15 Best Pinterest Alternatives: Apps Like Pinterest for Visual Inspiration

TL;DR - Quick Answer
10 min readQuick tool comparison. Features, pricing, and what works best for your needs.
Quick Answer: Top Pinterest alternatives include We Heart It (aesthetic-focused), Dribbble (design professionals), Behance (creative portfolios), Houzz (home design), and Tumblr (mixed media). Each offers unique features for different visual inspiration needs.
Related: Find People on Pinterest | Unblock on Pinterest | Pinterest Tools
Top 15 Pinterest Alternatives
1. We Heart It
Best For: Aesthetic collections, mood boards, inspiration
Key Features:
- Clean, minimal interface
- Focus on aesthetics and emotions
- Strong mobile app experience
- Collections and hearts (like saves)
- Active Gen Z community
Similarities to Pinterest:
- Visual bookmarking
- Collections/boards organization
- Browse feed
- Follow creators
Differences:
- More personal/emotional focus
- Less e-commerce integration
- Younger demographic
- Simpler interface
2. Dribbble
Best For: Design professionals, UI/UX inspiration
Key Features:
- Showcase design work
- Professional networking
- Job board for designers
- High-quality design shots
- Community feedback
Best For:
- Graphic designers
- Web developers
- UI/UX professionals
- Creative teams
Pricing: Free + Pro ($5/mo)
3. Behance (Adobe)
Best For: Creative portfolios, project showcases
Key Features:
- Complete project presentations
- Multiple images per project
- Adobe Creative Cloud integration
- Professional networking
- Job opportunities
Audience: Professional creatives, agencies, brands
Why Choose: Need full portfolio hosting + visibility
4. Houzz
Best For: Home design, interior decoration, architecture
Key Features:
- Ideabooks (like Pinterest boards)
- Direct contact with professionals
- Shop home products
- Virtual room design tools
- Verified professional reviews
Best For:
- Homeowners renovating
- Interior designers
- Architects
- Home decor enthusiasts
5. Tumblr
Best For: Mixed media content, blogging + visual posts
Key Features:
- Text + images + video
- Reblog system (like repin)
- Strong community culture
- Tags for finding content
- Customizable blogs
Differences:
- More varied content types
- Blogging platform hybrid
- Younger, niche communities
- Less mainstream than Pinterest
6. Juxtapost
Best For: Clean visual bookmarking
Key Features:
- Simple interface
- Quick bookmarking
- Organized collections
- Browser extension
- Clean aesthetic
Similar to Pinterest: Core bookmarking functionality without complexity
7. Fancy
Best For: Shopping + browsing
Key Features:
- Shop directly from platform
- Curated product collections
- Follow brands and users
- Wishlist functionality
- Social commerce focus
Best For: Shopping enthusiasts, product browsing
8. Mix (formerly StumbleUpon)
Best For: General content exploration
Key Features:
- Algorithm-based recommendations
- Articles + images + videos
- Interest-based recommendations
- Collections
- Cross-platform
Broader Than Pinterest: Not just visual content
9. Pearltrees
Best For: Organizing and sharing any content
Key Features:
- Visual tree structure
- Organize websites, files, photos
- Collaboration features
- Educational focus
- Mind map style
Unique Approach: Tree visualization of saved content
10. Designspiration
Best For: Design-specific inspiration
Key Features:
- Color search (find designs by hex color)
- High-quality design work
- Clean interface
- Professional design community
Perfect For: Designers seeking color-specific inspiration
11. Muzli
Best For: Design news + inspiration
Key Features:
- Curated design content
- Browser extension
- Daily design inspiration
- News and articles
- Trending design work
Best For: Staying current with design trends
12. Wanelo
Best For: Shopping + fashion browsing
Key Features:
- Fashion and product focus
- Direct shopping integration
- Trend spotting
- Follow brands and users
- Wishlist functionality
Target Audience: Fashion enthusiasts, shoppers
13. Flipboard
Best For: News + magazine-style content
Key Features:
- Magazine-style layout
- News aggregation
- Curated topics
- Create custom magazines
- Cross-platform
Broader Content: More text-heavy than Pinterest
14. Ello
Best For: Ad-free creative community
Key Features:
- No ads (by design)
- Clean, minimal interface
- Artist community
- Creative focus
- Privacy-focused
Unique Selling Point: Anti-mainstream, ad-free philosophy
15. Bookmark OS
Best For: Professional bookmark management
Key Features:
- Visual bookmarks
- Organization tools
- Browser extensions
- Collaboration
- Search functionality
Best For: Professionals organizing resources
Comparison Table
Platform | Best For | Mobile App | E-commerce | Community Size |
---|---|---|---|---|
General inspiration | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Massive | |
We Heart It | Aesthetics | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | Large |
Dribbble | Design work | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | Medium |
Behance | Portfolios | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | Large |
Houzz | Home design | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Large |
Tumblr | Mixed content | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | Large |
Choosing the Right Pinterest Alternative
By Use Case
For Personal Inspiration:
- We Heart It (aesthetics/mood boards)
- Tumblr (diverse content types)
- Mix (broader content)
For Professional Work:
- Dribbble (design showcase)
- Behance (portfolio hosting)
- Ello (ad-free creative community)
For Shopping:
- Fancy (curated shopping)
- Wanelo (fashion focus)
- Houzz (home goods)
For Specific Niches:
- Houzz (home/interior design)
- Designspiration (design work)
- Muzli (design news)
By Features Needed
If You Need:
- Better organization → Pearltrees, Bookmark OS
- No ads → Ello
- Professional networking → Dribbble, Behance
- Shopping integration → Fancy, Wanelo
- Simpler interface → We Heart It, Juxtapost
Why Use Multiple Platforms
Diversify Your Presence:
- Different audiences on each
- Cross-promote content
- Test what resonates where
- Reduce platform dependence
Strategic Multi-Platform Approach:
- Primary platform for main audience
- Secondary platform for niche community
- Professional platform for networking
- Shopping platform if selling products
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free alternative to Pinterest?
We Heart It is the best free Pinterest alternative, offering similar visual bookmarking with collections, browse feed, and mobile apps. For design professionals, Dribbble (free tier) or Behance provide excellent alternatives focused on creative work.
Are there any Pinterest alternatives without censorship?
Tumblr has historically been more lenient with content policies (though some restrictions exist). Ello markets itself as an artist-friendly, ad-free alternative. However, all platforms have content guidelines to maintain community standards.
Which Pinterest alternative is best for businesses?
For e-commerce: Fancy or Wanelo offer better shopping integration. For home services: Houzz connects directly with customers. For creative agencies: Behance showcases full portfolios professionally.
Can I import my Pinterest boards to other platforms?
Most platforms don't offer direct Pinterest import. You'll need to manually recreate collections or use third-party tools to export/import bookmarks. Some browser extensions can help migrate bookmarks between platforms.
Conclusion
While Pinterest dominates visual inspiration, these 15 alternatives offer unique features for specific needs. We Heart It provides the closest Pinterest experience, while Dribbble and Behance excel for design professionals, and Houzz leads in home design.
Choose based on your primary use case: personal inspiration, professional showcase, shopping, or niche interests. Many users successfully use multiple platforms to reach different audiences and organize various content types.
Related Guides: Pinterest Marketing Strategy, Pinterest SEO Guide, Find People on Pinterest, Unblock Someone on Pinterest, Pinterest Tools, Social Media Tools, and Pinterest vs Instagram.
Managing multiple visual platforms? Try SocialRails free to schedule pins, track engagement, and manage your presence across Pinterest and alternatives from one dashboard.
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