Pastel

Pastel collects visual feedback and approvals on websites and creative work such as images, PDFs, and videos. Users can create a canvas from a website and place comments directly on it in a browser on any device; live sites can also be shared and files uploaded for review. Collaboration includes real-time updates, team-only comments, and guest reviewers who can comment without accounts. Workflows support assignments, labels, deadlines, paused comments, approvals, responsive testing, and CSV export. Pastel lists integrations with Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday.com, and Zapier, along with custom webhooks and API integrations. It also says Cursor, Claude, and ChatGPT can act on feedback through its MCP. The free plan allows one active canvas at a time, though users can archive canvases and restore them later. The 14-day trial includes access to any paid plan and does not require a credit card. Listed paid pricing starts at $35/mo; Pro is listed at $29 a month, billed at $350/year. Pastel says it overlays comments on live websites without logging or storing canvas requests, while storing comment content and related metadata.

Pastel focuses on visual feedback across live websites and creative files, with guest access and workflow tools. The free plan is limited to one active canvas, while paid plans include a 14-day trial without a credit card.

Pastel may suit teams collecting feedback on websites, PDFs, images, or videos, especially when reviewers need to comment without accounts. Its assignments, approvals, and integrations can support a structured review workflow.

Pastel is a browser-based review tool for teams gathering feedback on websites and creative files. It is best suited to agencies and creative teams that need clients to comment in context. Its guest access and workflow controls are useful, but the Free plan’s single active canvas limits ongoing work.

Overview

Pastel lets reviewers annotate live websites in a browser, and teams can also share images and PDFs for feedback. Real-time updates, team-only comments and guest reviewers who need no account make it practical when feedback must come from both colleagues and clients.

Pastel was founded in 2017. Its maker, Pastel Labs Inc., says freelance designers and developers created the company to make website feedback easier.

Key features

Comments can be assigned, labeled and given deadlines; teams can pause commenting, record approvals and check responsive layouts. These controls help keep review work organized, though teams that only need occasional informal notes may not need the full workflow.

Pastel integrates with Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday.com and Zapier, and supports custom webhooks, API-based integrations and CSV export. Cursor, Claude and ChatGPT can act on feedback through its MCP. That breadth is a fit for teams that want review comments connected to their existing project tools or AI workflows, but may be unnecessary for a small group working only on 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, which may matter to organizations with formal security requirements.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes 1 user and 1 canvas. Only one canvas can be active at a time; archiving one lets users create another and restore the archived canvas later. That works for a single current review, but is restrictive for teams juggling multiple projects.

Pro costs $29 a month, billed at $350/year, and includes 2 users, 3 canvases and 100GB video storage. It suits a small pair of reviewers, but its two-seat cap and three-canvas allowance are a meaningful ceiling for growing teams.

Team costs $99 a month, billed at $1,190/year, starts at 5 users and includes unlimited canvases and 500GB video storage; each additional user costs $24. It is the more practical choice for teams running several reviews at once, though extra seats raise the cost.

Enterprise costs $450 a month, billed at $5,400/year, billed yearly. It starts at 10 users and includes unlimited canvases, a SOC 2 report, SAML SSO, custom legal terms and a dedicated account representative. Organizations needing those security and service provisions have a clear reason to choose it; smaller teams may find the entry point excessive. The free trial provides 14 days of access to any paid plan without requiring a credit card.

Platforms

Pastel supports Android, iOS, web and API. Website comments are placed in a browser on any device, giving guests a way to respond without installing an account-based review workflow.

Who it's for

Pastel is a strong fit for agencies and creative teams that need clients to review live sites, images or PDFs, especially when assignments, approvals and project-tool integrations matter. It is less suitable for teams that need several active projects on a free plan, or only need lightweight comments without workflow controls.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited guest reviewers can comment without accounts, reducing friction when clients need to provide feedback.
• Pro: Comments, assignments, deadlines, approvals and responsive testing bring review coordination into one workflow.
• Pro: Project-tool integrations, webhooks, API and MCP support offer several routes for connecting feedback to other work.
• Con: Free is limited to one active canvas, so parallel reviews require archiving or a paid plan.
• Con: Pro is limited to 2 users and 3 canvases; teams needing more seats or simultaneous projects must move to Team or Enterprise.
• Con: Team and Enterprise are billed annually at the stated yearly totals, so they require a larger commitment than a monthly-only plan.

Alternatives

For a broader web annotation tools shortlist, compare tools by the type of material and collaboration workflow you need. The online proofing software list is another place to compare review-focused options.

Weava Highlighter is another freemium option with web and iOS support; consider it if those are the platforms you need. Annot offers a $9 a month Freelance plan with one active project, one user, unlimited guests, file uploads in comments, Slack integration and email support; it may suit a solo freelancer seeking that combination at a lower monthly price.

Annot8 has a free plan with 2 projects, 3 team seats, 3 guest reviewers, 50 feedback threads per month, 14-day history and 1 GB storage. It may suit teams that can work within those quotas and want a free plan with more than one project. AnnotationBase has a free Lite plan with 5 active projects, up to 5 collaborators, guest commenting, AI instructions export and comment resolution; it may be preferable when those free-plan capacities fit.

Huddlekit is another option for designers and developers. Hypothesis offers a free plan with core annotation, private groups and self-service support, and may suit readers looking for those capabilities. Leafy is available for browser extensions and self-hosting. Ruttl has a free plan for 5 users, 1 project, 5 pages, unlimited guests, 10 comments and 1 GB storage; its listed $18 a month Pro plan may suit teams that need more than that free allowance.

Verdict

Choose Pastel if your team needs clients and colleagues to leave visual feedback on live websites and creative files, with guest access and controls to manage reviews. Its strongest reason to buy is that combination of in-context comments and workflow integrations. Look elsewhere if you need multiple active canvases at no cost or a lower-seat plan with a broader free project allowance.