Priflow review
Free self-hosted proofing with annotations, versioning, approvals, and audit trails.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Priflow is an open-source, self-hosted proofing and approval application for designers, marketers, and small agencies. It runs on PHP 8 and MySQL and is designed for deployment on shared hosting or other infrastructure controlled by the customer. The core workflow covers image and multi-page PDF uploads, pinpoint annotations, threaded replies, retained file versions, activity logs, audit trails, organisation accounts, roles, proof administrators, and formal final approval sign-offs. It is a fit for teams that want control over hosting and data without a recurring software charge.
The Self-hosted plan costs 0 USD forever and includes unlimited users, unlimited proofs, reviewers and teams, the MIT licence, every feature and update, and community support on GitHub. A Done-for-you setup option covers installation on the customer's domain and hosting, email deliverability and SSL configuration, and logo and brand-colour application. Custom features and integrations are quoted. This gives technically capable teams a fully featured starting point, while teams that want a managed deployment can pay for implementation help rather than for a separate software tier.
Priflow's main strength is the depth of its proofing workflow within its supported file types. Version history keeps earlier files available, while threaded discussions, formal approvals, roles, and audit trails give review decisions a clearer structure than simple file sharing. The trade-off is a narrower ecosystem: integrations are not included, and the documented default upload cap is 50 MB. External reviewers also need accounts, so it is less suitable when clients must review through guest-only links. Choose Priflow for self-hosting, controlled costs, and structured image or PDF reviews; consider an alternative if broader file support, integrations, or frictionless guest access is essential.
Priflow pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Unlimited users, proofs, reviewers, and teams on the free plan
- Annotations, threaded comments, versioning, and formal approvals
- MIT-licensed with every feature and update included
- Where it doesn't
- Supports image files and multi-page PDFs rather than broader file types
- No integrations are included
- External reviewers need accounts rather than guest-only access
Priflow fact sheet, pricing and score →
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