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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 the first three spots in the graphics software market share. Because of this, Adobe XD became the natural choice for graphic and web designers. WordPress is an open-source content management system that makes it easy to set up a website in minutes.

Fill in keywords, descriptions, and other metadata to improve your site’s searchability and ranking. Purchase a paid Site plan to publish, host, and unlock additional features. GIMP usually works well with Photoshop files, but Photoshop updates its platform more frequently, sometimes causing compatibility issues.

Choosing the right web design program

Discover key challenges today’s marketing teams are facing, as well as opportunities for businesses in 2024. Create fully localized experiences for site visitors around the world — from design and content to translation and more. Automatically pull live content from Webflow’s powerful CMS into any page — then easily add or edit content over time.

I spent a few weeks testing all the free website builders I could find, and these are the eight best. Mobirise operates on a block-based system, making it easy to add sections to your website by dragging and dropping different types of blocks. These blocks can be anything from headers, galleries, sliders, or contact forms. Customize these by clicking on them and using the in-built tools to change texts, images, and styles to match your desired look and feel.

Best for AI-Powered Tools

From free, open-source, web-based offerings to full-blown image-editing programs with steep learning curves, there’s a graphic design platform for everyone. GIMP has come a long way, being one of the first open-source graphic-design programs. Its strength is in photo editing, whether a quick fix or a redesign, and it’s a lightweight alternative to heavy hitters like Adobe Photoshop. This tool provides much of the same functionality for free and has a customizable workspace with user-friendly navigation. Vectr is a free tool you can use online or on desktop, and it focuses on vector graphics and typography. The app is beginner friendly, with an extensive library of guides and tutorials covering all the basics.

For increased features and access, try the paid version, starting at $12/month/editor. This platform gives businesses plenty of latitude with customization, particularly at the organizational level. Formerly a part of the Autodesk family, Pixlr is now a stand-alone product. It has some of the welcome features of similar apps, including its ecosystem of complementary programs. However, InDesign is a resource-hungry program (like most Adobe software).

Top Web Design Tools for Designers in 2024

You can also share prototypes via email and share links so that others can review and leave comments on the page. You can avail yourself of a free plan of Adobe XD and create a limited number of projects. You can go for a plan that includes the complete suite of Adobe Creative Suite, including Dreamweaver, XD, and Photoshop. While a free version exists, advanced features are available in premium plans. These plans are structured to accommodate different needs and budgets, making them accessible for small startups and larger enterprises. In this article, let us look at the top web design tools that will help design your website and prototypes more efficiently.

They have a few free templates, or you can purchase one that makes your site easier to build (similar to WordPress). Plus, they offer an optional walk-through (and email tutorials) to familiarize you with the platform, which is quite helpful. If you’re comfortable with WordPress and the concept of styles and classes, you should be ok.

WordPress

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 web design programs start from scratch. Adobe Express is popular for its user-friendly interface, diverse templates, and the ability to create visually appealing content with ease.

We then assess the service to see how the software could be used for different site designs and platforms, and different situations and use-cases. The aim is to push each web design tool to see how useful its features were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools. The website maker features templates for beginners and fast mockups – all the elements are in place across a set of key web pages. You can then go and edit more or less every aspect, from copy to color to images, in a few clicks or alter the style site-wide.

SEO

For example, you can modify an existing color scheme or create your own. Then start building your site by setting up the popular pages—home, about, contact, and so on—and choosing a standard header and footer layout. HubSpot even provides a full tutorial on using the drag-and-drop editor. You can choose from 47 modules (elements), including header, text, image, accordion, and CTA.

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. 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.

Dedicated, tailored support

If you want to bypass the restrictions, you’ll have to create a custom theme. You don’t need to know what CSS is or how to tinker with HTML—these apps do the heavy lifting. And with the advent of AI, building a website has become even quicker.

• Although you need coding knowledge to get started on Dreamweaver, you’re not building totally from scratch.
• Optimize your SEO and improve discoverability with fine-tuned controls, high-performance hosting, and flexible content management tools.
• If you pair Bootstrap with Sublime Text, you’ll be able to easily build a high-performing website — and efficiently.
• Hostinger’s website builder has a growing list of new features and welcome improvements that help it stand out in the crowded space.
• However, once you want more functionality from your website, I’d switch to Content Hub or WordPress, depending on your needs.