8 Best Markup.io Alternatives Compared

Since its launch in March of 2020 Markup.io has gained a reputation for being a popular annotation tool for use on documents and web pages. With over 350,000 users, it’s done well.

But it hasn’t entirely escaped criticism, including being quite slow to use, burying resolved comments in endlessly growing lists that make it impossible to find what you need, and cost.

Originally launched as a free tool, it quickly restricted access to most features behind a paywall, and it only offers a limited choice of plans, which means for most people it’s not an affordable option.

Other criticisms include it not being compatible with Figma files, comments not always staying in the right place, and even comments disappearing entirely from time to time.

So it’s not surprising that many people are looking at the best alternatives to Markup, and so in this article we’ve rounded up the best Markup.io alternatives, and put them through their paces – to bring you a curated list of the best annotation tools for those seeing an alternative to Markup.

Choosing the right markup or annotation tool for your design team or development agency is essential, as so much will depend upon its ease of use, integrations, versatility, and workflow efficiency.

Your own team will need to be able to share visuals and collaborate on project work, and having a convenient tool for your clients to use to provide feedback is a massive game-changer.

Client feedback is a notoriously challenging part of any design project, and the very last thing you’ll want to be doing is relying on back-and-forth emails, with vague suggestions, and very little to go on.

A really great markup or annotation tool will take that headache away completely, making it so easy for clients to simply click and point with their mouse on the part of the document they want to comment on, and then leave their thoughts right there for you.

Of course many Markup.io alternatives bring a great deal more to the table, and can streamline your client feedback workflow significantly.

Making the right choice will not only help your team save time and be able to work collaboratively with even greater success, but your clients will really appreciate it, and allow you to keep projects on track much more effectively.

So let’s take a look at the 8 best Markup.io alternative tools for your design agency or web development team, and see how they compare, and which one will meet your needs best.

The Best Alternatives to Markup.io

#1 – Atarim

Main Features and Selling Points:

• Direct Website Feedback Tools: Allows users to leave feedback directly on any web pages, including live sites.
• Task Management System: Integrated task management to track progress, assignments, time tracking, and billing.
• Visual Ticketing System: Makes it easy to report issues and request changes with visual aids. Each virtual ‘post-it’ note automatically creates a new task that’s delivered to a shared inbox with a link directly to the part of the web page it relates to.
• Agency Dashboard: A centralized dashboard to manage multiple projects and clients, including internal team notes and tasks.
• Chrome Extension: Free Google Chrome extension for instantly adding comments to any web page or online application – start commenting in two clicks.
• Integration with Popular Tools: Seamless integration with tools such as Slack, Trello, Rocket, MainWP, Jira, and Convesio.

Comparison with Markup.io:

• Direct Feedback on Live Websites: Unlike Markup.io, Atarim allows for direct feedback on live websites, making it easier for clients and team members to collaborate in real-time.
• Comprehensive Project Management: Atarim offers a broader set of project management tools, including task assignments and progress tracking, which are not as fully developed in Markup.io.
• Enhanced Client Collaboration: With Atarim, clients can provide feedback without creating an account, streamlining the review process significantly compared to Markup.io.

Pricing:

• Atarim offers a tiered pricing model, starting with a basic plan suitable for small teams and projects. The pricing scales up based on the number of projects, users, and additional features required.
• Pro Plan: Starts at $35 per month for 1 user and 60 projects (and unlimited collaborators)
• Business Plan: Designed for larger teams, with advanced features, starting at $50 per month.
• Enterprise Plan: For large teams and hosting providers, with dedicated support and guaranteed SLA. Price on enquiry.

Summary:

Atarim stands out as a comprehensive solution for web design and development agencies looking to streamline their workflow and enhance client collaboration. Its direct feedback tools, integrated task management, and visual ‘post-it’ note commenting system address the specific needs of the industry, making it a great choice for those who require more than just markup capabilities.

Atarim’s focus on improving client interactions through easy-to-use interfaces and the ability to integrate with a wide range of tools adds significant value, making it an ideal choice for teams looking to optimize their project management and feedback processes.

Whether for small projects or large-scale operations, Atarim offers a flexible and powerful platform that adapts to the unique demands of web development and design professionals.

#2 – InVisionApp

Key Features and Selling Points

• Interactive Prototyping: Create interactive and animated prototypes that mimic the final product closely.
• Design Collaboration: Allows teams to comment, review, and approve designs directly on the platform.
• Digital Whiteboarding: With Freehand, teams can brainstorm, plan, and create in a collaborative online whiteboard.
• Inspection Tools: Handoff designs with accurate specs, assets, and code snippets to streamline the development process.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with popular tools such as Slack, JIRA, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Comparison with Markup.io

• Prototyping vs. Markup: Unlike Markup.io, which focuses on website feedback, InVision provides comprehensive prototyping capabilities, making it ideal for detailed design work and early-stage feedback.
• Collaboration Tools: Both platforms offer strong collaboration features, but InVision’s digital whiteboarding adds a layer of pre-design collaboration that Markup.io lacks.
• Design to Development Handoff: InVision stands out for its detailed handoff tools, providing developers with everything teams need to turn designs into code, a feature that goes beyond the basic markup and feedback capabilities of Markup.io.

Pricing

• Free Plan: Limited features, suitable for individuals or small projects.
• Pro Plan: Priced at $7.95 per user/month, offering additional collaboration features and unlimited projects.
• Team Plan: Custom pricing based on team size and needs, includes advanced features like Freehand and security controls.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, offering full platform access, advanced security, and dedicated support.

Summary

InVision App shines as a comprehensive design platform that goes beyond simple markup and feedback. Its strong suit is in the creation of interactive prototypes and detailed design-development handoff, making it an invaluable tool for design teams looking to streamline their workflow from initial concept to final handover.

The digital whiteboarding feature extends its value, providing a space for creative collaboration before the design process even begins. While it might come at a higher price point compared to Markup.io, the range of features and the seamless integration with other tools make InVision a worthwhile investment for teams focused on detailed design work and efficient project handoffs.

Ideal for teams that not only want to collect feedback but also plan, design, and prototype within a single platform, InVision App takes the design process to new levels of efficiency and collaboration.

#3 – Ziflow

Key Features and Selling Points

• Online Proofing: Streamlines the review and approval process for creative content, including images, videos, and PDFs.
• Automated Workflow: Set up automated workflows to route projects through review, feedback, and approval stages efficiently.
• Version Control: Easily compare different versions of creative work, ensuring nothing gets lost in the process.
• Integrations: Connects with popular tools such as Slack, Asana, Jira, and more, fitting seamlessly into existing workflows.
• Security and Compliance: Offers robust security features, including compliance with industry standards.

Comparison with Markup.io

• Focus on Creative Content: Ziflow is specifically tailored for creative content reviews, making it a better fit for marketing teams and creative agencies compared with Markup.io, which is more focused on web page feedback.
• Automated Workflows: Ziflow’s strength lies in its ability to automate the review process, reducing manual work and speeding up project completion, a feature that Markup.io lacks.
• Version Control: Ziflow offers more sophisticated version control tools than Markup.io, simplifying the comparison and tracking of changes over time.

Pricing

• Essentials Plan: Starting at $20 per user/month, offering basic proofing tools and integration capabilities.
• Business Plan: Custom pricing, adding advanced features such as automated workflows, version control, and additional integrations.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for larger teams or organizations needing higher security, compliance, and a dedicated support manager.

Summary

Ziflow sets itself apart as a robust online proofing and review platform, especially suited for agencies and teams dealing with a wide range of creative content. Its automated workflows and version control capabilities streamline the review process, ensuring projects move forward quickly and efficiently.

The platform’s focus on security and compliance also makes it a trusted choice for organizations with strict data handling requirements. While it may offer more features than necessary for simple website feedback, its integrations and focus on creative content make it an invaluable tool for marketing teams and creative agencies looking to optimize their approval workflows.

Ziflow’s pricing reflects its positioning as a premium solution, but for teams looking to cut down on project turnaround time and improve collaboration on creative content, it offers significant value.

#4 – Ruttl

Key Features and Selling Points

• Real-time Website Feedback: Directly annotate live websites and static images for precise feedback and collaboration.
• Version History: Track changes over time with a comprehensive version history, ensuring accountability and progress tracking.
• Live Editing: Edit text, images, and CSS directly on live websites to instantly see and share changes.
• Team Collaboration: Invite team members to projects for collaborative reviews and streamline the feedback process.
• Integrations: Seamlessly integrates with tools such as Slack and Trello, improving the workflow efficiency.

Comparison with Markup.io

• Direct Website Editing: Ruttl stands out by allowing users to make live edits to websites, a feature not available in Markup.io, which focuses more on annotations and comments.
• Feedback on Static Images and Live Sites: While Markup.io is strong in website feedback, Ruttl extends its capabilities to static images as well, offering a more versatile platform for design and development teams.
• Version History: Both platforms provide version tracking, but Ruttl emphasizes this feature more prominently, making it easier to follow the evolution of a project.

Pricing

• Free Plan: Offers limited features suitable for small projects or individual use.
• Pro Plan: Priced at $15 per member/month, unlocking more advanced features such as unlimited projects, version history, and live editing.
• Team Plan: Custom pricing based on the team size and specific needs, including all Pro features plus priority support and integration capabilities.

Summary

Ruttl is a versatile and user-friendly platform for web development and design feedback. Its unique selling point is the ability to not only leave precise feedback on live websites and static images, but also to make live edits. This capability accelerates the iteration process, allowing teams to visualize changes in real-time and make decisions more efficiently.

The addition of version history and robust team collaboration features further enhances its appeal to web development agencies and design teams looking for an efficient way to manage feedback and edits.

Ruttl is a practical solution for projects of various sizes, making it an attractive alternative to Markup.io for teams that are looking for direct, actionable feedback and quick turnarounds.

#5 – GoVisually

Key Features and Selling Points

• Simplified Review Process: Streamline the feedback process with easy-to-use tools for annotating designs and videos.
• Unlimited Projects and Versions: Offers flexibility with unlimited projects and versions, ensuring comprehensive feedback cycles.
• Collaborative Review: Enable team members and clients to comment, review, and approve directly on the platform.
• Integration Capabilities: Works with tools such as Slack and Dropbox, enabling a smooth workflow integration.
• Centralized Feedback: Keep all comments and annotations in one place, making it easy to track changes and decisions.

Comparison with Markup.io

• Focus on Creatives: GoVisually is particularly suitable for creative projects, including designs and videos, offering more specialized tools for these formats compared to the broader website focus of Markup.io.
• Unlimited Projects and Versions: Unlike Markup.io, which may limit projects or versions depending on the plan, GoVisually offers unlimited projects and versions across all its plans, providing greater flexibility.
• User Interface and Experience: GoVisually boasts a straightforward and intuitive interface, making it accessible for users of all technical levels, whereas Markup.io’s interface, although efficient, can be more suited to users familiar with web development and design feedback tools.

Pricing

• Solo Plan: Designed for individuals, priced at $20 per month with basic features.
• Team Plan: Targeted at small teams, starting at $50 per month, offering advanced collaboration tools and integration options.
• Agency Plan: Custom pricing for larger teams and agencies, including all features with priority support and custom integrations.

Summary

GoVisually is a user-friendly platform for creative teams and professionals seeking a streamlined approach to design and video project reviews. Its focus on simplifying the review process, along with the ability to handle unlimited projects and versions, makes it a strong contender for teams who regularly receive a great deal of feedback.

Ideal for creatives who require a straightforward platform that clients and team members can easily navigate, GoVisually improves collaboration without the complexity often associated with feedback tools. Its integration capabilities also help to make sure that it fits seamlessly into existing workflows, making it an attractive option for teams looking to improve efficiency.

While it may not offer the direct website editing capabilities of some competitors, its strength lies in its simplicity and effectiveness in gathering centralized feedback on creative projects.

#6 – ProjectHuddle

Key Features and Selling Points

• WordPress Plugin: A WordPress plugin that integrates directly into your website, allowing for seamless feedback and design approvals.
• Versatile Feedback Tools: Collect detailed feedback on web projects and design mockups directly within the WordPress dashboard.
• Threaded Comments: Facilitate clear communication through organized, threaded comments on specific elements of a design or website.
• Client-Friendly Interface: Designed to be easy for clients to use without requiring them to log in or create an account.
• Custom Branding: Customize the appearance of the feedback interface to match your agency or project branding.

Comparison with Markup.io

• WordPress Integration: Unlike Markup.io, which is compatible across all platforms, ProjectHuddle is specifically designed for WordPress sites, offering a deeply integrated feedback experience for WordPress users.
• Ease of Use for Clients: ProjectHuddle focuses on making the feedback process as straightforward as possible for clients, with no login requirements, which contrasts with Markup.io’s approach that might require more effort from clients.
• Custom Branding: The ability to customize the interface with your own branding offers a more personalized experience than Markup.io, improving client relations.

Pricing

• Standard Plan: Priced at $109 per year, offering feedback tools for both websites and design mockups.
• Professional Plan: At $139 per year, includes additional features such as video mockups, PDFs, and multi-site support.
• Agency Plan: Priced at $399 per year, designed for agencies needing advanced features like custom branding and unlimited websites.

Summary

ProjectHuddle is a powerful, client-friendly feedback tool for WordPress websites and design projects. By integrating directly into the WordPress ecosystem, it offers a level of convenience and efficiency that goes some way beyond tools such as Markup.io, especially for WordPress-focused teams and agencies.

Its focus on ease of use for clients, along with features such as threaded comments and custom branding, make it an excellent choice for professionals seeking to streamline their feedback process while also supporting client engagement.

The annual pricing model also provides significant value for long-term projects, making it a cost-effective solution for teams looking for a dedicated WordPress feedback tool.

Ideal for web designers, developers, and agencies who work mainly in the WordPress environment, ProjectHuddle offers a tailored solution that enhances collaboration and simplifies project reviews.

#7 – Filestage

Key Features and Selling Points

• All-in-One Review Platform: Review videos, documents, images, and audio files all in one place, streamlining the feedback process across various media types.
• Easy-to-Use Interface: Designed for simplicity, allowing clients and team members to provide feedback without prior training.
• Automated Workflow: Customize review steps and automate notifications to keep projects moving smoothly.
• Integrated Version Control: Easily compare versions side by side, making sure that feedback has been implemented correctly.
• Secure Sharing: Offers secure link sharing, making it easy to control who has access to your projects.

Comparison with Markup.io

• Media Versatility: Filestage is great at handling a wide range of media types, making it a more versatile option for teams working across video, audio, documents, and images, unlike Markup.io which is more focused on web and design feedback.
• Ease of Use: The platform has an easy-to-navigate interface for both reviewers and creators, potentially offering a less steep learning curve than Markup.io for users unfamiliar with digital markup tools.
• Workflow Automation: Filestage’s automated workflow features, such as custom review steps and automated notifications, provide a more structured feedback process compared to Markup.io’s more open-ended approach.

Pricing

• Essential Plan: Starting at $89 per month for basic review and proofing capabilities, ideal for small teams.
• Professional Plan: Priced at $179 per month, offering advanced features such as automated workflows, integrations, and more extensive team collaboration tools.
• Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing, tailored to large organizations needing full-scale project management features, enhanced security, and dedicated support.

Summary

Filestage is a comprehensive review and feedback platform capable of handling a broad range of media formats, from videos and images to documents and audio files. Its emphasis on ease of use makes it accessible to a wide audience, including clients and team members with varying levels of tech-savviness.

The platform’s approach to workflow automation and integrated version control supports a seamless review process, helping teams maintain efficiency and achieve high-quality outcomes.

While Filestage offers a broader set of features compared with Markup.io, particularly for multimedia projects, its pricing reflects its all-in-one capability and advanced functionalities.

Ideal for creative teams, marketing agencies, and organizations producing diverse content types, Filestage provides a flexible and secure environment for collecting feedback and approvals, ensuring that projects are completed efficiently and meeting all project needs and client expectations.

#8 – Cage

Key Features and Selling Points

• Creative Project Management: Designed to streamline the workflow of creative projects, from task assignment to final approval.
• Asset Management: Organize and manage all your project assets in one place, making it easy for teams to find and use the right files.
• Team Collaboration: Improve team communication with features such as task assignments, deadlines, and progress tracking.
• Feedback and Revisions: Collect detailed feedback directly on creative assets, including design files, videos, and web pages.
• Client Involvement: Simplify client feedback and approval processes with easy access and straightforward commenting tools.

Comparison with Markup.io

• Project Management Integration: Cage offers a broader set of project management tools compared with Markup.io, making it a more comprehensive solution for teams managing the entire lifecycle of creative projects.
• Asset Management: The built-in asset management capabilities of Cage provide a significant advantage for teams dealing with large numbers of files and versions, a feature that Markup.io doesn’t include.
• Client-Friendly Features: Both platforms aim to streamline client feedback, but Cage’s interface and processes are specifically designed to simplify client involvement without overwhelming them with complex tools.

Pricing

• Starter Plan: Priced at $8 per user/month, suitable for small teams looking for basic project management and feedback tools.
• Team Plan: At $24 per user/month, this plan offers advanced project management features, more storage, and priority support.
• Agency Plan: Custom pricing for larger teams and agencies, providing full access to Cage’s capabilities, including unlimited projects, custom branding, and advanced security options.

Summary

Cage is a platform that stands out for its comprehensive approach to managing creative projects, integrating project management, asset management, and feedback tools into a single solution. Its emphasis on simplifying both team collaboration and client feedback makes it an attractive option for creative teams and agencies looking to streamline their workflows and enhance productivity.

With features tailored to the needs of creative projects, Cage allows for a more organized and efficient project lifecycle, from initial concept to final approval. The platform’s pricing structure is designed to meet the needs of teams of various sizes, making it accessible to small studios as well as larger agencies.

Ideal for professionals seeking a single platform approach to project management and client collaboration, Cage offers a unique blend of functionality and simplicity, ensuring that creative projects progress smoothly and efficiently.

Comparison Table

After Action Report – Which Markup.io Alternative is Right for You?

Selecting the right collaboration and feedback tool is crucial for any design agency, as the right tool can make a huge difference to the way teams collaborate with each other, and with their clients. The right tool can help transform what can easily be a chaotic process into one that is harmonious and efficient.

Markup.io certainly offers a good range of tools and features, but with Atarim’s powerful project management capabilities and Cage’s creative project focus, there are many alternatives that are worth considering. And it’s easier to make the right choice early on, than change your mind halfway through a project.

Although we have been fair and honest in drawing your attention to a wide range of markup and annotation tools, it is nonetheless the case that Atarim stands head and shoulders above almost any other Markup.io alternative available because of its extraordinarily versatile range of collaboration tools, and the ability to integrate these seamlessly with a full project management platform – not to mention providing more integrations than almost anyone else!

Customers who have already been using Atarim have not only found it significantly easier to work collaboratively on projects, but have also found that with significantly faster turnaround times when gaining approval from clients, projects are being completed in a fraction of the time that they were previously.

Download Atarim free today, and enjoy a 7-day free trial of all premium features. When you’re ready to upgrade, paid plans start at just $20 per month.