Best 7 Web Design Software in 2021

For many planning to enter the digital world, web design is probably the most daunting part of going through the virtual overhaul. There are endless aspects to consider, such as the investment, features, turnaround time, and much more.

It goes without saying that much onus is placed on how the website looks and how well it functions in the long run. Customer engagement is a direct result of the seamless journey from a landing page to the final CTA.

Whether you plan to build a lead magnet, an informational real estate, or an e-commerce portal to do it all, web design begins with the tone you set for your brand. Having said that, it never hurts to get the right set of tools in your arsenal.

Depending upon the level of customization and simplification you’re looking for there are a plethora of options available in the market. No matter if you’re creating a web design in London or Luanda, there is something for all creators out there.

Here are the best 7 that we consider as the cream of the crop.

Let’s dive in.

Adobe Dreamweaver CC

A mid-road between an Integrated Development Environment and a drag-and-drop setup, Adobe Dreamweaver is an application for effectively coding your way through the design without worrying about programming nuances. Using HTML, Javascript, CSS and other standards, you can customize your website quite intricately.

What sets Adobe apart is the visual aids it provides, displaying the coding automatically on the interface. The option to edit the code by clicking on the visual elements is an added benefit. Multi-monitor support for Windows, live view editing, responsive web designs and Git support bring it all together in this comprehensive tool.

Yes, the learning curve can be a little steep, but the app is a dream to work with once you get a hands-on understanding.

WordPress

The fact that WordPress is at the backend of 14.7% of the world’s top websites and powers 60.8% of CMS in the world should be reason enough to know why it stands indisputably on this list.

WordPress finds the right balance between pricing, power, ease of use, and flexibility. With a free version, you can get started in no time. Customizable themes and an endless list of plugins, quench your need for aesthetic and comprehensive functionality. It has a built-in text editor, a drag-and-drop feature, and a one-click HTML editor to make the whole process as seamless as possible.

Being an open-source environment, there is nothing you can’t do on WordPress.

Wix

Wix is considered one of the best web development platforms for beginners. It is predominantly a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to play with the individual elements as you please. While the free version has Wix branding and logos, the premium ones are affordable and eliminate any bloating ads.

There are over 500+ templates to select from that can further be customized with fonts, icons, apps, animation, scrolling effects, and video backgrounds. As a simple visual editor, Wix is the most straightforward software for portfolios, entrepreneurs, and freelancers.

The only downside is that once you choose a template, you can’t change it. Other than that, the site works like a native app for you on all ends.

Weebly

As a free-to-use software with professional templates to amp up your business, Weebly works well as another beginner-friendly website builder. You essentially don’t need to write any code but, still hold control over the HTML and CSS to achieve your desired customization.

A responsive web design, diverse themes, drag-and-drop builder, parallax features, and dynamic design elements make it an intuitive package for everyone around. It also has the ability to create online stores and settings to post on social media directly.

Additionally, the in-built SEO, analytics, expert starter guides, and planning tools will keep you a step ahead of the competition.

Sketch

A design maven for macOS, Sketch focuses mainly on the importance of UX in a digital environment. Built as a vector-editing graphics tool, it allows prototyping, collaborating, and creating a website and mobile apps with equal ease.

Sketch’s key differentiators are its clean design aesthetic and an easy-to-understand interface, backed by a robust list of plugins. The collaborative environment creates data sets a breeze and further brings effortless sharing to the table.

Sold as a one-time payment application, it also offers a 30-day fully-featured trial run to gauge its usability for you. As a performance-intensive environment, it does take a lot of memory and needs an updated system to function correctly.

Gimp

Gimp is an open-source image editor that doubles up as a website building tool. Everything right from web design to free-from drawing is taken care of. Multiple language support for Python, C, C++, Scheme, and more makes the app an all-inclusive environment.

Using image manipulation, you can create icons, banners, images, mockups, and wireframes as per your need. It also readily integrates with an array of third-party applications, that add to its functionalities.

A completely customizable interface lends a personalized workspace for the tools, colour scheme, widgets, and much more. Although, it might take a slight while to get used to the extensive set of options.

Bootstrap

Going a step ahead from the drag-and-drop editor, Bootstrap inculcates code components that can be directly used to build a website from scratch. A library full of Javascript, HTML, and CSS processes simplifies the build while also lending total control over it.

One of the most popular software for a responsive, mobile-friendly website, Bootstrap offers a grid system coupled with powerful plugins and pre-designed elements. Advanced CSS and SASS editors allow you to import the code directly from your existing sites as well.

Multiple templates are also available that can be tailored to the stitch in line with your vision.

Conclusion

So, there you go. The 7 website builders mentioned above are individually capable of designing a website that stands true to your brand tone.

The end call depends on what you need to pay the most attention to. For example, GIMP is the ideal choice for image retouching, while WordPress gives an open-source environment like no other.

The best part? You can even use a blend of these tools to achieve the desired results. So, don’t be afraid to go the extra mile. It’s the only one that really counts.