6 Best Pastel Alternatives in 2026

We tested these tools hands-on earlier in 2026, and the verdicts below come from that work. This revision on 29 October 2026 checks prices and plan limits on each vendor's site again, without retesting the products.

The best Pastel alternative depends on what you outgrew. If you want comments on the live site instead of a hosted canvas, look at a script-based tool like Feedbucket. If you like canvases and want them cheaper or broader, BugSmash and Huddlekit are the newer picks, and MarkUp.io suits teams that need unlimited users on one plan.

Pastel has handled static design review well since 2016. The canvas is polished, it covers images and PDFs as well as web pages, and guest reviewers are unlimited on every plan. Four limits push teams to shop around.

• Comments live on a canvas, not on your site. Reviewers comment on a Pastel-hosted snapshot. Pages behind Basic Auth or inside a logged-in app won't load, and mobile review runs in an emulated viewport instead of on a real phone.
• Free canvases close after three days. A free canvas takes comments for 3 days from creation and then turns read-only, so a slow client means a new canvas.
• Integrations cost $119 a month. Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday, Zapier and webhook export are Team features. Pro at $35 a month has none, and Enterprise jumps to $450 (Pastel plans, as of 2026-10-29). The step from Pro to Team is hard to justify when integrations are all you want.
• The extension doesn't comment on pages. Pastel's Chrome extension creates new canvases. It is not an overlay that makes the live page commentable, which is what the MarkUp.io extension does.

What you liked about Pastel is worth carrying over. Each pick below keeps at least one of these.

• Clients comment without logging in
• A tool with enough history to trust
• Hosted review that needs nothing installed on the site

Six alternatives follow, and each one fixes at least one of the four limits above.

Simple Commenter#

Built for: Agencies · Freelancers · QA teams · SaaS teams

Best for: Pastel users who want clients commenting on the real site from their own phone, with integrations on the entry plan and no clock running out on them.

Full disclosure, this is our product. Here is how it compares if Pastel is what you use today.

Comments go on the real page. Instead of building a canvas, you add a script tag, the WordPress plugin or the Chrome extension, and the widget sits on the live or staging site. A client clicks the element they mean and types. The comment is pinned there with a screenshot and browser details, and they never create an account.

That fixes two canvas problems at once. Pages behind a login work as long as the reviewer can open them, because nothing is copied. And since the widget runs on the page itself, a client can open the site on their own phone and comment from there, with no emulator in between.

You decide when feedback closes. There is no fixed window. If you want a deadline, set an end date under Feedback Round in the project's General settings. The widget warns clients a chosen number of days ahead, comments close for clients at the end of that day while your team carries on, and clearing the date reopens the round.

Integrations come with Pro. Pro is $34.99 a month (€29.99), about what Pastel Pro costs, and includes 3 team members, 10 active projects and integrations with Asana, ClickUp, GitHub, Jira, Linear, Monday.com, Slack, Trello, email and webhooks. In Pastel those start on Team. Compare the current allowances in your own currency.

What you give up is mostly convenience. Pastel's canvas needs nothing installed on the site, while here you add the script, the plugin or the extension first. Pastel also has a free plan you can keep using, and this widget needs a paid plan once the 14-day trial ends. Pastel has built-in approvals and a responsive tester too. If those are part of your routine, run your exact workflow during the trial before you switch.

Key features:

• Widget on the live or staging page, so there is no canvas to rebuild for each round
• Clients comment on the device they browse with, phone included, with no account
• Optional feedback round end date, with an advance warning shown in the widget
• Integrations on Pro, plus the MCP integration for AI coding agents
• PDF and image review, so static deliverables stay in the same project
• Reviewer access options from open commenting to invite-only
• WordPress plugin that manages comments, members and settings in WP admin
• Chrome extension for sites where you can't add a script

Pricing:

• Pro $34.99/month (€29.99), 3 team members, 10 active projects, integrations
• Agency $79.99/month (€69.99), unlimited members and projects, your logo and domain
• Yearly billing gives two months free, and clients are unlimited on both plans
• 14-day trial with no card, then a paid plan to keep the widget on
• Details on the current plans and prices page

Pros:

• Feedback on the real site, including pages behind a login the reviewer can open
• No 3-day window, and deadlines only when you set one
• Integrations at roughly the price of Pastel Pro
• Three team members on Pro, against two on Pastel Pro
• Clients never need a seat or an account (how access works)

Cons:

• Needs a script, plugin or extension on the site, where Pastel's canvas needs nothing
• No free plan for ongoing use
• On the market for less time than Pastel, BugHerd or Marker.io

Reviews:

One review speaks straight to this switch. Web designer Katelyn Dekle went looking after Markup changed its pricing, wanting something affordable for her web design students and her own clients, and found Simple Commenter and Pastel to be about the only options left. She gave us four stars rather than five, noting two or three comment placement glitches across 25 to 50 comments, and said her clients preferred it to Markup on their revisions. Other reviews on Product Hunt and AppSumo repeat two points, clients who never sign up and quick answers from support.

BugSmash#

Built for: Freelancers · Agencies

Best for: Pastel users who want the same canvas style for less, with more file types and a Figma plugin, and who don't mind commenters signing up.

BugSmash is the cheaper, wider canvas tool. BugSmash launched in 2025, and despite the name it has nothing to do with BugHerd. It works the way Pastel does, with comments on a hosted snapshot rather than on your live site.

So the canvas limits come along. Static pages and design files load well, while Basic Auth, pages that block iframes and logged-in apps don't. Mobile review is emulated, just as in Pastel.

Where it goes past Pastel is coverage. You can comment on web pages, design files, PDFs, images, video, audio and mobile app screens in one dashboard, and a Figma plugin pulls frames straight into a project. None of the other canvas tools here has one.

Integrations arrive far earlier than in Pastel. Starter, at $19 a month billed yearly, connects to Slack, ClickUp, Asana, Monday, Notion, Airtable, Trello, Jira and Linear (BugSmash pricing, as of 2026-10-29). Pastel holds those back until $119.

The catch we hit is commenting behind an account. The canvas link can be public, but leaving a comment needed a signup in our test, which breaks the drop-a-link habit Pastel clients are used to. Script tools like Feedbucket avoid it by putting the widget on your actual site.

Key features:

• Hosted review of websites, PDFs, images, video, audio and app screens
• Figma plugin for importing frames
• Automatic screenshot on every comment
• AI reviews, with monthly limits by plan
• Integrations from Starter, with Zapier, Make, n8n and webhooks from Team

Pricing:

• Free, 2 projects, 2 users, unlimited guests, 5 GB, 1 AI review
• Starter $19/month yearly or $25 monthly, 30 active projects, 2 users, 50 GB
• Team $49/month yearly or $69 monthly, 10 users, unlimited projects, custom branding
• Agency $99/month yearly or $129 monthly, 25 users, 1 TB, white-label domain and SMTP
• 14-day trial on paid plans (card required), extra users $5 each a month

Pros:

• More file types than Pastel, including video, audio and app screens
• The only Figma plugin among the canvas tools here
• Integrations from the $19 Starter plan
• A free plan you can keep using
• Custom branding from Team

Cons:

• Comments sit on a hosted snapshot, not on your live site
• Commenting needed an account in our test
• Basic Auth and iframe-blocking pages are out
• Mobile is emulated
• Starter has only 2 users
• Few public reviews outside AppSumo

Reviews:

Most reviews sit on AppSumo, from its lifetime-deal launch. Reviewers call it a solid alternative to Markup.io and Pastel and praise a team that fixed reported bugs within a day or two, something they contrast with the larger incumbents. Those buyers paid once rather than monthly, so their value math doesn't carry over to a subscription today. Wait for subscriber reviews on G2 or Capterra before you judge it fully, though the early signs are good.

Huddlekit#

Built for: Agencies · Freelancers

Best for: Pastel users who check responsive layouts constantly and want all four screen sizes in one view, on simple CMS-built marketing sites.

Huddlekit is the canvas tool to try if Pastel's responsive tester feels slow. Huddlekit launched in 2025, installs cleanly, and was close to bug-free in our test.

Its four-screen canvas shows the page at phone, tablet, laptop and desktop widths at once. Pastel has a responsive tester too, but seeing all four together is where Huddlekit leads.

The canvas trade-offs match Pastel's. Mobile is emulated, and the SVG animation on our homepage simply vanished in the render above. Logged-in apps won't load, and neither did our test page behind Basic Auth.

Unlike Pastel, Huddlekit has a second route. A script install, still in beta, worked well on our test pages, with screenshots taken from the spot where each comment was placed. Dropdowns and drawers were the remaining rough edges.

Sharing is open by design. Anyone with the link can read the feedback, and posting asks only for a name and email, so someone who knows a team email can comment as that person. The top plan is Team at 15 members, and it's the only plan with integrations (Huddlekit pricing, as of 2026-10-29). There is no white-label, so clients see the Huddlekit logo.

Key features:

• Canvas review, plus a script install in beta
• Phone, tablet, laptop and desktop views side by side
• Image, PDF and video commenting
• Screenshot captured with each comment
• Kanban, private comments, comment pausing and inspect mode on paid plans

Pricing:

• Free $0, 3 team members, 1 project, 100 MB
• Pro $19/month ($190/year), 3 members, unlimited projects, 5 GB
• Team $39/month ($390/year), 15 members, 50 GB, integrations included
• Yearly billing saves two months

Pros:

• Four sizes at once beats switching viewports one by one
• Cheaper than Pastel Pro, with unlimited projects on Pro
• A script route Pastel doesn't offer
• Clean setup and very few bugs
• A free tier for solo work

Cons:

• The canvas fails behind Basic Auth and in logged-in apps
• Emulated mobile, same as Pastel
• Anyone holding the link can read every comment
• Name and email required to comment
• Integrations only on Team
• No white-label
• No third-party reviews yet

Reviews:

The 5/5 rating on Huddlekit's own site has no G2, Capterra or Product Hunt reviews behind it yet. Its testimonials agree with our test, describing a clean canvas, quick updates and a real alternative to Markup.io, Pastel and Ruttl for simple sites. A firm verdict needs subscriber reviews, but the beta script already outperforms several older tools we tried.

MarkUp.io#

Built for: Agencies · Freelancers

Best for: Teams that outgrew Pastel Pro's two users and want unlimited users on one plan, reviewing sites that aren't behind Basic Auth.

MarkUp.io is the swap when Pastel's seat limits pinch. Pastel Pro covers 2 users and Team charges per user beyond 5, while every MarkUp.io plan includes unlimited users. Pro starts at $79 a month for one workspace, 50 MarkUps a month and 100 GB. MarkUp now lists a 14-day free trial and still has no free plan (MarkUp pricing, as of 2026-10-29). We paid for our test account, so this section is hands-on.

Its Chrome extension does what Pastel's doesn't. MarkUp's extension overlays the live page so reviewers comment right on it, where Pastel's and Volley's only create a project. In our test it drew a border around every div under the cursor, which looked unfinished. The other route, a proxy that serves your site from a MarkUp address, needs no script but fails behind Basic Auth.

Extensions bring their own friction. Clients have to install one before their first comment, and it runs only on desktop Chrome, so phones are out, much as they are in Pastel's emulator.

Screenshots missed in our test, landing on a different part of the page than the comment. When we tested, the integrations were Zapier, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Loom, with ClickUp pending and nothing direct for Jira, Linear, Asana or Trello. The team shipped about six features in 2025.

Key features:

• Proxy review, or a Chrome extension that overlays live pages
• Screenshot attached to each comment
• Unlimited users on every plan
• Folders and share links
• Loom video in comments

Pricing:

• Pro from $79/month, unlimited users, 50 MarkUps a month, 100 GB
• Higher Pro tiers at $99 and $129, Business from $499/month
• 14-day free trial, no free plan

Pros:

• No user limits, unlike Pastel's per-user Team pricing
• An extension that comments on the live page
• Two review routes

Cons:

• Screenshots landed in the wrong spot in our test
• Hover outlines on every div
• The proxy is blocked by Basic Auth
• A thin integration list at test time
• Minimal dashboard and settings
• A slow release pace
• The $79 entry price is more than double Pastel Pro

Reviews:

G2 reviewers like the ease of use, the self-serve setup and how quickly clients learn it. Designers mention rich-text comments, share links and the desktop, tablet and mobile views as reasons they stay. Pricing draws the most complaints, followed by no data export, Zapier without historical sync and slow loading inside the proxy. Reviews from early 2023 praise a free plan with unlimited users that is gone now, and the newer ones dwell more on what's missing.

Feedbucket#

Built for: Agencies · QA teams · SaaS teams · In-house product teams

Best for: Pastel users ready to drop canvases for a widget on the live site, with feedback flowing into their project tracker from the entry plan.

Feedbucket is the most direct route off canvases. Its widget runs on your real site through a script, with one-click installers for WordPress and Shopify. Clients don't sign up, every comment gets an automatic screenshot pinned where it was left, and there is no comment window to expire.

Integrations come on every plan, the gap Pastel leaves open until Team. The list covers most project tools, and Pro adds an MCP connector and API access. The dashboard is deliberately light, with filters by tag and page but no priority, ordering or board, because Feedbucket expects you to triage in your tracker.

Pastel users will notice one habit. Every comment asks for a title by default, an extra step for a client flagging a button. It can be turned off.

Pro costs $49 a month for 2 team members and Business $89 for 25, both with unlimited projects, so Pastel's 3-canvas cap disappears (Feedbucket pricing, as of 2026-10-29). That's $14 more than Pastel Pro, with integrations included.

Key features:

• Script install with WordPress and Shopify installers
• Screenshot pinned to the comment's exact spot
• Screenshot and video feedback
• Integrations, MCP connector and API on Pro
• Link-based guest commenting

Pricing:

• Pro $49/month, 2 team members, unlimited projects and reporters
• Business $89/month, 25 team members, console logs, branding, data export
• Enterprise priced on request
• 20% off yearly, 14-day trial without a card

Pros:

• Comments on the live site, with no expiry
• Integrations on the entry plan
• No signup for clients
• Accurate, fast screenshots
• Developed in the EU

Cons:

• A light dashboard, so triage happens in your tracker
• The title field is on by default
• The WordPress plugin only installs the script
• Branding customization starts on Business
• Pro includes only 2 team members

Reviews:

Reviews are strongly positive and match our test. People mention the no-signup flow for clients and a tool that rarely misbehaves. Teams on Jira, Trello or Asana call it the missing link between site and tracker. The criticism is mild, mostly the thin dashboard and limited customization on the lower plans.

Ruttl#

Built for: Freelancers (force-fit, see review)

Best for: Solo users who only need the free hosted canvas.

Ruttl's free plan is the closest thing to Pastel Free. Signup is quick, the free Basic plan covers up to 5 users on one project, and reviewers comment in Ruttl's hosted view rather than on your site, the same shape as Pastel, MarkUp.io and Volley.

The live-site script costs money before you can see it work. There is no trial of it, so you pay first and find out afterwards.

Key features:

• Free hosted feedback with nothing to install

Pricing:

• Free Basic plan, up to 5 users, 1 project, 5 pages, unlimited guests
• Pro $18 per user per month, two seats minimum in practice, so a $36 floor
• Cancellation by email only, no Stripe portal

Pros:

• Quick signup and a free hosted flow

Cons:

• No way to test the script without paying
• The paid script failed in our test, with screenshot errors and bounced tickets
• $18 a seat buys little next to Pastel Pro
• Cancelling takes an email even though Stripe handles billing
• Public reports of charges after cancellation and of locked accounts

Reviews:

Recent reviews say support has gone quiet and bugs have crept in. Guests still like commenting without signing up, and the built-in kanban appeals to small teams that don't want Jira or Trello on the side. Add the broken paid flow, the two-seat minimum and the stories from other customers, and Ruttl is the one tool here I can't recommend.

Which one should you pick?#

Start from the Pastel limit that bothers you most. To leave canvases and comment on the live site, Simple Commenter and Feedbucket both drop the 3-day window and include integrations on their entry plans. To keep canvases for less money and more file types, try BugSmash's free plan. Huddlekit is the canvas pick for four screen sizes at once, and MarkUp.io fits when Pastel's user limits are the problem. Ruttl is here because it shares the canvas model, not because we recommend it.