Kanvaz vs PureRef
Kanvaz
github.comPureRef
pureref.comSide by side
| Figure | Kanvaz | PureRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $0.67/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Mood Board Software | 8.1 (#6) | 8.0 (#9) |
| Headquarters | Navi Mumbai, India | Johanneshov, Sweden |
| Integrations | The optional MCP Bridge lets Claude Desktop or Claude Code read and modify the active board over local IPC, with changes recorded in undo history. | PureRef can stay on top of a chosen application, and transparent-to-mouse mode allows clicks to pass through to the application below. |
| Purpose | Kanvaz is an offline infinite-canvas reference board for VFX and 3D artists and others who collect and connect visual references. | PureRef is a standalone reference image organizer for collecting inspiration, making mood boards, and keeping references for painting or 3D modeling. |
| Support | The maker invites bug reports and feature requests through GitHub issues or email and says updates ship most weeks. | The maker provides a handbook, FAQ, forum, and contact form, while its EULA says the software has no specific support beyond what the EULA and website state. |
Plans
PureRef
- PersonalFree
- Business annual subscription$8 a year
- Business monthly subscription$10 a month
- Small business$49, paid once
In their own words
Kanvaz
Kanvaz is an offline reference board for VFX and 3D artists, as well as anyone who collects and connects visual material. Its infinite canvas can hold 3D models, images, GIFs, video, audio, notes, colors, URLs and file pointers. Supported 3D models can be orbited live, viewed in different shading modes and played with animation; previewing .blend files requires Blender. Seven kinds of typed relationships link references, which users can explore as a graph in Map View. A single card can appear on multiple boards, with edits carried across those appearances. An optional MCP Bridge lets Claude Desktop or Claude Code read and change the active board over local IPC, and those changes enter undo history. Kanvaz supports plugins for card types, commands, themes and other features; its maker says creators can sell plugins without a marketplace cut. Boards are stored locally in .kanvaz ZIP containers with embedded assets and SHA-256 integrity hashes. The maker says there are no accounts, telemetry or cloud storage, and network requests are user initiated. Kanvaz is free forever, MIT licensed and available for Linux, macOS and Windows.
PureRef
PureRef is a standalone reference image organizer for collecting inspiration, arranging mood boards, and keeping visual references nearby while painting or doing 3D modeling. Images can be added from a computer, pasted, or dragged from a browser. Tools include quick notes, desaturation, and ways to arrange and align images; the pen tool supports freehand marks and shapes, and animated GIF playback controls are documented. PureRef can stay above or below other windows, appear as an overlay, or allow mouse clicks to pass through to the application beneath it. Supported formats include AVIF, GIF, HEIC, JPEG, PNG, PSD, SVG, TIFF, WEBP, and EXR. Image files and related image data are stored locally rather than online. The Personal plan is free for personal use. Commercial use with version 2.0 and later requires a per-seat license. Business options include an $8 a year annual subscription, a $10 a month subscription, and a $49 as a one-time purchase small-business license capped at three users per studio. PureRef is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.