4 Pinterest Alternatives Designers Are Switching To in 2025

If you’re a designer, you’ve probably felt it for a while now: Pinterest just isn’t it anymore. The ads, the random clutter, and the “why am I getting wedding cakes when I searched for UI layouts?” problem make it hard to use for real work. And on top of that, Pinterest is flooded with AI images these days. I don’t want to study anatomy from a model with extra fingers. If you’re a beginner and you think you’re looking at real people, but the muscle insertions are wrong, you’re building the wrong foundation from the start. If Pinterest doesn’t clean this up, that’s basically the end for anyone using it to learn.

The upside is that there are newer platforms stepping in, and they’re actually better for artists, designers, and anyone who needs a clean space to gather visual ideas. Here’s what’s worth paying attention to.

1. Soot — Turn Your Files Into a 3D Workspace

Soot is basically what happens when Pinterest and a video game had a baby.

Instead of flat boards, Soot turns your files into a 3D interactive space:

• Arrange reference images like objects in a room
• Organize massive creative projects visually
• Walk through your ideas like you’re inside your own mind palace (Sherlock would be proud)

If you work on large design systems, animation projects, game worlds, or multi-asset branding work — this one is a game changer.

The 3D environment can get overwhelming if you’re used to simple boards. After a while, I felt like I was managing the space more than the work itself. The controls take time to get comfortable with, and on a slower machine the interface stutters. For smaller projects, the extra visual layer doesn’t add much value.

2. Milanote — The All-Purpose Mood Board for Designers

Milanote is easy to pick up and works well for anyone who thinks in pictures rather than lists. The boards give you enough room for quick brainstorming, and the drag-and-drop setup makes it simple to pin notes, images, and links in one place. It’s especially helpful at the start of a project when ideas are loose and you just need a quiet space to sort things out. The interface stays calm, the tools keep a low profile, and sharing a board with someone else is straightforward.

Here’s what you get in practice:

• clean, flexible boards
• no ads
• simple drag-and-drop for everything
• solid setup for mood boards, storyboards, planning, and loose brainstorming
• easy collaboration without clutter

It ends up feeling like an organized, good-looking war room for your brain. The downside is that the boards start to feel tight once a project grows. The canvas can get crowded, and you may find yourself rearranging boxes more than developing ideas. The free plan fills up fast, the paid options feel steep for the space offered, and syncing between devices can lag. It looks polished, but it struggles once you push it beyond light creative planning.

3. Cosmos — Minimalist Mood Boards Powered by AI

Cosmos Moodboard feels built for people who want a clean, minimalist place to collect visual ideas without fighting the interface. The layout is straightforward, the tools stay out of your way, and dropping in images or links is quick. It works well at the early stage of a project when you’re gathering references and want everything laid out in a calm, uncluttered space. The overall vibe is simple, quiet, and easy to move around in.

Here’s what you get in day-to-day use:

• a clean, distraction-free board
• fast image uploads
• simple drag-and-resize tools
• easy grouping for themes or visual directions
• a layout that keeps your moodboard from feeling chaotic

The minimal approach is its strength, but it also limits how far you can push the tool. Large boards can become stiff, and the lack of deeper organization features makes bigger projects harder to manage. Collaboration feels basic, and the interface can sometimes lag when loading many high-resolution images. It’s great for quick inspiration gathering, but it may feel too light if you need structure or plan to use it for complex workflows.

4. Savee — The Most Popular Inspiration Board Right Now

Savi works well for people who collect visual references all day and want a fast place to drop everything without clutter. The grid is clean, the layout feels natural, and adding images is quick. It’s especially handy if you browse inspiration often and want a board that stays organized without much effort. The interface is simple, the visuals take center stage, and it’s easy to scroll through your library without losing track of what you saved.

Here’s what you get in practice:

• a clean, gallery-style board
• quick saving from the web
• smooth browsing for large image collections
• simple tagging to keep things findable
• a layout that highlights visuals instead of tools

The simplicity makes Savee pleasant to use, but it also means you hit limits fast if you want deeper structure. There’s not much room for rearranging images into groups, working through project ideas, or building anything more layered than a reference wall. Collaboration is basic, and very large collections can feel slow to load. It’s great as a visual stash, but it may feel too bare if you need planning features or a workspace for bigger creative projects.

Final Thoughts

Pinterest had a great run — but the creative world is moving fast, and designers need tools that are:

✔ organized
✔ ad-free
✔ collaborative
✔ visually intuitive
✔ built for real workflows

Whether you want a 3D workspace, a minimalist mood board, or a community-driven inspiration feed, these four platforms are absolutely worth trying.