Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PureRef VS EditLink

Compare PureRef VS EditLink and see what are their differences

PureRef logo PureRef

The simple way to view and organize your multiple reference images.

EditLink logo EditLink

Share editable links to any Airtable record. Let anyone update records without an account.
  • PureRef Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-23
  • EditLink
    Image date //
    2026-06-20
  • EditLink
    Image date //
    2026-06-20
  • EditLink
    Image date //
    2026-06-20
  • EditLink
    Image date //
    2026-06-20
  • EditLink
    Image date //
    2026-06-20

PureRef features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    PureRef offers a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to organize and manage reference images. The minimalistic design allows users to focus on their work without unnecessary distractions.
  • Lightweight and Portable
    The software is lightweight and does not require installation, making it highly portable. Users can run PureRef from a USB drive or any location on their computer.
  • Flexible Canvas
    PureRef provides a flexible canvas that can be easily resized and adjusted to fit usersโ€™ needs. This allows for seamless scaling of images without quality loss and the ability to organize the workspace freely.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    PureRef is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing users to maintain a consistent workflow across different operating systems.
  • Customizable Shortcuts
    Users can customize keyboard shortcuts to fit their workflow, which increases efficiency and speeds up navigation within the software.
  • Multiple Image Formats
    PureRef supports a wide range of image formats, ensuring compatibility with most reference images beyond basic formats like JPG and PNG.

Possible disadvantages of PureRef

  • Limited Editing Tools
    While PureRef excels in organizing and displaying reference images, it lacks advanced editing tools, which means users need to rely on other software for image adjustments or annotations.
  • No Cloud Integration
    PureRef does not offer built-in cloud storage or syncing options, which could be inconvenient for users who work across multiple devices and want seamless access to their reference boards.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic functionalities are easy to grasp, some advanced features and keyboard shortcuts may require time to learn and master, particularly for users new to PureRef.
  • Not Free for All Users
    Although PureRef offers a pay-what-you-want pricing model, users may face ethical dilemmas or budget constraints when deciding what to pay, especially if they plan to use it for professional purposes.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Some users report occasional lag or performance issues when handling extremely large collections of high-resolution images, which can disrupt workflow.

EditLink features and specs

  • Streamlined Content Review
    EditLink provides a centralized platform for reviewing and approving content, making it easier for teams to collaborate on documents, articles, and other written materials without scattered email threads or multiple tool switching.
  • Simple Sharing via Links
    The tool allows users to share content for review through simple shareable links, reducing friction in the feedback process and making it accessible to reviewers without requiring them to create accounts or install software.
  • Clean and Intuitive Interface
    EditLink offers a user-friendly and minimalist interface that focuses on the editing and review workflow, making it easy to adopt without extensive training or onboarding.
  • Efficient Feedback Management
    The platform helps consolidate feedback from multiple stakeholders in one place, making it easier to track suggestions, edits, and approvals throughout the content creation process.
  • Time-Saving Workflow
    By streamlining the review and approval process, EditLink can significantly reduce the back-and-forth typically associated with content editing, saving teams valuable time on content production cycles.

PureRef videos

The Best Free Tool for Artists - PureRef

More videos:

  • Tutorial - PureRef tutorial: a free, cross-platform virtual board for artists!
  • Review - PureRef Review

EditLink videos

How to Create an Editable Airtable Form Link in Under 2 Minutes

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PureRef and EditLink)
Productivity
88 88%
12% 12
Forms And Surveys
0 0%
100% 100
Digital Drawing And Painting
Data Collection
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing PureRef and EditLink.

What makes your product unique?

EditLink's answer:

EditLink solves one narrow problem that Airtable itself doesn't: letting someone outside your workspace edit an existing record without an account or base access. Airtable's native forms only create new records, and Interfaces require a paid seat per editor. EditLink generates a secure, HMAC-signed link per record โ€” the recipient sees a clean, pre-filled form, updates it, and the change writes straight back to Airtable. No login, no duplicate records, no shared credentials.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

EditLink's answer:

Most alternatives (miniExtensions, Softr, Fillout) are broad form/app builders where "edit an existing record" is one feature buried in a much larger, pricier suite. EditLink does only this one job, so setup takes about 5 minutes instead of hours, and pricing starts well below tools that charge for an entire app platform you don't need.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

EditLink's answer:

Freelancers and small teams who run their operations in Airtable and need external people โ€” clients, contractors, vendors โ€” to update specific records (status, contact info, project details) without being added as collaborators. Agencies and small businesses managing client data are the core use case.

What's the story behind your product?

EditLink's answer:

EditLink came out of a recurring gap noticed across Airtable user communities: there's no clean way to let someone outside a workspace edit one existing record. Native Airtable forms only create new entries, and giving external users full collaborator access is overkill (and adds a paid seat). EditLink was built specifically to close that one gap rather than to be a general-purpose form builder.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

EditLink's answer:

  • Next.js (App Router) on Vercel
  • Vercel KV (Upstash Redis) for storage
  • NextAuth.js with Google OAuth
  • Paddle for billing and tax/MoR handling
  • Resend for transactional email
  • HMAC-SHA256 signed URLs and AES-256-GCM encryption for security

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

EditLink's answer:

EditLink is currently pre-launch and onboarding its first customers.

User comments

Share your experience with using PureRef and EditLink. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PureRef and EditLink

PureRef Reviews

We have no reviews of PureRef yet.
Be the first one to post

EditLink Reviews

editlink.io vs Fillout: Which Tool Should You Use for Airtable Edit Links?
Yes โ€” editlink.io's Solo plan is $12/month vs Fillout's $15/month, and editlink.io has a free plan with 5 active links.
Source: www.editlink.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PureRef seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PureRef mentions (4)

  • how do u guys organize your visual inspiration/refs digitally?
    I mainly use offline means: organising all my files in a hierarchy of folders and using pureref (which I highly recommend) to make moodboards, and ofc an external hard drive to save backups. The only online means I use is google drive for online backups. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • HELP! So I want to trace this Image(704x702) into a Pixel art (32 x 32 or 40 x 40) but when I resize it, it gets like this (2nd picture) and if I don't, then the pixels are too small, What do i do?
    If you just want the image to be a transparent overlay while you draw 'through the image'(with it being unchanged) you can use something like Pureref(pureref.com) to set the image as always on top + turn opacity down a bit. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Hide user name in menu bar.
    If you canโ€™t get it to work inside of max, I thought of a free easy workaround you could try. I use the software pureref to manage and quickly access reference images. You could just resize an empty pureref window to cover your username. Change the color and opacity to whatever you want, lock the window and switch turn on the transparent to mouse option and you should be good to go! Source: about 4 years ago
  • Hello Reddit! this is my 1st time posting and i'm excited to share some of my sketches with you guys. I like drawing dynamic poses, it's a really fun exercise!. These 4 girls are from reference pics out of Pinterest. Suggestions are welcome :D. Have a great day!
    The high kicking girl on the right is in a PureRef board I keep to practice gesture. Source: almost 5 years ago

EditLink mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of EditLink yet. Tracking of EditLink recommendations started around Jun 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PureRef and EditLink, you can also consider the following products

Eagle App - Unify your creative inspiration in one place. Store anything โ€“ inspiring images, design mockups, illustrations, screenshots and more.

Shareables.ai - Easily plug your Airtable data into customizable website templates to engage visitors, drive sales and more. No coding required.

Milanote - Milanote is a note taking app for creative work.

miniExtensions - Expand your Airtable's capabilities with a wide set of powerful, yet easy-to-use, extensions and automations that take your workflow to the next level.

Pinterest - Pinterest is a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests.

Fillout.com - Make powerful forms instantly with AI