Moodboard vs PureRef

Moodboard is a web-based visual workspace for shaping and reviewing creative direction. Its spatial canvas brings together images, links, notes, files, colors, tasks, sketches, and feedback. Editable starter boards cover brand moodboards, campaign briefs, storyboard planning, client reviews, product launches, and research synthesis; teams can change their structure and save versions for reuse. Sharing supports editor, commenter, and viewer roles, with protected links. Boards can be presented and exported as a visual file or linear text, and large media exports can be downloaded. To-do rows include due dates, assignees, labels, and reactions. Search finds terms across notes, tasks, files, links, and board references, then points to the result on the canvas. Moodboard offers a Free plan at free. Paid plans are not on sale, and their stated capacity, export, sharing, and team entitlements are not live. Private board access is checked against workspace membership and role, and sign-in uses an external identity provider with server-enforced session controls.

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.