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Vivaldi VS refern.

Compare Vivaldi VS refern. and see what are their differences

Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a free, fast web browser designed for power-users. You decide how you browse. Download Vivaldi's fully customisable browser now and browse your way.

Rating
0 reviews
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Alternatives Is it good?
refern.

A visual reference manager for creatives. Organize your reference library and build moodboards on an infinite canvas, all in one desktop app.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial $30 / One-off
Promote on VibeVoted
Alternatives Is it good?
Castmint
Type one line. Get a finished short. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Vivaldi seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 162 times since March 2021.

social mentions
162 vs 0
Web Browsers popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 18

Base details

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

Vivaldi
refern.
Website vivaldi.com refern.app
Pricing —
Paid Free trial $30 / One-off Official pricing
Platforms —
Desktop Windows Linux MacOS +1
Company Startup from Norway Startup from Canada · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in
Web Browsers Customisable Web Browser Web Development Tools Security & Privacy +1
Art Personal Tools Moodboard Image Management Digital Asset Management Image Tools Reference Management Infinite Canvas Productivity Tag Management +7

About Vivaldi and refern.

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Vivaldi
refern.

No description of Vivaldi yet.

refern is a local-first desktop app for collecting, organizing, and working with visual references. The library side gives you folders, hierarchical tags, smart folders, ratings, color labels, color search by hex, image-to-image visual similarity, and more than 14 typed search operators, all...

Read more about refern.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Vivaldi 5 features
refern. 31 features
  • Customization
    Vivaldi offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tweak the browser's appearance and functionality extensively. Users can adjust themes, modify the interface, and use custom shortcuts.
  • User Interface
    The user interface is highly flexible and can be tailored to individual preferences. For instance, users can reposition tabs, split screens, and even stack tabs for better organization.
  • Privacy and Security
    Vivaldi focuses on privacy, providing built-in features such as an ad blocker and tracker blocker. The browser does not track or profile its users.
  • Performance
    Vivaldi is generally snappy and capable of handling a large number of open tabs without significant slowdowns. It is built on Chromium, which provides a stable and quick browsing experience.
  • Built-in Tools
    Vivaldi includes a range of built-in tools like a notes manager, screen captures, and customizable web panels that improve productivity without needing extra extensions.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity
    The plethora of customization options can be overwhelming for new users. The interface may appear cluttered compared to simpler browsers if not configured properly.
  • Resource Usage
    Vivaldi can be more resource-intensive compared to other browsers due to its additional features and customization capabilities. This may lead to higher memory usage.
  • Extension Compatibility
    While Vivaldi supports Chrome extensions, some may not perform as expected due to the browser's unique features and customizations.
  • Learning Curve
    Users coming from more straightforward browsers might need some time to adapt to Vivaldi's extensive features and customization options.
  • Frequent Updates
    While frequent updates can be seen as a positive, they could also be viewed as a nuisance to users who prefer a more stable and less frequently changing browser experience.
  • Infinite Canvas
    Arrange references on an infinite spatial canvas with layers, text, and groups.
  • Canvas Drawing & Shapes
    Freehand pen with pressure, eraser, 9 shape tools, and color swatches.
  • In-App Image Cropping
    Crop images in place or save as a new copy, with crop provenance tracked.
  • Image Filters
    Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue on images and canvas elements.
  • Never Copies Your Files
    References images from your own folders. No proprietary library, no doubled disk.
  • Relationship Graph View
    Navigate your library as a graph of folders, tags, canvases, and linked images.
  • Visual Similarity Search
    Find similar images locally with a built-in feature vector. No uploads, no API cost.
  • Color Search
    Search your library by hex code or dominant color with fast local scoring.
  • Operator Search
    Full-text search with 16 inline operators like type:, tag:, rating:>=3, and color:.
  • Hierarchical Tags
    Parent-child hierarchies, tag groups, linked tags, and macros for bulk tagging.
  • Smart Folders
    Saved multi-condition searches that stay up to date automatically.
  • Image Grouping
    Stack related references into groups shown as fan cards in the grid.
  • Cross-References & Backlinks
    Link any asset to any other and see backlinks across folders and canvases.
  • Grid Layout Modes
    Masonry, justified, and horizontal layouts, set globally or per folder.
  • Duplicate Detection
    Find duplicate images by perceptual hash with an is:duplicate query.
  • Metadata Management
    Rating, color labels, description, notes, source URL, creator, and custom fields.
  • Directory Metadata Presets
    Auto-apply tags and metadata when files are added to a folder.
  • EXIF / IPTC / XMP Import
    Read embedded tags and ratings from images for DAM interoperability.
  • Import Staging
    Drag, drop, or paste images into a staging area with metadata pre-fill and dedup.
  • Browser Extension
    Save images from the web with hover buttons and batch save (Chrome, Firefox, Safari).
  • Eagle Import
    Migrate an existing Eagle library into refern.
  • Disk Sync
    Detect external file changes and reconcile your library with what is on disk.
  • Timed Study Mode
    Full-screen reference practice sessions with configurable duration and count.
  • Pin Window On Top
    Always-on-top mode keeps references visible while you work.
  • Window Transparency
    Adjustable window opacity for overlay reference.
  • Click-Through Mode
    Interact with apps beneath the transparent window.
  • Desktop Screenshot Tool
    Capture your screen directly into your library.
  • Scales to Millions of Images
    Streaming indexer handles 2M+ file libraries with bounded memory.
  • RAW & HEIC Support
    Decodes camera RAW, HEIC, SVG, and standard image formats into thumbnails.
  • Directory Customization
    Custom folder icons, cover images, and backgrounds in the tree and grid.
  • Local-First & Private
    Works fully offline. No account, no telemetry. Files stay on your disk.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Vivaldi
refern.

Overall verdict

  • Vivaldi is considered a good choice for users who prioritize flexibility and control over their browsing experience. Its extensive personalization options set it apart from other browsers, although it might have a steeper learning curve for those who are not as tech-savvy.

Why this product is good

  • Vivaldi is a web browser that is known for its customization options, privacy features, and user-centric design. It offers a range of unique features such as tab stacking, a built-in ad blocker, and customizable keyboard shortcuts. Vivaldi is built on the Chromium engine, which ensures compatibility with most websites while allowing for high performance.

Recommended for

  • Users who want extensive customization options
  • Privacy-conscious individuals
  • Advanced users who appreciate granular control over browser features
  • Those looking for an alternative to mainstream browsers like Chrome and Firefox

Overall verdict

  • Refern (refern.app) is a solid referral and networking platform that helps professionals and businesses streamline referrals, connect with trusted contacts, and grow through word-of-mouth. It offers a clean interface and useful tools for managing and tracking referrals, making it a worthwhile choice for those looking to leverage their networks.

Why this product is good

  • Simplifies the process of giving and receiving referrals
  • Helps build and maintain a trusted professional network
  • Offers tracking and management tools to monitor referral activity
  • User-friendly interface that reduces friction for both parties
  • Can drive business growth through word-of-mouth and warm introductions

Recommended for

  • Freelancers and independent professionals seeking new clients
  • Small businesses that rely on referrals for growth
  • Sales and business development teams
  • Professionals looking to expand their trusted network
  • Anyone wanting to organize and track referral relationships more effectively

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Vivaldi 3 videos + Add
refern. 0 videos + Add

Vivaldi Is Awesome: Ditch Chrome | Full Vivaldi Tutorial 2018

More videos

  • - Brave vs Vivaldi - Which is Better?
  • - Opera vs Vivaldi vs Brave | The Web Browser Comparison

No refern. videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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
Vivaldi
refern.
100% 100%
Web Browsers
0% 0%
0% 0%
Moodboard
100% 100%
100% 100%
Security & Privacy
0% 0%
0% 0%
Reference Management
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Vivaldi and refern..

What's the story behind your product?

refern.'s answer:

I'm an artist, and too often I was frustrated: I couldn't find the right pictures, I struggled to organize and keep track of my reference images, and I was juggling too many apps when all I wanted to do was draw. I wanted one tool that could do it all, with every component well integrated. So I made refern.

What makes your product unique?

refern.'s answer:

The flow of collecting references for art usually goes like this:

find references and inspiration online -> save and organize those images -> use them on their own or in a moodboard -> reuse them for the next project or share them with others

Normally that means a different app for each step. refern does all of it in one place, with every part built to work together.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

refern.'s answer:

Most tools solve only one part of the reference workflow, so artists end up juggling several. refern combines them in one app: Eagle-style organization and search, a PureRef-style infinite canvas, and an Obsidian-style graph of how your references connect. It never copies your files, so it doesn't double your disk usage. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, works fully offline, and is a $30 one-time purchase with no subscription. Built in Rust, it stays fast even on libraries with hundreds of thousands of images.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

refern.'s answer:

Individual artists and creative professionals: illustrators, concept artists, digital painters, designers, and photographers. They collect and organize large libraries of visual references, build moodboards, and study from reference. refern is built for solo creators rather than teams, spanning hobbyists and students through working professionals.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

refern.'s answer:

refern is a Tauri v2 desktop app with a Rust backend and a React 19 (with React Compiler) plus TypeScript frontend. Data is stored locally in SQLite (rusqlite) with FTS5 full-text search. The interface uses Tailwind CSS, Zustand, and TanStack Query, with motion/react for animation. The infinite canvas and graph view are built on react-three-fiber and three.js. Thumbnailing, perceptual hashing, and color and visual similarity run in Rust with rayon and SIMD.

User comments

Share your experience with using Vivaldi and refern.. 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.

Vivaldi no reviews yet
refern. no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

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

Vivaldi 162 mentions
refern. 0 mentions
  • Firefox will have an option to disable all AI features
    The solution for the (as of yet) small group of people who cares about these things is very simple: community driven forks. With the bonus that you also get a set of great (and per fork different yet handy) features. These include:... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • I tried 6 next-gen browsers - here's what I found
    Last, but not least in my journey to find the perfect browser for me is Vivaldi. This browser was developed back in 2015 by a former Opera co-founder and markets itself to primarily power users. The browser strives to be the all-in-one... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Washington Post's Privacy Tip: Stop Using Chrome, Delete Meta Apps (and Yandex)
    I use Vivaldi[1], it seems to work fairly well. Also has built-int adblocker although I'm not sure how good it is compared to Ublock or others. [1] https://vivaldi.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago

View more

Tracking refern. since Mar 2024.

Alternatives to Vivaldi and refern.

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

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