Ziflow alternative: 6 proofing tools compared (2026)
Compare Tarkle, Ziflow, Filestage, PageProof, Frame.io and Markup.io on file types, plans and the approval flow.
If you want a Ziflow alternative, start with how much proofing you need. Tarkle is listed first because it is built for one job: a one-link sign-off on images and PDFs, free to start. For staged approvals and heavy proofing, Ziflow, PageProof or Filestage fit better. For video review, Frame.io. For fast pinned comments on websites and files, Markup.io.
We make Tarkle, so read this as one vendor's view, and check the sources linked next to every competitor fact. For staged routing and color separation, Ziflow is the better fit, and the section on what Tarkle covers says where its review boards stop.
Last checked: November 2026.
Ziflow alternatives at a glance
Tool | Best for | Reviews | Free plan or trial | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tarkle | One-link sign-off on images and PDFs | Images and PDFs | Free plan | Pro $29 per month, or $19 per month billed yearly |
Ziflow | Staged approvals, large review volume | 1,200+ file types | Free plan, free trial | Standard $199 per month, billed annually |
Filestage | Agencies sending many files to clients | Video, images, documents, websites, audio | Free plan, free trial on paid plans | Starter $199 per month |
PageProof | Teams that want unlimited proofs on a flat rate | Static, video, audio, website URLs | Not stated on the pricing page | Team $249 per month |
Frame.io | Video and media teams | Video, with document markup | Free plan, free trial on Pro and Team | Pro $15 per member per month |
Markup.io | Fast pinned comments | Websites, images, PDFs, videos | 14-day free trial | Pro $79 per month |
Prices are as published by each vendor in November 2026. Tarkle's own prices are on its pricing page.
Who should choose Tarkle
Tarkle fits freelancers, studios and agencies that want feedback in one place instead of scattered across email threads. With client feedback and approval you turn images or PDFs into a review board and send one link. Reviewers never need an account. They pin a comment on an image or on a page of a PDF, and they can attach one file to a comment. When they finish, they choose Approve this work or Request changes.
You get an email when a reviewer finishes. On your side, team members can reply, assign a comment, set its status to Active, In Progress, In Review or Resolved, and post team-only replies that reviewers never see. A password, when you set one, keeps outside visitors out, and a deadline stops commenting after it passes while the board stays visible.
Client feedback and approval is on the Free plan, along with a custom domain and custom branding. The client portal on Pro and Agency gives each client a branded place to sign in with their email and see only what you shared with them. A 100% white-label platform is part of the Agency plan.
Ziflow lists its white label Proof Viewer and custom domain under Enterprise. A small agency that wants its own domain and branding can use Tarkle's Free plan, along with a custom domain and custom branding.
What Tarkle covers and where it stops
Client feedback is built for one job: a review board on images or PDFs that clients comment on and approve with one link. A board holds one kind of file, so PDFs and images cannot be mixed. Pins work on images and PDFs; any other file type gets general feedback only. A reviewer's decision becomes the board's current answer, a later decision replaces it, and every verdict stays in the feed. The owner, or a team member with edit-files permission, can add a new version of a file on a board.
Some review work is not built: video and website review, and side-by-side version comparison, since a board has no version list, switcher or compare. Feedback has no staged workflow that requires several approvals. Free is for one person, allows uploads up to 1 GB each, and has 5 active boards. Archived boards do not count. If your reviews need staged routing, a dedicated proofing platform such as Ziflow fits that work. To try the flow from board to approval with your own files, use the Free plan.
Before you pay for a proofing platform, list your last five approvals. If every one was a single round on an image or a PDF with one decision-maker, you are paying for stages you do not use.
Pricing
Tarkle's plans, as listed on its pricing page: Free is $0 with no credit card, for one person, with 5 GB of storage. Pro is $29 per month, or $19 per month billed yearly ($228 per year). Pro includes 2 workspaces. Pro includes 3 TB of storage. Pro allows uploads up to 200 GB per file. Pro includes a fully branded client portal. Agency is $59 per month, or $49 per month billed yearly ($588 per year), and adds 20 workspaces for clients and a 100% white-label platform.
Moving one client from Ziflow to Tarkle
In the sidebar, click Feedback, then Create board.
Choose PDF or Images, then add the files from your device or your library.
Switch on Add password, Add deadline or Allow downloads if you want them, then click Create board.
Copy the link, or enter email addresses to send it.
Your client opens the link, leaves comments and clicks Finish review. When the files change, the owner or a team member with edit-files permission can add a new version of a file on a board, which replaces the current file with a new one. For a routine on updated files, see how to send updated files to clients without version confusion.
Who should choose Ziflow
Ziflow's pricing page (November 2026) lists a Free plan with 2 users and 60 days of review history. Free includes review of 1,200+ file types.
Standard is $199 per month billed annually, with 2 workflow stages. Pro is $329 per month billed annually, with 3 workflow stages, color separation and integrations with Slack or Microsoft Teams. A white label Proof Viewer and custom domain are listed under Enterprise.
That depth comes with a price tag and a setup effort. Choose Ziflow when you run several approval stages or color-separation work, and you have the budget and a team to configure it.
Filestage, PageProof, Frame.io and Markup.io
Filestage is a proofing tool for sharing files with reviewers and tracking approvals. Its pricing page (November 2026) lists a Free plan with 5 new files per month, then Starter at $199 per month and Business at $329 per month, both with a free trial. Reviewers do not need to make an account to give feedback, and files can be videos, images, designs, documents, websites, interactive HTML and audio. Starter adds side-by-side version comparison.
PageProof says on its pricing page (November 2026) that every plan includes unlimited reviewers and unlimited file types, with no add-on charges for storage. Team is $249 per month or $2,499 per year, and Team Plus is $499 per month or $4,999 per year. A small team starts at the flat Team rate.
Frame.io is the video-first choice. Its pricing page (November 2026) lists a Free plan with up to 2 members. Paid plans are Pro $15 per member per month and Team $25 per member per month. Pro and Team both start with a free trial. Because it is priced per member, the bill grows with your team.
Markup.io is a lighter tool for pinned comments. Its pricing page (November 2026) starts Pro at $79 per month, with a 14-day free trial. Branding and a vanity domain come with Business, which starts at $499 per month.
Next step
Make a board for one real approval on the Free plan and see whether your client finds it easier than the email chain. Start for free and run it with your own files. Plans are on the pricing page.
What to remember about Tarkle
Tarkle turns images and PDFs into a review board that clients comment on and approve with one link, and reviewers never need an account. Client feedback and approval is on the Free plan, along with a custom domain and custom branding, and Pro is $29 per month, or $19 per month billed yearly. It is built for a single round of sign-off on images and PDFs, not for staged proofing. Start for free.