A new home for all
your creative references.
A reference manager
built for creatives, by a creative.
No more switching between your organizer and your moodboard tool.
Organize and moodboard thousands of images in one seamless workflow.
Best of all, it is completely private and incredibly fast.
Infinite Canvas
Unbounded space, unlimited possibilities.
Create as many moodboard you need for each project. Right in your library.
Library-Integrated
Add images straight from your library onto the canvas. Add from any folder without leaving the editor.
Layers
Named layers and groups with drag-and-drop reordering, visibility toggle, locking, and per-layer opacity.
Text Elements
Add text labels and notes directly on the canvas with style, alignment, and color controls.
Properties Sidebar
Figma-style panel for precise control — position, size, rotation, opacity, alignment, and distribute.
Organize
Your library, your system. Build it once, find anything forever.
Folder-Based Library
Your workspace is a normal folder on your machine. Organize how you already do — refern reads your existing structure.
Hierarchical Tags
Build tag trees, create groups, and link related tags. Rich text autocomplete with ghost text suggestions.
Smart Folders
Save any search as a live-updating folder. Filter by tag, rating, color, date, type, and more.
Bulk Editing
Select dozens of files and edit tags, ratings, labels, and metadata all at once.
Search
Find anything and everything in your workspace from anywhere.
Built for the details.
Pin to Top
Keep refern above other windows while you work
Window Transparency
Adjust opacity to overlay references on your workspace
Click Through
Interact with apps beneath the transparent window
Light & Dark Mode
Switch to match your preference
All the details
- Rating
- Favourite
- NSFW
- Color label
- Name
- Description
- Tags
- Rich notes
- Creator
- Source name
- Source URL
All searchable.
Beyond flat tags
Hierarchical tags
Nest tags in parent-child trees
Group tags
Organize tags into named sets
Linked tags
Connect related tags together
Color groups
Color-code tag categories
Auto-complete.
Text prediction.
Macros.
Save from Anywhere
Save individual image
One-click save from any webpage
Bulk save images
Grab every image on a page at once
Auto detection
Detects images on hover automatically
Seamlessly connected
Saves straight to your library with tags and folder selection
Chrome. Firefox. Safari. All Supported.
Your files stay yours
No copying files.
No proprietary save files.
No internet needed.
refern reads your files in place, works completely offline,
and saves data as a single JSON file in your workspace folder.
Alpha is free.
Full release: $30 lifetime license.
One purchase. No subscription.
Join 5985 on the waitlist and 1000+ in our Discord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is refern a Pinterest alternative?
Yes — but for your own files, completely offline. No feed, no ads, no algorithm. refern is a visual reference manager with an infinite canvas, built for artists and designers who want to collect, organize, and moodboard references without the social noise.
How is refern different from Eagle?
Eagle copies your files into a proprietary library folder, doubling your disk usage. refern reads your files in place — your workspace is a normal folder. refern also has an infinite canvas, hierarchical tags, 14 search operators, timed study mode, and visual similarity search that Eagle doesn't offer.
How is refern different from PureRef?
PureRef is a spatial canvas with no organization. refern gives you the same infinite canvas with layers, text, and a properties panel — plus a full library manager with tags, search, metadata, and smart folders. One app instead of two.
Is refern free?
The alpha is completely free. The full release will be a one-time $30 lifetime license — no subscriptions, no recurring fees. Pay once, own it forever.
What platforms are supported?
Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel), and Linux.
Does refern copy or modify my files?
Never. refern reads your existing folder structure and stores all metadata in a single JSON file in your workspace. Your files stay exactly where they are.