15 Great Tools & Resources for Designers & Agencies in 2024
It’s 2024 and the number of web design resources and tools on the market seems overwhelming. That’s good news since you need the right tools and resources to come up with competitive designs.
The bad news is, rather than sifting through thousands of products to get the ones that best meet your needs you might decide to retire.
That’s an exaggeration, but you probably would prefer the following approach.
We’ve tested a ton of free and premium web design tools & resources and narrowed it all down to 15 essential ones in the following categories:
- WordPress themes for building larger, more complex websites and online stores.
- website builders to help you build landing pages and multiple page websites quickly and easily.
- WordPress plugins for extending the functionality or improving the appearance of a website.
- Vector illustrations for adding a little zip or humor to your products.
- -font identifiers for identifying “must have” fonts to use in your website projects.
The 15 best:
What do these 15 in common?
- They look top quality. There is something about each one of them that makes it stand out. That “something” most likely has to do with how easy and enjoyable it is to work with.
- They are intuitive. Whether you are installing, using, downloading, or cancelling, everything you need is right where it should be.
- They add real value. They help you deliver web products faster or make them more attractive, and help you get better paid work.
15 great Tools & Resources for Designers and Agencies
Key information included to assist you in deciding what would serve you best addresses top and best features, product rating on non-biased platforms such as Trustpilot, Capterra, or WordPress.org, and client testimonials.
Let’s get started!
1. Brizy Builder™
Brizy is the #1 website builder for Agencies and Designers searching for a White Label solution to grow their business.
Brizy’s top feature is, as you might expect, its White Label option that enables a user’s clients to build websites with the user’s builder and one that features the user’s branding elements. Since the platform is fully customizable, the White Label owner can offer a totally unique service to its clients.
New users have quickly discovered that there is even more to like about Brizy. Including:
- the ability to edit any content in place.
- Intuitiveness, i.e., every tool or option is always right where the action is.
- content is not created on a disjointed sidebar, as is the case with a majority of the competing builders.
Brizy Builder also offers its users an admirable selection of demo/template/prebuilt websites. The CRYPTOTHINGS pre-built website is attractive, though simplistic, and lends itself to a wide variety of website uses.
The Marketing Integrations, Reseller Client Management and Billing features will benefit agencies and resellers alike.
User Grade: 4.6/5 on Trustpilot
User Experience: “Being a designer, I appreciate the user interface. It is intuitive and a joy to use. It is an experience that makes me want to keep using and designing. The templates are inspiring and everything they do seems to have design at the forefront of their builds, which makes using it very enjoyable.”
Instant Support: Documentation, Useful Blog Posts, Brizy Academy and YouTube videos
2. Trafft – Booking Software
The #1 Free Scheduling Online Software Solution for Business Owners.
Flexibility is always a key factor when selecting a theme or plugin. The top feature of this software solution is its powerful Multilingual Notifications System that enables its users to operate in the language of their choice. In doing so it:
- effectively manages appointments and events using email, SMS, and/or WhatsApp messages.
- keeps users up to date on the status of appointments or events.
- enables businesses to tailor alerts for specific services.
The library of prebuilt websites also plays a significant role. The Premantura Health Clinic prebuilt website example is ideal for businesses that provide a range of different services.
Key features users become aware of Trafft’s stress-free backend and frontend interface navigation and the capabilities the customization options bring to the table.
Web developers and digital design agencies will be more than pleased to discover that Trafft offers a White Label option.
User Grade: 5 stars on Capterra
User Experience: Their whole set up is great. There’s a well-organized dashboard that is easy to navigate. The email set up is great with pre-written emails that are customizable, and you can add in your own custom emails. Setting up the services was also easy, and they show up clearly and well organized on the booking app itself. It is very easy on the client end to sign up for appointments.
Support: Trafft’s ticketing system. Support manual, YouTube videos, social media, and email.
3. wpDataTables -The Best Tables & Charts WordPress Table Plugin
wpDataTables is the best WordPress plugin for businesses and individuals tasked with managing complex data to create tables and charts.
Multiple Database Connections, this WordPress table plugin’s top feature, is a data management breakthrough. It converts every table into a data hub that is capable of pulling information from various sources.
Other key features (there are many) allow users to create custom, responsive, and easily maintainable tables and charts, while simplifying data management tasks in the process. Templates can also play a useful role in creating a table. The Catalog of Drivers template would be very useful for a retailer selling specialized products.
What do new users first take note of? wpDataTables provides:
- unrivaled data management functionality
- an abundance of practical features wrapped in an intuitive package.
- the ability to adeptly manage complex data structures.
wpDataTables effectively addresses a wide range of client categories.
- Chart engines for displaying data trends and comparisons for marketing, financial, and environmental uses.
- Separate database connections – for working with specialized database systems.
User Grade: 4.5/5 on WordPress.org
User Experience: “Using
wpDataTables for a number of uses on our technical site has saved a huge amount
of work. From listing available documents for download, firmware updates,
technical specifications, and training date availability.
The tool is easy to use but if you need
support, they are fast, very easy to work with and extremely knowledgeable.”
Instant Support: Support manual, YouTube videos, and the Facebook community
4. Amelia – WordPress Booking Plugin for Appointments and Events
Amelia is the best WordPress plugin for Agencies and Businesses in need of a streamlined booking solution.
The automated notifications system is Amelia’s top feature. Its users like the way the notification system categorizes, and positions appointments as pending, approved, cancelled, rejected, or rescheduled.
Amelia offers a number of templates that can be customized to help businesses grow. The Business Consultancy template is an ideal layout when the objective is to describe what a business has to offer in addition to booking appointments.
Those new to Amelia could tell you about:
- Amelia’s ease of navigation and its overall user-friendly design
- the innovative backend and frontend interfaces
- the value its transparent pricing policy offers.
The Amelia plugin offers an ideal booking solution for service-oriented businesses, including those specializing in ticket sales and/or events.
User Grade: 4.8 on Capterra
User Experience: “ Amelia is one of my favorite plugins because: 1. Easy to install and use. 2. Reliable and professional quality. 3. Full of great features – better than any others I have used. 4. Great layout, versatile and works seamlessly with clients 5. It is always updated and improved. 6. Support help and communication is fast, friendly, and excellent. 7. Not just a flash in the pan. It has been around for a long time.”
Instant Support: YouTube videos, Discord Group, and Support Manual
5. Uncode – Creative & WooCommerce WordPress Theme
Uncode is the best multiuse WordPress and WooCommerce theme for professional designers and agencies looking for a go-to solution for any project.
This creative WooCommerce theme’s selection of website building tools certainly justifies its popularity. Users almost unanimously point to Uncode’s demo library as its top feature. These demos exhibit exceptional attention to detail in addition to serving as sources of inspiration.
It would be virtually impossible to pinpoint any demo as being the best one of all of them, and you shouldn’t even try. Uncode’s Shop Boutique demo is attractive, lends itself to a wide variety of uses, and is one of the 5 most downloaded demos. What could you do with it?
It doesn’t take long for Uncode users to become aware of the level of customization, the value of the demos and wireframes, and the first-class customer support.
Uncode’s principal users are:
- Shop creators who appreciate and make effective use of Uncode’s advanced WooCommerce features.
- Agencies and Freelancers because of the advanced customization options that cover the needs of every customer or client.
User Grade: 4.89/5
User Experience: “This is the perfect purchase in my 10 years of experience as a web designer. Already have 3 licenses and will buy more. I am using Uncode as the basis for all of my creations for clients. It is impressive coding, a fantastic look, and a reactive support team!”
Instant Support: Support manual, YouTube videos, Facebook groups
6. LayerSlider – Best WordPress Slider Builder Plugin
LayerSlider, the premier choice for WordPress sliders, enables web designers to create stunning websites with ease.
One of LayerSlider’s top features is the scroll effect that has emerged in the newer templates commonly used in full-size hero scenes and whole web pages. FLOWERIN landing page demonstrates just how easy it can be to use a LayerSlider template as a basis for capturing and engaging website visitors.
LayerSlider’s uses range from creating simple sliders or slideshows to rich animated content to jazz up a website.
LayerSlider has more than a few features that only its users will discover, such as:
- the Project Editor that opens the door to learning the pleasures of website development and allows access to a complete suite of visual content creation online services.
- having the exact tools at your fingertips necessary to design and create a slider, landing page, or website.
LayerSlider also excels in creating content for marketing purposes. Marketers are impressed with the mind-blowing effects that can be incorporated into their popups and banners.
User Experience: “A fantastic slider plugin with regular updates to make sure compatibility is never a problem. Keep up the amazing work!”
Support: Support manual, Integrated help in the Project Editor, ticket system, email.
7. Mobirise AI Website Builder
The best online AI tool for generating and downloading full page websites through the use of prompt commands.
The Mobirise AI website builder is an online builder that leverages AI to automate website creation. It is capable of generating aesthetically pleasing websites based on user prompts. Its top feature enables users to generate a website using a single prompt.
- Describe in detail what your site will be about, what it offers, its benefits, and its specialties. You can write your descriptions and preferences in any language.
- The Mobirise AI website builder uses that data and intelligent algorithms to auto-generate customized, beautiful websites layouts.
- Once the AI has generated a basic layout you can use prompts to choose your style, color scheme, topography, etc. You can also edit pre-generated content to suit your needs.
- Don’t worry about optimization for Google or mobile devices. Mobirise AI does all of that for you.
Mobirise AI is ideal for non-techies and those looking for a simplistic, efficient design tool. It’s important to note that Mobirise AI does not own your website, it merely helps you create it.
What users notice once they start using Mobirise AI:
- They can type their prompts in any language.
- They can download their generated website pages in a Zip file.
Mobirise AI is best at creating landing pages, simple websites, and one-page websites.
Types of Instant Support Materials: Support manual, YouTube Videos, and the User Forum
8. WhatFontIs
The fastest, most powerful, and accurate free font identifier.
WhatFontis’ top feature is its remarkably accuracy. Its users have a 90%+ chance of finding whatever free or licensed font they want identified. No other system can claim that accuracy, and most of them charge a fee for whatever service they provide.
The reason so many prefer WhatFontis is twofold. (1) WhatFontis has a database of more than 990K free and commercially licensed fonts, nearly 5 times as many fonts as that attributed to the nearest competitor. (2) The efficiency of its AI-powered search engine results does not keep customers waiting.
WhatFontis doesn’t only identify fonts. It provides customers with up to 60 close relatives and it lets customers know where they can download a free font or who they can contact to purchase a licensed one.
The ability of WhatFontis to deliver an accurate result can be compromised if the quality of the submitted image is subpar. That accounts for a protion of the 10% of missed identifications.
The process is straightforward.
- Upload a clean font image.
- The AI-powered search engine will find and identify the font and as many as 60 close neighbors .
- Links are provided that show where a free font can be downloaded or where a commercial font can be purchased.
Note: Cursive font letters must be separated before being submitted.
User Experience: “I use it when i get some artwork to modify
from clients but there is no source. The old designer left and all the client
has is the final product not the vectors or sources. Good product, saves me a
lot of (unbillable) time”
Instant Support: User Forum
9. Slider Revolution – More than just a WordPress Slider
Slider Revolution is the best WordPress plugin for Designers, Web Developers and Small Business Owners looking to create jaw-dropping animated sliders.
Slider Revolution’s top feature is its ability to visually create stunning and unexpected animated effects for WordPress without requiring coding.
The Slider Revolution plugin is not limited to creating sliders either. It enables you to:
- create home pages that nail it in the eyes of visitors.
- create portfolios that are worthy of a second look.
- design eye-catching sections anywhere on your website.
- cater to a special type of visitor, the referral visitor.
- Use mix and match section templates to create stunning one-page website.
Take a stroll through Slider Revolution’s library of 250+ inspirational templates. They have been 100% optimized for different screen configurations and you’ll encounter special effects not found in other websites. Take a quick look at the Artistic Parallax Slider template for good example of what a “jumps right out at you” special effect looks like.
Slider Revolution is a great tool for individual web designers, web shops, and small agencies.
User Grade: 4.6/5 on Trustpilot
User Experience: “This product is simply fantastic! I use it on all the websites I
create, and the result is impressive. Moreover, the support is very responsive
and competent.”
Instant Support: Support manual and YouTube videos
10. Getillustrations – Creative Stock Illustrations Library
The #1 resource for designers who are looking for top quality illustrations with terrific attention to detail.
Getillustrations’ top feature is its product line of 21,500+ vector illustrations. This product line is bolstered on a weekly basis and, once becoming a customer, that person or business will receive free updates for one year.
What kinds of illustrations? They are arranged in 40+ categories, most of which have several hundred illustrations, and a few have more than 1,000. They include pencil and basic ink illustrations, several 3D illustration categories, and fitness, logistics, ecology illustrations, and much more. Most of these illustrations carry a message that would normally take several lines of text, if not more, to convey.
Illustrations can be purchased individually, by the pack, or can be custom made. The Shivy Collection for example, features 497 engaging hand-drawn vector illustrations, each of which projects playfulness and charm.
User Experience: “I came to Getillustrations team with a very specific idea for the illustration style I needed for a brand identity my studio was created for a company. They took my art direction and executed the concepts flawlessly, and beyond my expectations. On top of that, they delivered the illustrations and icons very quickly and made changes according to my feedback with impressive speed. 10 out of 10 recommend using them for your next project!”
Support: Vector stock illustrations in .Ai .Figma .PNG and .SVG, Ramy Wafaa on X- Getillustrations
11. WoodMart – WordPress WooCommerce Theme
WoodMart is the ideal WooCommerce theme for designing niche ecommerce websites.
Just a glance at the WoodMart website and its top feature will pop right out at you. Woodmart’s professionally designed custom layouts for shop, cart, and checkout pages are so realistic you could easily be tempted to forget what you’re doing and start shopping on a demo page.
There is everything to like about WoodMart including the:
- multiplicity of available options.
- ease in customizing layouts, even when they seem perfect to begin with.
- time saved when using the Theme Settings Search capability and the Theme Settings performance optimization features.
- customer-centric features widely used by store owners and marketers such as “Frequently Bought Together,” “Dynamic Discounts,” and the social integrations options.
- WoodMart also has a White Label option.
Picking out the most popular demos can be a challenge since so many of them enjoy plenty of usage. Food Delivery is one of the 5 most downloaded demos.
User Grade: 4.93/5
User Experience: “It’s the second time I’ve bought the theme. I really like its design and operation, and the support the times I ran into something that I couldn’t solve on my own, was fast and accurate. I highly recommend the theme.”
Instant Support: Support Manual and You Tube Videos
12. XStore – Best WooCommerce WordPress Theme
XStore is the best WooCommerce theme for anyone looking to quickly build a high-converting online store.
XStore is perfectly tailored for shop owners looking to establish a strong online presence. Although XStore’s ready-made stores (pre-built websites) have always been immensely popular, the newly introduced Sales Booster features have emerged as the top favorite.
New users quickly come to appreciate the Builders Panel and the intuitive XStore Control Panel since both provide the store-building and customization flexibility needed to create the custom store they have in mind.
They also like the solid start XStore’s ready-made stores make possible. The layout and clever use of hover features in the Elegant Tableware prebuilt website is an excellent example of why it can be easy to get a store up in running in a few hours. Since additional ready-made stores are released on a weekly basis, XStore users will always be able to work from a template featuring the latest commercial and website building trends.
XStore users also have ready access to a favorite of shop owners, the powerful family of Single Product, Checkout, Cart, Archive Products, and 404 Page Builders.
User Grade: 4.87/5
User Experience: “XStore’s WooCommerce prowess is a game-changer. Purpose-built shop demos, quick view options, and lightning-fast performance ensure a top-notch online shopping experience for your customers.”
Instant Support: Support Manual, YouTube videos
13. Blocksy – Premium WooCommerce WordPress theme
Blocksy is the #1 free WordPress theme for building beautiful, lightweight websites in 2024.
This theme’s top feature is a 4-way tie between (1) its user-friendly header and footer builder, (2) its WooCommerce integration features, (3) Gutenberg support, and (4) advanced hooks with display conditions. In truth there isn’t much of anything that Blocky users don’t absolutely love.
In addition to all the above, Blocksy is free!
Users soon discover that Blocksy:
- uses the latest in web technology.
- provides consistent, outstanding performance.
- seamlessly integrates with the most popular plugins.
Blocksy demos are stunning in addition to their effectiveness as website building aids. The Real Estate Starter Site demo, one of the 5 most commonly used, features a clean looking design, a custom post type, and is fully integrated with dynamic data elements.
User Grade: 5/5 on WordPress.org
User Experience: “ I am very happy that I chose Blocksy. I am migrating the shop from a popular builder to run only under Blocksy. This is going in the right direction; the site is becoming extremely light and fast. I look forward to the day when I remove the builder from the site/shop. I got very fast and great support, solving my problems from A to Z. The full version is worth using. I very recommend Blocksy!”
Instant Support: Support manual, YouTube videos, and an easily accessible documentation section
14. Total WordPress Theme
Total is the best WordPress theme for web designers and developers seeking the flexibility required to design from-scratch.
Total’s top feature is the seemingly limitless flexibility which is due in part to an assortment of design tools and options that make Total a veritable web design Swiss Army knife, and its name so appropriate. Its well-deserved reputation for amazing support also sets this WordPress theme apart.
Total’s users could relate a number of things they discovered and like:
- The theme has settings for everything and tons of page building options.
- It is speed optimized.
- It provides dynamic templates for posts and archives.
Total’s pre-built website collection is another user favorite. The Café prebuilt website is of the 5 most widely used, and perhaps one of the most dangerous ones if you are on a diet. Maybe it’s best viewed right after lunch.
While Total is well suited for beginners, developers, and DIYers, large numbers of advanced designers use it as well.
User Grade: 4.86/5
User Experience: “This theme is everything we (designers that hate coding) need. Highly customizable, easy to use, extensive documentation on how to do things, and support is great. I’ve been using it for a few years now and don’t intend to change it. And always recommend it to my clients.”
Instant Support: Support Manual
15 . Essential Grid – WordPress Gallery Plugin
Essential Grid is the best WordPress Gallery Plugin for anyone who wants to create a breathtaking gallery.
It is not surprising that Essential Grid’s top feature is its library of 50+ unique grid skins, in that it’s what this #1 gallery plugin is all about.
There is of course, much more designers and developers like about Essential Grid, especially the fact that few if any of them would take the time and effort to create a gallery from scratch as long as they had an alternative.
Check out the Essential Grid gallery skins and you risk falling in love with a format you haven’t considered, or have not ever seen before. That is of course a good thing. It’s easy to see why YouTube Playlist is one of the most widely downloaded skins in that if offers a completely new take on what a gallery layout might look like.
Users will tell you how much of a time saver Essential Grid is, and how effective it is at helping them organize their content streams.
User Grade: 4.7/5 on Trustpilot
User Experience: “Amazing support! I highly recommend this plugin which offers a lot of customization features. The support is very reactive and always finds solutions.”
Instant Support: Support manual and YouTube videos
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Have you come across one or more web design resources or tools you think you could put to effective use? That is why we did the vetting process to make it easier for you. Make sure to preview any that interest you and try them out if possible. The free ones are of course for the taking. In any event, you can expect the product to perform as advertised.
It may be helpful to note that these 15 best web design tools & resources have several things in common. Characteristics that are absolutely necessary if they are to be considered as “best-in-class”. Those characteristics are as follows.
- Plugins, themes, and resources are easy to install/set up and are very user friendly.
- They are capable of giving websites superiority in terms of design, functionality, and visitor appeal, or all three.
- The support is friendly, fast, and highly competent.
- They allow you to test the product for free or give you enough information to ensure that won’t end up feeling like the product you purchased is markedly different from the one you saw advertised.
Check out those you could put to effective use. Test them first if possible so you can either add them to your toolkit or write them off.
There are many new web design tools & resources coming into the marketplace every day. Some of them might offer greater opportunities. What that means to you is that your search for better, faster web design resources or tools will never end.
