Reference vs archii

A side-by-side comparison built from both listings. Blank cells mean the company has not given that detail; we never guess.

Reference compared with archii
Detail	Reference	archii
What it does	Private visual moodboard app for collecting and organizing creative references	Design-led software built in Hove
Stage	Not given	Not given
Founded	Not given	Not given
Based in	Not given	GB
Pricing model	Paid	Not given
Pricing	$5.99 USD one-time purchase for all platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac). Includes Reference Pro with unlimited boards and items. Family Sharing supported. Existing Free users can unlock Pro for the same $5.99 price.	SmartCard: £49.00 (Walnut, Bamboo, Cherry), £69.00 (Carbon Fibre)
Key features	Infinite spatial canvas with zoomable, reorganizable boards OCR text recognition for searchable text in images Automatic tag generation and organization Visual similarity search to find related images Mixed media support (images, video, YouTube, GIFs, sticky notes) Web publishing and public board sharing Apple Pencil support for annotations on iPad Safari and Chrome browser extensions for web import iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac AI client integration via MCP for Mac	NFC chip for instant contact sharing via phone tap Editable profile that updates all cards automatically No app required to receive contact details QR code fallback for older phones Multiple materials including wood and carbon fibre Waterproof and durable NFC chip AI phone answering service for small businesses
What makes it different	Private and personal - data is not tracked, sold, or locked behind paywalls One-time $5.99 purchase with no subscription required Unified cross-platform experience with one purchase covering all devices Native Apple integration with Pencil support and seamless iCloud syncing Understands visual details through OCR, color search, and automatic organization	Design-first approach where form and usability are developed before engineering Small team structure where designers build and support products directly Physical product that can be updated infinitely without reprinting GDPR compliant and ICO registered with UK data hosting Takes on difficult custom projects other developers decline
Free plan	Not given	Not given
Open source	Not given	Not given
Platforms	Not given	Not given
Public API	Not given	Not given
Community votes	0	0
DR (Domain Rating by Ahrefs)	3 no change since last check	28 +1 (up) since last check
Trust Flow (Majestic)	5	6
Citation Flow (Majestic)	19	10
Referring domains (Majestic)	20	3

4 details filled in for both companies.

More alternatives to Reference More alternatives to archii