Ktlyst is a web-based reference canvas for concept artists, illustrators, and visual creators. You gather references on one canvas — drag in images, GIFs, or video frames, or import a whole Pinterest board in one click — and Ktlyst explores new concept directions guided only by the references you chose (a feature called Catalyze). It runs in any modern browser on desktop and tablet, with cloud sync and a free plan.

What is the best PureRef alternative for iPad and tablet?

Ktlyst is a web-based reference board that runs in any browser — including Safari on iPad — with cloud sync so your boards follow you between desktop and tablet automatically. Unlike PureRef, which has no iOS or iPad app, Ktlyst is designed for cross-device creative workflows from the ground up. No installation needed.

Is there a PureRef that works on iPad?

PureRef does not have an official iOS or iPad app. Ktlyst fills that gap: it runs in any browser, syncs your reference boards to the cloud, and works on iPad, tablet, and desktop with the same canvas — so your references are always with you wherever you create.

How does Ktlyst compare to PureRef?

PureRef is a desktop-only overlay tool for keeping reference images visible while you paint or model in other apps. Ktlyst is a cloud-synced, browser-based alternative that adds: iPad and tablet support, Pinterest board import in one click, smart organisation with tagging and collections, freehand sketching overlaid on references, the ability to grab specific frames from videos and GIFs, and a concept-exploration layer (Catalyze) that explores new directions guided by your own references. No installation required — it works in any modern browser.

Do I need to learn prompts or any special tools?

No. You work the way you already do — gather references, sketch, note what you're after. Ktlyst handles the rest behind the scenes, so you stay focused on the vision, not on tooling.

Is this just an image generator?

No. Ktlyst is a reference-driven canvas for clarifying YOUR direction — built around how you already work, collecting references and browsing Pinterest. What it surfaces is an exploration of your own references, for you to take forward.

Can I bring in my Pinterest boards?

Yes. Connect Pinterest and pull an entire board onto a canvas in one move — every pin laid out and ready, instead of saving and re-uploading each one. (Free: 1 board · Pro: unlimited.)

Can I use videos or GIFs as references?

Yes. Drop an MP4, WebM, MOV, M4V, or OGV video — or a GIF — and a frame picker opens so you can scrub through and grab the exact frames you want. Only the frames you pick are saved as reference images; the source video or GIF never leaves your device. (Frame-by-frame GIF picking needs a recent browser; older ones add the first frame instead.)

Can I reuse the same character or element across projects?

Yes. Distil a group of references into one clean, typed element (a character, a costume, a prop), then save it to your Elements library. Drag it onto any canvas to reuse it, merge it with other elements, or paint it into a composition sketch — build it once, use it everywhere.

Can I correct a generated image?

Yes, with Redline (a Pro feature): draw your corrections in red straight on the image — arrows, circles, and handwritten notes — and Ktlyst applies them beside the original, non-destructively, so your original stays put.

Who owns what I create?

Ktlyst claims no ownership over your canvases or the directions you explore — they're yours to take forward into your own work. You're responsible for clearing any rights you need before using output commercially. (How copyright applies to generated images varies by country, so we don't make legal guarantees about that.)

Do you use my images or art to train AI?

No. Ktlyst never uses your uploads, canvases, or prompts to train AI models, and never sells them. Your references and prompts are sent to our AI providers only to generate or analyse images at your request. OpenAI does not use data submitted through its API to train its models; fal.ai processes your content under its own terms to run the generation.

Does it work on tablet?

Yes. Your canvas is cloud-synced, so you can collect on desktop and refine on tablet — or anywhere you work.

What devices and browsers does Ktlyst support?

Editing works on tablets and desktops (iPad, Windows, Mac) in recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox. Phones get a view-only experience. Ktlyst runs in the browser and needs an internet connection.

Is there a free plan?

Yes — the free plan gives you 5 canvases (each with as many references as you like) and 15 Catalyze runs a month. No credit card required.

August 24, 2026

Google Whisk AI Shut Down: The Best No-Prompt Alternatives for Concept Artists

Whisk AIWhisk AI alternativeGoogle Flowno-prompt AI artreference boardsconcept art toolsAI ideation

Google shut down Whisk, its reference-image remix tool, on April 30, 2026, folding its features into Google Flow. If your ideation process depended on dropping in reference images instead of writing prompts, Flow is Google's direct successor — but it isn't the only option, and for concept artists it may not be the right one.

What happened to Google Whisk AI?

Whisk was a Google Labs experiment that let you combine a subject image, a scene image, and a style image into a new picture without typing a description. Google retired it as a standalone product on April 30, 2026. The underlying technology — Gemini plus Imagen 3 — didn't disappear; it moved into Google Flow, Google's broader creative platform, and existing Whisk credits carried over automatically.

If you only used Whisk occasionally, Flow is the obvious first stop. If Whisk was part of a daily concept art workflow, it's worth pausing on what you actually used it for before you migrate.

What should concept artists actually look for in a Whisk alternative?

Whisk's appeal for visual thinkers was never really "AI image generation" — it was that you could start from pictures instead of sentences. When you're evaluating a replacement, that's the feature to protect, not "AI generation" in general. Look for a tool that lets you:

Start from multiple reference images, not a single photo or a text box
Skip prompt-writing entirely, including for revisions
Organize references by mood, character, or scene before generating anything
Treat the output as a direction to react to, not a finished piece
Keep working across devices, since concept art sessions rarely happen in one sitting

Best Whisk AI alternatives compared

Tool	Input	Prompt required?	Built for
Google Flow	Subject / scene / style images (Whisk's old system)	No, but text prompts are supported	General creative remixing, video included
Midjourney	Text prompt (image references optional)	Yes, prompting is central	Prompt-driven illustration and art
Ktlyst	A full board of references, grouped into sections	No	Concept art ideation specifically

Google Flow is the most direct continuation of what Whisk did technically. Midjourney is powerful but puts prompt-writing back at the center of the workflow, which is exactly what reference-first artists were avoiding. Ktlyst sits closer to how concept artists already work before they ever open a generator: gathering references on a board, the way you would in PureRef, and exploring directions from there.

How Ktlyst works instead of a text prompt

Ktlyst is a reference board built for concept artists, illustrators, and visual developers — closer to PureRef with an ideation layer than to a prompt-based generator. Instead of describing subject, scene, and style in words, you work the way you already gather references:

Sections group your references by mood, idea, or place, the same way you'd separate boards in PureRef
Auto essence extraction reads the common visual thread across the images in a section automatically
Reusable typed elements let you save a character, costume, or prop once and reuse it across canvases
Catalyze takes what you've collected and explores a new concept direction in one click, for you to react to
Floating reference window and cloud sync mean the board stays with you from a desktop session to a tablet touch-up later

None of this replaces judgment. Ktlyst reads what you put on the board and offers a direction — you still decide what's worth pursuing, what gets redrawn by hand, and what ships. As Ktlyst's own site puts it: you stay the artist, the tool just helps you see where it's headed.

Is Ktlyst just another AI image generator?

No, and that distinction matters more after Whisk's shutdown, not less. A generator's job ends when it hands you an image. Ktlyst's job starts before that — collecting and organizing the references that describe a feeling you haven't fully articulated yet — and continues after, since a Catalyze result is meant to be a starting point for your own work, not a final deliverable. If what you valued in Whisk was skipping the prompt box, that's the workflow Ktlyst is built around. If what you valued was a quick single-image remix for social content, Google Flow is closer to a like-for-like replacement.

For a broader look at how Ktlyst compares to other prompt-free tools, see our comparison of no-prompt AI art generators, and if you're coming from a manual reference board, our honest comparison of Ktlyst and PureRef covers where the two tools overlap and where they don't. If keeping a consistent visual style across a project is your bigger concern, this guide to AI mood boards is a good next read.

Migrating your workflow: a quick checklist

Export or screenshot any Whisk creations you want to keep before assuming they're archived
Decide whether you need a general remix tool (Google Flow) or a concept-art-specific ideation board (Ktlyst)
Rebuild your recurring reference sets as reusable elements or collections, rather than re-uploading them each time
Test one real project end-to-end before switching your whole pipeline over

Whisk's shutdown is a reminder that prompt-free, reference-first workflows aren't a niche feature — they're how a lot of visual artists actually think. The tool changes; the workflow is worth keeping.

Start creating on Ktlyst for free — 15 Catalyze runs a month, no credit card required.