Introducing RefStage

RefStage is a visual reference workspace for artists: a fast, local-first place to collect the images you draw from and arrange them the way you actually think.

Why we built it

Every artist ends up with the same mess: reference images scattered across screenshot folders, browser tabs, chat threads, and a dozen half-named directories. When it's time to work, you spend more energy hunting for that one image than you do drawing.

RefStage exists to fix that. It's a single canvas where references, notes, and color all live together, and it stays out of your way.

What's in the box

• Drag-and-drop boards: pull images onto an infinite canvas, scale and arrange them, and keep every project's references in one place.
• Broad image support: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, HEIC/HEIF, AVIF, and RAW all load natively, so the files straight off your camera or phone just work.
• Color palettes: extract a palette from any image with a tap and keep it on the board next to the reference it came from.
• Sticky notes: leave yourself rich-text notes right where they're relevant.

Local-first, on every device

Your references, notes, and boards live on your device. No account required, nothing to sign up for, and your library is yours. RefStage runs on iOS, macOS, and Android today, with Windows and Linux planned for a future release.

A one-time purchase

RefStage is a one-time $14.99 purchase. No subscription, no upsells. Buy it once and it's yours.

What's next

This is just the start. We'll use this blog to share what's new with each release: new formats, performance work, and the features you ask for.

Have a question or a feature request? Email us anytime at support@refstage.com.