Collecting references usually means juggling a pile of apps: one to save images from the web, one to tag and organize them, another to lay them out on a moodboard. refern does all of it in a single desktop app, with every part built to work together.
What you can do
Save images from the web with the browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
Organize with hierarchical tags, smart folders, ratings, color labels, and metadata
Find anything fast with full-text search, 16 search operators, color search, and visual similarity
Arrange references on an infinite canvas with layers, text, shapes, and drawing tools
See how your library connects in a relationship graph view
Practice with a built-in timed study mode
Keep references over other windows with pin-to-top, transparency, and click-through
Why refern is different
It never copies your files. Your images stay in your own folders, so your library never doubles your disk usage.
Local-first and private. Works fully offline, no account, no telemetry.
Cross-platform, including Linux. Most tools in this space are Windows and Mac only.
Built in Rust, so it stays fast on libraries with hundreds of thousands of images.
$30 one-time. No subscription, lifetime updates.
Who it's for
Illustrators, concept artists, digital painters, designers, and photographers who collect and organize a lot of visual reference.
I'm an artist, and I made refern because I was tired of not finding the right pictures, losing track of my references, and juggling too many apps when all I wanted to do was draw. So I built the tool I wanted: one place that does it all, well integrated.
Windows, macOS, and Linux. $30 one-time.
