Fe/male Switch: Your Startup Facilitator & Incubator for Women

Top 10 Open Source Alternatives to Balsamiq in 2025

As the year 2025 unfolds, designers and developers seeking free or open-source alternatives to Balsamiq have a plethora of options. Whether you're focused on wireframing, creating mockups, or building interactive prototypes, this list of tools provides a comprehensive look at the best alternatives available.

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1. Pencil Project

Description: Pencil Project is a free and open-source GUI tool for creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. It's downloadable for Mac and Windows, and available as a Firefox add-on.
Key Features:
Templates: Offers a variety of templates for both mobile and web design.
Interactive Elements: Includes a good range of interactive elements.
Diagramming: Noted for strong diagramming capabilities.
Connector Tool: Features a connector tool for linking shapes and creating wireflows.
Offline Use: Downloadable and usable offline.
Open Source: Yes
Website: Learn more about Pencil Project

2. Figma

Description: While Figma offers a paid version, it also provides a robust free plan, making it a strong alternative to Balsamiq and is very popular. It's a browser-based, collaborative design tool.
Key Features:
All-in-One: Creates everything from wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes.
Real-time Collaboration: Allows multiple users to work on the same design simultaneously.
Version History: Offers 30-day version history.
Cloud Storage: Provides unlimited cloud storage in the free plan.
Community Support: Access to community-created components and templates.
Open Source: No, but has a free tier.
Website: Discover Figma

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3. Penpot

Description: Penpot is a free and open-source web-based design and prototyping platform focused on team collaboration.
Key Features:
Team Collaboration: Designed to involve the entire product team in the design process.
UI Design: Tools for creating pixel-perfect user interfaces.
Interactive Prototypes: Create interactive, shareable prototypes.
Self-Hosting: Can be self-hosted.
Open Source: Yes
Website: Explore Penpot

4. Wireframe.cc

Description: Wireframe.cc is a browser-based tool focused on creating basic, low-fidelity wireframes.
Key Features:
Simplicity: Known for its minimalist interface and ease of use.
Low-Fidelity: Ideal for quickly sketching out basic layouts.
Browser-Based: No download is required.
Open Source: No, but has a free tier.
Website: Check out Wireframe.cc

5. Draw.io

Description: draw.io is a free, open-source, browser-based diagramming application.
Key Features:
Diagramming: Versatile tool for various types of diagrams, including wireframes.
Browser-Based: Accessible via web browsers.
Free: It is free to use.
Open Source: Yes
Website: Learn more about Draw.io

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6. Miro

Description: Miro is a collaborative online whiteboard platform with wireframing capabilities. It is AI-enabled.
Key Features:
Collaboration: Real-time collaboration for teams.
Templates: Includes pre-made templates for wireframing.
Integrations: Integrates with many business tools.
AI-Enabled: Has AI features.
Open Source: No, but has a free tier.
Website: Discover Miro

7. MockFlow

Description: MockFlow is a tool that allows for collaborative creation of user interfaces.
Key Features:
Collaboration: Allows for team collaboration.
UI Creation: Focused on creating user interfaces.
Product Ideation: Helps with product ideation and feedback.
Speed: Aims to speed up the development process.
Open Source: No, but has a free tier.
Website: Explore MockFlow

8. Moqups

Description: Moqups is a comprehensive online design platform for creating wireframes and prototypes.
Key Features:
Templates: Features comprehensive templates.
Drag-and-Drop: Easy drag-and-drop interface.
Collaboration: Allows multiple users to work on designs.
Stencils: Ready to use stencils.
Icon Library: Inbuilt library with thousands of icons.
Open Source: No, but has a free tier.
Website: Learn more about Moqups

9. Whimsical

Description: Whimsical is a browser-based brainstorming and wireframing tool with collaborative features.
Key Features:
Collaboration: Browser-based for team collaboration.
Built-in Components: Includes pre-built components and an icon library.
Mind Maps: AI-enabled mind-mapping feature.
Open Source: No, but has a free tier.
Website: Check out Whimsical

10. Vectr

Description: Vectr is a free graphics editor platform for creating low-fidelity prototypes, wireframes, and mockups.
Key Features:
Free Tools: Wide variety of free tools.
Export: Can export creations to high-resolution image formats.
Low-Fidelity: Best for creating low fidelity prototypes.
Open Source: No, but is free.
Website: Learn more about Vectr

These 10 tools should provide a good range of options for those looking for open-source or free alternatives to Balsamiq in 2025. Each has its own strengths, so it's recommended to explore them further based on your specific needs.

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FAQ

1. What software is the Pencil Project, and what does it offer?

Pencil Project is a free and open-source GUI tool for creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. It's downloadable for Mac and Windows, and available as a Firefox add-on. Learn more about Pencil Project

2. Is Figma free to use?

Figma offers a robust free plan, making it a strong alternative to Balsamiq. Explore Figma

3. What makes Penpot a good wireframing tool?

Penpot is a free and open-source web-based design and prototyping platform focused on team collaboration. Discover Penpot

4. What is Wireframe.cc used for?

Wireframe.cc is a browser-based tool focused on creating basic, low-fidelity wireframes. Learn more about Wireframe.cc

5. Can you create diagrams with draw.io?

Yes, draw.io is a free, open-source, browser-based diagramming application ideal for creating wireframes and various types of diagrams. Check out draw.io

6. What features does Miro offer for wireframing?

Miro includes real-time collaboration, pre-made templates for wireframing, integrations with business tools, and AI features. Explore Miro

7. How does MockFlow assist with UI creation?

MockFlow allows for collaborative creation of user interfaces and includes tools for product ideation and feedback. Learn more about MockFlow

8. What makes Moqups a comprehensive design tool?

Moqups features comprehensive templates, a drag-and-drop interface, collaboration capabilities, stencils, and an icon library. Discover Moqups

9. How does Whimsical support team collaboration?

Whimsical is a browser-based brainstorming and wireframing tool with built-in components, an icon library, and AI-enabled mind-mapping features. Explore Whimsical

10. Is Vectr free to use?

Vectr is a free graphics editor platform for creating low-fidelity prototypes, wireframes, and mockups. Learn more about Vectr

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.

Violetta Bonenkamp

2025-08-22 07:33 Top Alternatives