Kosmik is shutting down: the best alternatives for your moodboards & references (2026)

If you built moodboards and reference boards in Kosmik, you’ve probably noticed the change: the app is winding down. New sign-ups are closed, and Kosmik is now pointing existing users to download the app and export their workspaces and data, the familiar sign that a product is being sunset.

Kosmik was a lovely, ambitious tool, an AI-powered infinite canvas with a built-in browser and PDF reader, where you could drag images, notes, and web links onto a single boundless surface. If you used it the way most creatives did (to collect visual references and inspiration in one place), the most important thing right now is getting that library out and into a tool that will still be here next year.

This guide walks through two things: how to export your data from Kosmik, and the best places to move it. We start with DarkRef, a free, truly cross-platform reference board with native apps for iPhone, iPad, Windows, and MacOS, plus cloud sync. It’s the closest home for the reference-collecting job Kosmik did best, and it adds the one thing Kosmik never had: real iPad and iPhone apps.

What’s happening to Kosmik?

Kosmik has stopped accepting new sign-ups. If you visit kosmik.app or open the app, you’re told that while you can no longer create an account, you can still download Kosmik and sign in to export your workspace and data. There’s no long-term future being promised for the service, so the safe assumption is simple: get your references out now, while you still can, rather than waiting for a hard cut-off date.

Kosmik ran on the web, MacOS, and Windows. It never shipped native iPhone or iPad apps, so if you sketched on an iPad and kept your references in Kosmik, you were already juggling a browser tab. That gap is worth keeping in mind when you choose what to replace it with.

Step 1: export your Kosmik data first

Before anything else, rescue your library. The reference images, notes, and links you collected are the hard part to recreate. The tool around them is replaceable.

• Download the desktop app from Kosmik’s downloads page (MacOS or Windows) if you don’t already have it, and sign in.
• Open each workspace and export it, or drag your images out of the canvas and save them to a folder on your computer.
• Save any notes or annotations you care about: copy the text into a document so it isn’t lost with the canvas.
• Keep everything in one clearly named folder (for example Kosmik Export) so it’s easy to import into your new tool.

Once your references are safely on disk, you can move them into whichever tool you pick below.

Quick take

Comparison table

Below is a quick comparison of the best places to move your references now that Kosmik is closing.

1) DarkRef: the natural home for your references

DarkRef is a reference board built for the way artists and creatives actually work: across multiple devices, with everything synced. If Kosmik was where you gathered inspiration and reference imagery, DarkRef picks up that job directly, and finally brings it to iPad and iPhone.

Why it’s the best Kosmik replacement for references

• Truly cross-platform: native apps for iOS, iPad, Windows, and MacOS, plus a web app. Kosmik never had iOS or iPad apps. DarkRef does.
• Cloud sync: your references follow you across devices with Sync. Gather on desktop, pull them up on your iPad while you draw.
• Free to use: all core features are free. Only cloud sync requires a Sync subscription ($1.99/month or $9.99/year).
• Everything a reference board needs: images, animated GIFs, notes, annotations, folders, and automatic organization.

Moving your Kosmik references in: after exporting from Kosmik (step 1 above), open DarkRef, drag your saved images in, and sort them into folders. Turn on Sync and the same board is waiting on every device.

Best for: anyone who used Kosmik to collect and organize visual references and wants them available everywhere, especially on iPad and iPhone. Download DarkRef for free, no credit card required.

2) Milanote

Milanote is a flexible board tool for organizing creative projects: moodboards, notes, images, and to-do lists on shared boards. It’s the closest match if you leaned on Kosmik for collaboration and project planning rather than pure reference collection.

3) Eagle

Eagle is a powerful image and asset manager for desktop. If your Kosmik canvas had grown into a huge library you needed to tag and search, Eagle is built for exactly that, though it stays on the desktop.

4) PureRef

PureRef is a minimalist, single-canvas reference board that’s popular with 2D and 3D artists. It’s lightweight and free, but it stays on the desktop and doesn’t sync between devices.

Weighing PureRef specifically? We wrote a deeper comparison here: Best PureRef alternatives for 2D & 3D artists.

Honest note: what a reference board doesn’t replace

Kosmik was more than a reference board: it also had a built-in web browser, a PDF reader, AI tagging, and real-time collaboration. A dedicated reference board like DarkRef is focused on one job and does it well: collecting, organizing, and syncing your visual references everywhere you work. It isn’t trying to be a full research workspace with an embedded browser.

• If references and inspiration were your main use of Kosmik: DarkRef is the most direct replacement, and it adds iPad and iPhone.
• If shared, collaborative boards were central: Milanote is the closer fit.
• If tagging and searching a massive image archive mattered most: look at Eagle.

Decision checklist

Use this to pick where your Kosmik library should live:

• You want your references on every device, including iPad and iPhone, with cloud sync: DarkRef.
• You need collaborative moodboards and project planning: Milanote.
• You’re managing a huge, heavily tagged image library on desktop: Eagle.
• You want a simple, free, single-canvas board and only work on desktop: PureRef.

FAQ

Is Kosmik really shutting down?

Kosmik has closed new sign-ups and is directing existing users to download the app and export their workspaces and data. That’s the standard pattern for a product winding down, so the sensible move is to export your references now rather than wait. Check kosmik.app for the latest official status.

What is the best Kosmik alternative?

For the reference-collecting job most people used Kosmik for, DarkRef is the best replacement. It’s a free reference board with native apps for iOS, iPad, Windows, and MacOS plus cloud sync, so your references are available on every device. If you mainly used Kosmik for collaborative boards, Milanote is a closer fit.

Can I move my Kosmik references into DarkRef?

Yes. Export or drag your images out of Kosmik and save them to a folder, then drag those images into DarkRef and sort them into folders. Turn on Sync and the same board appears on all your devices. See the export steps above.

Does DarkRef work on iPad and iPhone? Kosmik didn’t.

Yes, and this is a real upgrade over Kosmik, which only ran on web, Mac, and Windows. DarkRef has native apps for both iPhone and iPad, so you can keep references open on your tablet while you draw, with everything synced to your desktop.

Is DarkRef free?

Yes. DarkRef is free to download and use on all platforms, and all core features (images, GIFs, notes, folders, organization) are free. The only paid feature is cloud sync across devices (Sync), at $1.99/month or $9.99/year.