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Design · head to head

Balsamiq Wireframes vs Proto.io

Balsamiq Wireframes logo

Balsamiq Wireframes

Design

Low-fidelity wireframing that keeps focus on structure and content

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Proto.io logo

Proto.io

Design

Hosted high-fidelity prototyping with device preview and no code

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Balsamiq Wireframes has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Balsamiq Wireframes starter plan is capped at 10 projects and costs $16 per editor per month ($192/year); Proto.io prototypes live in the vendor cloud and offline export is a higher-tier feature, so the ability to archive completed client work is a plan-level decision rather than a given.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Balsamiq Wireframes and Proto.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Balsamiq Wireframes and Proto.io differ
AttributeBalsamiq WireframesProto.io
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Balsamiq Wireframes

Nothing recorded that Proto.io does not also cover.

Only in Proto.io

  • Event and condition system
  • Timeline animation
  • Device preview
  • Component library
  • User testing integration
  • Design import

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Balsamiq Wireframes

  • Creating wireframes for idea communicationnot Proto.io
  • Prototyping interfaces faster than design toolsnot Proto.io
  • Collaborating on wireframes with unlimited reviewersnot Proto.io
  • Exporting designs to PDF and imagesnot Proto.io

Proto.io

  • Running usability tests where the prototype must respond to real input rather than replay a fixed click pathnot Balsamiq Wireframes
  • Demonstrating a form-heavy or data-driven flow to stakeholders before any code existsnot Balsamiq Wireframes
  • Testing a mobile interaction on the physical device it is designed for, with correct gesture behaviournot Balsamiq Wireframes
  • Validating a concept for a client who needs to feel the product, not watch a video of itnot Balsamiq Wireframes

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Balsamiq Wireframes

  • Starter plan is capped at 10 projects and costs $16 per editor per month ($192/year)
  • Teams plan raises the cap to only 100 projects at $24 per editor per month; even Enterprise tops out at 400 projects
  • AI credits are metered per editor per month (500 on Starter, 1,000 on Teams, 2,500 on Enterprise), so AI features have a hard usage ceiling beyond the base seat price

Proto.io

  • Prototypes live in the vendor cloud and offline export is a higher-tier feature, so the ability to archive completed client work is a plan-level decision rather than a given.
  • Design is done elsewhere and interaction is rebuilt here, so every change to the visual design has to be reapplied by hand and the two artefacts drift apart.
  • The event and condition model is layer based, so a genuinely complex flow becomes a large tree of triggers that nobody but its author can audit.
  • Editor seats are priced individually and viewer access is limited on lower plans, so opening review to a wide stakeholder group pushes you up a tier for people who never edit anything.
  • The market standardised on Figma, so hiring people who already know Proto.io is progressively harder and every new researcher is a training cost.

Pricing, plan by plan

Balsamiq Wireframes

Free
  • Starter$16/month
    • Up to 10 projects
    • Unlimited reviewers
    • 500 monthly AI credits per editor
  • Teams$24/month
    • Up to 100 projects
    • Unlimited reviewers
    • 1000 monthly AI credits per editor
  • Enterprise$35/month
    • Up to 400 projects
    • 2500 monthly AI credits per editor
    • SSO with SAML

Proto.io

On request
  • Freelancer$undefined/month
    • Single editor
    • Limited active projects
    • Standard sharing
  • Startup$undefined/month
    • Multiple editors
    • More projects
    • Team library
  • Agency$undefined/month
    • Higher project and storage limits
    • Client sharing controls
  • Corporate$undefined/month
    • Largest quotas
    • Offline export on higher tiers
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Balsamiq Wireframes if

  • You want to start without paying.
Balsamiq Wireframes review

Choose Proto.io if

  • You need event and condition system.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want timeline animation.
Proto.io review

Questions people ask

Is Balsamiq Wireframes or Proto.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Balsamiq Wireframes starts at Free and Proto.io at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Balsamiq Wireframes or Proto.io?
Balsamiq Wireframes has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Balsamiq Wireframes and On request for Proto.io.
Does Balsamiq Wireframes or Proto.io run on more platforms?
Balsamiq Wireframes runs on Web. Proto.io runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Balsamiq Wireframes for free?
Yes. Balsamiq Wireframes has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Proto.io starts at On request.
What is Balsamiq Wireframes best used for?
Balsamiq Wireframes is most often used for creating wireframes for idea communication, prototyping interfaces faster than design tools, collaborating on wireframes with unlimited reviewers, exporting designs to pdf and images. Of those, creating wireframes for idea communication and prototyping interfaces faster than design tools are not what Proto.io is typically brought in for.
What can Balsamiq Wireframes do that Proto.io cannot?
Proto.io covers Event and condition system, Timeline animation, Device preview, Component library.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Balsamiq Wireframes: How much does Balsamiq Wireframes cost per editor?

Balsamiq charges $16/month (Starter), $24/month (Teams), or $35/month (Enterprise) per editor when billed annually. Monthly billing costs $192/year, $288/year, or $420/year respectively. Only editors who actively make changes are counted, not viewers or stakeholders.

Source
Proto.io: Can it replace Figma?

No. It has no design system or file-handoff role. It sits alongside Figma for the prototypes Figma cannot express.

Balsamiq Wireframes: What AI credit limits does Balsamiq provide by plan?

Starter includes 500 monthly AI credits per editor, Teams includes 1000 monthly credits per editor, and Enterprise includes 2500 monthly credits per editor. Additional on-demand credits can be purchased at $15 per 500 credits across all tiers.

Source
Proto.io: What happens to prototypes if we stop paying?

They stop being accessible unless you have exported them, and offline export is restricted to higher plans, so plan archiving before you cancel.

Balsamiq Wireframes: What are the project limits across Balsamiq plans?

Starter allows up to 10 projects, Teams allows up to 100 projects, and Enterprise allows up to 400 projects per workspace. All tiers support unlimited boards within each project.

Source
Proto.io: Is it worth learning now that InVision has gone?

If your work is usability research on conditional flows, yes. If you need click-through demos of static screens, Figma already does that at no extra cost.

Balsamiq Wireframes: Is there a free trial for Balsamiq Wireframes?

Balsamiq offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required for new users to evaluate the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Source
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