A free Pastel alternative for local website review

Shiproom is currently free to use for visual feedback on locally running web applications. Pastel is a website annotation and client-approval tool—share a link, collect in-context comments on live sites and other assets, and move projects to approval faster. They overlap on visual website markup and guest reviewers without login. The difference: Pastel is built for agency/client approval workflows; Shiproom is built for private localhost review with technical context for developers and coding agents.

Shiproom is currently free to use.

Early-access limits: 3 projects, 100 stored feedback items, 30 days of feedback history. Reviewers invited by link need no Shiproom account.

Where Shiproom and Pastel overlap

Both enable visual comments on live websites and let guests leave feedback without creating accounts.

The workflow difference

Pastel uses canvas-based review (including a proxy layer over live sites per their plans FAQ) oriented to approvals, deadlines, and creative assets. Shiproom uses a CLI live session that forwards reviewers to your local HTTP app, captures developer-oriented evidence, and exports deterministic Markdown/JSON—with optional MCP access.

See how Shiproom returns visual feedback to a coding agent.

Shiproom vs Pastel

Pricing snapshot for Pastel: Free Forever: 1 user, 1 active canvas, unlimited guest reviewers. Pro $35/mo monthly ($29/mo annual), Team $119/mo monthly ($99/mo annual), Enterprise $450/mo. 14-day free trial of paid plans, no credit card required. Plans FAQ: Pastel does not copy the website—it layers comments via proxy technology.

Shiproom versus Pastel
Dimension	Shiproom	Pastel
Price (entry)	Currently free to use (early-access limits)	Free Forever available; Pro from $35/mo ($29 annual)
Permanent free plan	Not committed — currently free during early access, with limits	Yes — 1 user / 1 active canvas
Localhost-oriented share session	Yes — primary workflow	Not verified
Live website annotation	Yes	Yes
Guest reviewers without login	Yes	Yes
PDFs / images / creative assets	No — live web app focus	Yes
Screenshot + technical developer contextPastel emphasizes clear visual markup and approvals; deep console/network capture was not established on the homepage/plans pages.	Yes	Partial
Failed requests / JS errors	Yes — near submission	Not verified
CSV / export	Yes — Markdown and JSON	Yes — CSV export listed on every plan, including Free
MCP / coding-agent integration	Yes — published @shiproom/mcp	Not verified
Application hosting	No — session forwards to local app only	No — proxy/comment layer; FAQ states no site copy
Best-fit use case	Local development review + coding-agent handoff	Client approval and creative website annotation

Choose Pastel if…

Your primary job is getting client approval on websites and creative assets with deadlines and approvals.
You need PDF/image markup alongside live sites.
Free Forever with one active canvas is enough and you want Pastel’s canvas/proxy review model.
You rely on Pastel’s PM integrations on Team plans (Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday, Zapier).

Choose Shiproom if…

You are reviewing a locally running web app before it is deployed for client canvases.
You need element/route/browser context and failed-request evidence with each comment.
You want Markdown/JSON export or MCP access for a coding agent.
You want Shiproom’s current free localhost review workflow rather than an approval canvas product.

How this comparison was checked

We compare the documented workflow a buyer can use today, not roadmap promises. Changing facts such as price, plan scope, localhost access, and MCP support are checked against the vendor's own product, pricing, and help pages on the date below. An unverified feature is labelled “Not verified”, not treated as absent. Read the full comparison methodology and correction policy.

Related guides

Questions about Pastel alternatives

Is Pastel free?

Yes. Pastel offers a Free Forever plan with 1 user and 1 active canvas, plus unlimited guest reviewers. Paid plans start at Pro $35/mo ($29/mo billed annually).

Is Shiproom a free Pastel alternative?

Shiproom is currently free to use and can be a Pastel alternative when you need private visual feedback on a localhost web app with technical context. It is not a full replacement for Pastel’s multi-asset client-approval canvases.

Does Shiproom require reviewers to install anything?

No. Reviewers open an invite link in a normal browser. No extension or account is required for invited reviewers.

How is Shiproom different from Pastel?

Pastel is an annotation and approval tool for websites and creative files. Shiproom is a private review session for a locally running web app that captures developer-oriented context and exports it for implementation.

Does Pastel copy my website?

Pastel’s plans FAQ states it does not make a copy of the website and instead layers comments on the live website using proxy technology.

Give your coding agent the screen context

Shiproom is currently free to use. Copy the prepared prompt so your coding agent can start the local app, open Shiproom, wait for the private review link, and return it to you.

Read the prompt it copies

Set up a Shiproom review link for this app so I can share it.

Do all of it yourself, end to end:

1. Start the app locally if it is not already running.
2. In the project folder, run: npx shiproom@latest live
3. If it asks which port, use the one the app is running on.
4. The first run opens a browser sign-in. Tell me exactly what
   to approve, wait for me, then carry on.
5. Wait until the session is live and the private review link
   has been printed. Do not guess the link.
6. Reply with that link on its own line, and confirm it opens
   in any browser with no account and no install.
7. Keep the session running until I tell you to stop it.
8. Do not change any of my code while the review is open.

If anything fails, tell me what happened in plain language and
what you need from me.

Prefer the terminal?

$npx shiproom@latest live

Open the console

Competitor information checked against publicly available product and pricing documentation on 23 August 2026. Primary sources: Pastel homepage, Pastel plans / pricing. Features and prices change — verify on the vendor’s site before purchasing.