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Head-to-head · Web Annotation Tools

Perusall vs Pastel

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Perusall #3 in Web Annotation Tools 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Perusall
Pastel #8 in Web Annotation Tools 8.5/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Pastel

Perusall leads on 0 checks, Pastel on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePerusall · 9.0/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Pastel
  • Most featuresPastel · 3 of 3

Perusall scores higher on our rubric for web annotation tools: 9.0 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

On annotation modes, Perusall gives you Both where Pastel offers Comments.

Perusall is the better fit for educators running collaborative reading activities. Pastel is the better fit for creative teams needing video and approvals.

  • Perusall fits best

    Educators running collaborative reading activities

  • Pastel fits best

    Creative teams needing video and approvals

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Perusall 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Pastel 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.5
Ranking #3 in Web Annotation Tools #8 in Web Annotation Tools
Best for Educators running collaborative reading activities Creative teams needing video and approvals
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $350/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Docs Email, Live chat, Docs
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR SOC 2, SSO/SAML
Integrations 9 integrations 9 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Perusall 2/3 · Pastel 3/3
Collaborative review ✓ ✓
Guest access ✓ ✓
Browser capture Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Annotation modes Both Comments
Document support Both Both
Team seats Not checked yet 2 seats
Export options PDF, Microsoft Word, spreadsheet, downloadable comments, documents with embedded comments CSV, webhook, Trello, Asana, Jira, ClickUp, Monday.com, Zapier, API
Our review
Pros
  • Threaded text and figure annotation supports collaborative discussion
  • Peer reviews, rubrics, quizzes, and analytics extend beyond highlighting
  • LMS roster, group, and gradebook synchronization supports course workflows
  • Timestamped video comments and visual feedback on live websites
  • Approvals, change requests, version history, and responsive testing
  • Unlimited guest reviewers plus project-management exports and webhooks
Cons
  • Institutional licenses require contacting Perusall for pricing
  • Web-only access limits platform options
  • Its education focus is less suited to website QA workflows
  • The Pro plan adds 100GB of video storage but not broader exports
  • Project-management integrations and webhook export start on Team
  • Enterprise costs $450 per month or $5,400 per year
Our verdict

Perusall is an online social learning and annotation platform for schools, colleges, universities, instructors, and students. It supports collaborative reading across ebooks, PDFs, documents, web pages, videos, podcasts, and other course…

Read the review →

Pastel is a browser-based visual feedback and QA platform for agencies, freelancers, designers, developers, project managers, and marketing teams. It creates canvases from live websites or uploaded images, PDFs, videos, and emails, giving…

Read the review →
  1. PerusallWeb Annotation Tools 9.0Free plan
  2. PastelWeb Annotation Tools 8.5Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Perusall — where it wins

    • Threaded text and figure annotation supports collaborative discussion
    • Peer reviews, rubrics, quizzes, and analytics extend beyond highlighting
    • LMS roster, group, and gradebook synchronization supports course workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • Institutional licenses require contacting Perusall for pricing
    • Web-only access limits platform options
    • Its education focus is less suited to website QA workflows

  • Pastel — where it wins

    • Timestamped video comments and visual feedback on live websites
    • Approvals, change requests, version history, and responsive testing
    • Unlimited guest reviewers plus project-management exports and webhooks

    Where it doesn't

    • The Pro plan adds 100GB of video storage but not broader exports
    • Project-management integrations and webhook export start on Team
    • Enterprise costs $450 per month or $5,400 per year
  • Perusall9.0/10 · Free plan

    A course-focused annotation platform combining discussion, assessment, analytics, and LMS sync.

    Visit PerusallFull verdict →
  • Pastel8.5/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A focused review workspace for visual comments, video proofing, and approvals.

    Visit PastelFull verdict →

More comparisons

All web annotation tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update