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MUSE Alternatives

Explorer ,
Mar 28, 2018 Mar 28, 2018

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Hi All,  I would like to begin a discussion stream focused entirely on alternatives to Adobe Muse.  So far in my limited research I have yet to find something similar or as comprehensive and easy to use.  I, like many of you, have been caught off guard and have clients who depend on me to deliver.  That said let's begin our search.

It would be great if we could stay focused to specific tools and give fact based information regarding the tool.  For example Muse-Themes apparently has a solution which they call WOCode (With Out Code) however I have not been able to see this product therefore cannot provide any facts.  It would be great if Muse-Themes would chime in to give information on the product or if someone has seen it they can provide input.  Also, it appears that some have used products like WordPress, Wix etc.. and could provide us with their unbiased feedback.

RJ

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New Here ,
Mar 28, 2018 Mar 28, 2018

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WOCode hasnt been released yet but you can sign up for updates on their website. I really hope it ends up being a Muse replacement

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 29, 2018 Mar 29, 2018

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Does anyone have thoughts about using Dreamweaver in place of Muse? How is its:

  • ease of use compared to Muse?
  • viability in the future - or will Adobe eventually ditch it, too?

My favorite Muse features are:

  • creates a strong master page
  • ability to see thumbnails of all pages, see their connections, and drag and drop to rearrange
  • navigation bar immediately updates with added main and sub pages
  • relatively easy to add breakpoints
  • very easy to publish and update sites
  • it's an Adobe product - I already have it with my license

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Community Expert ,
Mar 29, 2018 Mar 29, 2018

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Dreamweaver, the base program anyway, requires the user to have a good grip on the basics of HTML, CSS and Javascript. There are some built in widget-style behaviors, but without understanding code basics, it's extremely limited and typically somewhat frustrating for a non-coding designer.

However, there are some professional (paid) extension developers, like a company called Project VII, that make DW a totally different animal. Designers can easily create layouts and menu systems without ever looking at code. Using several of their extensions, plus others from DMXZone and WebAssit will allow non-coders to put together some fairly advanced sites.

Of course, if you go the route of relying on the software to shield you from the code, you're going to be at the mercy of the software developers if they ever discontinue it. Right now, there's no plan to do so, but I'm sure there was no plan to stop Muse several years ago either.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 29, 2018 Mar 29, 2018

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Webflow looks like a good option for non-coders.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/e9fcfe26-b2de-4bed-b9d1-79a3d3515c3f

Pinegrow is another option.

https://pinegrow.com/

Dreamweaver alone or with extensions from Project Seven, DMX Zone or WebAssist  will make you a star!

Nancy O'Shea— Product User, Community Expert & Moderator
Alt-Web Design & Publishing ~ Web : Print : Graphics : Media

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Advocate ,
Jul 07, 2018 Jul 07, 2018

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Dreamweaver ?  Sure. I've used it since the Macromedia days. Still do.

Using it is not as hard as some writing here would like us to believe.

Is it a replacement for Muse? NO.

Muse will be 'supported' until 2020. The software will not stop working then. Muse will continue to function for years thereafter. Sites authored and developed using Muse will function just fine for many years.

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Community Expert ,
Jul 07, 2018 Jul 07, 2018

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Neox99  wrote

Sites authored and developed using Muse will function just fine for many years.

I cannot honestly guarantee that any web site or app will continue to work for many years because browsers, devices and web standards are changing at breakneck speed.  As an example, the Flash projects we once regarded as rock-solid are no longer usable.   But the projects built with native web technologies have demonstrated the greatest shelf-life.  So I wish you lots of luck with your Muse sites.   Hopefully any lost functionality can be replaced with alternative technologies in Dreamweaver or other code editors.

Nancy O'Shea— Product User, Community Expert & Moderator
Alt-Web Design & Publishing ~ Web : Print : Graphics : Media

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LEGEND ,
Jul 09, 2018 Jul 09, 2018

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richjern  wrote

Does anyone have thoughts about using Dreamweaver in place of Muse? How is its:

  • ease of use compared to Muse?
  • viability in the future - or will Adobe eventually ditch it, too?
  1. Dreamweaver is made for code users so most Muse people will not like it
  2. it isn't viable now but afaik Adobe has no plan to drop it

richjern  wrote

My favorite Muse features are:

  • creates a strong master page
  • ability to see thumbnails of all pages, see their connections, and drag and drop to rearrange
  • navigation bar immediately updates with added main and sub pages
  • relatively easy to add breakpoints
  • very easy to publish and update sites
  • it's an Adobe product - I already have it with my license
  1. Master page is not really a web design idea and most software doesn't use them but there is other options that do the same thing i.e, this content is on all the pages and doesn't change
  2. thumbnails is a common design tool yes
  3. update systems like this is called dynamic code and all modern software will use them
  4. breakpoints are a page layout design idea and not a good way to make web content so having them in Muse made as many issues as they solved
  5. Muse was easy to publish and that was its real advantage but it was made to be used by average people (not US enterprise people) so that isn't a common option or something you can expect from other software

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Participant ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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I suggest taking a look at https://sparkleapp.com

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Mentor ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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https://forums.adobe.com/people/Duncan+Wilcox  wrote

I suggest taking a look at sparkleapp

You should have also included that you are one of its developers and you are advertising your own product.

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Participant ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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Oh I usually do, slipped here sorry. I still do recommend checking out Sparkle, it's ideal for visual thinkers that were attracted to the visual website editing.

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Mentor ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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I just thought it worth pointing out.

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Duncan+Wilcox  wrote

it's ideal for visual thinkers that were attracted to the visual website editing.

It looks like an interesting concept for designers to have design control and freedom.

But in looking at some of the designs or documentation pages they are not responsive. Is that feature still being worked on, because thats pretty important for designers to be able to build responsive sites easily.

not-responsive.png

So there seems to be some issues in the responsive workflow.

To be fair, Muse users waited for it also, but it was very important to them and was easy eventually.

muse-responsive.png

Additionally the page source markup from Sparkle does not look super clean either, for those whom are interested, I assume most will not be.

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Participant ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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We haven't flipped the responsive switch on all pages of our site because it is a bit of work. The home page and top level pages are responsive. We are definitely working on improving the workflow and using our own pain points to improve Sparkle.

The cleanliness of the markup is frankly irrelevant and a concern promoted by hand coders. Sparkle sites have pretty good scores in performance and in privacy checkers, indicators we are very interested in pushing as high as possible.

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Mentor ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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https://forums.adobe.com/people/Duncan+Wilcox  wrote

We haven't flipped the responsive switch on all pages of our site because it is a bit of work. The home page and top level pages are responsive. We are definitely working on improving the workflow and using our own pain points to improve Sparkle.

Ok, and it's good to know you are working to improve the responsive feature aspects to remove the "bit of work" and "pain points" you see. 😉

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Duncan+Wilcox  wrote

The cleanliness of the markup is frankly irrelevant and a concern promoted by hand coders. Sparkle sites have pretty good scores in performance and in privacy checkers, indicators we are very interested in pushing as high as possible.

That's why I stated "I assume most will not be." as I doubt Muse users care much of it. 😉

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Participant ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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Still if you check our home page you can see it's responsive, so it's not like it's impossible.

The only thing is relevant about a web page from a technical point of view, for essentially anybody, is whether it performs well.

Maybe we can take it offline but I take issue with a hand wavy "the page source markup from Sparkle does not look super clean". Happy to discuss specifics.

There's this mantra that the only way to build a site is to code it. It's BS. It's like saying you can't design a poster without using PostScript code.

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Mentor ,
Mar 30, 2018 Mar 30, 2018

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I already admitted myself that most will not care. I doubt on average many Muse users were passing along the Muse source to developers, or even bothering to look at it.

I agree especially with so many online builders, and WYSIWYG apps etc., that source in some ways is becoming more irrelevant by default in the industry (admittedly sadly, in my opinion). Please understand I don't have issue with you or your app, I just think the responsive aspects can be improved upon, even based upon its own documentation on how it handles things.

I just wanted to point out that aspect for Muse users, as most just want pure easy responsive design or bust.

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Explorer ,
Apr 11, 2018 Apr 11, 2018

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W_J_T  wrote

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Duncan+Wilcox   wrote

I suggest taking a look at sparkleapp

You should have also included that you are one of its developers and you are advertising your own product.

Better than Adode who show no interest in their own product!

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Participant ,
Apr 11, 2018 Apr 11, 2018

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Maybe it is, but having paid for Adobe I am not inclined to spend another £50. There is also the small matter of the cost of a Mac

I think I may follow Nancy's suggestion - and also see about putting the 10,000 lb gorilla on a diet.

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Participant ,
Apr 04, 2018 Apr 04, 2018

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Sparkle looks great.

I have only one issue: can I design wider pages?

I mean the area where you can put things is limited in width (1200px maximum). I'd like 2500+ px. If that's possible, than Sparkle is a great alternative to Muse.

Thanks for your help

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Participant ,
Apr 04, 2018 Apr 04, 2018

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@Duncan

Sparkle looks great.

I have only one issue: can I design wider pages?

I mean the area where you can put things is limited in width (1200px maximum). I'd like 2500+ px. If that's possible, than Sparkle is a great alternative to Muse.

Thanks for your help !

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LEGEND ,
Apr 04, 2018 Apr 04, 2018

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May sound strange to you but why don`t you ask sparkle for that. This is a muse forum. And although a lot of people might be interested about that (maybe me too).

There´s a spreadsheet, where all ups and downs could get edited: Adobe Muse Alternatives - Google Sheets .

Best Regards,

Uwe

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New Here ,
Apr 26, 2018 Apr 26, 2018

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I reviewed Sparkle and it seems a "kiddy." I have 35 sites built on Muse and all for profitable companies. I was able to make comprehensive sites on muse. Many of them over 50 pages with ecommerce and numerous widgets. I just DON'T see that in the Sparkle library.

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Engaged ,
Jan 20, 2020 Jan 20, 2020

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LATEST

 

Sparkle has come a long way since 2018, and recently Sparkle Themes were released.

Disclosure, I created Sparkle Themes. www.sparkle-themes.com, the entire website was built with Sparkle. 

 

Here are two real world examples of a Muse site converted to Sparkle:

Sparkle version www.fuelhotyoga.com

Muse version www.fuelhotyoga.com/old-site-muse/

 

Sparkle version www.bikramyogafitzroy.com.au

Muse version www.bikramyogafitzroy.com.au/muse-site/

 

And here's a recent Sparkle build in progress:

www.zentimewellness.com

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Explorer ,
Apr 04, 2018 Apr 04, 2018

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I was just about to start three new web sites for work I do. I usually do video using Adobe Premiere. I had been learning Muse and am just wondering, is everyone jumping the gun a bit? Adobe will support this for another year, a long time on the technology timeline. By then Adobe may have something new or you can see what developments occur with other platforms. I was about sucked into just saying, "oh well, looks like I have to start with something new" but pulled back on that. We don't know what adobe's timeline is for something new and we don't know how fast others will develop and be the best a year from now. For now, I think I'll just continue with Muse and keep a sharp eye on development in and out of Adobe. I'd hate to jump to one then have it fold or get passed by another.

Of course, I'm not a full time developer so maybe I'm off base here. What's the downside of sticking here for a year and shifting to what is then the friont runner if Adobe doesn't come through? Many of those alternatives are Mac based. Everything I use is PC and frankly, I'd rather take a beating with an ax handle than use an Apple product.

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Participant ,
Apr 04, 2018 Apr 04, 2018

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I have a web site about my village, St Bees(.org.uk) . Any walkers amongst you may have heard of the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk that starts here. I have a site that gives visitors information about the village and it has grown somewhat haphazardly over the past 25 years and is now the definitive site on information about St Bees. But it is in need of sorting out. I was going to use Muse to do so - even bought an instruction book and got to Lesson 4 when I read about the forthcoming demise of Muse.

Now what? I'm a retired medic, not a web designer and certainly not a coder, Just a dabbler! I just want to re-organise my site so that it is easier for whoever takes it over from me to follow and maintain it.

Path 11's suggestion is not good fro me as I don't want to spend several months learning and using a product with a limited shelf life. I need to find something which is going to be a) around for a long time and b) not take me too long to learn how to use. (I have been retired 18 years so I too have a limited shelf life).

So what shall I use - Wordpress? That seems fairly straightforward, but given that there are over 1,200 pages on my current site, I'm not sure it that would be reasonable. I liked the drag and drop simplicity of using Muse. The content I could simply cut and paste from the existing site.

Is there anything else like this around? To paraphrase rjlegend in his/her initial post

"I need an alternative to Adobe Muse.  So far in my limited research I have yet to find something similar or as comprehensive and easy to use"

Sorry this is not a helpful post on this thread but I hope it shows that there are amateurs out here who need something, while basic for non-professionals, still sophisticated enough to build large community web sites.

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