How much is it, and is it a subscription?
$29 at launch, one time. No subscription, no account. Join the waitlist and you'll lock in launch pricing when it ships.
$29, one time. No subscription, no account. The price goes up when 1.1 ships, and anyone who bought earlier keeps everything.
How does the license work?
Buy, and your key arrives by email. In BoardStack: menu → License… → paste the key. One key activates up to 5 Macs, and you can free a slot anytime from the same menu (License… → Remove this key). Lost the key? Email us.
Mac only?
Yes, macOS on Apple silicon for now. Under the hood it leans on some Mac-only plumbing, so Windows isn't a toggle away. It's on the wish list, but we won't promise dates we can't keep.
Does it actually handle video?
Yes, properly. Videos are cards like anything else: they play on the canvas, numbered image sequences collapse into single playable clips on import, video boards can export as GIF sheets, and review exports play video inline in the browser.
Where do my files live?
On your Mac, full stop. There's no cloud sync and no account, and each board is a plain JSON file saved next to your work. One honest catch: boards store absolute file paths, they're snapshots of your project, not portable containers. Move the source files and the board needs them back.
How do updates work?
BoardStack is pre-release, so right now updates mean the waitlist hears from us as we close in on launch. Once it ships, the plan is free updates through 1.x. We use this tool every day on client work, so it doesn't sit still.
Lite is out now; the Pro unlock is the last piece in flight. Updates are free through 1.x, and the waitlist hears the moment Pro goes live. We use this tool every day on client work, so it doesn't sit still.
Free through 1.x: when an update lands, you download the new build from your original purchase link and drop it in. We use this tool every day on client work, so it doesn't sit still.
What if it's not for me?
Email us within 14 days of buying and we'll refund you. No forms, no interrogation. The whole policy fits on one page: refund policy.
Does BoardStack phone home?
No. No account, no telemetry, no analytics. Your files and boards stay on your Mac. The only call the app makes on its own is checking a Pro license key with our payment provider when you enter one, plus a quiet re-check on later launches. Lite never makes that call. Chapter and verse on the privacy page.
How many Macs can I use one license on?
One key covers up to 5 Macs at the same time. Swapping machines is fine: free a slot on the old Mac (menu → License… → Remove this key) and activate on the new one. Stuck at the limit? Email us and we'll reset it.
Is there a Windows version?
It's in development. macOS stays first, because the Mac build is the one we run on client work every day. Want to hear when a Windows beta opens? Join the waitlist and say so.
What's the difference between Lite and Pro?
Lite is the real app, free forever: the whole canvas with hundreds of images and videos playing in place, unlimited boards, folders becoming boards, the stack panel, Spread view, and cull reviewing. Pro is $29 one time and adds the parts that touch your files and your clients: committing the cull so flagged files actually move out, renaming the source folder on disk, unlimited export pages with no credit line, the client review file, and GIF contact sheets.
Why not just use PureRef?
Use PureRef! It's great. BoardStack exists because we kept wanting things it doesn't do: video playing on the canvas, culling that moves the real files, renames and merges that reach into the actual folders, and client-ready exports. If those aren't your problems, save the $29.
