Pastel is a visual feedback and QA tool that turns a link or file into a canvas for comments: websites, PDFs, images, videos, and emails. Plenty of teams are happy with it. This page is for the ones who are not sure it fits anymore, with five options checked against each tool's own site on October 13, 2026.
Full disclosure: layernote is ours, and it is first on this list. That is exactly why every claim below links back to what each vendor says about themselves, including the cases where another tool, Pastel included, is the better pick.
Pastel review: pros and cons
Pastel is one of the friendliest review tools around: paste a link or drop a file, and clients comment on a canvas without an account, with approvals and deadlines on every plan, Free included. Since September 2026 it also has an MCP server. Its limits are the plan caps, 2 users and 3 active canvases on the $35 Pro plan, and the lack of a Figma integration. If your reviews are mostly websites that end in code, a tool built around that fits better.
Pros
- Free plan with one active canvas, and unlimited reviewers on every plan
- Websites, PDFs, images, video, and email, each on its own canvas
- Approval workflow built in: approvals, deadlines, pause commenting
- An MCP server for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents
- Paste a URL and share a link, no extension needed for public sites
Cons
- No Figma integration; their FAQ says to export designs as images or PDFs
- Pro covers 2 users and 3 active canvases; Team starts at $119 a month
- Integrations with Jira, Trello, Asana and others start on the Team plan
Verified on usepastel.com. Spot something outdated? Tell us and we will fix it.
Pastel pricing
Pastel has four plans: Free, Pro at $35 a month ($29 billed yearly), Team at $119 a month ($99 billed yearly), and Enterprise at $450 a month, billed yearly. Plans are metered by users and active canvases; reviewers, comments and versions are unlimited on all of them.
| Plan | Users and canvases | Billed monthly | Billed yearly, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 user, 1 active canvas | $0 | $0 |
| Pro | 2 users, 3 active canvases | $35 | $29 |
| Team | 5 users, unlimited canvases | $119 | $99 |
| Enterprise | 10 users, unlimited canvases | Not offered | $450 |
Extra users on Team cost $24 a month each. A canvas is one website, file or email under review; on Free and Pro you archive one to start another, and archived canvases take no new comments.
Every plan includes approvals, deadlines with reminders and pausing comments. Integrations with Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday and Zapier, and webhook export, start on Team; Enterprise adds SAML SSO and a SOC 2 report.
Pro and Team come with a 14-day trial, no credit card needed. After it the account drops to Free and canvases become read-only.
How Pastel pricing changed
Pastel raised its prices once, early in 2025: the entry plan went from $29 to $35 a month and the team plan from $99 to $119. Later that year it renamed the plans and changed Free from unlimited canvases with a 3-day commenting window to one active canvas without a time limit.
December 2022 to January 2025
Solo at $29 a month ($24 billed yearly) for 1 user and 3 premium canvases, Studio at $99 for 5 users, and Free with unlimited canvases and a 3-day commenting window.
Source: usepastel.com/plans, archivedFebruary 2025
Solo rises to $35 a month ($29 billed yearly), Studio to $119 ($99), and Enterprise to $450.
Source: usepastel.com/plans, archivedNovember 2025
Solo and Studio become Pro and Team. Pro now covers 2 users and 3 active canvases, and Free one active canvas without the 3-day window.
Source: usepastel.com/plans, archivedSeptember 2026
The plans page is redesigned with the same prices: Pro at $35 a month, Team at $119.
Source: usepastel.com/plans, archived
Prices in US dollars, checked on October 13, 2026.
Best Pastel alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. layernote | Annotating websites and design files | $19/mo flat |
| 2. MarkUp.io | Simple review of many file types | $79/mo for 50 MarkUps |
| 3. Ruttl | Budget feedback across many surfaces | $18/user/mo |
| 4. Feedbucket | Agency feedback on staging sites | $49/mo (2 members) |
| 5. BugHerd | Client feedback with a kanban workflow | $50/mo (5 members) |
1. layernote
Your busiest workflows,
now running on their own.
Forge connects to the tools your team already uses and runs
the repetitive work in the background, so your people can
spend their day on the work that needs them.
The headline wraps too early on desktop. Can it stay on two lines like in the design?
2 repliesPastel and layernote both make client feedback painless: share a link, let anyone comment, no accounts needed, and both let a coding agent act on the comments over MCP. Where they part ways is the target. Pastel reviews almost any file, video and email included. layernote is built for websites that end in code, with a kanban board, CSS inspect on the annotated element, and your Figma frames imported to review in the same place.
Pastel vs layernote: at a glance
| Feature | Pastel | layernote |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Canvas review of mixed content | Annotating websites and design files |
| Starting price | $35/mo (2 users) | $19/mo flat |
| Free to try | Free plan, 1 active canvas | 14-day trial |
| MCP handoff | Yes | Yes |
| Figma import | Via image or PDF export | Yes |
| Kanban board | Not documented | Studio plan |
Every feature and both prices: layernote vs Pastel
Why it is on top
- A lower price with room to grow: layernote Solo is $19 a month for you and 10 projects, with $8 per member you add. Pastel Pro is $35 a month for 2 users and 3 active canvases.
- Feedback run as a project: status, priority, assignee and labels on every annotation, a kanban board on Studio and Team, and CSS inspect on the annotated element.
- You work from Figma: layernote imports your Figma frames, so feedback lands on the design itself. Pastel has no Figma integration and asks you to export designs as images or PDFs.
Solo is $19 a month, Studio $49 and Team $89, or 20% less billed yearly. Studio includes 10 members and Team 20; past that, and on Solo for anyone but you, a member is $8 a month. Clients always review free. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial of Studio, no credit card needed.
2. MarkUp.io
MarkUp.io is a visual commenting tool by Ceros for pinning feedback on live websites, images, PDFs, and video, over 30 file types in all.
| Feature | Pastel | MarkUp.io |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Canvas review of mixed content | Simple review of many file types |
| Starting price | $35/mo (2 users) | $79/mo for 50 MarkUps |
| Free to try | Free plan, 1 active canvas | 14-day trial |
| MCP handoff | Yes | No |
| Figma import | Via image or PDF export | Via PDF export |
Pros
- Unlimited users on every plan, and guests comment without signing up
- 30+ file types, including live websites, PDFs, Office documents, and video
Cons
- Pro includes 50 new MarkUps a month since 2026, where it used to be unlimited; 75 or 100 cost $99 or $129
- Deleting or archiving a MarkUp does not return it to the allowance, unless you delete it within 15 minutes
MarkUp.io starts at $79/mo for 50 MarkUps (14-day trial), checked September 28, 2026 on markup.io. Every pro and con, and who it suits better than Pastel, is in our MarkUp.io alternatives guide.
3. Ruttl
Ruttl is a website feedback platform for commenting on live sites, web apps, mobile apps, images, and PDFs, with a built-in kanban workflow.
| Feature | Pastel | Ruttl |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Canvas review of mixed content | Budget feedback across many surfaces |
| Starting price | $35/mo (2 users) | $18/user/mo |
| Free to try | Free plan, 1 active canvas | Free plan, 10 comments |
| MCP handoff | Yes | No |
| Figma import | Via image or PDF export | Coming soon |
| Kanban board | Not documented | Yes |
Pros
- Free plan, and live sites, web apps, mobile apps, images, and PDFs in one tool
- Guest commenting through a share link, no signup
Cons
- Per-seat pricing: $18 per user per month on Pro
- Figma is listed as coming soon on their own integrations page
Ruttl starts at $18/user/mo (free plan, 10 comments), checked July 20, 2026 on ruttl.com. Every pro and con, and who it suits better than Pastel, is in our Ruttl alternatives guide.
4. Feedbucket
Feedbucket is a website feedback tool for agencies where clients comment on staging sites through an installed script, with no accounts or extensions.
| Feature | Pastel | Feedbucket |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Canvas review of mixed content | Agency feedback on staging sites |
| Starting price | $35/mo (2 users) | $49/mo (2 members) |
| Free to try | Free plan, 1 active canvas | 14-day trial |
| MCP handoff | Yes | No |
| Comment on live websites | Yes | Via installed script |
| Annotate PDFs | Yes | Not documented |
| Figma import | Via image or PDF export | No |
Pros
- Clients comment without signups, downloads, or extensions
- In-browser screen and video recording with audio
Cons
- Requires installing their script or WordPress plugin on the site
- No Figma integration
Feedbucket starts at $49/mo (2 members) (14-day trial), checked July 20, 2026 on feedbucket.app. Every pro and con, and who it suits better than Pastel, is in our Feedbucket alternatives guide.
5. BugHerd
BugHerd is a visual feedback and bug tracking tool where clients pin comments on live websites and feedback becomes tasks on a kanban board.
| Feature | Pastel | BugHerd |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Canvas review of mixed content | Client feedback with a kanban workflow |
| Starting price | $35/mo (2 users) | $50/mo (5 members) |
| Free to try | Free plan, 1 active canvas | 7-day trial |
| MCP handoff | Yes | Beta |
| Figma import | Via image or PDF export | Prototype feedback |
| Kanban board | Not documented | Yes |
Pros
- Pin comments on live sites with auto screenshots and browser metadata
- Unlimited client users on every plan, no accounts needed for guests
Cons
- No free tier, and the entry plan is $50 per month for 5 members
- Member caps per tier with paid add-on seats
BugHerd starts at $50/mo (5 members) (7-day trial), checked July 20, 2026 on bugherd.com. Every pro and con, and who it suits better than Pastel, is in our BugHerd alternatives guide.
Next steps: choosing your Pastel alternative
Shortlist two tools from this page and run one real review round in each, with a client who has never seen either. The one your client actually uses is the answer. If your Pastel reviews end in changes to a website, start that round in layernote.
Start your free 14-day layernote trial, no credit card required.
Sticking with Pastel?
No problem! It is genuinely the better fit if:
- You want a plan that stays free: Pastel's Free plan keeps one active canvas, with approvals, deadlines and pause commenting included.
- You review marketing emails: Pastel takes them as a canvas, layernote does not.
- You want approval workflow out of the box: approvals, deadlines with reminders, pausing comments, and a Next Steps tab per reviewer.
- Your agent should read the comments too: Pastel launched an MCP server in September 2026 for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents.
Pastel FAQ
Pastel is a visual feedback and QA tool from usepastel.com, not the Sage Pastel accounting software. It turns a website, PDF, image, video or email into a canvas that clients comment on from a link, without an account.
Free for 1 user and 1 active canvas. Pro is $35 a month ($29 billed yearly) for 2 users and 3 active canvases, Team $119 a month ($99 billed yearly) for 5 users and unlimited canvases, and Enterprise $450 a month, billed yearly, from 10 users.
Yes, early in 2025: the entry plan went from $29 to $35 a month and the team plan from $99 to $119. Prices have not changed since; the plans were renamed to Pro and Team later in 2025.
There is a Free plan with 1 user and one active canvas at a time; you archive a canvas to start a new one. Reviewers are unlimited, and approvals and deadlines are included. Paid plans have a 14-day trial without a card.
There is no Figma integration. Pastel's FAQ suggests exporting Figma designs as images or PDFs and uploading those, and a Figma link can be added to a comment as an attachment.
Yes, since September 2026. AI agents like Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can list canvases and comments, reply, resolve and assign, and create or share canvases.
If your reviews are websites that end in code, layernote pins annotations on the live page, hands them to your coding agent over MCP, and starts at $19 a month. MarkUp.io takes more file types, Ruttl covers many surfaces on a budget, Feedbucket suits agency feedback on staging sites, and BugHerd client feedback on a kanban board.
Written by DinoFounder of layernote · @dino_murs on X