Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Balsamiq VS Charmstone

Compare Balsamiq VS Charmstone and see what are their differences

Balsamiq logo Balsamiq

Balsamiq. Rapid, effective and fun wireframing software.

Charmstone logo Charmstone

The quicker switcher launcher for macOS
  • Balsamiq Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-02
  • Charmstone Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-04

Balsamiq videos

UX Review: Balsamiq.com - Watch a Usability Expert Review Our Site!

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Balsamiq Mockups: Beginner Tutorial
  • Review - Balsamiq Wireframes for Desktop Overview (Windows)

Charmstone videos

2008 Charmstone Tasting Notes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Balsamiq and Charmstone)
Prototyping
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
100% 100
Design Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Mac
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Balsamiq and Charmstone

Balsamiq Reviews

Figma Alternatives: 12 Prototyping and Design Tools in 2024
Balsamiq is a design tool that has been available since 2008. It’s easy to use and even boasts active customer service if you need help. The software is beginner-friendly, so there is no learning curve if you’re a newbie.

Charmstone Reviews

We have no reviews of Charmstone yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Balsamiq should be more popular than Charmstone. It has been mentiond 30 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Balsamiq mentions (30)

  • Tell HN: My Favorite Tools
    A few apps that are a joy to use: https://ia.net/writer for writing. https://usecontrast.com/ for checking contrast. https://sipapp.io/ for picking colors. https://nova.app/ for editing code. https://cleanshot.com/ for screenshots. https://getpixelsnap.com/ for measuring elements on screen. https://netnewswire.com/ for reading things via RSS. https://panic.com/transmit/ for file transfers. https://usefathom.com/... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Ask HN: Best UI design courses for hackers?
    I think the best practical approach for designing UIs is to download (and buy) Balsamic[0] and use that to design UIs. Cut through the nonsense of colours and pixels in the first instance and just lay things out logically and simply. [0] https://balsamiq.com. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Build Products that don’t SUCK
    Create a low-fidelity mockup or wireframe of your MVP using tools like Balsamiq, Sketch, or Figma. Or use an easier-to-use tool like Uizard, which also has text-to-design capabilities. Source: 11 months ago
  • Starting Design Work in a Spreadsheet
    Just for drawing mock app screens, I have found Balsamiq[0] to be pretty good (you can do a bunch of stuff with the trial version itself). Not affiliated with them in any way. [0]: https://balsamiq.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Is there software for building out copywriting for a website?
    Balsamiq has been pretty good for me so far. It's super bare-bones so it's better for copy mockups than actual UX design. It's also a lot easier than Figma. Note that you don't have to use the default comic sans, but I do because it's funny. Source: over 1 year ago
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Charmstone mentions (10)

  • App LIST!!!
    Charmstone (Paid) The quicker switcher launcher for macOS, same as Rcmd. Just another choice I guess. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Help Identifying a Floating App Launcher
    Not exactly what you are describing: Charmstone. Source: over 1 year ago
  • You're using function keys wrong
    Charmstone [1] is a different take from everything mentioned here (I'm the developer). The idea is to use your spatial memory to switch/launch apps faster than anything else that I've found, with a smaller learning curve and less memorization. You can use keyboard shortcuts with the arrow keys, modifier keys + cursor movement, or a trackpad gesture. [1] https://charmstone.app. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Any dev Interested in this app? Quick Panel
    Https://charmstone.app is somewhat like this OP. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Orbital – Easily manage your Mac apps with an orbiting dock
    I had a few people point out how this is similar to https://charmstone.app,. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Balsamiq and Charmstone, you can also consider the following products

Invision - Prototyping and collaboration for design teams

rcmd - rcmd makes app switching instantaneous!When you have a lot of apps open, finding and switching to them might feel too slow using Command-Tab or the Dock.Hold down the right side |⌘ command| and press the first letter of the app name to focus it.

Moqups - The most stunning HTML5 app for creating resolution-independent SVG mockups, wireframes & interactive prototypes for your next project

SwitchGlass - Customizable app switcher for Mac

Zeplin - Collaboration app for UI designers & frontend developers

Lacona - Fast, simple, powerful keyboard-driven commands for Mac