Pinterest Alternative for Professional Designers

Why Designers Outgrow Pinterest

Pinterest is the world’s largest inspiration database. But it’s built for consumers, not creators:

The Algorithm Problem

Pinterest shows you what it thinks you want. As a designer, you need:

  • Exact search - “Bauhaus posters with primary colors”
  • Chronological discovery - “What did I save last Tuesday?”
  • Source preservation - “Where did this image come from?”

Instead, you get:

  • Algorithmic recommendations (not what you searched)
  • Endless scroll (no sense of time)
  • Broken source links (original context lost)

The Organization Problem

Pinterest boards are flat. Design projects are complex:

Pinterest:

Branding Inspiration (500 pins)

What you actually need:

Fintech Client
├── Competitive Analysis
├── Visual Direction A
├── Visual Direction B
├── Typography Studies
├── Color Exploration
└── Final Mood Board

The Collaboration Problem

  • No team workspaces
  • No commenting on specific pins
  • No approval workflows
  • Client needs an account to view

The Export Problem

Your Pinterest boards:

  • ❌ Can’t be exported
  • ❌ Can’t be backed up
  • ❌ Can’t be analyzed
  • ❌ Can’t be integrated with other tools

Mare: Pinterest Built for Working Designers

Visual Search:

  • Search by color (dominant + accent)
  • Search by composition (grid, full-bleed, centered)
  • Search by style (minimal, maximal, editorial, etc.)
  • Search by text (OCR extracts text from images)

Example:

“Show me sans-serif typography on dark backgrounds”

Result: Every reference in your library matching those criteria.

Project-First Organization

Collections = Projects or major categories Tags = Attributes across projects Smart Folders = Auto-populated based on rules

Example workflow:

[Collection] Luxury Fashion Brand
├── Tags: #editorial # serif #black-white
├── Tags: #packaging #minimal #gold
└── Smart Folder: "High contrast only"

Team & Client Features

Internal Collaboration:

  • Team workspaces
  • @mentions in comments
  • Approval states (pending → approved → archived)
  • Activity feed

Client Sharing:

  • Public view links (no login required)
  • Password protection
  • Commenting on/off
  • Export to PDF presentation

Data Ownership

  • Full JSON/CSV export anytime
  • API access
  • Webhook integrations
  • Zapier/Make support

Your references are yours.

Pinterest vs Mare: The Reality

Content Volume

Pinterest: 400+ billion pins Mare: Your curated library (500-10,000 items)

Insight: Pinterest is for discovery. Mare is for your working library.

Search Quality

Pinterest: Algorithm-driven suggestions Mare: Exact, filterable search

Example:

  • Pinterest search “minimal logo”: endless similar logos
  • Mare search “minimal logo” + #geometric + color:blue: exactly what you need

Organization Depth

Pinterest: Boards (flat) Mare: Collections (hierarchical) + Tags (cross-cutting)

Real project structure:

2024 Client Work
├── Q1 Projects
│   ├── Tech Startup (327 refs)
│   └── Restaurant Group (156 refs)
└── Q2 Projects
    ├── Fashion Brand (892 refs)
    └── Nonprofit (234 refs)

Distraction Factor

Pinterest: Designed to keep you scrolling Mare: Designed to help you find and leave

Who Should Use What?

Use Pinterest for:

  • Initial discovery (“I need ideas for X”)
  • Trend research
  • Consumer inspiration (recipes, home decor, etc.)
  • Casual browsing

Use Mare for:

  • Your professional reference library
  • Active projects with deadlines
  • Team collaboration
  • Client presentations
  • Anything you need to find again quickly

The Hybrid Workflow

Most Mare users still use Pinterest—for discovery:

Phase 1: Discover (Pinterest)

  • Browse, explore, get inspired
  • Save initial ideas to Pinterest

Phase 2: Curate (Mare)

  • Move only the best references to Mare
  • Add detailed tags and context
  • Organize by project

Phase 3: Deploy (Mare)

  • Find exact references instantly
  • Share with team and clients
  • Archive completed projects

Migration from Pinterest

Option 1: Full Export

  1. Request Pinterest data export
  2. Import to Mare (preserves boards as collections)
  3. Auto-tag everything
  4. Reorganize as needed

Option 2: Selective Migration (Recommended)

  1. Identify your 3-5 most important Pinterest boards
  2. Export only those
  3. Import to Mare
  4. Start capturing new references directly to Mare

Time investment: 30 minutes for selective migration.

Pricing Comparison

Pinterest:

  • Free: Ads, algorithmic feed, limited organization
  • Paid: $5.99/month for ad-free experience

Mare:

  • Free: Up to 100 references, 1 workspace
  • Pro: $12/month for unlimited references, team features
  • Team: $29/month per user for advanced collaboration

For working designers, Mare pays for itself in time saved.

Try Mare Free

  • 14-day free trial
  • Import from Pinterest export
  • Full feature access
  • No credit card required

[Start Free Trial →]

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