If you run a business, having a website is a non-negotiable. But any old website won’t do. You need to have something exciting that makes people want to check out what you have to offer. Then, you need to ensure that your site is interesting enough to entice them to spend money. Finally, you need a web design that won’t screw it all up.
While the importance of a website cannot be overstated, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a professional web designer to create your website. There are hundreds of tools out there that can make a beautiful website for everyone’s favorite price: zero.
While you don’t need to enlist the help of a professional, skipping out on quality products is an absolute no-no. Choosing the right web design software can be tricky to navigate, but not impossible. Here are 13 web design tools that you can use for no cost at all.
Mobirise
This tool allows you to create websites for small to medium sized businesses. It’s an offline app for both Mac and Windows, and can also be used to create a variety of media, including landing pages, online resumes, portfolios, and more. This is the ideal tool for those who aren’t technically-inclined, because it’s so easy to use.
Webflow
This is an all-in-one design platform that lets you easily create awesome websites without any complicated code. It’s also a CMS and hosting platform, where creating a website is as simple as using the drag and drop features.
The only drawback with the free version is that it does have some limitations, including web flow branding, 1K page views, and the inability to work on multiple projects at the same time.
Wagtail
This is an open source CMS that is written in Python and created on the Django framework by developers, for developers. As the designer, you can create and structure content in the click of a button. You’ll have total control over the web design, and you’ll be able to integrate into other Django apps.
Shopify Logo Maker
Every business needs a logo. You can easily create logos with the Shopify Logo Maker. Simply enter your business name, choose the font and color, choose an icon, and click on “get your logo.”
Then, you’ll be asked for your email address, and you will receive your new logo. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Yes, these are very simple logos, but you can always upgrade to something a bit fancier later, while still using the same design.
Webydo
If you want to create responsive websites with pixel perfect designs for your clients without having to worry about code, this is the tool for you. You can adapt your web design so it looks great in a variety of screen sizes, and create layouts that offer an awesome mobile experience for your customers.
Your clients get to control the content, and the cloud hosting is fast, secure, and constantly monitored. In short, this B2B hybrid gives you web design and development in one easy-to-use tool.
TypeGenius
There are so many things to think about when designing a website, including font. Instead of spending hours searching through not-quite-right font designs, there’s a better option with TypeGenius. All you have to do is select a font to start with, and you will be given a variety of matches in no time.
InvisionApp
With InvisionApp, all you have to do to create great designs is to upload your images and add all of the features on the site. Your clients, partners, and team members will be able to give you feedback by commenting directly on the designs, and you can see all of the feedback in one location.
Origami
Origami is a free tool that you can use to create modern user interfaces that run on your iPad or iPhone. You’ll be able to comment on it, and export bits of code for your engineer. This tool was created to help in the design and creation of products on various social media platforms.
Skala
The latest version of this tool has been upgraded to let you plug your iPhone or iPad right into your Mac to be connected. You can preview designs in a variety of sizes to make sure they will look great when viewed on any device. There are several image scales to make your work even easier on everything from tablets to smartphones.
UXPin
Use this tool to easily and quickly wireframe any user interface. You’ll have the option to choose from hundreds of patterns and elements for mobile, web, and beyond. This tool is easy to use, with features like easy drag-and-drop, add icons, add images, and customized UI elements for any mockup. All of the mockups are pixel-perfect, and you can use the graphic design editor to customize your typography, backgrounds, UI elements, and a whole lot more.
Frontify
Brand style guides, design workflows, and visual collaboration are all important to budding startups. The Frontify Style Guide lets you upload images, work with a variety of color palettes and add fonts, icons and rich text. Creating and editing is fast, and you can create your web-based style guide in just a few minutes.
Frontify Workspace is specifically for teams that want to to collaborate on designs. It offers online storage, versioning, sharing, and commenting. You can create interactive prototypes to show to your team, and get immediate feedback about the design. Though you can use this app and its features for free, and there are also paid plans (starting at just $19 per month for personal use and $49 per month for teams) that you can purchase for use.
Macaw
This is a great web design tool that is perfect for those who do not know how to code. It was created to help you build wireframes, mockups, and prototypes, and the interface looks a lot like Photoshop. This tool creates the code in the background for you that so you can demonstrate the user interface of the web design without having to bother with starting a project on WordPress.
You can also use Macaw to create designs that are completely responsive, and you can test the look of your layout on a variety of devices.
MarvelApp
This tool is perfect for anyone who wants to create a good digital product fast. MarvelApp is a code-free design, collaborating, and prototyping tool that you can use to view mockups on many devices, including the new Apple Watch.
One of the great things about this tool is that there is a huge library of demo prototypes, so you can get a pretty good idea of just how great your own designs are going to look. The basic version of this tool is free to use, and there are also paid packages if you want to have more great features.