Balsamiq vs Pencil Project

Adobe XD

Figma

Axure

Marvel

XTEN-AV

JointJS

Compare Balsamiq and Pencil Project based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Figma is a cloud-based UI designing and prototyping tool, which allows multiple teams to collaborate on creating, testing, and deploying interface or product designs. Features include version history, project management, commenting, user-based permissions, plugin creation, and single sign-on (SSO).

Marvel is an all-in-one prototyping platform for web and mobile app building that allows solo designers, growing teams & enterprises to collaborate within a shared environment boasting tools including template-based wireframing, codeless interactivity, centralized feedback & third-party integration

Axure RP is an interactive wireframe and prototyping software designed to help professionals create functional software prototypes without coding and hand these off to developers. Key features include team collaboration, note creation, revision history tracking, animations, and a widget library.

Balsamiq is the only product tool that creates more time than it takes. Show your team exactly what to build with wireframes—no design skills needed.

Access Controls/Permissions

Brainstorming

Collaboration Tools

Commenting/Notes

Component Library

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Data Linking

Design Management

Design Templates

Desktop Interface

Drag & Drop

Drag & Drop Editor

Feedback Management

For Mobile

For Websites

Ideation

Image Library

Mobile Access

Mobile Interface

Mockup Creation

Multiple Projects

Multiple User Accounts

Offline Access

Presentation Tools

Prototype Creation

Real-Time Updates

Reporting/Analytics

Single Sign On

Software Prototyping

Synchronous Editing

Third-Party Integrations

UI Prototyping

Usability Testing

User Management

UX Prototyping

Version Control

Whiteboard

Widgets

Wireframe Creation

Balsamiq

Web-based

Windows

Have only been using for 5 months now but I'm a great fan of the simplicity bundled with endless options for quick iterations.

Solutions Engineer

It makes my job incredibly easy and produces a super clean wireframe immediately. The pre-set buttons that you can drag are the best and I just won't use anything else for Wireframing.

Mobile Developer

It is a good desktop and mobile mock-up tool with a good quantity of functionalities. For sure is one of the best free solutions for small projects in LF stages.

Web Operations Manager & Co-Founder

What I like the most is its price, compared to its competition, it is one of the most economical and perfectly fulfills its function.

Search Engine Evaluator

I loved this software because it helps me to create my own website design.

It's super easy to use and I've never had anything but a great experience. It's so fast and gets the job done.

Business Process Consultant 

This is the best product around for creating wire frames. I've used it on countless projects and have great reviews for it.

web developer

I like that balsamiq is light wireframing tool, fast and most importantly very easy to learn. The price for the product is also very fair , considering what you get for the money.

Product Owner Lead

The following things I don't like. No walk through/onboarding, sometimes makes you feel lost.

SEO Analyst

Balsamiq is intuitive and oddly fun to use. I was able to get what I need out of it pretty easily, and would definitely use it again.

Scrum Master

Versioning is very great. Community support is good.

Junior Dev

This software is best one for wireframing and making mockups, here are some pros. Free trial for 1 month in order to try it out.

Project Coordinator and Analyst

Additionally, creation of site-maps is limited with no scope of customization.

Software Developer

So it is perfect to integrate mockups, wireframes into other files, or send them as a single file.

Solution Architect

Wireframes can look child-like and unprofessional with some settings. Currently based on Adobe Air technology which is outdated.

Thanks to its simplicity, I achieve complete mockups in no time. In addition to the elements that made the community libraries accelerate the process.

programmer

It doesnt include the material design components, you need to find them on internet and it's difficult to use them.

Senior UX Designer

The tool is excellent and lets you produce really rapid lo-fi prototypes. Learning curve is quite shallow because if you ever used another design tool everything is pretty much intuitive.

Balsamiq screenshot: Balsamiq user interface

Balsamiq screenshot: One way to collaborate with your team is by adding comments

Balsamiq screenshot: You can export your wireframes to PDF and PNG

Balsamiq screenshot: Add wireframes to Confluence pages to clarify ideas, make specs visual, and align teams instantly

Balsamiq screenshot: Add wireframes to Jira issues to clarify specs, reduce rework, and help teams build the right thing

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Mid Size Business

Public Administrations

Small Business

Adobe XD is an on-premise prototyping software that helps businesses of all sizes create designs for websites and applications using animation tools in real-time. It allows graphic designers to design mockups or wireframes and test them across various devices including mobile, desktop and tablets.

By providing AV integrators with exceptional designing and deal-breaking proposal tools, XTEN-AV aims to improve the experience. The most user-friendly tools in the AV business, X-DOC, and X-DRAW, were developed by specialists to assist integrators.

JointJS+ is a diagramming toolkit, a commercial extension of JointJS, that allows businesses to create advanced Low-Code/No-Code and visual applications. Developers can utilize UI plugins to build custom applications, customize user interfaces and embed elements according to requirements.

Pencil Project is an open-source GUI prototyping software designed to help developers create mockups across popular desktop platforms. It lets teams draw different types of user interfaces ranging from desktop to mobile platforms using the built-in shapes collection.

Diagramming

Document Embedding

Flowchart

Interactive Elements

Templates

Pencil Project

Chief cook and bottle washer.

Very easy to use, nice format and good functions. I'm only using this for GUI design and interaction definitions.

Quality Assurance and Frontend Developer

I am regular user of Pencil, I have found that Pencil is the one the most perfect tool for me to make prototype and design wireframe. It is really easy and helpful for front end.

Used it to mock up a web applications, several are rather complex and have between 15-45 pages. Currently using it to mock up a massive CMS project.

Product

Little quirks that have not ironed out yet. Feels like the project has died -- which is a real pity.

Some of most best features of Pencil are listed below.

It really is a fantastic tool. Very intuitive if you've use any type of mockup/wireframe tool.

Balsamiq vs Pencil Project Comparison (2026)

Balsamiq

Pencil Project

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives