Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

refern. VS Mastodon

Compare refern. VS Mastodon and see what are their differences

refern. logo refern.

All-in-one online art reference saver, finder, viewer, and organizer with built-in moodboard editor

Mastodon logo Mastodon

Mastodon is a decentralized, open source social network. This is just one part of the network, run by the main developers of the project It is not focused on any particular niche interest - everyone is welcome!
  • refern. Moodboard page with a specific image selected
    Moodboard page with a specific image selected //
    2024-03-06
  • refern. A particular collection of references with multiple images selected
    A particular collection of references with multiple images selected //
    2024-03-06
  • refern. Search page searching for images, collections, or moodboard all at once with multiple search terms
    Search page searching for images, collections, or moodboard all at once with multiple search terms //
    2024-03-10
  • refern. Unorganized page showing all references saved using the refern capturer extension that are not organized yet
    Unorganized page showing all references saved using the refern capturer extension that are not organized yet //
    2024-03-06

Refern lets you:

  • Collect art references when browsing the web
  • Organize all your references in folders of image collections
  • Add extra info like tags to all your references and the folders you make to find them
  • Search everything that you have saved at once
  • Use any of your references in a freeform reference board/moodboard that supports image manipulation
  • Share everything you've saved with just a link
  • Mastodon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20

refern. videos

How to use refern to collect, organize, find, and use art references

Mastodon videos

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand ALBUM REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - MASTODON Emperor of Sand Album Review | Overkill Reviews
  • Review - A Closer Look at Mastodon, The Twitter Killer!
  • Review - Mastodon App: The Social Media Alternative to Twitter? | Tech News Briefing Podcast | WSJ
  • Review - 5 Reasons to DITCH TWITTER For Mastodon!
  • Review - No, Mastodon Will Not Replace Twitter

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to refern. and Mastodon)
Art
100 100%
0% 0
Social Networks
0 0%
100% 100
Photo Sharing
100 100%
0% 0
Social Network
0 0%
100% 100

Questions and Answers

As answered by people managing refern. and Mastodon.

What makes your product unique?

refern.'s answer

The flow of collecting references when making art usually goes like this:

find references/inspirations online -> save those images and organize them -> use those images individually or in a moodboard -> reuse these references for next project / share with other people

refern lets you do all of these all in one platform rather than juggling multiple apps to do the same thing.

What's the story behind your product?

refern.'s answer

I'm an artist and a lot of times it was really frustrating not finding the right pictures, trying to organize/keep track reference images, and juggling too many apps when I just wanted to draw. I wanted something that can do it all and every component is well integrated, so I made refern.

User comments

Share your experience with using refern. and Mastodon. 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 refern. and Mastodon

refern. Reviews

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

Mastodon Reviews

Top 12 Alternative Social Media Platform to Consider: An Overview
Imagine a Twitter fuelled by independent communities, not a tech giant. That's Mastodon. It's not one platform, but a network of servers, each with its own vibe, from artists and journalists to cat lovers and techies. You choose your server, connect across them, and post "toots" with longer text, images, and videos. Think open-source Twitter with more freedom and...
The 10 Best Twitter Alternatives if You’re Thinking of Quitting X
However, the segmented nature of its network means it can take time to find and build your niche, and it won’t have the immediate, global reach of Twitter. Regarding features, Mastodon mirrors Twitter with timelines and @mentions, but it’s ad-free.
4 Twitter alternatives for brands considering leaving Twitter in 2024
You won't find an algorithm on Mastodon. Instead, it shows users posts that the people they follow repost or comment on. This dynamic means it's really important to engage with your community and build organic reach.
Source: zapier.com
10+ Top Facebook Alternatives That Value Your Privacy in 2024
It is ad-free and the system does not track you or collect your data. Only servers that agree to the “Mastodon Server Covenant” (a commitment to integrity) are listed on the main site.
If You Want to Leave Twitter Because of Elon Musk, These Are Your Options
The most obvious Twitter replacement is probably Mastodon, a decentralized series of social networking sites that are, in form and function, the most similar to Twitter. The one big difference is that instead of just one Twitter, it’s more like a network of Twitters that can interact with each other but don’t necessarily have to. It’s theoretically possible to be a part of...
Source: www.vice.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mastodon seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 615 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.

refern. mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of refern. yet. Tracking of refern. recommendations started around Mar 2024.

Mastodon mentions (615)

  • What's the Difference Between Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads
    >I'm not optimistic about non tech people easily logging into mastodon.192.168.555.2.xproxy.remoteinstance2452456a1.mirror.com. Why are you trolling? Mastodon instances have normal URLs like https://mastodon.social, and you can just log in there like any other site. And there's a ton of "non-tech" people on Mastodon.. In fact the people who seem whine the most about how hard it is are the "techies" on HN. It's weird. - Source: Hacker News / 1 day ago
  • Apple M4 iPad Pro Has a New Security Exclave for Camera and Microphone Activity
    I was gonna link to https://mastodon.social/@_inside/112440596781136013; but you're right, it says that "iPadOS running on M4" has "Secure Exclave"; not that "M4 has Secure Exclave". Though I will admit I definitely misread it that way at first. - Source: Hacker News / 15 days ago
  • The Forged Apple Employee Badge
    Did you miss the part where Chris Espinosa said "That’s not Sherry Livingston"? Chris also has a follow-up post not shown in Cabel's blog where he says there aren't any photos of Sherry online: https://mastodon.social/@Cdespinosa/112391173495267599. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Google Blog: things we announced at I/O 2024
    Personally, I really like this summary: https://mastodon.social/@nixCraft/112444973228241564. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Attempt to bring a cinematic experience in 256 bytes (WASM)
    Just a follow up to all downvoters: developers care, and are working on improving performance, take a look at one of hopefully many to come, examples - https://mastodon.social/@tdp_org/112440017216320486. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing refern. and Mastodon, you can also consider the following products

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

X (Twitter) - Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you. And watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.

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

Facebook - Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates.

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

Gab - Gab is an ad-free social network dedicated to free speech.