Best design review software in 2026 (for teams that ship faster)

Design reviews shouldn't be painful. Yet most teams still juggle email threads, scattered screenshots, and unclear feedback that leads to endless revision cycles.

The right design review software transforms chaos into clarity—centralizing feedback, tracking versions, and accelerating approvals. But choosing the wrong tool can make things worse.

This guide reviews 14 design review platforms organized by what you're actually reviewing: websites, creative assets, or digital products. You'll find honest comparisons, pricing breakdowns, and a decision framework to match your workflow.

What is design review software?

Design review software lets teams collaborate on visual work with contextual feedback—annotations, comments, version tracking, and approval workflows—instead of vague emails and disconnected tools.

The core value: Everyone sees the same thing, comments on specific elements, and tracks changes in one place.

Why teams use design review tools

Before design review software:

• Feedback scattered across email, Slack, and spreadsheets
• Screenshots annotated in separate apps, then shared
• Version confusion ("which file is the latest?")
• Unclear approval status
• Slow stakeholder responses

With design review software:

• Centralized feedback on the actual design
• Visual annotations pinned to exact elements
• Automatic version control and history
• Clear approval workflows
• Faster decision-making

Types of design review software

Not all design review tools solve the same problem. Understand your primary use case first:

1. Website review tools

For reviewing live websites during development, QA, and pre-launch.

Use cases:

• Agency-client website approvals
• Responsive design testing
• Pre-launch QA and bug tracking
• Stakeholder feedback on staging sites

Key features:

• Comments on live URLs
• Mobile/tablet/desktop testing
• Browser compatibility tracking
• Integration with dev tools

Best tools: Huddlekit, BugHerd, Marker.io

2. Creative asset review tools

For reviewing static files—images, PDFs, videos, documents.

Use cases:

• Design mockup approvals
• Brand asset reviews
• Marketing collateral feedback
• Video production collaboration
• Print design proofing

Key features:

• Multi-format support (PSD, PDF, video, etc.)
• Frame-accurate video comments
• Version comparison
• Approval workflows
• Asset management

Best tools: Filestage, GoVisually, Ziflow

3. Digital product review tools

For reviewing software, apps, and SaaS products during development.

Use cases:

• UI/UX feedback on prototypes
• Bug reporting in development
• Feature reviews
• QA testing workflows

Key features:

• Screenshot and screen recording
• Technical metadata (console logs, network data)
• Issue tracking integration
• Status workflows

Best tools: Marker.io, Usersnap, Userback

14 best design review software tools

Website review tools

1. Huddlekit

Best for: Web agencies and designers reviewing live sites with clients

Huddlekit focuses on making website reviews simple for non-technical stakeholders while providing powerful features for teams.

Key features:

• Pin comments directly on live websites
• Review creative assets (images, videos, documents)
• Breakpoint switcher (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Built-in inspect mode for HTML/CSS
• Guest access without logins
• Status tracking (open, in progress, resolved)

Pricing:

• Free: 1 project
• Starter: $19/mo – 5 projects
• Pro: $49/mo – 25 projects
• Team: $99/mo – Unlimited projects

Best for: Agencies, freelancers, design teams testing responsive layouts

Pros: ✅ True mobile device testing
✅ No client login required
✅ Clean, intuitive interface
✅ Affordable pricing

Cons: ❌ Smaller integration ecosystem

2. BugHerd

Best for: Agencies managing multiple client projects with Kanban workflows

BugHerd combines website annotation with task board management for agency workflows.

Key features:

• Click-to-comment on websites
• Kanban task board
• Browser metadata capture
• Client guest mode
• Integrations: Asana, Trello, Jira, GitHub

Pricing:

• Standard: $39/mo – Unlimited projects, 5 users
• Premium: $99/mo – 15 users
• Deluxe: $199/mo – Unlimited users

Best for: Established agencies with many concurrent projects

Pros: ✅ Unlimited projects
✅ Kanban workflow
✅ Agency-focused features

Cons: ❌ No mobile device testing
❌ User limits on lower tiers

3. Marker.io

Best for: SaaS teams and developers doing internal QA

Marker.io excels at capturing technical context for bug reporting and issue tracking.

Key features:

• Browser extension for quick annotations
• Console logs, network requests, local storage capture
• Screen recording
• Integrations: Jira, GitHub, Linear, Asana, Slack

Pricing:

• Starter: Free – 100 reports/mo
• Professional: $49/mo – Unlimited, 5 users
• Company: $99/mo – 15 users

Best for: Internal dev teams, technical QA

Pros: ✅ Exceptional technical metadata
✅ Developer-friendly
✅ Screen recording

Cons: ❌ Extension required
❌ No mobile testing
❌ Complex for non-technical users

4. Userback

Best for: Product teams collecting user feedback on live applications

Userback combines visual feedback with user research tools.

Key features:

• In-app feedback widget
• Session replay
• User satisfaction surveys (NPS, CSAT)
• Feature voting
• Visual annotation

Pricing:

• Free: 2 seats, 7-day feedback availability
• Team: $9/seat/mo – unlimited feedback availability
• Business: $19/seat/mo – 25 projects, session replays
• Business Plus: $29/seat/mo – unlimited projects, SSO

Best for: SaaS products, product managers

Pros: ✅ Comprehensive platform
✅ Session replay
✅ User research features

Cons: ❌ Expensive
❌ Overkill for simple reviews

Creative asset review tools

5. Filestage

Best for: Creative agencies with multi-stage approval workflows

Filestage handles video, images, PDFs, websites, audio, and documents with robust approval processes.

Key features:

• Multi-format support
• Frame-accurate video comments
• Multi-stage approvals
• Custom branding
• Auto-reminders
• Integrations: Slack, Teams, Zapier

Pricing:

• Free: 2 active projects, unlimited team members
• Basic: €99/mo – 10 active projects
• Professional: €279/mo – 25 active projects
• Enterprise: Custom

Best for: Creative agencies, video production, marketing teams

Pros: ✅ Comprehensive file support
✅ Excellent approval workflows
✅ White-label options

Cons: ❌ Expensive
❌ EUR pricing
❌ Review limits on basic tier

6. GoVisually

Best for: Design proofing and creative collaboration

GoVisually focuses on precise annotation for design files and videos.

Key features:

• Image, PDF, and video proofing
• Frame-accurate video comments
• Version comparison
• Approval workflows
• Guest reviewers
• Integrations: Slack, Zapier

Pricing:

• Solo: $15/mo – 1 user, 10 projects
• Team: $30/mo per user – Unlimited projects
• Agency: Custom

Best for: Graphic designers, illustrators, video editors

Pros: ✅ Precise annotation tools
✅ Frame-accurate video
✅ Clean interface

Cons: ❌ Per-user pricing
❌ Limited integrations

7. Ziflow

Best for: Enterprise creative teams with complex approval chains

Ziflow is a robust proofing platform for high-volume creative operations.

Key features:

• Advanced approval workflows
• Video and design proofing
• Automated routing
• Analytics and reporting
• Custom branding

Pricing:

• Professional: $50/mo per user
• Enterprise: Custom

Best for: Large creative teams, enterprise marketing

Pros: ✅ Scalable workflows
✅ Advanced automation
✅ Enterprise features

Cons: ❌ Expensive per-user pricing
❌ Complex setup

8. PageProof

Best for: High-volume creative teams

PageProof handles images, PDFs, videos, websites, and audio with proof-based pricing.

Key features:

• Multi-format support
• Advanced comparison tools
• Workflow automation
• Activity tracking

Pricing:

• Starter: $30/mo – 5 users, 100 proofs
• Professional: $60/mo – 10 users, 300 proofs
• Agency: $120/mo – 25 users, 1,000 proofs

Best for: Production companies, high-volume teams

Pros: ✅ Proof-based pricing
✅ Good automation

Cons: ❌ Proof limits
❌ Dated interface

9. Pastel

Best for: Teams reviewing both websites and design files

Pastel bridges website annotation with design file reviews.

Key features:

• Website annotation (proxy)
• Design file reviews
• Version comparison
• Approval workflows

Pricing:

• Solo: $8/mo – 1 user
• Team: $15/mo per user
• Agency: $12/mo per user (annual)

Best for: Small agencies, versatile needs

Pros: ✅ Affordable
✅ Versatile

Cons: ❌ Proxy limitations
❌ Limited integrations

Digital product review tools

10. Usersnap

Best for: Bug reporting and customer feedback

Usersnap combines bug reporting with user feedback collection.

Key features:

• Screenshot annotation
• Screen recording
• Microsurveys and NPS
• Console log capture
• Integrations: Jira, GitHub, Azure DevOps

Pricing:

• Startup: €69/mo – 2 users
• Company: €129/mo – 5 users
• Premium: €249/mo – 10 users

Best for: Software teams, QA departments

Pros: ✅ Bug reporting focus
✅ Screen recording
✅ Technical metadata

Cons: ❌ Expensive (EUR)
❌ User limits

11. Zipboard

Best for: Global teams managing multilingual reviews

Zipboard specializes in visual feedback with localization features.

Key features:

• Website and app annotation
• Localization workflow support
• Video and document reviews
• Task management
• Integrations: Jira, Slack, Trello

Pricing:

• Freelancer: Free – 2 projects
• Startup: $49/mo – 10 projects, 10 users
• Business: $149/mo – Unlimited projects, 25 users

Best for: Enterprise localization, global teams

Pros: ✅ Localization features
✅ Multi-content support

Cons: ❌ Complex for simple needs
❌ Higher pricing

12. Atarim (formerly WP Feedback)

Best for: WordPress agencies

Atarim integrates directly with WordPress admin for streamlined feedback.

Key features:

• Visual comments on WordPress sites
• Front-end editing
• WordPress admin integration
• Task management

Pricing:

• Agency Lite: $99/mo – 20 sites
• Agency Pro: $199/mo – 50 sites
• Agency Max: $299/mo – Unlimited sites

Best for: WordPress-exclusive agencies

Pros: ✅ Deep WordPress integration
✅ Front-end editing

Cons: ❌ WordPress-only
❌ Expensive

13. Redpen

Best for: Simple image and PDF feedback

Redpen offers straightforward annotation for images and PDFs.

Key features:

• Image and PDF markup
• Version tracking
• Guest comments
• Simple workflows

Pricing:

• Free: 3 projects
• Plus: $8/mo – Unlimited projects

Best for: Small teams, basic needs

Pros: ✅ Very affordable
✅ Simple

Cons: ❌ Limited features
❌ No video support

14. Notion (with comments)

Best for: Teams already using Notion

Notion's comment features work for basic visual feedback.

Key features:

• Embed images and PDFs
• Comment threads
• Version history
• Workspace integration

Pricing:

• Free: Personal use
• Plus: $10/mo per user
• Business: $15/mo per user

Best for: Notion users, simple feedback

Pros: ✅ All-in-one workspace
✅ Affordable

Cons: ❌ Not purpose-built
❌ Limited annotation

How to choose the right design review software

Step 1: Identify what you're reviewing

Websites and web apps? → Huddlekit, BugHerd, Marker.io, Userback

Creative files (images, video, PDFs)? → Filestage, GoVisually, Ziflow, PageProof

Both? → Pastel, Zipboard

Digital products and prototypes? → Marker.io, Usersnap, Userback

Step 2: Consider your stakeholders

External clients (non-technical)? Prioritize simplicity, guest access, no-login options → Huddlekit, BugHerd, Filestage, GoVisually

Internal team (technical)? Technical features and dev integrations matter more → Marker.io, Usersnap, Zipboard

Both? Need balance of simplicity and power → Userback, Pastel, BugHerd

Step 3: Evaluate workflows

Need formal approval chains? → Filestage, Ziflow, GoVisually, PageProof

Simple comment and resolve? → Huddlekit, Pastel, Redpen

Kanban task management? → BugHerd, Atarim

Integration with existing tools? → Marker.io (dev tools), Userback (product), Zipboard (enterprise)

Step 4: Check budget and scale

Budget-conscious (under $20/mo): Huddlekit, Pastel, Redpen, Notion

Mid-range ($20-100/mo): BugHerd, Marker.io, GoVisually, Usersnap

Enterprise (over $100/mo): Filestage, Ziflow, Userback, Zipboard

Pricing model:

• Per-user: Ziflow, Filestage, GoVisually
• Per-project: Huddlekit, BugHerd
• Hybrid: Most tools

The design review process that actually works

Regardless of which tool you choose, follow this proven workflow:

1. Set clear review objectives

Before sharing designs, define:

• What feedback you need (visual, functional, content?)
• Who needs to review (stakeholders, clients, team?)
• Decision criteria (what makes it "approved"?)
• Timeline and deadlines

Pro tip: Include a brief with each review explaining what changed and what to focus on.

2. Organize by review phases

Break reviews into stages:

Phase 1: Directional review

• Early concept feedback
• High-level direction
• Stakeholder alignment

Phase 2: Detailed review

• Specific element feedback
• Functionality testing
• Content review

Phase 3: Final QA

• Polish and refinement
• Browser/device testing
• Pre-launch checks

Phase 4: Approval

• Final sign-offs
• Launch decision

Why this works: Prevents mixing strategic feedback with nitpicky details.

3. Make feedback specific and actionable

Bad feedback:

• "This doesn't look right"
• "Not sure about this"
• "Can we make it pop more?"

Good feedback:

• "The hero image is blurry on desktop—can we use the 2x version?"
• "The CTA button color has poor contrast (2.8:1). Let's adjust to meet WCAG AA (4.5:1)"
• "Navigation overlaps the logo at 768px width"

Framework for clear feedback:

1. What: Identify the specific element
2. Issue: Describe the problem
3. Why: Explain the impact
4. Suggestion: Propose a solution (if applicable)

4. Set deadlines for each round

Without deadlines, reviews drag indefinitely.

Recommended timeline:

• Directional review: 2-3 days
• Detailed review: 3-5 days
• QA review: 1-2 days
• Final approval: 1-2 days

Pro tip: Use your tool's auto-reminder features to nudge reviewers.

5. Consolidate and prioritize feedback

After collecting feedback:

Consolidate: Group similar comments together

Categorize:

• Must-fix: Critical issues blocking approval
• Should-fix: Important but not blocking
• Nice-to-have: Optional improvements

Resolve conflicts: When feedback conflicts, get decision-maker input before revising

Track status: Mark each piece of feedback as open → in progress → resolved

Common design review challenges (and solutions)

Challenge 1: Scattered feedback across tools

Problem: Comments in email, Slack, Figma, and spreadsheets

Solution: Choose one tool as the source of truth. Redirect all feedback there.

Tool features that help:

• Centralized comment threads
• Email notifications
• Slack integrations
• Mobile access

Challenge 2: Vague or unclear feedback

Problem: "Make it pop," "This feels off," "Not sure I like this"

Solution: Train stakeholders on giving specific feedback

Tool features that help:

• Visual annotations (pinpoint exact elements)
• Screenshot/screen recording
• Comment templates
• @mentions for clarification

Challenge 3: Version confusion

Problem: Working on outdated files, not seeing latest changes

Solution: Use tools with automatic version control

Tool features that help:

• Automatic version tracking
• Side-by-side comparison
• Version history
• Clear "latest" indicators

Challenge 4: Slow approvals

Problem: Waiting days or weeks for stakeholder sign-offs

Solution: Set clear deadlines and use approval workflows

Tool features that help:

• Formal approval buttons
• Auto-reminders
• Deadline tracking
• Approval status visibility

Challenge 5: Lost context

Problem: Can't remember why a decision was made months later

Solution: Maintain clear comment history and documentation

Tool features that help:

• Permanent comment threads
• Searchable history
• Export/archive options
• Audit trails

Key takeaways

For website reviews: Choose Huddlekit (client-friendly, mobile testing), BugHerd (agency Kanban), or Marker.io (technical QA)

For creative assets: Choose Filestage (comprehensive, approvals), GoVisually (design focus), or Ziflow (enterprise scale)

For digital products: Choose Marker.io (dev-friendly), Usersnap (bug tracking), or Userback (comprehensive)

For versatile needs: Choose Pastel (budget-friendly), Zipboard (localization), or Notion (all-in-one)

Universal best practices:

• Define clear review phases
• Give specific, actionable feedback
• Set and enforce deadlines
• Consolidate feedback in one tool
• Track status from open to resolved

Budget guidance:

• Small teams/freelancers: $10-30/mo
• Growing agencies: $50-150/mo
• Enterprise: $200+/mo

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between design review software and project management tools?

Design review software focuses specifically on visual feedback—commenting on designs, tracking versions, and managing approvals. Project management tools (Asana, Trello) handle broader task tracking.

Many design review tools integrate with project management platforms to sync feedback into existing workflows.

Can one tool handle websites, creative files, and products?

Some tools (Pastel, Zipboard, Filestage) support multiple content types, but specialized tools usually work better for specific use cases. Most teams use 2-3 tools for different purposes.

Do I need different tools for internal vs. client reviews?

Not necessarily, but consider:

• Client reviews need simple, no-login interfaces
• Internal reviews can use more technical, complex tools

Tools like Huddlekit, BugHerd, and Filestage work well for both.

How do design review tools handle version control?

Most tools automatically create new versions when you upload updated files or when the URL content changes. You can typically:

• Compare versions side-by-side
• View version history
• See comments tied to specific versions
• Revert if needed

What integrations matter most?

For agencies:

• Slack (notifications)
• Asana, Trello, ClickUp (task sync)
• Zapier (custom workflows)

For dev teams:

• Jira, Linear, GitHub (issue tracking)
• Slack, Microsoft Teams (communication)

For creative teams:

• Adobe Creative Cloud (asset sync)
• Google Drive, Dropbox (file storage)

Can design review tools work offline?

Most are cloud-based and require internet. Some features (viewing downloaded designs, recorded videos) might work offline, but commenting and syncing require connectivity.

How do approval workflows work?

Approval workflows let you define:

• Who needs to approve
• In what order
• Required vs. optional approvals
• What happens after approval

Example workflow:

1. Designer submits for review
2. Creative Director provides feedback
3. Designer revises
4. Client reviews and approves
5. Design moves to development

Tools like Filestage, Ziflow, and GoVisually excel at multi-stage approvals.

Ready to streamline your design reviews?

The right design review software eliminates confusion, accelerates approvals, and helps teams ship better work faster.

Start by identifying your primary use case (websites, creative assets, or products), then choose tools that match your workflow and stakeholders.

If you're reviewing websites and need a client-friendly tool with mobile testing, try Huddlekit free.

Related resources

• Best website annotation tools – deep dive on website-specific tools
• Best visual feedback tools – comprehensive tool comparison
• Website review process that actually works – proven workflows
• How to give better website feedback – best practices
• Visual feedback – what makes feedback effective