✦ Pastel Alternative

A free Pastel alternative that reviews live apps, not stale screenshots.

Pastel is great for annotating static mockups. Yocoolab lets you pin feedback directly on your running web application — with AI that reads the code context and opens a PR automatically. No per-user pricing. Unlimited free viewers.

$29/month minimum on PastelFree on Yocoolab. Every seat free. Forever.

Why teams are switching from Pastel

Pastel is a solid canvas-based review tool. But screenshots get stale — and annotations have zero connection to your code.

Screenshots
Stale snapshots
Pastel works on static screenshots. By the time feedback arrives, the live app has already changed.
$29
Per month minimum
Pastel starts at $29/month for Solo. A 5-person team pays $99/month. Every collaborator adds cost.
0
Code context
Pastel annotations have no connection to your actual codebase. Developers must hunt for elements manually.
$0
Yocoolab cost
Yocoolab is free. Pin feedback on live apps, get AI-powered code fixes, unlimited users included.

Static screenshots vs. Live-app feedback

Pastel annotates screenshots. Yocoolab annotates your actual running code — with AI that writes the fix.

Pastel

  • Take a screenshot → annotate the static image
  • Screenshot is frozen in time — app may have changed
  • No source mapping — dev must find the element manually
  • No AI code generation — every fix is manual
  • Starts at $29/month — every collaborator adds cost
  • Clients and stakeholders need paid seats
  • Feedback → ticket → dev queue — fragmented workflow

Yocoolab

  • Click on any element in your live app → comment auto-captures screenshot + CSS selector + DOM path
  • Feedback is always against the current live version — never stale
  • Dev opens thread, sees exact element with source mapping — no hunting
  • AI Companion reads the element context and suggests fixes
  • Send to Claude Code → AI opens a PR with the fix automatically
  • Free for everyone — developers, clients, QA, stakeholders
  • One layer: feedback → AI fix → PR — all in one tool

Full feature comparison

Feature
Pastel
Yocoolab
Feedback Workflow
Comment directly on live web pages
Annotate static screenshots/mockups
Auto-captures screenshot with every comment
Element-to-source code mapping (CSS selector, DOM path)
Works on localhost, staging, and production
Chrome Extension for instant annotation
Kanban board for feedback triage
Threaded discussions on feedback items
Design handoff with developer context
Pricing & Access
Free plan available
Unlimited free viewer/stakeholder seats
No per-user pricing
Guest access without account creation
Transparent public pricing
Starts at $29/month(Yocoolab: Free)
AI & Automation
AI-powered code fixes from feedback
Send element to Claude Code for instant PR
Auto-detect framework (React, Vue, Svelte)
AI companion for feedback context
Version history for design iterations(Coming soon)
Integrations
Jira integration
Linear integration
Slack notifications
GitHub PR auto-linking
Figma plugin(Planned)
Telegram notifications
Asana integration(Coming soon)
Webhook/API access

What Pastel actually costs your team

Pastel charges per seat. Every designer, client, and stakeholder adds to the bill.

Team scenario
Pastel
Yocoolab
Solo developer
$29/mo
Free
Small team (5 users)
$99/mo
Free
Agency (15 users + 20 clients)
$198/mo
Free
Enterprise (50+ users)
Custom
Free

Pastel pricing based on Solo ($29/month) and Team ($99/month) plans. Accurate as of 2025.

Stop reviewing stale screenshots. Start fixing live apps.

Install the Chrome Extension. Pin feedback on your running app. Let AI handle the fixes. Free for your whole team. No credit card required.

Questions teams ask before switching

Straight answers, including where another tool is still the better choice.

Can clients and stakeholders comment without an account hassle?

Review is meant to be the low-friction part. The whole model is built so the person with the opinion can point at the thing and say the thing, without a seat being purchased for them or a tool being learned first.

Does it work on any website, or only on ones I own?

It works on the live web pages you point it at, because it runs in the browser rather than inside your codebase. Teams typically use it on their own staging and production URLs, and on preview deployments during review.

What happens after the review round is approved?

Threads carry a workflow stage, so a round of feedback can move from raised to in progress to in review without being retyped somewhere else. When a change is needed, the thread itself can be sent to a coding agent with the context attached.

Can I use Yocoolab and Pastel together?

Yes, and plenty of teams should. Pastel keeps doing what it is good at, and Yocoolab handles the part that happens on the running product — pinning feedback to a real element, keeping the discussion attached to it, and handing that context to a coding agent. Yocoolab is a browser extension, so it sits on top of your app without you migrating anything.

Does Yocoolab charge per viewer or per seat?

No. The app is free, and it stays free — including for everyone you invite to look at or comment on work. Any paid add-on in the future would be a new, optional capability, never a toll on people who just need to see the thing.

How long does it take to set up?

Install the browser extension, sign in, and point it at the URL you want feedback on. There is no SDK to embed and no code change to your app, so the first pinned comment usually happens within a couple of minutes.

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