Ruttl is a website feedback platform for commenting on live sites, web apps, mobile apps, images, and PDFs, with a built-in kanban workflow. 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 July 20, 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, Ruttl included, is the better pick.
Why teams look beyond Ruttl
- Per-seat pricing: $18 per user per month on Pro
- Figma is listed as coming soon on their own integrations page
- No MCP or coding agent handoff
- Free plan is tight: 1 project, 5 pages, 10 comments
Verified on ruttl.com. Spot something outdated? Tell us and we will fix it.
Best Ruttl alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. layernote | Annotating websites and design files | $19/mo flat |
| 2. Pastel | Canvas review of mixed content | $35/mo (2 users) |
| 3. MarkUp.io | Simple review of many file types | $79/mo for 50 MarkUps |
| 4. BugHerd | Client feedback with a kanban workflow | $50/mo (5 members) |
| 5. Feedbucket | Agency feedback on staging sites | $49/mo (2 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 repliesRuttl covers a lot of surfaces, including mobile apps, and comes with a free plan. layernote plays a different game: review that ends in code, with every annotation handed to your coding agent over MCP, and native Figma import. On Ruttl's own integrations page, Figma is still marked coming soon; layernote imports your Figma file today.
Ruttl vs layernote: at a glance
| Feature | Ruttl | layernote |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget feedback across many surfaces | Annotating websites and design files |
| Starting price | $18/user/mo | $19/mo flat |
| Free to try | Free plan, 10 comments | 14-day trial |
| MCP handoff | No | Yes |
| Figma import | Coming soon | Yes |
| Kanban board | Yes | Studio plan |
Why it is on top
- You want the design half as well as the review half: Ruttl's Figma import is still coming soon, and layernote imports your Figma frames today.
- You want fixes made, not just collected: layernote hands annotations to Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex over MCP, and the agent marks each one resolved with what changed.
- Flat pricing for teams: layernote Solo is $19 per month for you, then $8 per member, Ruttl Pro is $18 per user. A three-person team pays $35 against $54.
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. Pastel
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.
| Feature | Ruttl | Pastel |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget feedback across many surfaces | Canvas review of mixed content |
| Starting price | $18/user/mo | $35/mo (2 users) |
| Free to try | Free plan, 10 comments | Free plan, 1 active canvas |
| MCP handoff | No | Yes |
| Figma import | Coming soon | Via image or PDF export |
| Kanban board | Yes | Not documented |
Pros
- Free plan with one active canvas, and unlimited reviewers on every plan
- Websites, PDFs, images, video, and email, each on its own canvas
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
Pastel starts at $35/mo (2 users) (free plan, 1 active canvas), checked October 13, 2026 on usepastel.com. Every pro and con, and who it suits better than Ruttl, is in our Pastel alternatives guide.
3. 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 | Ruttl | MarkUp.io |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget feedback across many surfaces | Simple review of many file types |
| Starting price | $18/user/mo | $79/mo for 50 MarkUps |
| Free to try | Free plan, 10 comments | 14-day trial |
| MCP handoff | No | No |
| Figma import | Coming soon | Via PDF export |
| Kanban board | Yes | Not documented |
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 Ruttl, is in our MarkUp.io alternatives guide.
4. 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 | Ruttl | BugHerd |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget feedback across many surfaces | Client feedback with a kanban workflow |
| Starting price | $18/user/mo | $50/mo (5 members) |
| Free to try | Free plan, 10 comments | 7-day trial |
| MCP handoff | No | Beta |
| Figma import | Coming soon | Prototype feedback |
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 Ruttl, is in our BugHerd alternatives guide.
5. 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 | Ruttl | Feedbucket |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget feedback across many surfaces | Agency feedback on staging sites |
| Starting price | $18/user/mo | $49/mo (2 members) |
| Free to try | Free plan, 10 comments | 14-day trial |
| MCP handoff | No | No |
| Comment on live websites | Yes | Via installed script |
| Annotate PDFs | Yes | Not documented |
| Figma import | Coming soon | No |
| Kanban board | Yes | Not documented |
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 Ruttl, is in our Feedbucket alternatives guide.
Next steps: choosing your Ruttl 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 Ruttl 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 Ruttl?
No problem! It is genuinely the better fit if:
- You want to start free: Ruttl's Basic plan is free forever within its limits.
- You review mobile apps: Ruttl supports mobile app feedback, which layernote does not.
- You want AI triage on the feedback itself, like comment sentiment detection.
Written by DinoFounder of layernote · @dino_murs on X