Great products start with the right tools. Whether you're a product manager, UX designer, or product design agency, having the best product design tools means faster workflows, seamless collaboration, and better results.
With AI now shaping product design, teams can automate ideation, predict user needs, and test prototypes faster than ever. As demand for smarter design solutions grows, staying ahead with the right tools is key.
With the help of our experts, we’ll cover the best tools for product design so you can find the perfect fit for your team.
Table of Contents
Best Product Design Tools for Digital Whiteboarding
Digital whiteboards bring real-time collaboration to any device. They allow teams to seamlessly share visuals, notes, and interactive content. With AI-powered features and integrations, design tools streamline brainstorming and design workflows for in-office and even remote teams.
1. Miro
Miro remains a leading digital whiteboard platform, enhancing its features to support remote and hybrid teams. It offers many templates and integrates seamlessly with tools like Notion, Adobe XD, and Figma. Recent updates include enhanced real-time collaboration and AI-powered facilitation to streamline workshops and brainstorming sessions.
| Plan | Price | Features |
| Free | $0 | 3 editable boards, 5 Talktrack recordings, 3,000+ templates, basic integrations, and 10 Miro AI credits per team per month. |
| Starter | $8 per member/month | Unlimited boards, 1-click collaborator access, version history, private boards, high-resolution exports, and 25 Miro AI credits per member per month.
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| Business | $16 per member/month | Multiple workspaces, secure guest access, custom diagramming shapes, Jira/Azure issue management, SSO integration, and 50 Miro AI credits per member per month.
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| Enterprise | Custom pricing (30+ members) | Advanced security controls (SSO, 2FA, data classification), centralized account management, enterprise-grade compliance, 24/7 premium support, and 100 Miro AI credits per member per month. |
2. Whimsical
Whimsical continues to provide a collaborative workspace for creating flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps, and sticky notes. Its intuitive interface and real-time collaboration make it a favorite among design teams.
You can develop product design project plans on your own using markdown shortcuts in a focus mode. Editors can also edit existing documents or create new ones, share folders for feedback, and provide access to guests for specific files. Recent enhancements include AI-assisted diagramming and improved integration with project management tools.
| Plan | Price | Features |
| Starter | $0/month per editor | Unlimited workspace members, all file types, 3 team boards, 100 team tasks, 3 teams, 10 guests, 7-day version history, and 100 AI actions per editor per month. |
| Pro | $10/month per editor | Unlimited team files and tasks, 100 custom templates, private teams, 6 teams, 50 guests, 90-day version history, and 500 AI actions per editor per month, admin roles.
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| Business | $15/month per editor | Unlimited teams, unlimited custom templates, 100 guests, 1-year version history, 1000 AI actions per editor per month, and SSO/SAML integration.
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| Enterprise | $20/month per editor (billed annually) | 200+ guests, unlimited version history, 2000 AI actions per editor per month, SCIM, advanced security controls, priority support, and dedicated success manager. |
Best UI Design & Prototyping Tools
A well-designed user interface (UI) is crucial, as 94% of users' first impressions are design related. Effective UI design and prototyping enable teams to test, refine, and validate ideas before development, ensuring efficiency and an exceptional user experience.
1. Figma
Launched in 2016, Figma has become a leading tool for UI design and prototyping. It offers a cloud-based platform that facilitates real-time collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work simultaneously on a design.
Figma's features include vector editing tools, interactive prototyping, and design system management. Notably, Figma introduced an AI-powered feature called "First Draft," which assists designers in generating initial design concepts based on textual prompts.
| Plan | Price | Features |
| Starter | Free | Basic file inspection, unlimited personal drafts, and 3 collaborative design files |
| Professional | $15 per full seat per month ($12 per seat/month billed annually) | Team libraries, unlimited Figma files, unlimited version history, advanced prototyping, Dev Mode with VS Code extension, and private projects.
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| Organization | $45 per full seat per month | Organization-wide libraries, branching and merging, design system analytics, centralized file management, private plugins, and single sign-on (SSO). |
| Enterprise | $75 per full seat per month | All Organization features, advanced design theming, REST API variable syncing, workspace-level default libraries, guest controls, SCIM-based seat management, and enhanced security settings. |
2. Sketch
Sketch is a vector-based design tool primarily used for UI and UX design. It offers a native macOS application with features like real-time collaboration, prototyping, and a vast library of plugins to extend its functionality. Sketch is known for its intuitive interface and robust design capabilities.
Sketch provides a 30-day free trial for users to explore its features before committing to a paid plan. Once ready to upgrade, users can choose from the following options:
| Plan | Price | Features |
| Standard | $10 per editor/month (billed yearly) or $12 per editor/month (billed monthly) | Real-time collaboration, version history, unlimited free Viewers, and access to the web app.
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| Business | $22 per editor/month (billed yearly) | All Standard features, plus Single Sign-On (SSO), unlimited online storage, invoice-based billing, project archiving, and advanced permission controls. Teams with 25+ editors get priority support and a dedicated customer success manager. |
| Mac-Only License | $120 per seat (one-time purchase) | Includes one year of updates.
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Best Product Designer Tools for User Testing
User testing is a critical phase in product development, providing invaluable feedback from real users to refine and enhance products before launch. To ensure your business delivers user-centric products, incorporating effective user-testing tools is essential.
1. Maze
Founded in Paris in 2018, Maze is a leading user testing platform that enables teams to rapidly test prototypes and gather actionable insights. It offers a comprehensive suite of testing methodologies, including five-second tests and tree testing, facilitating data-driven decisions to optimize product designs.
| Plan | Price | Features |
| Free | $0/month | 1 study per month, 5 seats, up to 7 blocks, and pay-per-use panel credits. |
| Starter | $99/month ($1,188/year) | Unlimited blocks, AI question rephrasing, PRO templates, conditional logic, CSV export, and Clips for recording insights. |
| Organization | Custom pricing | Interview studies, open card sorting, variant comparison, AI-driven analysis, SSO, priority support, and dedicated customer success management. |
2. Marvel
Marvel is an intuitive prototyping and user-testing tool that helps teams quickly transform designs into interactive prototypes. It allows users to collect feedback through audio, video, and analytics, ensuring a seamless design iteration process.
Marvel also streamlines developer handoff by automatically generating assets, specifications, and code. It makes developer handoff a whole lot easier by automatically turning your designs into assets, specs, and code.
Marvel offers a free plan and scalable options for individuals and teams:
| Plan | Price | Features |
| Free | $0/month | Includes 1 user, 1 project. |
| Starter | $12/month (billed yearly) | Unlimited projects, 3 active user tests, prototype downloads, and the ability to remove Marvel branding.
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| Team | $42/month (billed yearly) | Starts at 3 users. Includes 10 active user tests, premium support, and all Pro features. |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Unlimited users, unlimited projects and user tests, invite-only projects, SSO, advanced security settings, and custom billing.
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3D Product Design Tools: Honorable Mentions
3D product design involves creating a three-dimensional version of a product to improve visualization and prototyping. Here are a few tools worth mentioning:
- Blender: Blender is a CAD modeling software that supports product design, video editing, VFX, and animation. It is free to use and compatible with Linux, Mac, and Windows.
- SketchUp: Sketchup provides an intuitive interface for 3D modeling, making it ideal for beginners and professionals alike. A free version is available, while the paid plan starts at $49.99/month, offering additional features and unlimited storage.
- Fusion 360: Fusion360 integrates CAE, CAM, CAD, and PCB modeling into a single platform, enabling designers to create, simulate, and manufacture products efficiently.
- Spline: Spline is a web-based platform that enables designers to create interactive 3D experiences directly in the browser. With AI-driven features, users can generate 3D objects from text prompts or images, facilitating rapid prototyping and design iterations. Spline supports real-time collaboration, making it ideal for teams working remotely.
- 3DFY.ai: 3DFY.ai leverages generative artificial intelligence to produce high-quality 3D models from textual descriptions or single images. This tool democratizes 3D content creation, allowing designers to quickly generate models without extensive manual modeling, thus accelerating the design process.
Best Product Design Tools: Key Takeaways
Whether you’re looking for the best product designer tools for developer handoff or managing design systems, there’s a tool that fits your needs. If you need inspiration for your next project, explore these product design ideas.
However, having the right tools is only part of the equation. Expert product designers bring industry knowledge, user experience expertise, and a refined process to turn ideas into successful products.
If you want to create a user-centric, market-ready product, consider working with a top product design agency to bring your vision to life.
Tools for Product Design: FAQs
1. What tool is used for product design?
The best product design tools depend on the task. Figma and Sketch are great for UI/UX design, Fusion 360 for 3D modeling, and Miro for brainstorming and collaboration. The right tool often depends on the type of product design you’re working on.
2. What are the 4 C's of product design?
The 4 Cs of product design — Consumer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication — help ensure a product is user-focused, affordable, accessible, and effectively marketed. These are key product design principles that guide successful product development.
3. How does AI impact product design?
AI speeds up product design by automating ideation, predicting user needs, and optimizing workflows. Tools like Spline and 3DFY.ai use AI to create 3D models from simple inputs, reducing design time.
