Rapid Prototyping Tools


1	Items in yellow are new or updated since the last post in March 2009
2	Tool Name	Description	Platform	Price	Vendor	Related Link

3	Axure RP Pro	Tool specifically designed to create web site prototypes. Axure outputs clickable HTML and a spec in Word format. Complex interactions are supported.	Windows	$589	Axure	http://www.axure.com/p101_5.aspx
4	Balsamiq Mockups	Create a mockup of your software super-fast. The look of Balsamiq's output is sketchy, which can help to disarm those who think that suddenly your software is "done".	Web	$79	Balsamig	http://www.balsamiq.com/
5	CogTool	Create simple UI mockups and evaluate their effectiveness. CogTool predicts how long an experienced user will take to complete a given task.	Both	Free	Bonnie E. John	http://cogtool.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/
6	Coutline	A web-based to design and preview clickable prototypes. Also includes features for project management and team review.	Web	???	Coutline	http://www.coutline.com
7	Dreamweaver	Use the visual side of Dreamweaver to drag-and-drop your design into place, point-n-click to add interactivity and dive into code for more complex prototyping.	Both	$399	Adobe	http://www.adobe.com/products/dreamweaver/
8	EasyPrototype	Very similar to the popular Axure, this lightweight tool allows you to design screens and export a clickable HTML prototype along with documentation.	Both	$69	ExtremePlanner Software	http://www.extremeplanner.com/easyprototype/
9	Excel	You are thinking: "Excel? Are you crazy?!". The authors of this book think not.	Both	$229	Microsoft	http://www.effectiveprototyping.com/ep_excel.shtml http://excelprototyping.weebly.com/
10	Expression Blend	Output prototypes for Silverlight and WPF apps with rich interactions quickly via a drag-and-drop interface.	Windows	$499	Microsoft	http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/Overview.aspx?key=blend#page-top
11	Expression Blend + SketchFlow	Create task flow maps and interfaces concepts that literally look like sketches. Prototypes can evolve into the final product within the Expression suite.	Windows	$599	Microsoft	http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/Sketchflow_Overview.aspx
12	Expression Design	Use powerful drawing tools to create HTML, WPF or Silverlight prototypes with limited interactivity.	Windows	$699	Microsoft	http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/Overview.aspx?key=design
13	Fireworks	Create complex clickable prototypes using many of the same drawing tools found elsewhere in the Adobe suite. Exports to PDF or HTML.	Both	$299	Adobe	http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1498v1659
14	FlairBuilder	Create interactive wireframes via an AIR desktop app. Send the resulting file to clients to review in the free viewer.	Both	$99	Cristian Pascu	http://www.flairbuilder.com/
15	Flash	Quickly generate self-running animations or simple clickable prototypes. Add a little bit of ActionScript knowledge and you can build complex interactions.	Both	$699	Adobe	http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/quick-and-easy-flash
16	Flash Catalyst	A still-in-development tool to help designers build interfaces for Flash apps.	Both	n/a	Adobe	http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashcatalyst/
17	Flex	While more tuned for app developers, the WYSIWYG interface and support for importing skins from Ilustrator give you the ability to go quickly from design to prototype. Can export Flash or AIR aps.	Both	$249	Adobe	http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/
18	ForeUI	Design mockups, define behaviors and simulate the app in a browser.	Both	$79	EaSynth Solution	http://www.foreui.com/
19	FormBuilder for Drupal	Web-based interface to drag and drop form elements onto a page. Design a working form, including input requirements, in minutes.	Web	Free	Lullabot	http://www.lullabot.com/blog/drupals-form-building-future
20	GUI Design Studio	Design interfaces, add annotations and build a storyboard to define a working prototype. There's a nice sketch visual style that can be applied.	Windows	$499	Caretta Software	http://www.carettasoftware.com/guidesignstudio/
21	iPlotz	Create clickable wireframes online and collaborate with others. Also includes basic project management features like task assignment. Desktop version (AIR) available.	Web	$99	iPlotz	http://iplotz.com
22	iRise	A very complex tool used to model business process and prototype application interfaces.	Windows	$6,995	iRise	http://www.irise.com/
23	Justinmind Prototyper	Create wireframes and simulate them against functional specs defined as use case diagrams.	Both (Mac = beta)	$690	Justinmind	http://justinmind.com/
24	JustProto	A web-based tool focused on collaboration with remote teams	Web	$99	DeSmart	http://www.justproto.com/en/
25	Keynote	Like Powerpoint, Keynote allows objects to be clickable, opening external links, playing Quicktime movies or transitioning to a new slide.	Mac	$79	Apple	http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote/
26	LiveView	View your desktop screen on a virtual iPhone, or via an app, on your actual iPhone.	Mac	Free	IDEO	http://labs.ideo.com/2009/01/20/liveview-an-iphone-app-for-on-screen-prototyping/
27	Lucid Spec	Design screens and simulate a working application by using standard widgets and easy to use drawing tools.	Windows	$499	Elegance Technologies	http://www.elegancetech.com/LS/LS.aspx
28	MockApp	An iPhone UI library and template for Keynote. There's also a Powerpoint version, though it is not tested and may not export correctly.	Both (sorta)	Free	Dotan Saguy	http://mockapp.com/
29	MockupScreens	More of a wireframing tool since it only exports to a slideshow instead of something click-able.	Windows	$100	MockupScreens	http://mockupscreens.com/
30	OmniGraffle	Diagramming and mockup tool that can export clickable PDFs and HTML	Mac	$200	OmniGroup	http://urlgreyhot.com/personal/weblog/creating_prototypes_with_omnigraffle
31	OverSite	Create the structure of your app, design the interfaces and simulate the app as a click-through prototype. Can even import an existing site to use as a starting point.	Both	$65	OverSite	http://taubler.com/oversite/
32	Pencil	A Firefox add-on that's really more of a wireframer than a prototyping tool.	Both	Free	Duong Thanh An	http://www.evolus.vn/Pencil/
33	pidoco	Formerly RapidRabb.it. Collaborative, web-based prototyping. Has both a "regular" and a sketched mode.	Web	$600	pidoco	https://pidoco.com/en
34	Polypage	This is a jQuery plugin that allows you to show/hide elements of a page. Use it to simulate state change via a toolbar.	Both	Free	ClearLeft	http://24ways.org/2008/easier-page-states-for-wireframes
35	Powerpoint	A Powerpoint deck as a prototype?! Yep, it's a little known fact that Powerpoint supports clickable hotspots to jump to slides. Combine this with built-in transitions to prototype animation.	Both	$229	Microsoft	http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/interactive
36	Protonotes	Not a prototype creation tool, but a way to allow a disparate team to annotate your design via the web.	Web	Free	Webanza	http://www.protonotes.com/
37	Protoscript	A super-simplified scripting language enabling designers to add behaviors to existing HTML pages.	Web	Free	Bill Scott	http://protoscript.com/
38	Protoshare	A web-based tool aimed at teams who need to collaborate on clickable wireframes.	Web	$156	Site 9	http://www.protoshare.com/
39	Prototype Composer	Prototype web and desktop applications and hand off assets to dev teams using other Serena tools.	Windows	Free	Serena	http://www.serena.com/products/prototype-composer/index.html
40	Screen Architect	Works in conjunction with the UML modeling tool Enterprise Architect to create interface prototypes in RTF and HTML.	Windows	$120	CATCH	www.screenarchitect.com
41	Tinderbox	A complex notes tool that could be used to export click-through HTML	Mac	$229	Eastgate Systems	http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/
42	Visio Professional	Many would call Visio the "gold standard" of wireframing tools. Did you know that it can create clickable prototypes as well?	Windows	$560	Microsoft	http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/FX100487861033.aspx
43	XHTML & CSS	Have the coding skills, then skip the software tools and build it yourself!	Both	Free	W3C? ;-)	http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/prototyping-with