A free alternative to Pastel.
Pastel creates visual feedback canvases on website proxy links. pinthread pins threaded comments to elements on your live site and hands them to your coding agent. pinthread has a permanent free plan. Pastel limits its free tier to 1 active canvas.
At a glance
| pinthread | Pastel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 a month, with no trial that runs out. Up to 10 projects, 25 members per project, 10,000 comments per project, 100 MB of storage per project. | Free plan is $0 for 1 active canvas and 1 user seat. Paid Pro plan starts from $29 a month billed annually ($35 billed monthly) for 3 canvases. |
| Focus | Threaded comments pinned to live elements, with replies, reactions, and resolve | Canvas proxy links for website, PDF, and image review and client approvals |
| What a report holds | Page URL, element selector, visible text, position, and thread replies | Visual canvas pins, reviewer comments, attachments, and export metadata |
| Issue trackers | No issue tracker integration. Download comments as JSON. | Exports to Trello, Jira, Asana, and Slack on paid plans |
| Agent access | A remote MCP server at https://pinthread.dev/mcp, with a read or write token per project on every plan, including Free | Official MCP server connecting Cursor, Claude, and ChatGPT to canvas feedback |
Checked on 10 October 2026. Sources: Pastel pricing, Pastel agent integration.
When Pastel fits better
- You need client review on websites without adding any code or script tag.
- You review static PDFs and images alongside website pages.
- Your agency workflow relies on sharing canvas proxy links.
When pinthread fits better
- You want a permanent free plan without archiving canvases to stay under a 1-canvas limit.
- You want comments directly on live and staging builds, without canvas proxy rendering issues.
- Your coding agent needs remote MCP tokens to resolve comments in the repository.
Switch from Pastel
- Sign up free and create a project for your site.
- Paste the script tag into your shared layout.
- Add each address where your site runs in the project's Settings.
- Point your reviewers directly to your site URL with the pinthread script tag instead of a Pastel canvas proxy link.
- Connect your agent. The agent guide has the setup for Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex.
<script src="https://pinthread.dev/embed.js"
data-project="YOUR_PROJECT_KEY" defer></script>Questions
Is pinthread free?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0 a month, needs no credit card, and includes every feature, with agent access over MCP.
Do reviewers need an account?
No. On a project with link access, reviewers can comment as a named guest. A guest name is not a verified identity. Owners can restrict a project to invited Google accounts.
How does pinthread compare to Pastel canvas links?
Pastel loads or proxies your website into a canvas link. pinthread embeds directly into your website via one script tag, so reviewers comment on your real running site without proxy rendering issues.
Can my coding agent read and resolve comments with Pastel and pinthread?
Yes. Both tools support MCP. Pastel connects Cursor, Claude, and ChatGPT. pinthread provides a remote MCP server at https://pinthread.dev/mcp with project-scoped read and write tokens on every plan, including Free.
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- pinthread vs RuttlVisual feedback and live CSS edits. Free plan caps projects and video comments.
- pinthread vs React GrabDevelopment-time React source context, copied or sent to coding agents.
- pinthread vs FeedbucketAgency feedback with screenshots, video, integrations, and MCP.
- All alternativesFree plans, prices, and agent access in one table.
- Agent workflow guideSet up Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex to resolve comments.