fade or slide to improve engagement.
The testing functionality is also quite handy. Using Justinmind, you can quickly test a mockup and ensure smooth flow with minimal friction. The tool allows you to simulate applications and websites on various devices. Justinmind also allows you to import multiple file formats from applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch to add them as layers or images to your mockups.
Although some responsive features typically come under prototyping, Justinmind blurs the line (in a good way) between mockups and prototyping - enabling you to collaborate better with technical teams.
Justinmind Standout Features and Integrations
Features include 4,000+ elements in a library of UI kits, smart templates, responsive and adaptive web design, Adobe and Sketch plugins, mobile gestures, animations, and data-driven variables. You can also set conditions and rules for a given interaction (for example, you can define how the app must react to a mouse-over).
Integrations include 10+ tools, such as Azure, Confluence, Figma, Hotjar, Illustrator, JIRA, Photoshop, Sketch, UserZoom, XD, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- The free app is quite extensive
- Responsive prototyping
- Mobile app available
Cons:
- Lack of comprehensive tutorials
- Occasional app freezes
Fluid UI is a design platform that helps teams plan, create, and share interactive mockups. It’s used by people who want to turn ideas into clickable screens without needing complex setup. The tool lets you connect screens together so you can show how an app or website flows.
Why I picked Fluid UI: You can use the free plan to build prototypes that link screens together, making it easy to show how your designs work. The tool gives you access to pre-built libraries so you don’t need to start from scratch. It also allows you to add simple interactions, enabling your team to walk through the flow. Sharing is built-in, so everyone can see and comment on your design.
Fluid UI Standout Features and Integrations
Features include real-time collaboration so you and your team can work on the same project together, live video calling directly inside the tool, and quick feedback options for reviewing mockups. You can also organize screens into pages to keep larger projects tidy.
Integrations include Google Drive, Dropbox, and Slack.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Cloud-based so projects stay updated
- Built-in video chat during design reviews
- Real-time collaboration for design teams
Cons:
- Advanced animations not supported
- Complex projects feel hard to manage
Best mockup tool for preparing visual flowcharts and mind maps
Mockitt by Wondershare is a real blessing for product managers. You can translate high-level ideas into mockups using Mockitt’s templates and tools. Also, for designers and web developers, Mockitt helps create dynamic and functional prototypes from mockups made by the product manager.
Product managers must chart business processes and operations in a flowchart or mind map for brainstorming or presenting to management. Mockitt comes topped with several templates to get off the block quickly.
Why I picked Mockitt: I love flowcharts and the notion of diagrammatically expressing my thoughts. Mockitt helps create beautiful flowcharts and features a practical real-time collaboration functionality. Be it standalone business processes or a flowchart of ideas using screenshots or mockups, Mockitt helps you clearly articulate your thoughts and suggestions.
The template library is extensive, with several flowcharting and mind-mapping start points. Some popular flowchart templates include the user journey flowchart, project management system, decision flowchart, and bug fix process.
Mockitt Standout Features and Integrations
Features include rapid prototyping, flowchart templates, real-time collaboration, vector graphic design, and auto-handoff.
Integrations include Sketch and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Version control
- Rapid prototyping
- 500+ templates and widgets
Cons:
- No gradient fill design feature
- Eyedropper tool is not available on the web version
Axure is a powerful design software packed with rich web mockup features. As product managers, you ideally want to minimize time spent tinkering with the technicalities and focus more on the value or customer pain points. Axure helps you quickly translate brilliant ideas into unique and interactive mockups.
Axure does it all: diagrams, wireframes, customer journeys, and prototypes. Additionally, the level of prototyping detail is awe-inspiring. You can create tailored responses to user events like OnMouseOver or OnClick.
Why I picked Axure: I picked Axure because of the sheer firepower this tool offers. With minimal coding knowledge, you can apply complex conditional if-then-else logic to your mockups. Moreover, you can create dynamic content for a more immersive end-user experience.
As a product manager, you want to impart a certain level of uniqueness to your customers. With Axure, you can easily customize interface behaviors, like displaying an element when a user scrolls.
Axure Standout Features and Integrations
Features include conditional logic, interaction events, dynamic content, drag-and-drop working forms (droplists, radio buttons, text fields, etc.), adaptive views, remote collaboration, flow diagrams, and many others.
Integrations include 5+ tools like Adobe XD, Confluence, Figma, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Sketch, Slack, and others.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Varying fidelity levels
- Developer handoff
- Rapid prototyping
Cons:
- Buggy tables
- Sometimes requires steep technical knowledge
Other Mockup Tools
Here are some additional mockup tools options that didn’t make it onto my shortlist, but are still worth checking out:
- Moqups
Mockup tool for UX research & mind mapping
- Smartmockups
Mockup tool for packaging and apparel
- Mockuuups Studio
For generating Android and iOS mockups
- Lucidchart
Mockup tool for defining product roadmaps and customer buying journey
- Framer
Mockup tool for creating interactive designs
- Balsamiq
Mockup tool for building B2B wireframes
- Adobe XD
Mockup tool for content-aware design layout feature
- Flinto
Mockup tool for vector curve animation
- Mediamodifier
Mockup tool for business card and postcard designs
- MockupsJar
Mockup tool for wall poster mockup designs
How I Evaluate Mockup Tools
Mockup tools serve everyone from a freelance designer dropping a logo onto a t-shirt template for an Etsy listing to a product team presenting interactive app screens to engineering before a sprint kicks off. When I evaluate tools in this category, I think in two layers: what a tool has to do well just to make the list, and what actually makes one tool the right fit over another for a given team or workflow.
Core Functionality (Table Stakes for This List)
For mockup tools, the core functionality I test and evaluate is:
- Template library: I look at the breadth, quality, and freshness of pre-built templates available. Whether it's device frames for app screens or lifestyle scenes for product packaging, a shallow or outdated library limits what you can actually produce.
- Design placement controls: I test how easily you can drop a design onto a template and get a realistic result. This means automatic perspective matching, smart resizing, and 3D wrapping so a label looks like it actually belongs on that coffee bag.
- Visual customization: I check whether you can adjust backgrounds, shadows, lighting, and colors within the mockup scene itself. A tool that locks you into rigid templates with no room to match your brand palette or presentation context falls short.
- Output quality: I always check the resolution and format options available. A mockup destined for a client pitch deck, a Shopify listing, or a developer handoff each demands different output specs, so I look for flexible export options across PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF at print-ready resolution.
- Collaboration and sharing: I like to evaluate how teams interact within the tool. At minimum, I expect shareable links with commenting and annotation. For larger teams, I look for real-time co-editing and version history so a product manager's feedback doesn't get lost in a Slack thread.
- Design import compatibility: I test imports from the formats teams actually work in, including PSD, Sketch, Figma, and SVG files. If a designer has to rebuild assets from scratch because the tool can't read their source files, it's a dealbreaker.
- Multi-device preview: For UI mockup tools, I check whether I can toggle the same design across phone, tablet, and desktop frames without manual rework. For product mockup tools, the equivalent is seeing the same design applied across different product types and angles in a single workflow.
If a tool can't do these things reliably, it didn't make the cut regardless of what else it offers.
Standout Features (What Separates the Picks)
Beyond baseline features, I look for things like AI-assisted design generation, robust integrations with e-commerce or project management stacks, advanced team permissions, and automated developer handoff. I also weigh the value of strong community templates, platform accessibility, and whether the tool can batch-create mockups at scale—huge for agencies or e-commerce sellers who need volume and speed.
What I Weigh Beyond Features
I also consider who each tool is really built for. A solo freelancer prepping client presentations has different needs than a product team handing off specs to developers. I evaluate pricing models at various team sizes, the learning curve for non-designers, and whether the tool runs in-browser or requires a specific OS. Integration fit matters too—if your team lives in Jira and Slack, a mockup tool that connects to those workflows saves real time.
How to Choose Mockup Tools
It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:
| Factor | What to Consider |
|---|---|
| Scalability | Consider if the tool can grow with your team. Will it handle more users or larger projects as your company expands? Check if there are limitations on project size or user numbers. |
| Integrations | Evaluate how well the tool connects with your existing software stack. Does it integrate with platforms like Slack, Jira, or Google Drive to streamline workflows? |
| Customizability | Assess if the tool lets you tailor features to fit your needs. Can you customize templates or workflows to match your team's unique processes? |
| Ease of use | Look for a tool with a simple interface that your team can learn quickly. Avoid tools that require extensive training or technical knowledge for everyday tasks. |
| Implementation and onboarding | Investigate the setup process and available support. Are there resources like tutorials or support teams to help your team get started without disruption? |
| Cost | Compare pricing models and ensure they fit your budget. Are there hidden fees or costs for additional features? Consider if annual billing offers savings. |
| Security safeguards | Check if the tool meets your security standards. Does it offer features like data encryption and regular security updates to protect your information? |
| Support availability | Determine the level of support provided. Is there 24/7 customer service? Can you reach them through multiple channels like chat or phone? |
What Are Mockup Tools?
Mockup tools are apps that let you quickly create visual models of a product or webpage before it’s built. Designers, developers, and clients use these to picture layouts, test ideas, and get feedback early, instead of guessing how things will look from a sketch. With easy drag-and-drop features and shared workspaces, you can tweak designs together—saving everyone surprises and headaches once real development starts.
Features
When selecting mockup tools, keep an eye out for the following key features:
- Wireframing: Allows you to create basic layouts and structure for your designs, helping you visualize the user interface early in the design process.
- Prototyping: Enables you to build interactive models of your designs, which helps in testing user flows and gathering feedback before development.
- Collaboration: Offers tools for real-time teamwork, allowing multiple users to work on a project simultaneously and share feedback instantly.
- Design system management: Helps maintain consistency across projects by managing reusable components and style guides.
- Animation tools: Provides the ability to add transitions and animations to your prototypes, making them more realistic and engaging.
- User testing: Allows you to gather direct feedback from users within the platform, helping refine designs based on actual user interaction.
- Design handoff: Bridges the gap between design and development by generating code specifications, ensuring a smoother transition to the build phase.
- Accessibility checker: Ensures that your designs meet industry accessibility standards, making your product usable for a wider audience.
- Offline access: Lets you work on projects without an internet connection, ensuring productivity even in limited connectivity situations.
- Live data integration: Uses real data to create dynamic prototypes, providing a more realistic representation of the final product.
Benefits
Implementing mockup tools provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Improved collaboration: Real-time collaboration features allow team members to work together efficiently, reducing miscommunication and enhancing teamwork.
- Faster iteration: Prototyping and user testing capabilities enable quick feedback and revisions, speeding up the design process and improving the final product.
- Consistent design: Design system management helps maintain uniformity across projects, ensuring that branding and design guidelines are consistently followed.
- Enhanced creativity: Features like animation tools and live data integration allow for more creative and realistic designs, making your prototypes more engaging.
- Cost savings: By identifying design issues early through wireframing and prototyping, you can avoid costly mistakes and rework during the development phase.
- Better accessibility: Accessibility checkers ensure your designs meet standards, broadening your audience and making your product more inclusive.
- Efficient handoff: Design handoff tools provide clear specifications for developers, facilitating a smoother transition from design to development.
Costs & Pricing
Selecting mockup tools requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in mockup tools solutions:
Plan Comparison Table for Mockup Tools
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | Basic wireframing, limited prototyping, and basic collaboration. |
| Personal Plan | $5-$15/user/month | Advanced prototyping, access to templates, and basic integrations. |
| Business Plan | $20-$50/user/month | Real-time collaboration, design system management, and enhanced security features. |
| Enterprise Plan | $60-$100/user/month | Customizable workflows, dedicated account support, advanced analytics, and full integration capabilities. |
Mockup Tools FAQs
Here are some answers to common questions about mockup tools:
How do mockup tools fit into the overall design process?
Mockup tools usually come into play after initial sketches and before full development. They help you visualize layouts and refine the user interface before coding starts. Using them early can help you identify design issues while changes are still easy to make.
Can mockup tools replace coding during the early stages of design?
Yes, mockup tools let you show visual ideas without needing to code. They’re ideal for communicating layout, color, and style choices before development begins. This way, you can focus on design clarity without worrying about the technical side yet.
How accurate are mockups compared to final designs?
Mockups give you a close representation of what the final product will look like. However, small differences can still appear once real data and functionality are added. Treat them as a guide to communicate intent rather than a pixel-perfect final version.
When should you update or revise mockups during a project?
You should revise mockups whenever your project scope, branding, or user feedback changes. Keeping them updated ensures everyone stays on the same page. Regular updates prevent confusion and make the handoff to development much smoother.
What’s Next:
If you're in the process of researching mockup tools, connect with a SoftwareSelect advisor for free recommendations.
You fill out a form and have a quick chat where they get into the specifics of your needs. Then you'll get a shortlist of software to review. They'll even support you through the entire buying process, including price negotiations.
