Software Alternatives & Startups

PureRef VS Keeping

Compare PureRef VS Keeping and see what are their differences

PureRef

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

Rating
0 reviews
Keeping

Turns Google Workspace Into Your Team’s Help Desk

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, PureRef seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 4 times since March 2021.

social mentions
4 vs 0
Productivity popularity
81% vs 19%
alternatives listed
66 vs 89

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

PureRef
Keeping
Website pureref.com keeping.com
Pricing —
Paid Free trial Official pricing
Company — Startup from the United States · 1 - 9 employees · 2020
Listed in

About PureRef and Keeping

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

PureRef
Keeping

No description of PureRef yet.

Keeping is a shared inbox and helpdesk tool that lives inside Gmail, turning a shared mailbox like support@company(dot)com into a collaborative workspace where customer emails become trackable tickets with assignments, statuses, tags, and collision detection. It adds helpdesk power (templates,...

Read more about Keeping

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

PureRef 6 features
Keeping 6 features
  • 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 users’ 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

  • 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.
  • Shared Inbox
    Collaborate on your shared inbox from Gmail
  • Automated Workflows
    Tag, assign, and process email automatically
  • Lives in Gmail
    No extra tabs or apps to learn
  • Unlimited Mailboxes
    Add as many shared mailboxes as you like for free
  • Powerful Analytics
    Track first response time, volume, and measure your team
  • Collision Detection
    Never answer the same email twice

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

PureRef 3 videos + Add
Keeping 2 videos + Add

The Best Free Tool for Artists - PureRef

More videos

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

DROP 2025 REVIEW | Keeping the Shot INTERESTING!

More videos

  • - I hate it, I'm keeping it. SMSL PL200T CD transport review.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
PureRef
Keeping
81% 81%
19% 19%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing PureRef and Keeping.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Keeping's answer:

Small and medium sized businesses

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Keeping's answer:

Built in GCP (Google Cloud), with React, Elixir, and Phoenix.

What's the story behind your product?

Keeping's answer:

Keeping was built to help teams manage customer support without leaving Gmail. It brings the structure of a help desk to shared inboxes, making it easier to assign, track, and respond to customer emails as a team.

User comments

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

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

PureRef no reviews yet
Keeping no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

PureRef 4 mentions
Keeping 0 mentions
  • 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... Source: over 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: over 4 years ago
  • Hide user name in menu bar.
    If you can’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.... Source: over 4 years ago

View more

Tracking Keeping since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to PureRef and Keeping

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