Pastel

Overview

Pastel is a visual review tool for live websites and creative files, built for teams that need clients or other guests to comment in context. Its broad mix of review controls and project-management integrations is compelling, but the one-canvas Free plan is mainly a way to try the workflow rather than run several reviews at once.

Founded in 2017 by Pastel Labs Inc., a company created by freelance designers and developers, Pastel supports browser-based comments on website canvases as well as image uploads and PDF markup. Reviewers can join without accounts, which reduces friction for external feedback.

Key features

Pastel combines annotations with practical review management: teams can assign comments, label them, set deadlines, pause commenting and record approvals. Responsive testing helps reviewers assess layouts, while CSV export offers a straightforward way to take review data elsewhere. Real-time updates and team-only comments support ongoing collaboration without making every discussion visible to guests.

Integrations include Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday.com and Zapier, alongside custom webhooks and API-based integrations. Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT can also act on feedback through Pastel's MCP. This breadth suits teams that want review work connected to existing project tools or AI-assisted workflows; it may be more than a small team needs if comments rarely leave the canvas.

Pastel says it overlays comments on live websites without logging or storing canvas requests, while retaining comment content and related metadata. Its privacy policy describes protections including encryption, firewalls, restricted employee access and requirements for service providers. Enterprise adds a SOC 2 report and SAML single sign-on for organizations with formal security requirements.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes 1 user and 1 canvas. That active-canvas cap makes it suitable for a single review in progress; users can archive a canvas to open another and unarchive it later, but parallel projects require a paid tier.

Pro costs $29 a month, billed Billed at $350/year, and includes 2 users, 3 canvases and 100GB video storage. It fits a very small team handling a few active reviews, though two seats are restrictive when several colleagues need to participate.

Team costs $99 a month, billed Billed at $1,190/year, starts at 5 users and includes unlimited canvases and 500GB video storage. Additional users cost $24 each. This is the more natural tier for teams juggling multiple projects, with the starting seat count and per-user charge worth factoring into the budget.

Enterprise costs $450 a month, billed at $5,400/year, and is billed yearly. It starts at 10 users and adds unlimited canvases, a SOC 2 report, SAML SSO, custom legal terms and a dedicated account representative. Its custom terms and security features target larger organizations rather than teams seeking the lowest-cost collaboration plan.

The free trial provides 14 days of access to any paid plan and does not require a credit card. That gives teams a way to assess higher-tier workflows before choosing a plan.

Platforms

Pastel supports Android, iOS and web, with an API platform also listed. Browser-based website review works on any device. Email support is available at [email protected], and Pastel links to a Help Center.

Who it's for

Pastel is a strong fit for design, development and marketing teams that gather feedback on websites and creative files, especially when external reviewers need to comment without creating accounts. Its integrations and workflow controls are useful when feedback must move into project tracking. It is less suited to solo users or small teams that need several active canvases on a free plan, and the two-user Pro tier may not stretch far for growing teams.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Guests can comment without accounts, making client and stakeholder review less cumbersome.
• Pros: Website, image and PDF feedback share one workflow, with assignments, deadlines and approvals to keep reviews organized.
• Pros: Project-management integrations, webhooks and API options help teams connect review feedback to existing processes.
• Cons: Free allows only one active canvas, so simultaneous reviews require archiving or a paid plan.
• Cons: Pro has just 2 users; teams needing broader participation must move to a tier that starts at 5 seats or pay $24 per additional user on Team.

Alternatives

For a narrower web-annotation workflow, compare Web Annotation Tools; for reviewing creative work, see Online Proofing Software.

• Annot8 offers a free plan with 2 projects, 3 team seats, 3 guest reviewers and 50 feedback threads per month, making it worth considering when those limits suit the workflow.
• Hypothesis is an option for readers seeking a freemium annotation tool with web, extension and API platforms.
• AnnotationBase has a free Lite plan with 5 active projects, up to 5 collaborators and guest commenting, a useful alternative for teams focused on project and comment limits.
• Markify provides a free plan with 2 canvases and up to 5 comments per canvas, which may fit lighter review needs.
• WebPinch is another freemium web and extension option, with a free tier that includes personal projects, an organization project, a teammate and an API/MCP token.
• PinPoint offers an early-access plan with up to 100 projects, 20 members and 20 guests, making it relevant for readers who prioritize those capacity limits.
• ArchiveWeb.page is a free option for readers seeking software available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
• Ruttl has a free plan with 5 users, 1 project, 5 pages and unlimited guests, a possible fit when those project and user limits align better.

Verdict

Pastel is best for teams reviewing websites and creative files with clients or other guests, particularly when comments need assignments, approvals and links to project-management tools. Its guest access and connected workflow are the clearest reasons to choose it; the one-canvas free cap and limited Pro seats are the main reasons to look elsewhere or budget for Team.