Adobe Dreamweaver Reviews

Dreamweaver – Adobe Website Builder

We have reviewed many website builder software on Tekpon, from the best to the not-so-great. Of course, the most popular website creation tools are designed to make it easy for beginners to create their unique webspace. But what about professionals? Which software do you use to build a ground-up website completely to your specifications?

Adobe Dreamweaver has dominated the site-building landscape for decades and remains a unique offering. In many ways, the Adobe website builder stands on its own in the market, a useful tool for individuals or those looking to build enterprise-scale sites. However, if you are coding websites, Dreamweaver is the gold standard.

What Is Dreamweaver Used For?

So, Dreamweaver is a website builder for the professional, whether an individual or an organization. However, Adobe has also decided to make DW more accessible by budling in a visual editor. This allows the platform to compete with services like Wix and Squarespace. However, while this is a nice touch, those alternatives remain better for non-professionals looking for efficient website-building tools.

Thanks to its HTML editor, Dreamweaver is more in its element as a web development tool. It also works with JavaScript and CSS.

Details of Adobe Dreamweaver Features

If you are a corporate web designer or a lone professional who wants to build a multiplatform desktop website from the ground up, Dreamweaver is the best option. While alternatives are available (which we will discuss later), Adobe Dreamweaver stands above all competitors when making responsive websites for desktop or mobile.

Although, when you get to grips with Dreamweaver for the first time, there is a learning curve to overcome. Sure, Adobe has been providing DW for 20 years, and the platform is slick, but it is also an enterprise-grade tool with many advanced features. In other words, a lot is happening here, and getting accustomed to all the abilities takes some time.

Still, the HTML editor in Dreamweaver is for serious workers who expect a learning curve with powerful software. The DW coding software uses the popular Bootstrap framework, HTML, CSS, and JS libraries. Bootstrap is mobile-first, so your website creations will be ready for smartphones or tablets. However, Adobe bundles Dreamweaver web templates that make sites look good and responsive on desktops.

Using Dreamweaver

So, how does that steep learning curve we discussed translate when you fire up Dreamweaver for the first time? Of course, there is a lot to dig through, but experience with other Adobe products is helpful. For example, if you use Photoshop, you will have a solid idea of the general UI of Dreamweaver because the two apps share a common design.

Of course, if you are coming to DW completely fresh, expect more challenges. This is a feature-rich experience, so finding that obscure tool you need can sometimes be frustrating. For the casual user, that is a problem, but for serious users, it is standard for an enterprise-ready platform. It is worth remembering that Dreamweaver is not aiming for the casual crowd.

Even so, the familiar Adobe interface is what you will find. You get the main editing window taking up the bulk of screen real estate in the middle, with the feature toolbar on the left and info tabs on the right. There are two options for editing: complete coding, where you do all the work yourself, or the WYSIWYG visual editor.

If you are using visual editing tools, there are a lot of features that clutter this screen. We recommend using a computer with a larger screen to make the most of all the tools and options. You can hide these elements to maximize screen space for users who are expert coders and do the heavy lifting manually.

Editing

We will mostly skip over code editing because that speaks for itself. You can write code directly into Dreamweaver and build your website from scratch. This editing method works best for expert-level coders who have experience.

For most users, the visual editor with WYSIWYG tools is the easiest way to build websites in DW. Building your site is intuitive and comes with an array of expert tools. Although, it is also complex, again lending to the enterprise-grade credentials of Dreamweaver.

Even for the simplest of websites, you will need four tabs open: the current pages, CSS files, JavaScript files, and an information panel. That latter document will have a further selection of tabs (at least seven) that highlights drag-and-drop HTML tags, available files, Creative Cloud libraries, Document Object Model (DOM), CSS controls, assets (media, URLs, etc.), and prebuilt snippets.

That’s not all… there is also a custom toolbar on the left to add the controls you want the most and a menu at the top of the page. So yeah, we weren’t joking when we said Dreamweaver is an ultra-complex tool with a maze-like interface. But, if you take the time to learn this program, it is the most powerful visual website builder.

There are two visual editing views available. The design view shows each design element of the webpage, including those invisible to the front-end website visitor. Then there is the Live view, representing the web page and how the visitor would see it in a web browser.

It is also possible to mix and match code and visual editing. For example, Dreamweaver splits the screen showing the code in one window and the WYSIWYG views in another. Alternatively, you can open two code panes to edit different code sections simultaneously.

New Features

Dreamweaver 2020 is the latest version of the program, and it comes with some new features. While this is not a sweeping overhaul of the platform, DW 2020 makes the following additions:

Dreamweaver Review Conclusions

Dreamweaver remains the best option if you want a dedicated code editor for website building. There isn’t a direct competitor to the Adobe website builder, so DW remains a unique tool in the enterprise space. There are other easier options, but if you need full control and customizability in an HTML editor, Dreamweaver is the best option.

Still, it is not without its problems. It is expensive and has a massive learning curve, even for experienced enterprise-level developers. If you do not know to code or are just starting, Dreamweaver is too sophisticated and complex. For visual editing, the tools offered by alternatives like Wix and Weebly suit customers better.

Is Dreamweaver Still Used?

Yes, that is the simple answer. However, if we dig a little deeper, it becomes clear Dreamweaver is nowhere near as popular as it once was. User numbers have been steadily declining for around a decade. However, times have changed, and alternatives are available that cost less.

Visual website builders are more affordable and allow users with no coding skills to create dynamic websites. However, development platforms like Visual Studio provide a better user experience for code knowledge. It is also worth noting web browsers now have features that allow users to see website code changes in real time.

None of these alternatives combine all elements as Dreamweaver does. Users seem increasingly willing to branch out beyond Adobe’s tool. That does not mean we do not recommend DW. On the contrary, it remains a fantastic and complex platform. Just be careful to assess what your needs are before committing accurately.