Every designer organises inspiration differently. Some want a strict folder tree. Some want to throw everything in and search. Some need to see references spread out on a canvas before they can think. So instead of one ranked list, this guide groups the best tools by the way you like to organise, and says what each one is good and bad at.
If you want the method rather than the tools, read how to organize design inspiration when folders stop working first. We build GetRef, which appears below, so weigh our opinion accordingly.
If you want the tool to organise for you
These tools read and tag everything you save, so organising happens automatically and finding happens by search.
GetRef. Built for designers. The browser extension captures a page and its link in one click. Every save is read (the text inside the image becomes searchable) and tagged by what it shows. You add one line on why, and later you search by description: "dark dashboard with sidebar", "pricing with annual toggle". Collections group references for a project. Private by default, free for 50 references.
- Good at: screenshot-heavy UI and web inspiration, finding things you half remember.
- Less good at: managing large local files like fonts and video.
mymind. A private, minimal space that tags images, articles, notes and quotes automatically, with no folders by design. Beautiful and calm, subscription only.
- Good at: mixed collections beyond design.
- Less good at: designers who want any manual structure at all.
If you like folders and tags you control
Eagle. The best tool for manual organisation of a large local library. Folders, subfolders, tags, smart folders, colour filters, and support for nearly any file type. One-time purchase.
- Good at: thousands of local files, brand asset archives, full control.
- Less good at: working across devices, and anyone who stops tagging after week three.
Raindrop. Collections and tags for bookmarks, with previews and full-text page search.
- Good at: links and articles.
- Less good at: screenshots, since it cannot read text inside images.
If you think on a canvas
Milanote. Boards where you arrange images, notes, links and to-dos freely. Great for exploring a direction and presenting it.
Figma or FigJam. Already open all day, infinitely flexible, and shareable with your team.
PureRef. A free, lightweight desktop app for pinning reference images on a floating board while you work. Popular with illustrators and 3D artists.
- Good at: moodboards and project-level exploration.
- Less good at: being a long-term library. Canvases do not search well past a few hundred items. See the best moodboard tools.
If you collect in public
Are.na. Channels of blocks that you can connect, share and follow. Thoughtful and community-driven.
Pinterest. The largest discovery engine for visual ideas, with public boards by default and secret boards if you switch them.
- Good at: discovery and sharing.
- Less good at: private client work and searching inside screenshots. See Pinterest vs GetRef.
The combination most designers end up with
Most working designers settle on three layers, and only one of them is the library.
- Discovery: Pinterest, Dribbble, Mobbin, Are.na. Where you find things.
- Library: one tool where every reference you keep lives. GetRef, Eagle or mymind.
- Boards: Figma, Milanote or PureRef for a specific project, built from the library and thrown away afterwards.
The mistake is using two libraries. If references are split between Eagle and Pinterest and a desktop folder, you will always look in the wrong one first.
How to choose in five minutes
- Do you forget to tag things? Pick a tool that tags for you.
- Do you mostly save screenshots of websites and apps? Pick a tool that reads text inside images.
- Do you work on more than one computer or on your phone? Pick a cloud tool.
- Do you have thousands of local asset files? Pick Eagle.
- Do you need to present? Add a board tool on top, do not replace the library with it.
For a deeper comparison of library tools, read the best design reference manager and Eagle vs mymind vs GetRef.
Common questions
- What is the best tool to organize design inspiration?
- It depends on how you organise. If you want the tool to do it for you, GetRef or mymind tag and search automatically. If you like folders and tags you control, Eagle. If you think visually on a canvas, Milanote or Figma. If you collect in public, Are.na.
- Should I organize inspiration with folders or tags?
- Tags, or better, automatic tags plus search. A reference usually belongs in several places at once, and folders force you to pick one. Tag-based and search-based tools scale past a few hundred items where folder trees break down.
- Is there a free app to organize design inspiration?
- Are.na, Pinterest and Raindrop have usable free plans, Milanote has a limited free plan, and GetRef is free for your first 50 references. Eagle is a one-time purchase after a trial.
- Can I organize inspiration in Figma?
- For one project, yes. A Figma page of references works as a moodboard. As a long-term library it breaks down, because large boards slow the file and there is no search across files.
