A PureRef Alternative for Teams and the Cloud

From a local window to a shared workspace

PureRef is a brilliant lightweight desktop app for pinning reference images while you work. Clusters takes reference boards to the cloud: they live in your browser, sync across devices, and can be shared with a link or edited by your whole team in real time. Your references are backed up and reachable from anywhere, not trapped in a file on one machine.

• Opens in any browser — nothing to install or update
• Boards sync across devices and back up automatically
• Share a read-only link no one has to download

Looking for PureRef online? This is that

There is no web version of PureRef — it is a desktop app, and artists have been asking its forum for an online, shareable version for years. Clusters is that tool: the same fast drop-images-and-arrange feel, running in the browser. Open your reference board on any machine and it is the same board — on your workstation, on a laptop at a review, or on an iPad on set. Nothing to install, nothing to sync by hand.

• A reference board that opens with a URL, not a file
• Same board on desktop, laptop, and iPad
• Share it like a Google Doc — one link, live for everyone

More than images

A reference board is rarely just pictures. Clusters cards can be images, notes, links, video, PDFs, color palettes, and docs — with non-destructive image adjustments built in — so your reference, your annotations, and your color story sit together instead of in three tools.

• Notes, docs, video, PDFs, and palettes on one canvas
• Non-destructive image adjustments built in
• Pull a color palette straight from a reference image

Switching from PureRef takes an afternoon

Bring your references over in one pass: export the images from PureRef (or gather the original files you pinned) and drag the whole set onto a new Clusters board. Auto-tagging reads and files each image as it lands, so the board organizes itself while you rebuild the layout you had — and stays organized as the project grows.

• Drag a whole folder of references in at once
• Auto-tagging organizes images as they land
• One board per project — or nest boards inside it

Reference boards your whole team can stand around

A PureRef file lives on one artist’s machine. In Clusters the whole team works from the same board: live cursors and presence show who is looking at what, comments pin to the exact image they are about, and a client or supervisor opens a clean read-only view with no account and nothing to install.

• Live cursors and presence for the whole team
• Comments land on the exact reference they are about
• Clients view with a link — no account, no install

Something PureRef cannot do at all

PureRef is a local window on one machine. There is no API and nothing for an assistant to talk to, so a reference board built there is a board only you can touch. Clusters connects to Claude and other MCP clients: you can ask an assistant to pull a set of references, build the board and arrange it, then open the result and take over by hand. The images are still yours — it collects and arranges, it does not invent pictures.

• Ask an assistant to gather and lay out a reference board
• Connect with a URL — nothing to install, no key to paste
• It reaches only what your account reaches, and deleting is off by default

When PureRef is still the right call

If you want a tiny, free, fully-offline window that floats over your art app and does one thing perfectly, PureRef is excellent and we will not pretend otherwise. Clusters is for when reference needs to be shared, collaborative, multi-media, and organized into a larger project.

How to move a PureRef board to Clusters

1. Collect your images — Export the images from PureRef, or gather the original files you pinned.
2. Drag them onto a new board — Drop the whole set at once — auto-tagging files each reference as it lands.
3. Add what PureRef couldn’t hold — Put notes, links, video, and color palettes right beside the imagery.
4. Share one link — Send the board to your team or client — it opens in the browser, nothing to install.

Clusters vs PureRef

Two different philosophies for reference boards:

Made with Clusters

Real boards published from the canvas — open one and explore it live.

• Film Noir Look Book
• Neon Noir Look Book
• Japandi Living Room

Frequently asked questions

What is a good PureRef alternative with collaboration?

Among apps like PureRef, Soleil Clusters is the one built for collaboration: it keeps the fast, freeform reference-board feel but adds real-time editing, link sharing, cloud sync, and support for notes, docs, palettes, and video — not just images.

Is there an online version of PureRef?

No — PureRef is a desktop app with no official web version, and the community request for one has been open on its forum for years. Clusters fills that gap: a reference board that runs in the browser, syncs across devices, and shares with one link.

Milanote vs PureRef — which should I use?

They solve different problems: PureRef is an offline desktop window for pinning reference images while you work, and Milanote is a board app for planning and organizing ideas. Clusters sits between the two — the reference-board workflow, in the browser, with sharing and real-time collaboration. Our Milanote comparison covers that side in detail.

Is there an open-source PureRef alternative?

BeeRef is the best-known one — a free, open-source desktop reference board for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Like PureRef it is desktop-only, with no web version or collaboration. Clusters is not open source; it is the option to pick when you want reference boards in the browser, shared with a link.

Can I use PureRef on an iPad?

PureRef does not ship an iPad or Android app. Clusters runs in the browser, so the same reference board opens on your desktop, laptop, or iPad — useful when you want your reference with you on set or away from your workstation.

Does PureRef have a collaboration mode?

No. A PureRef board is a local file on one machine; sharing it means sending the file or an exported image. Clusters boards are collaborative by default — live cursors, comments pinned to images, and one link that always shows the current board.

Can Clusters open .pur files?

Not directly — .pur is PureRef’s own local format. Export your images from PureRef (or gather the originals) and drag the whole set onto a Clusters board; auto-tagging files each reference as it lands, and the layout takes minutes to rebuild.

Is there a free PureRef alternative?

Yes — Soleil Clusters is free to start on the Demo tier, with no credit card and nothing to install. To be fair, PureRef itself is pay-what-you-want; the difference is that Clusters adds sharing, real-time collaboration, and cloud sync.

Is there a PureRef alternative that works online, with no download?

Yes. Clusters runs entirely in the browser — open a board on any machine and it is the same board, synced and backed up. Nothing to install for you or for anyone you share it with.

What is the best PureRef alternative for teams?

Clusters is built for exactly that: live cursors and presence, comments pinned to the image they are about, and one shared board as the team’s source of truth instead of a file on one artist’s machine.

How do I move my PureRef boards into Clusters?

Export the images from PureRef (or gather the originals), then drag the whole set onto a new Clusters board. Auto-tagging files each reference as it lands, and you can rebuild your layout in minutes.

Does Clusters work offline like PureRef?

Clusters is a cloud, browser-based workspace, so it is not a fully-offline desktop window the way PureRef is. In exchange you get sharing, collaboration, and cross-device sync.

Can I put more than images on a Clusters board?

Yes — images, notes, links, video, PDFs, docs, and color palettes all live on the same canvas, with non-destructive image adjustments built in.

Is Clusters free?

Yes, the Demo tier is free with no credit card. Creator ($25/mo) adds unlimited cards, 100GB storage, and any file type.

Can an AI assistant work with my reference board?

In Clusters, yes — connect Claude or any MCP client with one URL and ask it to build or tidy a board. PureRef is an offline desktop app with no API, so there is nothing for an assistant to connect to. Clusters arranges the references you already have rather than generating images.