List of Possible Alternatives for Muse

[rayek.elfin]

Starting this thread for ex-Muse users here.

Pinegrow 4 - https://pinegrow.com/  visual desktop web editor that lets you build responsive websites faster with live multi-page editing, CSS & SASS styling and smart components for Bootstrap, Foundation and WordPress. Basic knowledge of html and css is preferable, but pages can be quickly built and styled with full visual controls, and the user doesn't have to touch a line of code.

Wordpress with page builder plugins:

https://elementor.com/

WordPress Page Builder Plugin | Beaver Builder

https://siteorigin.com/page-builder/

Web Design Software by Xara: Xara Web Designer - easy template based solution that gives you total page design freedom, no HTML skills required.

Please post in this thread for other alternatives.

[kristof1111 · Accepted solution]

Hi.

Do you have any experience with importing Muse projects into Pinegrow?

Thanks

[Cy233]

Hi Kristof. I hate to sound negative, but that would be very difficult even for people who are familiar with code and Pinegrow.

Firstly, while both Pinegrow and Dreamweaver have to drag 'n drop features to make building standard parts of the layout quicker, the user still needs to know how to code if he/she's to fix problems and to bring it all together. Putting bloated, confusing Muse code into Pinegrow (or Dreamweaver) would be a nightmare.

Muse doesn't use the box-model for layout which is why you could almost draw with it and why it was so unique. Pinegrow and Dreamweaver do use the box model -- as do all the cookie cutter/template/web apps out there. Muse's unique 'free-form' model is what caused so many problems for the Muse developers and why the code is so bad. It would be easier to start again from scratch.

[Nancy OShea]

MU projects that are exported to native HTML, CSS & JavaScript files can be opened in any code editor.  But as you say, the code is horrendous to work with.   I'm guessing most active MU projects will need a re-build anyway with responsive Flexbox and/or CSS Grids.

I have taken static Muse prototypes and re-built them responsively with Bootstrap framework in Dreamweaver.   It actually takes me less time to start over than it would to fight with Muse's crappy code. 

[KayTea6]

I agree Nancy, I exported HTML of the site from Muse, tried to open in Pinegrow. It crashed. Then I got the site online and saved one page as HTML and managed to open in Pinegrow, but it really is non-editable. So I will rebuild in Pinegrow.

[adamzer]

I am afraid that no "alternative could replace Adobe Muse!

I like its cleanness, internationalization and the feature of easy uploading on servers.

It is really a pity that Muse is stopped! I have already started to learn it and love it!

Hopefully that Adobe reconsiders its decision and continue to develop Muse.

At worse, please make it as an open source software by giving it to open developers to maintain it as a free open source tool. This will let Adobe users' communities have a good impression of Adobe. Money is not everything in the life; making some free useful and open source tools, such as Muse, is a good option too for the reputation and good of the company.

[frasers99486532]

I'm still programing in Muse and really have found no other program to match it. Such a shame. Did you find anything to work with?

[Christo14]

If you are on Mac Os, try www.sparkleapp.com

Currently at Vs 2.8. Vs3 due when MacOs Big Sur is released.

V3 is going to have some nice surprises.

You can purchase:

• Single User (one website)
• Pro (unlimited sites)
• Subscription (unlimited sites, free upgrades)

Sign up to their newsletter and you'll get a discount code. 

Chris

www.sparkle-themes.com

[Lonnie_Kunkel]

Sparkle Visual Web Design is the closest thing I found to Muse's drag and drop ease. You can import pages from sites off the web (not without some problems), but it strips any Muse code from the pages. You can then export as HTML. It's worth checking out the free trial if you own a Mac.

[kimberm83470774]

Am I correct by thinking that Adobe is trying to merge Spark and Muse into a single interface? Or are they just adding additional features to Spark which will build websites but still not be as good as Muse?

[estherau]

spark and sparkle are two different softwares made by two separate companies.

Adobe spark currently only does one page websites but they are working on it apparently.

Sparkle is a mac app that i hear is quite a good replacement for muse.

[rayek.elfin]

For those interested, the latest Pinegrow update features a visual CSS Grid editor.

https://medium.com/@mattront/introducing-the-visual-css-grid-editor-in-pinegrow-web-editor-9412fd786...

[pziecina]

If someone uses css grids as shown in the article, then they may as well not bother.

The only thing I agree with is that css grid layouts is better than bootstrap, but then again creating your own css flexbox layouts is better than bootstrap.

Sorry, but I would not recommend pingrow for css grid layouts.

[Alama.be]

Bonjour à tous,
C'est bien tout ça, mais que devient javascript dans tout ça? et les connections DB?

[Alama.be]

Hello everyone, that's all that, but what becomes javascript in all this? and db connections?

[DS WildOutWest]

WebFlow - looks to be the best of Breed..

1. TUTORIALS in ONE PLACE, in SEQUENCE let you get up to speed quickly : unlike Adobe, which has training manuals that seem to be stuck in the software documentation paradigm of the 80's and 90's, You can get started right away... https://university.webflow.com/lesson/intro-to-designer-101    Plus there is contextual help - using a tool and need to be reminded - the click is from that tool to get help... not a separate search.

2. There are many features that are far more advanced than Muse, and the code is editable.. you can get under the hood of the CSS and make code changes. This is a step in the right direction.

3. Better code, more streamlined - Google takes load time seriously in its SERP ranking algorithms

4. RESPONSIVE? The downside may be the loss of complete free-flow design. We are all going to have to accept that to make responsive design work, there are compromises... personally I prefer having dedicated Mobile content and wish there was a CMS driven system that would support dedicated mobile / progressive sites - Responsive is by no means the standard, far from it - but Webflow will make responsive development much easier than the broken process that was required with Muse.

5. WHAT'S WRONG  with Webflow seems to be that it's missing the ability to directly upload and maintain a site via FTP. You only get to use the very capable CMS and web based site editor when Webflow is hosting- major downside. to anyone who is hosting sites and wants to maintain control.  You can still host your own site, but you have to export the code, and manage FTP and versioning yourself - without CMS or web editor.  Yerch.

So in general, much better tools, with some hosting compromises - but at least there is a future... The alternative seems to be to migrate to WordPress... which has a host of other compromises.

[studios47207474]

Hi, I would add another option that hasn't been mentioned so far called STUDIO.

https://studio.design/

(Ps. I'm part of the team, but definitely think it's highly relevant)

1. Can start with a blank canvas, or/and use wireframes, full templates and template components as you wish.

The main thing is that you have full freedom to customize anything

2. Unlike Muse it's not free-form, it uses a box layout, but this also means that you can make your website responsive extremely easily

3. Unlike the above mentioned Webflow, you do not need to have background knowledge of HTML/CSS, the learning curve is not steep: its UI very clean, intuitive and easy to use even for non professional designers yet you can create pretty much anything you wish.

4. The customer support is top notch with live chat 24/7

[Nancy OShea]

@studios47207474 

I have a few questions.

• Can Studio generated sites be hosted on our own servers or must we use your hosting?
• Does Studio allow access to HTML, CSS and JS code?
• Does Studio support Google site ownership verification via a file upload or  meta tag insertion? I ask because Adobe Portfolio currently supports neither file upload or meta tag insertions which is very inconvenient.
• Can we  build dynamic sites with Studio -- aka blogs, e-commerce, contact forms, etc...?

[studios47207474]

Hi Nancy,

・No, at this point we don't offer export code function but we are considering it as we have received many requests about it. For this reason you can either use STUDIO for design & prototype (for free) or publish using our hosting for now.

・Yes, you can add tags and meta tags and can do Google site ownership verification.

・We are releasing contact forms this week, but we are still working on CMS which is going to be released in early 2019. We have only launched this year in April by the way, that's why for now STUDIO can be used mainly for static sites but our goal is to quickly build a 100% complete responsive web design platform.  

[Günter Heißenbüttel]

And what do you think are the main advantages compared to „WithoutCode“? Seems to be the same underlying framework.

[studios47207474]

Hi Gunter,

It may sound similar on paper but with this type of tools what's important the way you actually use them.

I tried using Without Code and although at the moment they offer more functions, in my opinion STUDIO is much easier to use and overall you have more freedom to design how you want.

Preview:

STUDIO Guide on Vimeo

The best way to compare them is to try both and judge by yourself as signing up is free I guess!

[Günter Heißenbüttel]

That wasn‘t really my question. I think, you have licensed the same underlying code base as W/C has.

And regarding the actual possibilities, WithoutCode is way(!) more advanced.

What you have in common with W/C: There is actually no way to export code for use with one‘s own (or one‘s customers) preferred hosting servers.

And that is a definite killer. Or do you believe, that Muse users with the experiences they have made in these days, will trust promises again?

[studios47207474]

I'm not sure what you mean with "licensed the same underlying codebase" but I can assure you that we created STUDIO from scratch.

I'm not saying that STUDIO is for everyone nor that is perfect, but we are working hard to build a comprehensive platform. At the moment, it is good for static landing pages and if you are ok with hosting with us. If you like designing with studio, just keep an eye out for big updates coming in the next year.

Best of luck

[Günter Heißenbüttel]

Sorry, but actually you can‘t really mean, that „Studio“ is an adequate replacement for Muse, don‘t you?

• „Webflow“ — yes, it is a valide and very powerful alternative, if you are aware of the fact, that it requires a completely different „mind set“.
• “Without Code“ — yes, if you can live with reduced flexibility compared to Muse.
• “Wappler“ — yes. It is the „king“ of box-model-driven web builders, and it isn‘t web based, but a Windows, Mac, Unix application. It is more “code related“, but doubtlessly one of the most powerful web creation tool on the market.

But „Studio“? In actual state of development, I wouldn‘t be able to re-design even one of my simplest web sites with this tool. It is simply too restricted. And I don‘t have the intention to change my hosting provider. Nor do I want my clients to do so. And, by the way, I don’t want to change my favourite browser. „Studio“ forces me to use Chrome …

Other members of this forum might have a different opinion, but that is, what I think.

[federico_florence]

I am very sorry for the decision of Adobe to put an end to the development of Muse, both for the validity of the product and for the projects that have been developed and the lost time does not seem very professional to be such a good thing.

I am still looking for a good alternative with similar characteristics and for the moment Sparkle at first sight, I am seen as an acceptable alternative.

https://sparkleapp.com/

Does anyone have experience with this product?

Is anyone aware of any problems or limit that might come out during the conversion of a Web - site with Muse in Sparkle?