How Big is Web Design Software Today?

Choosing the right web design software is crucial for creating beautiful and functional websites in today‘s digital world. With so many options to pick from, it can get overwhelming for beginners and professionals alike to find the perfect software for their needs.

As a web design expert with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve tested all the popular tools and helped many entrepreneurs find the right solution. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into the key factors to consider and top recommendations across categories so you can confidently choose web design software tailored to your needs.

The web design software market has been growing rapidly, projected to reach $5.6 billion globally by 2025 according to Statista.

This growth is fueled by the ever-increasing demand for websites and web applications across all industries. Just take a look at these statistics:

• There were over 1.74 billion websites online as of Q1 2022 (Source: HostingFacts)
• 78% of small businesses use a website builder instead of coding from scratch (Source: BuildFire)

Clearly, easy-to-use web design software is crucial for businesses to establish an online presence. Choosing the right tool can give you a competitive advantage.

With so many options available, how do you select the right web design software? Here are the main factors I evaluate:

1. Ease of Use

The software‘s learning curve is very important, especially if you‘re a beginner starting web design. Look for features like:

• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
• Easy page builder workflows
• Responsive design capabilities
• Built-in fonts, images, icons, and templates
• Ample learning resources like documentation and tutorials

Software like [Webflow] and [Wix] are exceptionally easy to use even for non-techies.

2. Design Customization Options

Pre-made templates are great starting points, but you‘ll want the ability to customize designs to suit your brand identity and goals. Consider these customization features:

• Editable layouts, text fonts, colors
• Animation effects and interactions
• Ability to add your own elements
• Global design settings and styles
• Template kits for specific industries

Tools like [SeedProd] and [Thrive Theme Builder] offer extensive customizations.

3. Collaboration Capabilities

For agency or team workflows, built-in collaboration tools are essential. Look for options like:

• Commenting tools
• Version history
• Git integration
• Task management
• Real-time co-editing
• Team member permissions

[Figma] and [Webflow] have excellent collaboration capabilities.

4. Output Options

What type of websites do you need to design? Certain software is optimized for specific outputs like:

• Static HTML sites
• WordPress sites
• Online stores / ecommerce
• Web applications
• Landing pages

For example, [WooCommerce] is specially built for ecommerce stores.

5. Pricing and Licensing

Web design software come in a variety of pricing models:

• One-time purchases (cheaper but need to pay for updates)
• Monthly or annual subscriptions
• Unlimited free plans with fewer features
• Free trials to test out software

Also understand the licensing terms like number of sites allowed and attribution requirements. [Canva] has a generous free plan while [Adobe Creative Cloud] offers full-featured trials.

6. Browser and Device Testing

It‘s crucial to test your web designs across different devices and browsers during the design process.

• Mobile responsive preview
• Tablet and desktop previews
• Testing across browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox
• Screen size previews and custom resolutions

[Webflow] and [Adobe XD] have excellent built-in testing tools.

7. User Community and Support

Finding answers from fellow users and getting help when stuck will make your experience much smoother. Consider these community resources:

• Active user forums and groups
• Tutorials and documentation
• Technical support response time
• Expert tips and inspiration

[Figma] and [Webflow] have cultivated helpful and supportive user communities.

Now that you know which factors to consider, let‘s explore top recommendations across different categories.

Best Web Design Software for Beginners

If you‘re just starting out in web design, here are the most beginner friendly options:

[Wix]

Wix is my #1 recommendation for complete beginners thanks to its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and great templates. With over 200 million users, it‘s also the most popular website builder on the market.

Pros

• Very intuitive interface
• Tons of stylish templates
• Mobile responsive designs
• SEO and marketing tools
• Built-in image editor

Cons

• Can feel limiting as you advance

[Squarespace]

Squarespace is another popular option praised for beautiful templates optimized for visual impact and conversions.

Pros

• Award winning templates
• Simple editor
• Great for blogs and portfolios
• Good ecommerce features

Cons

• Page builder workflow has learning curve

[Bubble]

Bubble is a visual programming tool allowing you to build web apps and sites without code through drag-and-drop. The learning resources make it beginner-friendly.

Best Web Design Software for WordPress Sites

Want to leverage the power and flexibility of WordPress for your sites? These page builders integrate seamlessly:

[SeedProd]

SeedProd is my personal favorite WordPress web design tool. I‘ve used it for 5+ years to quickly create custom landing pages and WordPress sites for clients.

Pros

• Very fast drag-and-drop workflow
• Best page builder and theme customizer
• Tons of pro templates and blocks
• Growth marketing focused features
• Free and paid versions available

Cons

• Mostly geared towards marketers

[Thrive Theme Builder]

Thrive Theme Builder is a close second choice used by 85,000+ WordPress site owners thanks to conversion focused templates.

[Elementor]

Over 5 million websites use the Elementor page builder to customize WordPress design and layouts. The free version is very capable for basic sites.

Best eCommerce Web Design Software

Want to design sleek online stores or marketplaces? These ecommerce-focused platforms have you covered:

[Shopify]

Shopify is arguably the most popular all-in-one hosted ecommerce solution. Their Liquid templating language makes customizing Shopify sites easy and flexible.

Pros

• Beautiful storefront designs
• All hosting and scaling taken care of
• Robust ecommerce functionality

Cons

• Transaction fees are higher than self-hosted

[WooCommerce]

WooCommerce has the advantage of allowing you to integrate ecommerce into a WordPress site. Use it along with a page builder like [SeedProd] for ultimate flexibility.

[BigCommerce]

For large online stores, BigCommerce is a robust enterprise solution with great SEO, security, and marketing features built-in.

Best Graphic Design Software

Using the right graphic design tools can significantly improve and speed up the process of creating visual assets for your sites.

[Canva]

In my opinion, Canva is the best graphic design tool for non-designers thanks to its huge library of easy-to-edit templates. It‘s free plan is also very generous.

[Figma]

Figma is a powerful graphic and web design software with excellent collaboration tools for teams. I‘ve switched from Sketch to Figma lately and never looked back!

[Adobe Creative Cloud]

For professional-grade photo and vector editing, Adobe still rules the roost. Start with core apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, and XD.

[Affinity] Suite

The [Affinity] suite of photo, vector, and publishing apps is a great budget-friendly alternative to Adobe with no subscription required.

As web design software gets easier to use, you may wonder if you need to hire a professional designer. Here are my recommendations based on different scenarios:

• If you just need a simple informational website or portfolio, drag-and-drop builders like [Wix] or [Squarespace] should suffice.

• For an ecommerce store or web application, it‘s worth hiring a designer to ensure high quality. The complexity demands expertise.

• If you need a custom WordPress site, a freelance designer familiar with page builders can help. Provide ample direction.

• For large corporate websites with complex requirements, hire an agency well-versed in your niche.

The key is clearly communicating requirements, goals, and target audience upfront to maximize results.

Many designers also offer web design training and coaching services to teach you core skills. This empowers you to maintain and expand your own websites.

An important consideration that‘s often overlooked by beginners is accessibility – making your website usable for people with disabilities.

Thankfully, many web design tools have built-in features to help you optimize accessibility:

• Colors with sufficient contrast
• Options for larger fonts
• ARIA landmark roles
• Screen reader testing
• Keyboard navigation

Take advantage of these to make your websites inviting to all.

I hope this guide gives you clarity on what to look for when choosing web design software for your specific use case. Test out free trials before committing.

Here are my quick tips as you get started:

• Prioritize software with the easiest learning curve when you‘re starting out. Don‘t get overwhelmed with too complex tools.

• Pick web design software that allows plenty of customization to grow as your skills improve over time.

• For WordPress sites, use page builders like [SeedProd] and [Thrive] to maximize flexibility.

• Take advantage of the thousands of professionally designed templates available in tools like [Wix] and [Squarespace] to expedite your web projects.

• Use graphic design software like [Canva] and [Figma] to quickly create images, ads, and other visual content.

Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to offer web design tips and help beginners.