LibreMoodboards vs PureRef

LibreMoodboards is a free, open-source Windows moodboard application built with Electron. It accepts images, GIFs, videos, and audio such as music or sound effects, and lets users add text notes and bookmarks. Files can be placed freely instead of following a fixed organization scheme. The app has no accounts or cloud service; the project says content remains local. It has no subscriptions, microtransactions, or paywalls. LibreMoodboards is released under GPLv3, with modifications and forks required to remain open source. The latest listed release is v1.0.0, described as the initial release. That release includes a portable Windows executable and source code; the executable runs without installation. The README also documents npm install and npm run build commands for building from source. The project welcomes issues and pull requests and suggests discussing major changes in an issue first.

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.