Many people keep PureRef open while they paint, draw or model. It puts a board of references on top of the canvas, and it does that very well.
They usually start looking for something else when they want the same references on an iPad, or when last month's board has to be found again. PureRef has no app for iPad or iPhone, and each board is a file of its own.
This page sets the two side by side: what each one does well, where each stops, and how they work together. I checked PureRef's details against its own site in September 2026.
Reference board
PureRef
PureRef is a small desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that does one thing very well. It gives you a board of reference images that stays on top of whatever you are working in.
You drag images onto it from a folder or a browser, then scale, crop, flip and arrange them freely. You can desaturate an image to judge its values, add a note, and save the whole board as a file to open again. It's fast, it stays out of the way, and for personal use you pay what you want.
PureRef doesn't keep a library. Each board is a separate file, and there are no tags, folders or search across boards. Finding the right images before a session, and keeping them after it, happens somewhere else.
PureRef Compared With Hive
PureRef and Hive are used at different moments. PureRef is for the session itself: a board on top of the canvas, arranged by hand. Hive is for the time before and after it: saving, keeping, and finding the right images again.
For that second part, Hive is the better choice. Folders, tags, stars, notes, search and Smart Folders work across the whole library, where a PureRef board is a single file with no search across boards. Hive keeps the link each image came from, and it runs on iPhone and iPad, where PureRef doesn't.
During a session at a computer, PureRef is better. Hive has no board that stays on top of other windows, and it doesn't let you arrange images freely on a canvas.
- Choose PureRef when
- You paint, model or draw with references open next to the canvas.
- Choose Hive when
- You need to find the references again after the session, you collect them on a phone, or you work on an iPad.
With HiveA good split is Hive for keeping and narrowing, and PureRef for the session. Gather the set in Hive, then bring the chosen few onto a PureRef board while you paint.
- Runs on
- Mac, Windows, Linux
- Price
- Pay what you want for personal use
- Official site
- pureref.com
Side by Side
The rows cover what people ask about most, and either side can be switched to another tool. The apps change over time, so each tool's own site has the final word.
| HivePrivate reference library | PureRefReference board | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on |
|
|
| Made for | A private reference library across Apple devices | A reference board beside the canvas |
| Saves from | Share sheet, Safari extension, drag and drop, files | Drag and drop, paste |
| Organizes with | Folders, tags, stars, notes and Smart Folders | Free arrangement on the board, one file per board |
| Holds | Images, videos, audio, PDFs, links and bookmarks | Images and notes |
| Where it lives | A folder you choose: on the device, in iCloud Drive, or on an external SSD with Pro | Board files on your computer |
| Price | Free; Pro $3.99 a month, $19.99 a year or $34.99 once | Pay what you want for personal use |