Adobe has made its name on the web design arena due to the abundance of award-winning solutions used for web building purposes. Users may benefit from a broad range of products and software produced under the same banner. Adobe Muse and Dreamweaver are good examples of such branded web design platforms that serve various purposes.
Although they do not actually compete for the name of the top-notch systems and have much in common, some core differences might affect users’ choice. The Adobe Muse vs Dreamweaver review is to highlight those distinctions pinpointing the most suitable solution for your particular needs.
Adobe Muse – is a simple website building instrument for web designers allowing users to create responsive websites with no technical skills. The inline building process is the key feature of the platform in addition to endless design capabilities delivered by design import functionality letting you implement the layout of your own. One of the crucial nuances you have to bear in mind is that Muse is no longer supported by Adobe. Its support was discontinued in May 2020. This doesn’t mean that users cannot work with the system any more. Those who have already downloaded and used it for website development purposes, can still access the platform. Others won’t be able to download it from the official website. No updates, tech support and new technologies won’t be introduced as well.
Adobe Dreamweaver – is a more complicated website builder for dedicated professionals and a great alternative to Muse. It was developed for experienced web design software users with a solid technical background. Although it still has visual editors to handle the building process using some of its WYSIWYG elements, its instruments are mainly focused around JavaScript, PHP, HTML, CSS, and other coding languages. Dreamweaver is a good solution for those craving for professional custom-made sites that are mobile-friendly.
Despite the fact, both software have been launched under the same banner, they serve different goals and establish opposite approaches to the website building process. Let’s have a closer look at Adobe Dreamweaver vs Adobe Muse features and how they may actually help launch a solid web project. As far as Muse is no longer updated, we will review and compare the latest version of the program. Let’s get started now.
Adobe Muse vs Dreamweaver: General Overview
Adobe Muse has always positioned itself as a beginner-friendly website builder. It is good for building bright and capturing web projects such as landing pages, portfolios, and small business websites. It has enough functionality and design features to bring any style to life with no technical skills. An extended selection of functions makes the workflow easy and fast. The bad news is that Muse users should no longer expect feature updates and technical support though they may still continue using the software.
The platform was founded in 2012 as a desktop software for proficient web design experts, who have an intention to work in a code-free environment. Unveiling multiple features and tools, it has quickly become one of the most favorite tools for contemporary web developers. By the time Adobe discontinued the system support, the number of projects powered by Muse has reached 749,423 projects. The statistics are quite impressive, speaking in favor of the system’s popularity and rich integrated functionality.
Adobe Dreamweaver requires more advanced coding skills and time to master its integrated feature set. This is quite a complicated tool in terms of usability and building process. The platform is included into the Creative Cloud service. It is mainly focused on the needs, knowledge and requirements of professional web developers, letting them start a feature-laden website. The system subscribers have enough freedom to build custom-made elements based on HTML, PHP, CSS or other coding languages. Dreamweaver is more complicated to use although it still has a DIY editor.
The foundation of the software dates back to 1997 being one of the oldest web design platforms in the modern market. Currently, the number of projects it powers has encompassed 4,474,682 websites and many more are still under construction. It should also be mentioned that the popularity of the system has notably increased after Muse discontinuation, especially among Adobe fans. As of today, the system occupies one of the leading positions in the list of Adobe products meant for professional web developers.
Muse and Dreamweaver are both offered as a part of Adobe service. The difference is that Muse has been discontinued, while Dreamweaver remains one of the widely used web design systems. It is updated on a regular basis, having much to offer to its subscribers. These features make it prevail over the competitor.
Adobe Muse vs Dreamweaver: Which One Is Easier to Use?
Adobe Muse comes as a desktop application for both professional web designers eager to create complex sites and beginners with no special skills. The platform has a simple interface that is familiar to everyone who has used Photoshop at least once. Users are free to design or import their own layouts, create new widgets with built-in features, and more. The platform serves two major goals: simple website development and creation of complex projects.
When it comes to development of simple websites, Muse allows using its DIY editor. This allows for easy and fast project customization. As to complex website creation, Muse is mostly used by experienced web designers who crave for more advanced projects with powerful built-in UI/UX features. Adobe Muse has a collaborative functionality to let users work with partners, clients, and third-party designers to bring their projects to life.
The software might look pretty easy from the start, but it might still require some learning curve. It takes some time until you have a clear understanding of how all tools and features work. So, get ready for some trial and error period. On the other hand, you will hardly face any difficulties in case you do not require a complex site or want to use the ready-made template or layout of your own.
As we have stated before, Adobe is not planning to release new features and software updates any longer. Moreover, technical support has also become unavailable since May, 2020. This may also cause problems for users, who make their first steps in mastering the platform. Those, who already use the app, however, have nothing to worry about, as they may still keep on using all of its available features without relying on tech support.
Adobe Dreamweaver offers a more complicated editor that requires good knowledge of at least PHP, HTML, and CSS. First of all, you need to have the app installed. Then you will see a brief introductory video with some highlights and insights to get started. Video tips may come in handy to prevent common mistakes right from the start as well as change code parts, lines, error checkouts, syntax highlighting and other things that will notably speed up the work.
The visual editor of the software allows creating custom-made websites with coding basics required. It truly has some WYSIWYG elements to make the building process a bit simpler. On the one hand, it may leverage the coding skills. On the other hand, you will not be able to get a ready-to-publish website using only the DIY editor. Code integration including JavaScript, PHP, and more is still necessary.
While the platform is more technicians-oriented, it comes with a powerful code editor that has a rich feature set. It ranges from an extensive code library to choose the element or function you need to error checking. The platform has a browser preview mode to see all changes you make.
As to customer support options, you may find numerous sources and articles on the official website. Tons of information can be accessible in the official Adobe Help Center with user’s guides. Dreamweaver also has its official support forum with FAQs, add-on installation guides, etc. You may also go to Adobe Customer Care and contact technical support directly.
When comparing the ease-of-use aspect, Dreamweaver proves to be the best solution to go for. Even though, Muse does not require deep coding awareness, it is no longer possible to download or update the software. To work with Dreamweaver, however, you will require coding knowledge and web design skills yet the system grants access to numerous customer support options. This simplifies the process of mastering the software.
Adobe Muse vs Dreamweaver: Design and Flexibility
As a code-oriented platform, Dreamweaver is supposed to provide more flexibility and freedom, as you are free to code any element you need. Of course, it requires great technical knowledge, ensuring a nice outcome in the long run. From this point of view, Muse might look a simpler option considering its integration functionality, selection of widgets, powerful visual editor and other great features. To define the leader of the comparison in terms of flexibility and design customization, it makes sense to compare their major parameters now.
eCommerce
Adobe Muse doesn’t have an integrated eCommerce engine yet it is still possible to start a small web store with the software. The task can be completed by means of integrating third-party widgets and apps that have an eCommerce focus. It’s up to you to pick suitable extensions with regard to the type and specialization of a web store you intend to set up. Thus, if you plan to sell digital goods, for example, integration of Sellfy or Gumroad might be helpful. If you aim at selling handmade items or other physical products, you may also consider integrating Ecwid, Wazala and other eCommerce extensions.
Adobe Dreamweaver makes it possible to create and customize your own online storefront, even if you don’t possess coding knowledge and design expertise. The system comes with a collection of ready-made eCommerce templates, each of which contains the major elements of a catalogue page. These include product title, description, cost, images etc. The system also allows integrating PayPal and Google Checkout along with buttons used for convenient online shipping.
As to the eCommerce aspect, the systems realize their web store development potential in different ways. While Adobe Muse lets you integrate third-party widgets to set up and customize a digital store, Dreamweaver comes with built-in eCommerce creation options. This simplifies the process of project creation even for non-techies.
Blogging
Adobe Muse allows for blog development and customization via the use of specialized third-party widgets. You can pick the most suitable blog extensions to set up your own project of this type. Likewise, it is possible to integrate and style a blog from the most popular systems like Tumblr and WordPress, upload images and other media files, create photo album carousels etc.
Adobe Dreamweaver has a number of pre-designed templates and layouts you may select and customize to set up a quality blog. It is possible to create HTML web pages here as well as other elements you might need. The entire process does not take much effort and time, even if a user lacks programming basics.
Thus, starting a blog is possible with both systems. As opposed to Muse, which implies the need of third-party widget integration, Dreamweaver makes it possible to customize a full-featured blog, using built-in templates and toolset. This is much easier for everyone.
Third-Party Integrations and Special Features
Adobe Muse has enough functionality to come up with any web project. It offers widget integration and workflow simplification options as well as an opportunity to implement various visual effects and animations. The platform grants access to mobile-friendly widgets – everything from Slideshow and Composition to Form widgets is mobile-friendly. All you need is to add a widget you need, while the system will automatically resize it to make it 100% responsive.
You may get access to graphic elements or animations from your Creative Cloud library and create a custom animate composition using the editor’s drag-and-drop functionality afterwards. All the website assets will be safe in the Creative Cloud tool. It serves to archive and restore desktop products, assets, libraries, mobile projects, and more. The platform also makes it easy to collaborate with several libraries at the same time. By the way, the choice of elements/widgets is simplified here. You don’t have to make your way through numerous layers. Simply double-click on the element to make the choice.
Muse is also known for its Attributes Copying Tool – the feature, which simplifies the workflow making it faster while users may copy attributes like fonts or opacity from one project and paste it to another.
Adobe Dreamweaver was designed to implement HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript codes, which is supposed to mean more freedom and flexibility. As for its feature set, here we have some baseline options including error checkout and value adding. There is the Dynamic Code Editor here, the main mission of which is to reduce the time necessary to build a website or app. The feature has a code completion capability that is able to finish the code automatically. You will additionally appreciate code tips and hints, visual aids, etc.
Dreamweaver lets users develop multi-purpose products for various devices. Whether it is going to be a website or web application, it will run equally well on various screen dimensions and OS. All the changes you make can be tracked in the real-time mode in your browser or the incorporated preview tool.
The system has started templates and layouts that you may customize and create HTML website pages and other elements of your own. You may choose from blogs, digital shops, portfolios, ready-made websites pages, etc. As a dynamic app, Dreamweaver is regularly updated with new features ensuring better coding experience.
While being a code-oriented platform, Dreamweaver is supposed to provide more flexibility and freedom, as you are free to code any element you need. Of course, it requires great technical knowledge. Muse might seem a simpler option due to its integration functionality and selection of widgets, but it still lags behind the competitor.
Template Editing
Adobe Muse doesn’t have any readymade templates. You should draw them on your own, although, the web abounds in versatile themes designed by other users to meet any taste and requirements. Many web studios draw templates for Muse and there are special layouts to fit any web page type. You can order a unique template from a professional web designer. Generally, Muse is a great choice for independent creation of designs of any complexity levels. It can be compared to Photoshop for all web pages. This is a perfect app for professional web designers and for newbies. You can initially select the width of a page (responsive or static), create templates (standard web page parts) and design the content part by means of using widgets and tools like those available in Photoshop.
Adobe Dreamweaver puts a user in charge of the web design process. The program does not contain any presets or readymade designs, being an advanced web creation niche for them. Yes, you can use basic readymade HTML layouts to create one-page websites with diverse element arrangement, for example. You can find the code on the web. There are such services, which will provide you with the required web page layouts in the form of a code. This means that you can use any external code in the program.
Finally, Dreamweaver has a very convenient and advanced code editor. Take and use what you want – there are no limitations here (see Dreamweaver examples). Professionals draw templates in Photoshop and then create web pages in Dreamweaver. This is the right approach. For those, who are looking for simple solutions, the program doesn’t work at all. For such users, SaaS service or Muse will be a much better solution.
In terms of template editing and design customization, both systems encourage DIY website development. They are created with the needs of experienced users in mind. However, Dreamweaver, offers ready-made website templates, which are easy to customize, using the available toolset. Muse, in its turn, implies template integration, which is frequently a problem for non-coders.
Adobe Muse vs Dreamweaver: General Pricing Comparison
Adobe Muse is included in the Creative Cloud package on monthly/annual billing terms. The cost of the monthly plan constitutes $24.99/mo, while that of the prepaid annual subscription equals $179.88/year. The price of the annual plan is $14.99/mo, when paid monthly. Mind that not all Adobe Muse widgets are provided on a free basis. Some of them are paid, which depends upon the widget functionality. Another issue to consider is hosting choice. As soon as you are ready to go live with your ready-made project, you will have two options – either to use Adobe servers or pick a third-party hosting provider. This also affects the cost of website creation with Adobe Muse.
Adobe Dreamweaver doesn’t have a free plan yet there is a free 7-day trial, which is obligatory for everyone, who is going to use the system further. The platform also offers several personal/enterprise subscriptions to comply with the needs/budget of diverse user categories. Plans for educational institutions (schools and universities) are available here as well.
The cost of the Individuals Plan constitutes $29.99/mo (or $239.88/year with the annual plan). It comes with 100GB of cloud storage space, premium fonts, personal portfolio website builder, social media tools etc. The cost of the Business Plan constitutes $29.99/mo ($359.88/year).
As to the cost of plans for educational institutions, they constitute $14.99/mo for each subscriber, yet there is also a separate license for each device used for website development. This one will cost you $155.88/year. These plans offer 100GB of cloud storage space for each license, individual access to product experts and special features, 24/7 tech support and other advantages.
Speaking about the cost aspect, Adobe Dreamweaver has a more versatile pricing policy as compared to Muse. Whether you run a personal or a business project, you will surely find a subscription to use here.
Adobe Muse vs Dreamweaver: Which One Is the Best for SEO?
Adobe Muse websites can be optimized for the search engines well, if you manage to correctly set up the required parameters. To do that, reach the Page Properties section to fill out the metadata. These include page description, keywords, title. Do not forget about headings, Alt text and image titles. The more attention you devote to these parameters, the higher the chances for successful SEO of your Adobe Muse website prove to be.
Adobe Dreamweaver is quite a SEO-friendly website builder, which allows reaching good positions in the search engines provided that you pay attention to the required parameters. The system allows filling out metatags for the required website pages. These include titles, keywords and descriptions. Special attention should also be given to the correct web page content structure. If you do everything right, your website will rank high in the search engine results.
To sum it up, both systems allow setting up SEO parameters. As opposed to Muse, which is no longer supported and, thus, cannot guarantee high positions in the search engine results, Dreamweaver allows tracking your project positions and controlling them when required. This is an obvious advantage of the system.
Key Differences Between Adobe Muse and Dreamweaver
| Adobe Muse | Adobe Dreamweaver | |
| Ease of Use: | Adobe Muse is an offline software included into CC package. It is quite easy to use for all user categories as it does not imply coding proficiency. However, Adobe has recently announced the system discontinuation, which does not let new users download the software. Updates and tech support are unavailable as well. | Adobe Dreamweaver is an advanced web design software, which lets users create all types of web projects. The system implies programming knowledge, which makes it a better solution for web design pros. |
| Functionality: | The software grants access to numerous features, tools and options available in stock.These include extensive widget integration options, content management tools, text synchronization etc. New features are unavailable. | The platform provides advanced flexibility, convenience and high end performance. This is a worthy solution for users, who have web design expertise. The software ensures seamless integration with other Adobe products, access to the automated code completion tool, Bootstrap 4 support etc. |
| Design: | Muse doesn’t have a collection of built-in templates and layouts. There is an opportunity to create a website from scratch or use templates specially developed for Muse online. | The service provides an opportunity to download and install themes from other external resources. The designs are free and paid. All of them are responsive and customizable. |
| eCommerce: | The platform allows creating digital stores by means of integrating eCommerce widgets. | The software allows settings up small to medium web stores, offering multiple templates and design customization tools for this purpose. |
| Blogging: | Adobe Muse lets you set up and manage a blog. This can be done via installation of plugins meant for bogging purposes. | Dreamweaver offers a set of blog templates you can choose for further customization. This lets you start quality and feature-rich blogs. |
| Small Business: | The software works well for small business website creation. It offers access to multiple integrable widgets meant for business projects. | The platform can be used for business website development due to the availability of business tools, features and Adobe Stock Marketplace integrations available in stock. |
| Pricing: | Adobe Muse has monthly and annual plans as well as free and paid widgets to choose from. The cost starts at $14.99/mo. | The software has several subscriptions for personal and business projects. There also separate subscriptions for educational institutions here. The cost of Dreamweaver plans starts at $29.99/mo. |
| SEO: | The software allows setting up standard SEO parameters. Users can fill out the major metatags on a separate web page. Discontinuation of the software support, however, has negative impact on the search engine optimization of its projects. | The website builder is SEO-friendly. It provides standard settings for quality website optimization. The platform allows configuring the major search engine parameters to ensure worthy project ranking. |
| Customer Support: | No tech support available anymore | Extensive Hep Center, Community Forums, forums for beginners |
Comparison Conclusion: Which One Is Better?
While both Adobe Muse and Dreamweaver are offline software developed by the same company, they have pretty much in common in terms of pricing and customer support. They were both launched to help users build a responsive website of different types. At the same time, they are absolutely different from opposite feature sets and goals they serve.
Summing up, Dreamweaver definitely proves to be a better option as it regularly comes with updates and stable technical support. Muse can no longer guarantee the same advantages because of its discontinuation. If you are a beginner and do not have Muse installed, you won’t be able to do that. But even if you have downloaded it, there is no sense to use the system, if you expect to avail worthy result.
