Best Web Annotation Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Pastel is ranked #1 of 31 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Annot8 and AnnotateWeb. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Annot8. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Annot8 at $8/mo.
Web annotation tools help you mark up web content or documents and share feedback with others. Compare annotation modes and browser capture with document support and export options to see how material moves into and out of each workflow. Pastel, Annot8, and AnnotationBase are among the entries to consider. For shared review, look at collaborative features and guest access; team seats, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing add context about participation and cost. The listed criteria can help you assess which tools fit the way you collect, discuss, and share annotations.
31 web annotation tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PastelWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $29/mo | 6.6 | |
| 2 | Annot8Web | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $8/mo | 6.4 | |
| 3 | AnnotateWebWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 4 | AnnotationBaseWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | £8.25/mo | 6.4 | |
| 5 | dottsWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $15/mo | 6.4 | |
| 6 | HuddlekitWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $16/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | HypothesisWeb · API · Extension | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | MarkifyWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $15/mo | 6.4 | |
| 9 | PinPointWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | SiteDotsWeb · Extension | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | WebPinchWeb · Extension | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $1,512/mo | 6.4 | |
| 12 | RuttlWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $18/mo | 6.3 | |
| 13 | ArchiveWeb.pageWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | Weava HighlighterWeb · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | AnnotWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | eMarginWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | FreemarkupWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | LeafyNo platforms listed | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | NowCommentWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | PerusallWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | VolleyWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | MarkUpWeb · API · Extension | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $79/mo | 5.1 |
| 23 | ReviselyNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | YbugWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | BugHerdWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $50/mo | 4.9 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Annotation modes | Collaborative review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pastel | 6.6 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 2 | Annot8 | 6.4 | Free plan | $8/mo | Yes | 8 /user/mo | comments | Yes |
| 3 | AnnotateWeb | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 4 | AnnotationBase | 6.4 | Free plan | £8.25/mo | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 5 | dotts | 6.4 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 6 | Huddlekit | 6.4 | Free plan | $16/mo | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 7 | Hypothesis | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 8 | Markify | 6.4 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 9 | PinPoint | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 10 | SiteDots | 6.4 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 11 | WebPinch | 6.4 | Free plan | $1,512/mo | Yes | 12 /user/mo | comments | Yes |
| 12 | Ruttl | 6.3 | Free plan | $18/mo | Yes | 18 /user/mo | — | — |
| 13 | ArchiveWeb.page | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | No |
| 14 | Weava Highlighter | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 15 | Annot | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 16 | eMargin | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 17 | Freemarkup | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | comments | Yes |
| 18 | Leafy | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 19 | NowComment | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 20 | Perusall | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 21 | Volley | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 22 | MarkUp | 5.1 | No | $79/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 23 | Revisely | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | both | — |
| 24 | Ybug | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 25 | BugHerd | 4.9 | No | $50/mo | No | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which web annotation tool is ranked first on Freedom251?
Pastel is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 6.6. Annot8 is second and AnnotateWeb third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Annot8 has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.