Pastel layers a comment canvas over a live website through a proxy, so clients click any spot on the page and leave feedback with zero account and zero browser extension. Approvals, feedback deadlines, comment labels and a responsive tester come on every plan, including the free one. Calendly, Lemonly and Fountain Digital use it for client sign off, and the tool has logged more than 8 million comments.
The pricing model is where teams start comparing. The free plan allows one user and one active canvas, Pro at $35 a month stops at two users and three canvases, and project management integrations with Jira, Asana, ClickUp, Trello and Monday come only with Team at $119 a month. A ten person team on Team pays $239 a month. Developers also get screenshots and comments from Pastel, while console logs, network requests and session replay sit outside its feature set.
The ten Pastel alternatives below cover the gaps teams raise most: per seat cost, technical bug data, two way sync with project tools, agency operations and review of files beyond websites. Each entry lists the reason to switch, plan prices, the team cost and the catch.
- Pastel Plans and Features
- Common Reasons to Replace Pastel
- 10 Website Review Tools to Use in Place of Pastel
- 1. Feedbucket: Best Value Pastel Alternative for Agencies
- 2. Marker.io: Best Pastel Alternative for Developer Ready Bug Reports
- 3. Atarim: Best Pastel Alternative for Agency Operations
- 4. BugHerd: Best Pastel Alternative With a Built In Task Board
- 5. Ruttl: Best Pastel Alternative for Live Content Edits
- 6. Jam: Best Free Pastel Alternative for QA Teams
- 7. Userback: Best Pastel Alternative for SaaS Products
- 8. Usersnap: Best Pastel Alternative for Customer Feedback Programs
- 9. MarkUp.io: Best Pastel Alternative for Creative Assets
- 10. zipBoard: Best Pastel Alternative for E Learning and Documents
- Pastel Pricing Compared With Alternatives by Team Size
- Website Review Features Side by Side
- Moving Website Reviews Off Pastel
- Pastel Alternatives FAQs
Pastel Plans and Features
| How reviews work | Comments layered on the live site through a proxy; works with any web framework |
| Reviewers | Unlimited guests, comments, views and versions on every plan; guests comment and reply |
| Free | 1 user, 1 active canvas, approvals, deadlines, labels, CSV export, responsive tester |
| Pro | $35 a month or $29 billed yearly ($350); 2 users, 3 canvases, 100GB video storage |
| Team | $119 a month or $99 billed yearly ($1,190); 5 users plus $24 per extra user, unlimited canvases, 500GB video, webhook export, PM integrations |
| Enterprise | $450 a month billed yearly ($5,400); 10 users, SOC 2 report, SAML SSO, custom legal terms |
| Integrations | Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday and Zapier on Team and Enterprise |
| Trial | 14 days on any paid plan, card free |
| Rating | G2 4.5/5 (14 reviews) |
Common Reasons to Replace Pastel
Pastel Gaps Matched to Alternative Tools
| Gap in Pastel | Effect on the Team | Tools That Close It |
|---|---|---|
| Seat pricing above 5 users | 10 users cost $239 a month on Team | Feedbucket ($39 flat), Userback, Usersnap Growth |
| Integrations locked to Team | Pro users copy comments into Jira or Asana by hand | Marker.io Starter, Feedbucket Pro |
| Zero console logs or session replay | Developers ask clients to reproduce bugs | Marker.io, Jam, Userback Business |
| Zero live content editing | Copy changes travel as comments | Ruttl |
| Light agency back office | Time tracking and white label portals need extra apps | Atarim, Feedbucket Business |
| Websites, images and video only | PDFs, SCORM courses and brochures need a second tool | MarkUp.io, zipBoard |
10 Website Review Tools to Use in Place of Pastel
1. Feedbucket: Best Value Pastel Alternative for Agencies
Feedbucket installs as a script tag or WordPress plugin on the client site, so reviewers open the real URL and report from a widget, with zero canvas link to share. Screenshots and screen recordings attach the console log, and team only comments stay hidden from clients.
Switch from Pastel when the team has grown past five people and the Pastel Team bill keeps rising with each seat.
- Highlights: Two way sync with Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Trello, Monday, GitHub, GitLab, Linear, Notion and Teamwork; Reports from real mobile devices; White label on Business.
- Pricing: Pro $39 a month flat; Business $89 a month flat; 14 day trial.
- Rating: Capterra 5.0/5 (37 reviews).
- Catch: Zero free plan, and the script needs access to the client site.
2. Marker.io: Best Pastel Alternative for Developer Ready Bug Reports
Marker.io turns each website comment into a ticket carrying session replay, console logs, network logs, browser, OS and screen size, then syncs status both ways with the project tool. A guest portal lets clients follow the progress of their reports.
Switch from Pastel when developers spend hours reproducing bugs reported through Pastel screenshots.
- Highlights: Two way sync with Jira, Trello, Asana, GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, ClickUp, Linear and Notion; Widget, browser extension or WordPress plugin; Session replay of the moments before a report.
- Pricing: Starter $39 a month (3 seats, $4 per extra seat); Team $149 a month (15 seats); Business custom; 15 day trial.
- Rating: G2 4.8/5 (42 reviews).
- Catch: Approvals and feedback deadlines, a Pastel strength, are absent.
3. Atarim: Best Pastel Alternative for Agency Operations
Atarim combines visual comments on live sites and mockups with approvals, white label client portals, time tracking, timesheets and a shared inbox. More than 51,000 teams and 1.4 million stakeholders work on the platform.
Switch from Pastel when the agency wants feedback, approvals and billable hours in one tool.
- Highlights: Free plan with 3 projects and unlimited clients; White label portals; Time tracking per task.
- Pricing: Free; Pro $35 a month plus $10 per extra seat; Business $50 a month plus $15 per extra seat; Enterprise custom.
- Rating: Founded 2018 in Tel Aviv.
- Catch: Seats cap at 10 on Pro and 15 on Business.
4. BugHerd: Best Pastel Alternative With a Built In Task Board
BugHerd pins sticky note comments to page elements and turns each one into a Kanban task with a screenshot, browser, OS, screen size and CSS selector. Founded in 2011 in Melbourne, it counts 10,000+ companies as users.
Switch from Pastel when feedback needs triage on a board with columns, assignees and severity tags.
- Highlights: 80+ integrations including Slack, GitHub and Zapier; Video feedback, Figma files, PDFs and images; Unlimited guests on every plan.
- Pricing: Standard $50 a month (5 members); Studio $80 (10); Premium $150 (25); 7 day trial.
- Rating: G2 4.7/5 (220 reviews).
- Catch: Jira and Asana sync start on Premium.
5. Ruttl: Best Pastel Alternative for Live Content Edits
Ruttl lets reviewers edit text, swap images and change CSS directly on the live page, which turns copy and spacing feedback into a visible change. It also reviews mobile apps and video.
Switch from Pastel when clients send many copy and design tweaks that are faster to show than describe.
- Highlights: Live text, image and CSS editing; Mobile app and video review; Trello, Slack, Asana and Jira integrations.
- Pricing: Basic free (5 users, 1 project, 5 pages); Pro $18 per user a month; Business custom.
- Rating: G2 4.6/5 (21 reviews).
- Catch: Per user pricing reaches $180 a month for 10 people.
6. Jam: Best Free Pastel Alternative for QA Teams
Jam records the screen and captures console logs, network requests, user events and device data in one click, then writes the title, summary and reproduction steps with AI. Recording Links collect reports from customers with zero install.
Switch from Pastel when testers and developers file most of the feedback.
- Highlights: Chrome extension, Mac app and iOS app; AI reproduction steps; Linear, Jira, Slack, Sentry and FullStory integrations; SOC 2 Type II.
- Pricing: Free (5 creator seats, 5 recording links a month); Team $14 per creator a month yearly or $16 monthly; Enterprise custom.
- Rating: G2 4.7/5 (37 reviews).
- Catch: Element pinned design comments for clients are absent.
7. Userback: Best Pastel Alternative for SaaS Products
Userback joins visual bug reports with session replay, surveys and a feature request portal in one widget. Pricing is flat per organization.
Switch from Pastel when the website under review is a product with customers who report bugs and request features.
- Highlights: Two way sync with Jira, Linear and ClickUp; Session replay and AI Assist on Business; Mobile SDKs.
- Pricing: Free (2 seats, 2 projects, feedback kept 7 days); Team $29 a month; Business $79; Business Plus $159.
- Rating: G2 4.7/5 (250+ reviews).
- Catch: Business caps projects at 25, which limits agencies with many client sites.
8. Usersnap: Best Pastel Alternative for Customer Feedback Programs
Usersnap adds feedback boards, announcements, surveys and AI summaries to visual bug capture. Growth includes unlimited seats.
Switch from Pastel when the review process extends to customers on a live product.
- Highlights: Unlimited seats on Growth; Console log capture; In app feedback SDKs.
- Pricing: Starter €49 a month (2 seats, 2 projects); Growth €129 (unlimited seats, 10 projects); Professional €219; Premium €459.
- Rating: G2 4.5/5 (93 reviews).
- Catch: Entry plans limit projects.
9. MarkUp.io: Best Pastel Alternative for Creative Assets
MarkUp.io reviews 30+ file types, including websites, images, PDFs and video with comments pinned to timestamps. Guests comment with zero sign up.
Switch from Pastel when marketing teams review ad creatives, brochures and landing pages in one place.
- Highlights: 30+ file types; Timestamped video comments; Guest review with zero sign up.
- Pricing: Free start; Pro and Enterprise plans.
- Rating: Capterra 4.4/5 (11 reviews).
- Catch: Smaller tiers were removed in 2025, and reviewers report steep upgrade prices.
10. zipBoard: Best Pastel Alternative for E Learning and Documents
zipBoard reviews websites, PDFs, wireframes, SCORM packages and video, with unlimited free reviewers on every plan.
Switch from Pastel when course builders and documentation teams review websites and files in the same workflow.
- Highlights: SCORM and HTML course review; Unlimited reviewers; Issue tracking with Jira and Slack.
- Pricing: Team $99 a month (20 uploads, 1 manager); extra managers $25; 14 day trial.
- Rating: Capterra 4.3/5 (92 reviews).
- Catch: Video review is basic.
Pastel Pricing Compared With Alternatives by Team Size
Monthly Cost on Monthly Billing
| Tool | 1 User | 5 Users | 10 Users | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastel | Free (1 canvas) or $35 | $119 | $239 | 5 users + $24 each |
| Feedbucket | $39 | $39 | $39 | Flat |
| Marker.io | $39 | $47 | $67 | 3 seats + $4 each |
| Atarim | Free or $35 | $75 | $125 | 1 seat + $10 each |
| BugHerd | $50 | $50 | $80 | Member tiers |
| Ruttl | Free or $18 | $90 | $180 | $18 per user |
| Jam | Free | $80 | $160 | $16 per creator |
| Userback | Free or $29 | $29 | $29 to $79 | Flat per organization |
| Usersnap | €49 | €129 | €129 | Seat and project tiers |
| zipBoard | $99 | $99 to $199 | $99 to $324 | $25 per manager |
At ten users, Feedbucket costs $200 a month less than Pastel Team, and Marker.io costs $172 less. Pastel stays competitive for a solo reviewer on the free plan and for two users on Pro, where the $35 price covers both seats.
Website Review Features Side by Side
Feature Coverage Across Pastel Alternatives
| Tool | Free Plan | Approvals | Console Logs or Replay | Two Way PM Sync | Live Editing | Files Beyond Websites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastel | Yes | Yes | Absent | Team plan | Absent | Images, video |
| Feedbucket | Absent | Absent | Console log | Yes | Absent | Absent |
| Marker.io | Absent | Absent | Yes | Yes | Absent | Absent |
| Atarim | Yes | Yes | Absent | Basic | Absent | Mockups |
| BugHerd | Absent | Absent | Technical data | Premium | Absent | PDF, Figma, video |
| Ruttl | Yes | Absent | Absent | Basic | Yes | Mobile apps, video |
| Jam | Yes | Absent | Yes | Basic | Absent | Absent |
| Userback | Yes | Absent | Business | Yes | Absent | Images |
| Usersnap | Absent | Absent | Console logs | Basic | Absent | Images |
| MarkUp.io | Yes | Absent | Absent | Basic | Absent | 30+ file types |
| zipBoard | Absent | Absent | Absent | Basic | Absent | PDF, SCORM, video |
Moving Website Reviews Off Pastel
- Export open feedback: download each canvas as CSV, available on every Pastel plan, so unresolved comments carry into the new tool.
- Close active rounds first: set a final feedback deadline in Pastel and pause commenting once it passes, which stops clients from posting in two places.
- Install the new tool on staging: script based tools such as Feedbucket and Marker.io need a snippet or WordPress plugin on the site before clients review.
- Connect the project tool on day one: map statuses between the review tool and Jira, Asana or ClickUp so resolved tickets close the original comment.
- Send clients a one page guide: a short note with the review link and a screenshot of the widget cuts first round confusion.
- Archive Pastel canvases: keep the paid plan for one billing cycle, then archive canvases and move to the free plan as a record.
Pastel Team users who push comments to other systems through webhook export find payload test methods in the webhook testing tools guide, and post launch page changes stay visible with website change tracking tools.
Pastel Alternatives FAQs
What Is the Best Pastel Alternative?
Feedbucket is the best value Pastel alternative for agencies at $39 a month flat with two way project tool sync. Marker.io is the strongest pick for teams that send website feedback to developers, with session replay and console logs from $39 a month.
Is There a Free Alternative to Pastel?
Atarim, Ruttl, Jam, Userback and MarkUp.io offer free plans. Atarim includes 3 projects and unlimited clients, and Ruttl includes 5 users on one project.
How Much Does Pastel Cost?
Pastel is free for 1 user and 1 canvas. Pro costs $35 a month for 2 users, Team costs $119 a month for 5 users plus $24 per extra user, and Enterprise costs $450 a month billed yearly.
Which Pastel Alternative Has Approvals?
Atarim includes approvals along with white label portals and time tracking, which makes it the closest match to the Pastel approval workflow.
Does Pastel Integrate With Jira?
Yes, on the Team and Enterprise plans. Marker.io and Feedbucket include two way Jira sync from $39 a month.
Which Tool Reviews PDFs and Websites Together?
MarkUp.io handles 30+ file types and zipBoard handles PDFs, SCORM courses, wireframes and websites.
Find more alternatives:
