Wireframe vs. Mockup vs. Prototype: What are the differences?

What are wireframes? What is a mockup? When should I use prototypes?

You’ve undoubtedly come across these questions in your journey as a designer or someone who just wants to show their ideas to the world. They are the last frontier before putting your designs out there, a safe space for experimentation, alignment, and final adjustments. Yet, despite sharing some similarities and being compatible in the same project, there are some big differences you should know before choosing one or another.

Buckle up—today, we’re answering your question about the difference between wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

What is a wireframe, and when should I use one?

Wireframes are the basic structure for your design, especially when developing an app or a website. Have you ever seen Picasso’s famous minimalist line drawing of a bull? Well, that could be considered a wireframe. A quick sketch of a more complex, detailed design that serves as a starting point for your relevant stakeholders to be aligned on. UX designers or Product designers usually use wireframes before handing graphic designers and programmers something they can start working on.

As you can guess, we’re not including design elements such as fonts, colors, or look and feel at this point. No, the end of a wireframe is to gather feedback as early as possible and reach a consensus about the product’s design. You can doodle a wireframe over a piece of paper or create more elaborate wireframes using software like Figma or Photoshop. Once the graphic designers take the lead, mockups enter the chat. 

What is a mockup? What are they useful for?

Okay, now we’re entering design territory. Mockups are realistic visualizations of what your product or functionality will look like in a real environment. To put it plainly, mockups show you how your logo will look printed on a business card or how your Instagram post will look on your feed, for example. Colors, fonts, icons—they all play a crucial role in mockups.

Mockups aim to gather visual feedback on the design and avoid any potential issues you might have yet to notice during the design process. Imagine sending your design to print with a typo mistake just because you needed to see how the final result would look. Well, a mockup will help you visualize your product and save time and money. And they just look great!

If your current project needs a mockup, we’ve created an easy tool that helps you turn any of your designs into high-quality mockups. It’s the Freepik mockup generator, an online tool that allows you to access our editable mockup library, which has over 50K high-quality assets.

What is a prototype?

Wireframes and mockups share a trait that separates them from prototypes. Can you guess what it is? We’ll give you some moments to think about it while we pour ourselves some coffee. Okay, that should be enough. Have you guessed it?

Yes! Interaction!

Both mockups and wireframes are static representations of a product or design that still do not include the interactive element that some digital products have. Of course, a print ad or a tote bag does not add any interaction (at least none that concerns the graphic designer 😅). Still, apps or websites must test their usability with real users to find any possible errors or improvement areas.

Here’s where prototypes come in handy. They simulate a real interaction with all the final design elements, giving the user an authentic experience in a controlled environment that provides insightful data to iterate. Thanks to software programs like Figma, you can create prototypes from your mockups without the hassle of getting involved with code. Once you’ve tested your prototypes, you can pass on the project to the development team.

Are wireframes, mockups, and prototypes the same thing?

As you’ve seen, although they all serve similar goals, there are some differences that make each of them more suitable for each phase of your product cycle. Some projects don’t require wireframes or prototypes at all, whereas others can’t be successfully completed without them. To sum up, here are the main differences we’ve covered, presented in a simple table. Because who doesn’t love tables?

Create stunning mockups with Freepik

“How to make a mockup” has become one of the most popular searches on the Internet. Not so long ago, making a mockup was a matter that required design skills paired with software like Photoshop or Illustrator, among others. But, thanks to the rise of mockup editors like the Freepik mockup generator it only takes a few seconds to bring your design everywhere. Oh, and that’s not even all! If you’re a Premium Freepik, you can access our whole library of the best mockups, ready-to-use for your project.