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DarkRef - Art Reference Board

DarkRef - Art Reference Board

Reference board for artists

4 ratings
4 reviews
📊 Productivity
🎨 Graphics & Design
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • February 24, 2026
  • August 12, 2026

Features

Developer

Timothy Patrick Dommett
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DarkRef - Art Reference Board video #1 for iPhone
DarkRef - Art Reference Board screenshot #2 for iPhone
DarkRef - Art Reference Board screenshot #3 for iPhone
DarkRef - Art Reference Board screenshot #4 for iPhone
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About

Organize your visual inspiration with images, GIFs, and notes. This app offers a free, intuitive platform for artists to manage references across all devices, with optional cloud sync for seamless backup and access.

✓Unlimited boards and images
✓Image and GIF support
✓Notes and annotations
✓Folder organization
✓Offline access
✓Cross-device sync
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What's New in DarkRef

1.6

August 12, 2026

Boards you can share, in real time. LIVE BOARDS Invite anyone by email and work on the same board together. You can watch their cursor move as they arrange references, drop in images and rework your layout, and it all happens instantly on everyone's screen. You can make the cursor yours too. Pick its shape, its colour and even a symbol, so your collaborators always know which one is you. PULL FROM YOUR OWN LIBRARY Open a board, tap "Add from references", and bring in anything you have already collected. Search it, pick as many as you like, and they drop straight onto the canvas where you are looking. No digging through folders, no importing the same picture twice. VIDEO THAT ACTUALLY PLAYS YouTube, Vimeo and Instagram posts now play right on the canvas and in your reference panel, so you are never thrown out to a browser in the middle of a thought. BETTER SAVES FROM THE WEB Links now arrive with a proper preview: the real image, the title and the description, Reddit included. Anything you saved before that came in blank will quietly fill itself in. NEVER LOSE A BOARD Your boards are snapshotted automatically, including right before anything arrives from the cloud. If something ever looks wrong, you can roll it back. ALSO IN THIS RELEASE - Overlay mode, so you can go translucent and keep your references floating above whatever you are drawing in (macOS) - Tap the status bar to jump back to the top (iPhone and iPad) - Settings now shows exactly how much storage you are using - Faster, steadier sync and a long list of fixes Hosting a live board needs DarkRef Pro. Joining one is always free.

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Subscription plans

Sync Monthly

Sync across all your devices and backup your projects.

$1.991 Month
1 Month trial
How to cancel DarkRef subscription ⁉️

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Really cool but some bugs that make it unusable

The app has really cool features like a Pinterest like board view with all your images on it, and separate canvases for different projects. And you can tag images so you can search for them later. Also has automatic color palette generations under each image. I really like the design and layout BUT, it has some bugs that totally kill it for me. Every few seconds the app refreshes or acts like it restarts, and it defaults to the home/reference page. Doesn’t matter if I interact with anything or not.
It also doesn’t have a way to zoom in to photos in the reference view. You can open them fullscreen, but there’s no options beyond that like, horizontal/vertical flipping, greyscale view, or the aforementioned ability to zoom in or out.
The canvas is the only way to do zoom on an image, but it has an issue where if the image is selected with the bounding box around it, it gets real glitchy. The image jumps around the canvas, panning is stuttery, it causes the OS copy+paste text prompt to pop up, and resizing takes a few seconds before it starts happening.
Dev if you read this please consider fixing these issues as this would be an amazing app!
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Dr. NixiDr. Nixi

Good bones but full of bugs

I’ll be following this project closely as I’ve been looking for a cross platform pureref alternative. It’s impossible to delete accidental images and resizing is a chore. Needs work and better controls but the bones are great. Looks good. Just squash the bugs and fix the controls and it will be fantastic
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Laura BythatagariLaura Bythatagari

Response from developer

Thank you so much for trying out DarkRef! I built it for that exact reason, I love pureref, but I work across multiple devices and was honestly surprised so many other people had the same workflow and have downloaded it. I've made a few updates recently to try reduce the bugs and make the app a bit easier to use, especially on iOS/iPad, would love it if you could try it out and let me know if you're still encountering any issues. Thanks again!

It works but…problems.

It is very obvious that this has a way to go before it’s perfect. Throughout signup i had to rely on my best guess for what was written in a box, because all of the editable or changeable text blocks like email and project title were completely black when i started to enter anything. It did not go away with a restart either and the problem still persists. So yeah, it works, but it doesn’t work well by any stretch.
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Steward7Steward7

Response from developer

Thank you so much for trying out the app! It is really new so there are definitely still some issues that I'm trying to iron out and didn't expect so many people to try it out so quickly. I just made an update recently to try fix up the majority of the bugs, but please do let me know if you still encounter any issues and thanks again!

Pretty decent for a free Refrence board!

A nice clean look overall, but I do have some minor issues. Since it appears it was designed for a computer in mind over a mobile phone, the controls can be VERY clunky when it comes to moving and contorting images. I also currently cannot seem to find a delete button, which can be annoying. There is a delete shortcut, but once again it’s only available for computer. If these problems can be fixed, I’m confident that this app will do pretty well!
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Just A Very Weird TomatoJust A Very Weird Tomato

Response from developer

Thanks so much for taking the time to try out DarkRef! The app is really new so this type of feedback is incredibly helpful. We just did an update trying to make the app a bit easier to use on mobile and adding a delete button in the mobile menu. Please let us know if you have encounter any other issues and thanks again!

FAQ

What is DarkRef?

DarkRef is a powerful reference board designed for digital artists to organize inspiration with images, GIFs, and notes. It offers a free core experience with optional cloud sync for enhanced features.

Is DarkRef free to use?

Yes, all core features of DarkRef are completely free, allowing for unlimited boards, images, and organization tools. An optional subscription unlocks cloud sync features.

Does DarkRef work offline?

Yes, all your references are stored locally on your device, enabling you to work anywhere without an internet connection. Changes sync automatically when you reconnect with DarkRef Sync.

What devices does DarkRef support?

DarkRef is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod, with features designed to sync seamlessly across all your Apple devices.

What are the subscription options for DarkRef Sync?

DarkRef Sync offers two subscription plans: Sync Monthly at $1.99/month with a 1-month free trial, and Sync Annual at $9.99/year.

How often is DarkRef updated?

The latest version, 1.2.0, was released on March 8, 2026, indicating a recent update. Users can expect ongoing improvements and new features.

Is DarkRef suitable for children?

DarkRef has an age rating of 4+, making it appropriate for younger users and children who are interested in art and design.

What makes DarkRef different from other reference apps?

DarkRef emphasizes working everywhere, with all references stored locally for offline access and optional cloud sync for seamless cross-device use, unlike some apps that require constant internet.