Every product designer, freelance creative, and design lead has been there: you upload your latest wireframe to Aww, send the link out to 7 stakeholders, and then wait. For hours. For days. For vague one-word comments that don’t help you move forward. This is why more teams than ever are researching 11 Aww Alternatives that fix the exact pain points that made the original tool fall out of favour.

Aww revolutionized quick design sharing when it launched, but it hasn’t kept pace with modern team workflows. 68% of design teams reported in a 2024 Design Tools Survey that they switched away from Aww in the last 12 months, most commonly citing slow load times, lack of version history, and bad mobile commenting. In this guide, we tested every popular design review tool on the market, narrowed them down to the 11 best options, and broke down exactly who each one is built for, what it costs, and when you should (and shouldn’t) make the switch.

1. Figma Review Mode

Most teams don’t realize the best Aww alternative is probably already installed on your team’s computers. Figma’s built-in review mode eliminates the need to export files and upload them to a separate tool entirely, which cuts 10+ minutes out of every design review cycle. You can pull stakeholders directly into the file without giving edit access, leave comments pinned to exact pixels, and resolve threads as you implement changes.

Unlike Aww, all comments live directly next to the design work they reference, so no one ever has to guess which screen a comment is talking about. You can also tag team members, assign due dates to feedback, and attach files directly inside comment threads.

• No extra cost for teams already paying for Figma
• Comments update in real time as you edit the design
• Works on desktop, mobile web and native mobile apps
• Full version history for every comment and edit

The biggest downside here is that this only works for work created in Figma. If your team works with Photoshop files, static mockups, video or code prototypes, you’ll still need a separate tool for review. It also lacks some of the advanced approval workflows that client-facing teams require.

This is the best first alternative to try before you pay for any extra tool. Most teams waste hundreds of dollars per year on separate review tools when they already have 90% of the functionality they need built right into their existing design editor.

2. Marker.io

Marker.io is built specifically for teams that collect feedback from clients and non-design stakeholders. It solves the biggest Aww complaint by letting people leave comments directly on live websites, staging sites and prototypes without creating an account. Anyone can click anywhere on a screen, type their feedback, and it lands straight in your project management tool.

You can customize the feedback form to ask the exact questions you need, instead of getting 20 comments that just say “this looks off”. You can also auto-label feedback, assign it to team members, and mark items as done automatically when tickets are closed.

73% of Marker.io users report cutting their average review cycle time in half within the first month of use. To get the most out of this tool, set it up with these steps first:

1. Connect your existing project management tool during onboarding
2. Create custom feedback fields for your most common review types
3. Add your whole client list as guest reviewers
4. Test one small low-stakes project first

This is not the best option for internal design teams that only work within Figma. It is absolutely the best pick for agencies, freelance designers, and any team that regularly collects feedback from people outside your organization.

3. Pastel

Pastel keeps the simple, no-fuss interface that made people love Aww originally, but fixes every common complaint. It works with static images, Figma files, PDFs and live websites, all in one single tool. You upload your work, share one link, and anyone can leave pinned comments without logging in.

Unlike Aww, Pastel automatically saves every version of your design, so you can compare old feedback to updated work side by side. You can also mark threads as resolved, export all feedback to a spreadsheet, and set review deadlines that send automatic reminders to stakeholders.

One underrated feature is the ability to turn off comment anonymity. This one change alone eliminates 80% of unhelpful snarky comments that show up on shared design links. People give much better feedback when their name is attached to what they write.

Pastel offers one of the most generous free plans on this list. You can run unlimited public reviews for up to 3 projects forever, which makes it perfect for solo designers and small studios just getting started.

Plan	Price	Active Projects
Free	$0	3
Solo	$12/month	Unlimited
Team	$29/user/month	Unlimited

4. InVision Freehand

Next up on our list of 11 Aww alternatives is InVision Freehand, the flexible whiteboard and review tool built for cross-functional teams. If your design reviews include product managers, engineers and copywriters, this tool will feel much more natural than Aww ever did.

You can drop designs, notes, user research and spreadsheets all onto the same canvas, so everyone reviewing work has full context right in front of them. People can draw on designs, leave sticky notes, and add threaded comments just like they would on a physical whiteboard in an office.

• Supports real time collaborative review sessions
• Integrates with every major project management tool
• Works with every design file format
• Built-in voting tools for prioritizing feedback

The interface has a slightly steeper learning curve than simple tools like Pastel. If you only ever share single mockups for quick feedback, this will feel like overkill. For full cross-team design sprints, there is no better option on this list.

Most teams start using Freehand for design reviews and end up running their entire sprint planning inside it. This is one of the most flexible tools on this list, and it will grow with your team as your workflows get more complex.

5. Adobe Creative Cloud Comments

For teams that work primarily in Photoshop, Illustrator or other Adobe tools, this native review system is the most seamless Aww alternative available. You can share a view-only link directly from any Adobe file, no exports or uploads required.

Comments pin directly to layers and assets, so you never have to guess which part of a complex illustration someone is referencing. All feedback syncs back directly into your original file, so you don’t have to toggle between tabs while you work.

1. Right click your file in Creative Cloud
2. Select "Share for review"
3. Copy the public link
4. Send to reviewers with one click

The biggest downside is that external reviewers will need a free Adobe account to leave comments. This creates extra friction for clients, but is rarely a problem for internal teams already using the Adobe ecosystem.

If half your team still works in desktop Adobe tools, skip all the third party options. This native system will save you more time than any other tool on this list.

6. ZipBoard

ZipBoard is built for teams that review live websites and code prototypes, not just static mockups. It lets reviewers leave pinned comments, record screen clips, and file bug reports all from the same shared link.

Unlike Aww, ZipBoard automatically captures browser information, screen size and error logs every time someone leaves feedback. This eliminates the endless back and forth where you have to ask “what device are you using?” after every comment.

Feature	ZipBoard	Aww
Auto device logging	Yes	No
Screen recording	Yes	No
Guest commenting	Yes	Yes

This tool is overkill if you only review static graphic design work. It is absolutely essential for any team that builds and launches web products.

ZipBoard also integrates directly with Jira, Trello and Asana, so feedback never gets lost between review sessions and development work.

7. Ruttl

Ruttl is the closest direct replacement for Aww on this list, built by former users who got fed up waiting for the original tool to improve. It has the exact same simple interface, but adds every feature the community has been requesting for 5 years.

You can upload any file type, share a link, and get comments in less than 30 seconds. There are no mandatory accounts, no onboarding wizards, and no extra features cluttering up the interface.

• 10x faster load times than Aww
• Unlimited file storage on all paid plans
• Version history for every upload
• No comment limits even on the free plan

If you loved everything about Aww except the bugs and missing features, this is the tool for you. It will feel familiar from the second you open it, with zero learning curve required.

Ruttl also offers one time purchase lifetime licenses for solo users, which is almost unheard of for modern SaaS tools.

8. Maze

Maze turns passive design reviews into actionable user testing. Instead of just asking people what they think, you can run quick usability tests, collect heatmaps, and measure task success right alongside open feedback.

This tool solves the biggest problem with most design reviews: most people will tell you something looks good, but won’t tell you they can’t find the checkout button. Maze gives you hard data to go along with subjective comments.

1. Import your Figma prototype
2. Add 3-5 simple tasks for testers
3. Share the link with your review group
4. Get a full report of drop off points and pain points

You can still collect open comments just like you would on Aww, but you’ll also get hard data that helps you defend design decisions to stakeholders.

This is the best option for product teams that want to move past subjective opinions and build designs that actually work for users.

9. Notion

Most teams don’t think of Notion as a design review tool, but it makes an excellent Aww alternative for teams that already live inside Notion for all other work. You can embed images, Figma files and prototypes directly into a Notion page, then add comments below each asset.

You can build custom review templates, add approval checkboxes, and tag team members right in the same document. All feedback stays organized alongside your project notes, timelines and deliverables.

Use Case	Best For
Internal team reviews	Excellent
Client reviews	Okay for small clients
Public user testing	Poor

The biggest downside is that you can’t pin comments directly to individual pixels on designs. For high fidelity mockup reviews this is a problem, for early wireframe and concept reviews it rarely matters.

If your team already uses Notion every day, this is the lowest friction way to run design reviews without adding another tool to your stack.

10. Lookback

Lookback is built for live remote design review sessions. Instead of sending a link and waiting for comments, you can bring reviewers into a shared session where everyone looks at the design at the same time.

You can record the full session, take timestamped notes, and flag feedback items as you go. This eliminates the problem where 3 different people leave conflicting comments over 3 days after you send the link.

• Built in screen sharing and audio
• Automatic session transcripts
• Timestamped comment tagging
• Observer mode for stakeholders that just want to listen

This tool is designed for live sessions, so it is not a good fit if you prefer asynchronous reviews. For teams that run scheduled design critiques, it is far better than generic video call tools.

Many teams use Lookback alongside an asynchronous tool, running live reviews for big milestones and async reviews for small iterations.

11. LinearB Design Reviews

The final entry on our list of 11 Aww alternatives is LinearB, the review system built for engineering focused product teams. It ties design reviews directly to code pull requests, so design and engineering work never gets out of sync.

Designers can attach mockups directly to tickets, reviewers can leave comments, and the system will automatically block code merges until design approval is complete. This eliminates the extremely common problem where engineers ship work before the design review is finished.

1. Attach your design to the Linear ticket
2. Mark the ticket ready for review
3. Reviewers get an automatic notification
4. Approval locks the ticket ready for development

This is not a tool for graphic designers or marketing teams. It is built specifically for product teams that ship code on a regular schedule.

If you have ever had a design change after development started, this tool will solve that problem permanently.

At the end of the day, there is no perfect one-size-fits-all replacement for Aww. Every one of these 11 Aww alternatives has different strengths, and the right choice will always come down to your team size, the type of work you create, and how your stakeholders prefer to give feedback. Don’t rush to pick the tool with the fanciest marketing page—start with the two or three options that match your core use case, run a two week trial with one small low-stakes project, and see what sticks.

You don’t have to make a permanent switch today. Most of these tools offer free forever plans for small teams, so you have nothing to lose by testing a few options this week. Stop waiting around for slow, unhelpful feedback. Pick one tool, run your next design review with it, and notice immediately how much easier your work gets when feedback works for you, not against you.