7 BEST Front End Development Tools

Front-end development tools are specialized software applications that assist developers in crafting visually appealing website interfaces and applications with ease. These tools speed up the development cycle by offering straightforward drag-and-drop capabilities and diverse integrated features for superior web design.

Selecting the right front-end development software is key, as it should offer extensive functionalities to fulfill your project needs.

After dedicating a week to examining various front-end development tools, we have put together a list of the 7 best tools in the industry. Our curated list includes both freely available open-source tools and proprietary commercial software.

Best Front-End Development Tools & Software

1) Envato HTML Templates

2) Dreamweaver

3) Creative Tim

4) Elfsight

5) Npm

6) TypeScript

7) WebStorm

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1) Envato HTML Templates

Envato features a vast suite of over 1000 pre-built HTML5 templates that are designed to minimize coding effort. These templates are not only customizable but also SEO-optimized to improve online visibility. They feature optimized CSS and JS to enhance your page speed scores. The platform supports drag-and-drop functionality, offers code packages, and includes an API. Supporting various programming languages, including WordPress,.NET, PHP, and JavaScript. Since its inception in 2006, Envato has also provided browser extensions for Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, along with add-ons for platforms like Prestashop, Magento, OpenCart, and Joomla.

Features:

• Smart Templates: Envato delivers responsive SASS templates featuring multi-file upload capability, offering unlimited color schemes and both light and dark modes. These templates utilize frameworks such as Bootstrap, Vuejs, Laravel, and Angular, catering to a broad range of development needs.
• Code Resources: With Envato, you have access to an expansive library of scripts, codes, and plugins. This includes everything from eCommerce to mobile app templates, available across various price points. Additionally, the platform features a comprehensive chart library and supports chat, email apps, and widgets.
• Graphics Suite: Envato provides an impressive collection of over 819,745 items, including fonts, presentations, and logos, all starting at just $2. You can customize and print these resources, and you will receive curated suggestions weekly.
• Integration Capabilities: The templates from Envato are designed for seamless integration with major platforms like WordPress, JavaScript, Shopify, Bootstrap, and Prestashop, enhancing their utility and flexibility.
• Additional Resources: Envato extends its offerings to include taglines, stock videos, and photos, along with royalty-free music and various web templates, providing extensive resources for creative projects.
• Platform Compatibility: Supports essential operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, ensuring broad accessibility.

Pros:

• Offers free lifetime updates, ensuring your resources stay current without additional cost.
• Provides comprehensive documentation and responsive Support through forums, facilitating easy resolution of issues.

Cons:

• The extensive array of options might be daunting for some users, especially beginners.

Pricing:

• Standard Plan: Starting at $29 per month, providing full access to all features.
• Trial Offer: Includes a 14-day free trial, allowing users to explore the full suite of features before committing to a purchase.

2) Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver excels in the web development arena. This application facilitates the creation, deployment, and management of websites effortlessly. With Dreamweaver, users can seamlessly upload their sites to any server. It supports essential web languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and integrates smoothly with Fireworks and Flash. Features of Dreamweaver include real-time collaboration tools, live site previews, and an efficient drag-and-drop interface. Additionally, Dreamweaver is equipped with multilingual Support and syntax highlighting features and adheres to GDPR regulations.

Features:

• Smart Coding Environment: Dreamweaver features an intelligent coding engine that provides quick hints and visual aids, which help in learning and editing CSS and HTML more efficiently while minimizing errors. This functionality allows for customization of the workspace to suit individual preferences.
• Efficient Site Setup: It includes versatile templates that are ideal for creating e-commerce sites, HTML emails, about pages, and more. The integration with Creative Cloud Libraries and the availability of numerous plugins, including a code view, enhance asset selection and site construction.
• Ready-Made Templates: Dreamweaver provides a variety of pre-designed templates suitable for blogs, e-commerce sites, newsletters, and portfolios, facilitating quick and professional web design.
• Enhanced Editing Features: Offers advanced features for flexible coding and seamless live-view editing, along with multi-monitor support and keyboard shortcuts, which significantly streamline the design process.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Android, and iOS, ensuring versatility across different devices.

Pros:

• A built-in HTML validator ensures your code is up to standard.
• Responsive design capabilities allow websites to adapt seamlessly to any screen size.

Cons:

• It may occasionally produce unnecessarily complex or bloated code.

Pricing:

• Subscription Cost: Pricing begins at $22.99 per month, offering full access to Dreamweaver's extensive web development capabilities.
• Trial Offer: A 7-day free trial is available, allowing users to explore the features without initial investment.

3) Creative Tim

Creative Tim has been at the forefront of providing Bootstrap-based design resources to speed up the development of web and mobile apps. This platform integrates effortlessly with various services like Zapier, Mailchimp, SoundCloud, Slack, and Typeform. Since its inception in 2013, Creative Tim has supported a variety of programming languages, including Angular, React, VueJS, and Asp.NET.

Features:

• Front-End Technology: Creative Tim harnesses cutting-edge frameworks such as Bootstrap, Angular, and React alongside mobile technologies, including React Native and Flutter. Svelte and Vue.js are also supported, providing a robust foundation for developing responsive interfaces.
• Admin Dashboard Utilization: The platform offers an array of admin templates designed to streamline operations and save time. Notable offerings include Material Dashboard Pro Angular and Material Dashboard Pro BS3, each available at distinct price points.
• Design System Integration: Creative Tim's design systems feature a variety of styles, including So, Material, Argon, Black, Light, Now UI, and Paper. These systems come equipped with pre-designed sections and elements, facilitating quick and elegant design execution.
• Backend and Landing Page Frameworks: Backend solutions and landing pages utilize powerful frameworks like Laravel, Django, and Next.js, with additional Support from Flask, Nuxt, and Node.js, ensuring versatile backend development options.
• Additional Capabilities: The platform includes integrated payment solutions, an array of prebuilt components, comprehensive UI kits, and complimentary templates. Enhanced features such as drag-and-drop functionality, packaged code, and API support further enrich the development experience.
• Platform Compatibility: Creative Tim's solutions are compatible across multiple operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring versatile application deployment.

Pros:

• The interface is intuitively designed, making it straightforward and user-friendly.
• Creative Tim’s templates boast exquisite designs, enabling the creation of visually stunning layouts with ease.

Cons:

• Certain portions of the codebase may require updates to maintain optimal performance.

Pricing:

• Subscription Cost: Subscription plans commence at $129 per month, offering comprehensive access to Creative Tim’s suite of tools. Trial Offer: A 14-day free trial is available, allowing users to explore the full capabilities of the platform without initial investment.

4) Elfsight

Introduced in 2017, Elfsight transforms website management by providing a user-friendly platform that requires no coding knowledge. Users can quickly customize their site with just a few clicks, integrating forms for contact details, feedback, surveys, and quizzes. Social media integration with Twitter and Instagram, alongside customer testimonials sourced from Facebook, Instagram, and Google, is seamlessly incorporated within the platform, fostering brand trust and social engagement.

Features:

• Diverse Widgets: Elfsight provides a comprehensive selection of over 83 widgets encompassing categories like social media, review systems, chat interfaces, and forms. Highlights include a YouTube gallery, a countdown timer, and various pop-ups.
• Broad Platform Compatibility: Elfsight is compatible with over 109 platforms, and it works flawlessly with major website builders like Squarespace, Webflow, Wix, Shopify, and Elementor, enhancing its versatility.
• Rich Integrations: The tool integrates effortlessly with numerous services, including Instagram, Yelp, Airbnb, Twitter, Vimeo, Zapier, and Stripe, ensuring a wide range of functionality.
• Additional Features: Users benefit from intuitive drag-and-drop capabilities, five distinct review elements, adaptable widget sizing options, and a choice between two color schemes.
• System Support: Elfsight is supported on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Pros

• Widgets are editable in real time, with immediate updates visible on the site.
• Customer support is notably proactive and efficient.

Cons

• Elfsight primarily focuses on widget creation and lacks the broader functionality of a full-fledged website builder.

Pricing:

• Free Plan: Elfsight offers a lifetime free basic plan, allowing users to explore its features without financial commitment.
• Starting Plans: Paid subscriptions begin at $5 per month, providing more advanced features and greater customization.
• Trial Offer: There is a 14-day free trial available, giving potential users ample time to assess the platform's capabilities.

Link: https://elfsight.com

5) Npm

npm, established in 2014, streamlines JavaScript and Node.js programming by serving as a package manager that allows developers to explore and assemble reusable code components effectively. This command-line utility connects developers to a repository filled with useful packages. The availability of browser extension development tools within npm empowers developers to target a wider audience across Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera.

Features:

• Package-based Permissions: I could add collaborators easily to both public and private packages, enhancing team collaboration. This functionality allows for publishing and precise control over access to namespaces.
• Unified Workflow: Managing both public and private code under the same development workflow facilitated seamless code discovery and reuse within our teams.
• Pro Integration: With the Pro plan, integrating both private and public packages into our frontend development cycle was streamlined, including a smooth integration with Sentry.
• Advanced Tooling: Running packages directly using NPX without downloads, sharing code with any npm user globally, and setting code restrictions for specific developers are incredibly flexible. The drag-and-drop feature and comprehensive API further enrich the experience.
• Cross-Platform Support: npm is compatible across Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, which allowed me to work fluidly across different environments.

Pros:

• Access to over 470,000 free code packages in the registry.
• Unlimited public packages are available across all subscription plans.

Cons:

• Vulnerability to potentially malicious packages, which requires careful management.

Pricing:

• Plan Options: npm offers a lifetime free basic plan, with paid plans starting at $7 per month, providing flexibility for various developer needs.

Link: https://www.npmjs.com/

6) TypeScript

As a prominent tool for front-end development, TypeScript offers a refined superset of JavaScript that includes static typing, an attribute that greatly benefits the construction of large-scale applications. TypeScript compiles into JavaScript and includes extensions for SQL, GraphQL, ESLint, and Styled components. Available since 2012, TypeScript integrates seamlessly with popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, and it can be used with development tools including Slack, Babel, Browserify, Grunt, Gulp, and Vite.

Features:

• Definition Files: TypeScript supports definition files that include type information from existing JavaScript libraries, akin to C/C++ header files. This allows for seamless integration of library types.
• Cross-Platform Flexibility: TypeScript is highly portable, functioning across different browsers, devices, and operating systems. It operates in any environment that supports JavaScript.
• Safety at Scale: As a development tool that fully comprehends JavaScript, TypeScript utilizes type references to enhance tooling capabilities without the need for additional code.
• Advanced Features: Trustworthy results are a hallmark of TypeScript, which also supports advanced types, decorators, declaration merging, and comprehensive drag-and-drop capabilities. It includes robust code packages and API integration.
• Platform Compatibility: specifically supports Windows operating systems.

Pros:

• Enhances integration with various code editors for a smoother development experience.
• Actively notifies developers about potential unsupported code, preventing errors early in the development process.

Cons:

• Some users might find the typing system overly complex, presenting a steeper learning curve.

Pricing:

• Cost: Subscription plans begin at $36.44 per month.
• Trial Offer: Includes a 10-day free trial period, allowing users to evaluate the tool's capabilities before committing financially.

Link: https://www.typescriptlang.org/index.html#download-links

7) WebStorm

WebStorm enhances the JavaScript development experience with its intelligent code assistance features. It supports a variety of frameworks, including Angular, React.js, Vue.js, and Meteor, making it ideal for developers tackling complex projects. Additionally, it boasts integrations with several productivity tools like Slack, Confluence, and Zendesk, as well as version control systems. Since its inception in 2000, WebStorm has expanded its functionality with add-ons like PyCharm and GraphQL, and it is compatible with major browsers through its extensions.

Features:

• Collaboration and Customization: WebStorm offers a streamlined interface that integrates with multiple version control systems, enhancing collaboration. It's highly customizable, allowing it to adapt seamlessly to any coder's style.
• Smart Editor: The editor in WebStorm is designed to accelerate coding. It provides context-sensitive suggestions, catches errors, and even includes grammar and spelling checks to ensure code quality.
• Programming Languages Supported: WebStorm supports a broad array of programming languages, including JavaScript,.NET, Java & JVM, and C++.
• Advanced JavaScript Tools: WebStorm specializes in JavaScript, and it includes the Spy-js tool for tracing JavaScript code. Features like safe refactorings, drag-and-drop functionality, packaged code, and API support are also integral.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: The IDE operates smoothly on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, providing a consistent experience across platforms.

Pros:

• Integrated debugging tools are available for both client-side and Node.js applications, facilitating thorough code analysis and troubleshooting.
• The IDE significantly enhances productivity, especially for managing large-scale projects.

Cons:

• WebStorm can be resource-intensive, potentially consuming a significant portion of the system's processing power.

Pricing:

• Cost: Subscription plans begin at $15.90 per month, with a 10% discount available for annual payments.
• Trial Offer: A 30-day free trial is provided, allowing users to evaluate the full range of features.

Link: https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/download/#section=windows

Which factors to consider while choosing a front-end tool?

Here are some key aspects to evaluate when selecting front-end development software:

• Cost Efficiency: Assessing the affordability and value of the software.
• Design Flexibility: Analyzing the variety of themes and customization options available.
• Reliability and Performance: Considering the software’s stability and overall performance.
• Range of Tools: Exploring the functionalities and tools provided by the software.
• User-friendliness: evaluating how intuitive and easy the software is to use.
• Adaptability: looking at the customization possibilities within the software.
• Multilingual Support: Checking for support in multiple programming languages.
• Debugging Features: Ensuring there is built-in Support for debugging.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Verifying compatibility with various browsers, devices, and operating systems.

Verdict

Having utilized these tools extensively, I appreciate their ability to simplify complex tasks, making development more efficient and enjoyable. They truly elevate the standard of web design.