Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to PureRef

tool for artists to organize and view their reference images

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. PureRef launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   PureRef▲5

   The simple way to view and organize your reference images.

   2018 · pureref.com · its alternatives →

2. 2R
   Resurf▲301

   Hi HN folks, Deep here. I am a design engineer and I have been building Resurf for the past 4 months. Resurf is a local first Mac app for quickly capturing notes, thoughts, ideas, inspiration, links, and files like PDFs and images without switching context. As a design engineer who cares a lot about craft, I built resurf because my “stuff I want to keep” was scattered across tabs, different apps, notes, screenshots, random folders, and I kept losing good references. A lot of tools exist, but I wanted something calm + polished that feels native on Mac (not another file manager). with Resurf…

   21d ago · resurf.so · its alternatives →

3. 3
   lightgallery▲146

   A modern image viewer for Mac, Windows and Linux.

   2016 · sachinchoolur.github.io · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Avocode▲235

   Preview & inspect Photoshop / Sketch designs

   2015 · avocode.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Macro▲149

   A super focused image editor for the Mac

   2017 · macroapp.co · its alternatives →

6. 6
   refern▲89

   Centralize all of your image references

   2024 · refern.app · its alternatives →

7. 7AF
   Artful for Mac▲229

   Artful brings wonderful HD fine art to your Mac background wallpaper.

   2014 · artfulmac.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Curator 3.0▲214

   Beautiful presentation tool for creatives just got better

   2015 · curator.co · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Artful▲107

   The world's best art on your Mac desktop

   2014 · artfulmac.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Sketch Toolbox▲128

    A super simple plugin manager for Sketch

    2014 · sketchtoolbox.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    SimpleDiagrams▲150

    Explain Yourself. Visually.

    2015 · simplediagrams.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Isomer▲73

    Isometric graphics library for HTML5 canvas

    2014 · jdan.github.io · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Artpip▲122

    Transform your desktop into an art gallery.

    2017 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Markoff▲94

    A free Markdown previewer for OS X

    2016 · thoughtbot.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Bulk Image Resizer▲76

    Resize images in bulk for free

    2023 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Color Library▲116

    Automated color separation

    2016 · colorlibrary.ch · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Fulvid▲86

    A standalone desktop editor for Markdown and MDX

    13d ago · github.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Track Duck▲76

    Visual feedback for clients

    2014 · askanydifference.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Gala▲73

    An easier way of searching images from your computer

    2016 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    MarkRight▲84

    A minimalistic github flavored markdown editor

    2015 · github.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Gifwit▲87

    Organize and search your favorite images on the internet

    2014 · gifwit.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    layernote▲63

    Visual feedback on websites, Figma files, PDFs and images

    9d ago · layernote.io · its alternatives →

23. 23
    SHAXPIR 2.0▲77

    A modern cloud workspace for fiction writing & worldbuilding

    2016 · shaxpir.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Abstract Browsing▲67

    Chrome extension that transforms websites into geometric art

    2015 · abstractbrowsing.net · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →