Adobe Dreamweaver review
A code-first desktop IDE with visual tools, Git, previews, and publishing connections.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Adobe Dreamweaver is a desktop IDE for web designers and front-end developers who want direct control over website code alongside visual editing tools. It supports HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, SQL, XML, SVG, and related technologies, with code hints and completion for assisted authoring. Visual, split, code, and live views let teams move between page composition and source editing, while responsive Bootstrap workflows support mobile-friendly site creation. It is aimed at developers and designers who prefer a desktop application rather than a browser-based IDE.
Its strongest advantage is breadth within a code-first workflow. Dreamweaver combines responsive design tools, real-time browser preview, Git operations, database bindings, and server behaviors in one application. Publishing and site connections cover FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, and RDS, while Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries, Adobe Stock, Bootstrap, and extensions add ecosystem options. These capabilities make it a practical fit for projects that need both source-level editing and established website deployment paths, rather than a narrowly focused visual builder.
The published plans show three routes: Dreamweaver Single App includes Dreamweaver through a Creative Cloud single-app membership; Creative Cloud Pro adds more than 20 Creative Cloud apps; and Business includes Dreamweaver and other Creative Cloud apps with license management. A seven-day free trial is available, but there is no free plan. Dreamweaver suits developers who value broad web-language support, Git, database tools, and desktop publishing connections. Teams seeking browser-based collaboration, remote development environments, or container workflows should consider a different tool.
Adobe Dreamweaver pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Supports HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, SQL, XML, and SVG editing
- Combines code, split, visual, and live views with browser preview
- Includes Git, database bindings, Bootstrap, and multiple publishing protocols
- Where it doesn't
- Available only on Windows and macOS desktop platforms
- No free plan; access requires a paid Creative Cloud subscription
- Remote development environments and container workflows are not verified
Adobe Dreamweaver fact sheet, pricing and score →
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