Justinmind is an excellent wireframing tool that lets you build a blueprint for your app. It boasts several functionalities that allow for precise prototype design, but it might be too feature-heavy for some basic prototyping projects.Â
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Justinmind’s top features
- Benefits and drawbacks of using Justinmind
- How it compares to Adalo, a no-code alternative
- Pricing options and whether it’s worth the cost
Let’s dive in by exploring what Justinmind is and how it works.
‍
What Is Justinmind?
Justinmind is a wireframing and prototyping tool that you can download to your computer. However, you must log in using an internet connection whenever you want to use it. While Justinmind offers offline functionality for some of its features, syncing or accessing team collaboration can require an internet connection.
Its primary audience is folks who aim to develop a frontend or other user interface (UI) elements for their app or software.
Taking a page from the playbook of no-code app builders like Adalo, Justinmind features a fairly complex building interface loaded to the gills with components and functionalities so you can create on-point wireframes that accurately resemble a finished app.
Let’s look at how Justinmind works and what separates it from other wireframing tools. Â
‍
Multi-Component Drag-and-Drop Interface
Like most wireframing tools, Justinmind has a drag-and-drop interface for seamless app blueprint creation. However, Justinmind goes the extra mile and provides an interface that gives you more granular control over your wireframing. Here are the features:
- Resize and rearrange elements like buttons, text boxes, and images using your cursor.Â
- Embed videos to preview how they’ll appear on an app.
- Provide an extensive library full of UI elements, such as Android and iOS widgets, forms, buttons, and more.
- Connects with your computer’s files for seamless image and video uploading directly from your computer, supporting formats like .jpg, .png, and .svg.
- Dynamic features include animations, fading elements, sliding screens, and more.
‍
These drag-and-drop features will help demonstrate how your app will feel, function, and appear, providing clear guidance for the app-building process.Â
‍
Customizable Templates and Integrations
Don’t want to start your wireframing from scratch? Justinmind’s got you covered — just select a premade template from its enormous template library. Here are a few templates to get you started:Â
- A Fitness and exercise templateÂ
- A template for a car-rental website
- Online bookstore template
- Restaurant landing page template
- And dozens more
‍
If you’re a designer using tools like Sketch and Adobe Suite, you’ll be happy to know you can integrate your work from these platforms into Justinmind. This means you won’t have to spend any time tinkering with your background design — you can start adding functionalities.Â
‍
Collaborative Team ToolsÂ
Justinmind's team collaboration tools aim to maximize productivity and communication among project members. Your team will collaborate in real time, enabling them to work on the same prototype and see live updates simultaneously.
Additionally, Justinmind provides version control and activity tracking features. It saves all changes and documents their times of execution. This simplifies referencing and tracking down major edits, so multiple team members are always on the same page.
‍
Testing Options
Justinmind allows for robust testing options by generating shareable prototypes that can be tested on iOS and Android devices. This helps identify issues early in the design process and determine where functionalities like payment integrations or scheduling forms should go, ensuring that the final product aligns with user expectations and needs.
‍
ProsÂ
- It provides loads of design control so your finished blueprint could look very similar to how your final app will appear — provided you are able to keep templates and backgrounds consistent. This can provide loads of help if you’re looking to give customers a preview or pitch investors.Â
- Justinmind offers a robust help center with tutorials, Q&A forums, user guides, and how-to manuals. These can help you learn the complex building interface.Â
- The free version is generous for freelancers and entrepreneurs who only need to wireframe a single project.Â
‍
ConsÂ
- The building interface is complex and less intuitive than other wireframing tools like Figma. If you don’t have much experience with drag-and-drop interfaces, you’ll probably need to dedicate some daily time to learning it.Â
- The preview and some editing functionalities lack a quick response time and feel clunky. Sometimes, the software you download to your computer needs to connect to the Justinmind site, which makes you wonder why you need to download the interface to your computer in the first place. Â
- Because each app-building platform’s templates differ from what Justinmind offers, your final product could look very different from your wireframes. If you can’t ensure consistency of template appearance across several platforms, you might have issues.
{{rich-cta}}
What Are Justinmind’s Use Cases?Â
Justinmind is for wireframing only — it provides a powerful platform to draw up blueprints for apps and websites. Here are some examples of the platform in use:
- General wireframing for nearly any type of app or website.Â
- Justinmind is excellent for creating a proof-of-concept prototype for agencies or teams to pitch to management, investors, or clients. Â
- It provides a robust wireframing platform for techies who intend to build their apps with code. They can get a realistic visualization of how their app will appear before the building begins, as they’ll be able to use code to make their app appear very similar to the wireframes.Â
‍
Justinmind’s Pricing: Is Justinmind Worth It?Â
The Justinmind Prototyper free version offers access to its robust building interface. With this version, you can create unlimited screens within one project and export them as .png, .jpg, and .svg files, allowing you to share your wireframes relatively easily.
For $19/month per user (billed monthly), you’ll get team collaboration features like version tracking, team management, and the ability to create unlimited wireframe projects.Â
Justinmind’s $29/month per user (billed monthly) version allows you to export your wireframes to HTML code, allowing you to develop your app with coding further. You’ll also get custom branding and priority support from the Justinmind team.Â
At $59/month per user (billed monthly), you’ll get single-sign in security, integrations with Azure and JIRA, and the option for on-prem hosting (running Justinmind from your servers).Â
‍
Justinmind Alternatives: Other Tools to Try
If Justinmind is a little too feature-heavy or complex for your needs, give the following platforms a shot:
- Adalo: An actual no-code native mobile app builder that’s simple to use. You can skip the entire wireframing process and start with a premade template, which you can configure to your needs and tastes.Â
- Figma Wireframing Tool: A more intuitive wireframing tool that doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as Justinmind, allowing for quicker wireframe development.Â
- Appy Pie: A cheap, no-code native mobile app builder that lacks design freedom but provides a simple platform for creating a viable start-up app on the Android ecosystem.Â
‍
VerdictÂ
Ok, now that we’ve reached the end, it’s time to get my opinion of Justinmind. Should you get it now, shortlist it, or avoid it?Â
- Get it now if you are a techie and want a robust platform to visualize your app or if you’re an agency looking for a tool to create several mockups of a frontend that your tech team can bring to life using the HTML export option.
- Shortlist it if you’re a freelancer or entrepreneur looking for a wireframing tool to draw up your app idea’s blueprints. Keep in mind that while you’ll get a potent blueprint builder, Justinmind isn’t a no-code app builder.Â
- If you want to kickstart your app-building with a no-code platform, go with Adalo. You’ll be able to begin creating your app by picking a template and tailoring it to your needs with a simple drag-and-drop interface that you can use right out of the box.Â
‍
You can add plugins from Adalo’s component marketplace and connect with third-party applications such as QuickBooks, Zapier, Airtable, and many others. Publish your app to the web, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store for maximum traction.Â
‍