AnnotateWeb vs MarkLayer: a free AnnotateWeb alternative
MarkLayer and AnnotateWeb solve the same problem the same way: paste a URL, mark up the live page, send a link, and nobody — sender or reviewer — installs anything or creates an account. If you are choosing between them, the install question is settled for both.
The difference is what survives the session. AnnotateWeb is built for a one-shot annotation and deletes it two minutes after you stop touching it; it is translated into eight languages and exports a PNG. MarkLayer is built for a review cycle: threaded comments with priority and status, multi-page projects in one share, 90-day retention, an MCP server that hands the feedback straight to an AI coding agent, and an Apache-2.0 codebase you can self-host. MarkLayer also ships an optional Chrome extension for the pages a proxy cannot reach — sites behind a login, and localhost.
Both tools are free, need no account and need no install — paste a URL and annotate. Choose MarkLayer if you need annotations that survive the meeting (90-day retention), threaded comments, multi-page projects, an MCP server that hands feedback to an AI coding agent, or an Apache-2.0 codebase you can self-host. Choose AnnotateWeb if you need the interface in Chinese, German, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, Dutch or Portuguese, or want a PNG export of the annotated page.
On this page
At a glance
| Feature | MarkLayer | AnnotateWeb |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no tiers, no paywall | Free, no tiers |
| Sign-up required | No | No |
| Install required to annotate | No. Paste a URL at marklayer.app | No. Paste a URL at annotateweb.com |
| Install required to view a share link | No | No |
| Optional extension | Yes. Free Chrome extension for pages the web app cannot embed, such as sites behind a login | No extension. An optional bookmarklet |
| Drawing tools | Freehand, shapes, arrows, lines, highlights, area capture, measure, element inspector | Lines, circles, squares, highlighter |
| Threaded comments | Yes. Pin comments anywhere, with replies, priority and status | Text annotations, no thread structure documented |
| Real-time live cursors | Yes. Named cursors via WebSockets, plus voice chat | Yes. Real-time collaboration |
| Multi-page projects | Yes. Bundle multiple pages in one share | Single page per session |
| Retention of shared annotations | 90 days from last access | Deleted after 2 minutes of inactivity |
| PNG export | No. Share via link | Yes. Visible area or full page |
| AI coding agent handoff | Yes. An MCP server (marklayer-mcp) lets an agent read, reply to and resolve annotations | No |
| Open source | Yes. Apache-2.0, full stack, self-hostable on Cloudflare | A client-side source dump is published on GitHub. The Webfuse proxy it runs on is not |
| Behind it | Independent, open source | Surfly / Webfuse, an enterprise co-browsing company |
| Languages | English | 8 languages (EN, 中文, DE, ES, हिं, 日本, NL, PT) |
| Best for | Review cycles that outlive the call, and feedback that ends up in code | One-shot ad-hoc annotation in your native language |
About AnnotateWeb
AnnotateWeb is a free, browser-based web annotation tool from the co-browsing company Surfly, with multi-language support and no install for either side.
About MarkLayer
MarkLayer is a free, open-source web app for annotating any live webpage. Paste a URL atmarklayer.app and draw, comment, arrow, or highlight directly on the page in your browser — no install, no account, no sign-up. Share a single link and anyone can open the annotations in any browser. A free Chrome extension is available for the sites the web app cannot embed, such as pages behind a login, but it is optional and never required to view a share link. There is no paywall and no trial period.
AnnotateWeb and MarkLayer agree on the important thing: nobody should have to install software to leave a comment on a webpage. Where we differ is what happens after — a session that deletes itself in two minutes can't hold a review cycle, so MarkLayer keeps the thread for 90 days.
When to choose MarkLayer
- You want annotations to persist long enough to fit a real review cycle (90 days, not 2 minutes).
- You need threaded comments with priority and status, and multi-page projects, not a single annotated screenshot.
- You want the feedback to reach an AI coding agent directly, via the MarkLayer MCP server.
- You want the whole stack open source under Apache-2.0, so you can audit it or self-host it on your own Cloudflare account.
- You occasionally need to annotate a page behind a login, where an optional extension beats a proxy.
When to choose AnnotateWeb
- You need the interface in Chinese, German, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, Dutch or Portuguese.
- You only need a quick PNG export of one annotated page, not a persistent review thread.
- You would rather buy from an established enterprise vendor, and Surfly's ISO 27001 and HIPAA posture matters to your procurement.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to install anything to use MarkLayer or AnnotateWeb?
- Neither. Both are browser-based web apps: you paste a URL and annotate the live page, and the people you share with open a link in any browser. MarkLayer additionally offers a free Chrome extension, but it is optional — it exists for pages the web app cannot embed, such as sites behind a login.
- Is MarkLayer a free AnnotateWeb alternative?
- Yes. Both are free with no sign-up and no install. MarkLayer adds threaded comments, multi-page projects, 90-day retention instead of 2-minute auto-deletion, an MCP server for AI coding agents, and an Apache-2.0 codebase. AnnotateWeb adds multi-language support and PNG export.
- How does each one load the page I want to annotate?
- AnnotateWeb runs the page through Surfly's Webfuse proxy as a hosted session. MarkLayer's web app also proxies the page, and offers an optional Chrome extension that draws over the real page in your own browser instead — which is what makes login-gated pages and localhost workable.
- Does MarkLayer support multiple languages like AnnotateWeb?
- Not yet. MarkLayer is English-only; AnnotateWeb supports 8 languages. If you need a non-English interface today, AnnotateWeb is a better fit.
- How long do MarkLayer share links last vs AnnotateWeb?
- MarkLayer share links last 90 days from last access, and any comment or view resets the clock. AnnotateWeb sessions delete after 2 minutes of inactivity. If annotations need to survive a sleep cycle, MarkLayer is the right tool.
- Is MarkLayer open source like AnnotateWeb?
- MarkLayer publishes the whole stack — extension, worker, web app and MCP server — under Apache-2.0 on GitHub, and it is self-hostable on Cloudflare Workers. AnnotateWeb publishes a small client-side repository; the Webfuse session infrastructure it depends on is proprietary.
- Who makes each tool?
- AnnotateWeb is built by Surfly, the company behind the Webfuse co-browsing platform, as a free tool alongside its commercial product. MarkLayer is an independent open-source project.
Related comparisons
Try MarkLayer
Paste any URL at marklayer.app and annotate the live page in your browser. No install, no account, no sign-up. Recipients of your share links don't need to install anything either.
Annotate a page