Comparison

RefCanvas vs ImgRef

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RefCanvas

This app helps artists and designers organize visual references for their projects. Import images and GIFs, arrange them on a canvas, add notes, and export your creations.

Highlights
  • Import images and GIFs
  • Add text notes
  • Move, scale, and rotate references
  • Group references with nodes
  • Supports split screen and pop-up view
  • Export boards as SVG or images
Features
Read full description

RefCanvas is an intuitive tool for artists and designers who need a comprehensive reference app to bring their creative vision to life. Key Features: - Import images and gifs. - Notes - Add text notes. - Move, scale and rotate references to create the perfect layout. - Multi selection - edit multiple references at one. - Nodes - Useful for grouping references. - Drag and drop - Drag and drop files from others apps like the gallery. - Paste files from the clipboard. - Supports split screen and pop-up view: Use it as a companion app with your favorite drawing app like Ibis Paint or Infinite Painter. - Save your progress as boards for future use. - Auto set thumbnails for boards after saving. - Eye dropper - Tap and hold to pick a color from your references as a hex code. - Drawing. Animated GIF support: - Reference your favorite animated gifs. - Pause animation and play frame by frame to better understand referenced animations. - Animation timeline gives you an interactive visual breakdown of all the frames. Easy to use reference tools: - Grayscale toggle. - Flip horizontally and vertically. - Add link - allows you to visit the source of your reference. Export: Export boards to share. Export board as SVG. Export Images/Gifs as files. Using RefCanvas to make reference boards & mood boards is easy, simply import your images or gifs, and move them around the canvas to arrange them in the layout that works best for your project. You can adjust their size, rotation and position to your liking, giving you maximum control over your creative process.

About

ImgRef

This app is an all-in-one creative tool for mood boards, reference images, and collaging. It offers smart asset management, precise color picking, and free-form layout capabilities across multiple devices. Designed for various creative professionals, it streamlines workflows with advanced editing and import/export features.

Highlights
  • Unlimited canvas with smart caching
  • Multi-select batch processing
  • Professional workflow with keyboard shortcuts
  • Image editing and adjustments
  • Dynamic color picker
  • Cross-platform support (iOS/macOS)
  • Video frame extraction
  • GIF decomposition
Features
Read full description

「App Store Editor's Choice」 「98% 5-Star Ratings」 「Cross-Platform for iPhone/iPad/MacOS」 Redefine your creative workflow - an all-in-one tool combining mood boards, reference images, smart asset management, precise color picking, and free-form collaging across devices. Designed for UI/brand/illustration/photography/architecture/video storyboard and other creative scenarios, this is your professional reference image and inspiration board on iPhone / iPad / macOS. Core Features: 1. Unlimited Canvas: Smart caching and image management for large long-term libraries and smooth browsing. 2. Multi-Select Batch Processing: Select multiple images for adaptive scaling, smart layout, uniform size, copy, and alignment. 3. Professional Workflow: Full keyboard shortcuts (Mac / iPad keyboard) for faster frequent actions. 4. Image Editing: Rotate, crop, desaturate, flip, adjust opacity, layers, scale, and more. 5. Dynamic Color Picker: Pick any canvas color in real time and get common color codes. 6. Video Processing: MP4 playback and 4K still extraction for faster storyboards, covers, and video references. 7. Stylized Text: Built-in fonts and styles make notes, titles, and labels clearer on the canvas. 8. Magnetic Guides: Alignment hints and smart snapping for precise layouts. 9. GIF Decomposition: Break animations into frames for clearer detail references. 10. Import Methods: Clipboard, photo library, folders, camera, drag & drop (iPad / Mac). 11. Export Methods: Scene export and image group export for sharing and delivery. 12. Web Drag & Drop: Drag images from Pinterest / ArtStation / Midjourney / Pixiv / Instagram and more. 13. Multiple Modes: View, lock, and edit modes keep browsing and editing separate. 14. Brush Tools: Annotate and highlight key areas for more intuitive communication. 15. File Management: Grid/list views with multiple sorting options. 16. Canvas Zoom: Smooth zoom and pan for comfortable detail viewing. 17. Multi-Select Quick Alignment: Quick alignment/distribution after multi-select. 18. Backup & Import: Full backup and package import for migration and recovery. Pro Enhancements: 1. Image/GIF/Video Notes: Add notes to capture ideas and key points. 2. Preview Mode: Switch to a clean preview for focused viewing and presentations. 3. Advanced Crop: Fit different aspect ratios and compositions faster for cleaner output. 4. Image Blur: Blur images for privacy protection and richer visual layering. 5. High-Resolution Scene Export (PNG): Export full scenes as HD PNG for sharing and delivery. 6. File Favorites: Save frequent files for quick access to key references. 7. Category Tags: Tag files by use, project, or status for faster filtering. 8. Dotted Background: Toggle a dotted background for clearer edge contrast. 9. Canvas Grayscale: Focus on tone and composition with grayscale view. 10. Image Color Analysis: Extract dominant colors to understand palette relationships. 11. Layer Panel: Preview names, reorder, and quick select for efficient layer management. 12. Scheduled Playback: Timed switching, playback controls, and countdown. 13. Layer Search: Filter by type and keyword to quickly locate target content among many layers. 14. Brush Presets: Switch stroke width, color, and opacity for annotation, highlighting, and sketching. 15. Canvas RGB Single-Channel Preview: View R/G/B channels separately to analyze color distribution, tone, and detail. 16. Link Cards: Turn webpages into cover cards pinned on the canvas; one tap to open You can subscribe to ImgRef Pro. Charged to your iTunes account on confirmation. Auto-renews unless canceled 24+ hours before period end. Manage in iTunes Store. Privacy Policy: https://xunhuaref.cn/index.php/privacypolicy/ Terms of Use: https://xunhuaref.cn/index.php/privacypolicy/eula-en/ Download now and experience the smoothest creative tool in the Apple ecosystem! Thank you for reading. Contact us: Email: imgref@163.com

Screenshots

RefCanvas4 screens
ImgRef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ImgRef at 4.7 against RefCanvas's 2.3. ImgRef also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 43%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 17 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RefCanvas sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and ImgRef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ImgRef holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ImgRef has 124 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of RefCanvas's written reviews are positive against 79% of ImgRef's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RefCanvas ships an update every 17 months, ImgRef every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RefCanvas versus ImgRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefCanvasImgRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (7 ratings)4.7 (124 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews79.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7124 — better
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeryoucef boukit文荣 李

Customer experience

RefCanvas

All ratings7 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

ImgRef

All ratings124 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive79.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative16.3%

Bugs and requests

RefCanvas

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ImgRef

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Trouble importing images from other apps

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add cropping functionality
  • Implement doodle/text feature for notes
  • Add GIF frame reading function

In-app purchases

2 purchases

RefCanvas

One-time2
  • Pro version$2.99
  • Pro version2 variants$3.99
2 purchases

ImgRef

Subscriptions2
  • pro_monthly$0.991 Month
  • ImgRef Annual Subscription$5.991 Year

Questions

Is RefCanvas free?
RefCanvas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ImgRef free?
ImgRef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RefCanvas or ImgRef?
ImgRef is rated higher. RefCanvas averages 2.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while ImgRef averages 4.7 from 124 ratings.
Do RefCanvas or ImgRef have ads?
Neither RefCanvas nor ImgRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RefCanvas or ImgRef?
RefCanvas ships an update every 17 months, and ImgRef every 5 days. Most recently, RefCanvas was updated on September 15, 2026 and ImgRef on September 21, 2026.

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