For architects
PDF Markup for Architects
Redline drawings, leave design-review comments, and coordinate with consultants and contractors — all on the PDF. The difference: every PDF markup becomes a tracked issue, pinned to the exact spot on the sheet, with an owner and a status. Right in your browser, Mac included.
Free while we're in beta — no credit card, no install.
Built for how architects actually work
The PDF markup is the easy part — every tool does that. What architects need is for each markup to be owned, tracked, and closed out across a whole drawing set. That's the part we built.
Redlines that don't get lost
Mark up the PDF where the problem is, and that markup becomes a tracked issue pinned to the exact spot on the sheet — at any zoom, on any screen. No more "third bay from the left, near the column."
Design review, owned and closed out
Every PDF comment carries a status, an owner, and a thread. Filter what's still open by status, assignee, or sheet, then export a clean issue list for the next review — nothing slips between sets.
Coordinate without licensing everyone
Loop in structural, MEP, the contractor, and the client on the same PDF markups. Guests you invite join free to view and comment — so the people who actually resolve an issue are in the drawing, not cc'd on a screenshot.
Runs in the browser — Mac included
Open a PDF and start marking up in any modern browser, with nothing to install. macOS, Windows, or iPad — the same drawing, the same markups, the same issue list for the whole studio.
From PDF markup to tracked issue
You already know how to mark up a drawing. Annotably keeps that motion and gives each markup a life beyond the redline — so a note on the sheet turns into something someone owns and closes out.
Mark up the PDF
Drop a pin, draw a cloud or arrow, add a note right on the sheet — the usual redline gestures, straight in the browser.
It becomes a tracked issue
That PDF markup turns into an issue with a title, a status (open / in progress / closed), an assignee, and a comment thread — anchored to the exact spot.
Coordinate and resolve
@mention a consultant or the contractor, attach a photo, hash it out in the thread, and flip it to closed. Everyone sees the same current state.
Hand off a clean report
Export the open (or all) issues to a tidy PDF or CSV punch list for the next review or the client — your work, exportable anytime.
Want the wider view of the field? See the best PDF markup software for construction →
Honestly, here's what we're not
Annotably is focused on PDF markup and turning those markups into tracked issues your team coordinates and closes out. We don't do quantity takeoff, estimating, or CAD/BIM authoring — if that's the heart of your day, you'll want a dedicated tool for it. We'd rather be genuinely good at the markup-to-resolution loop than spread thin trying to be everything. If that focus fits how you review drawings, we think you'll feel at home fast.
Coming from Bluebeam?
A lot of architects land here because their desktop markup tool is heavy, per-seat-pricey, or no longer runs on their Mac. Annotably keeps the redline workflow you know, adds real issue tracking on top, and runs in the browser for the whole studio.
Frequently asked questions
What is PDF markup for architects?
It's marking up construction and design drawings — redlines, clouds, arrows, and review comments — directly on the PDF, the way you'd mark up a printed set. Annotably adds one thing on top: every PDF markup becomes a tracked issue with an owner, a status, and a comment thread, pinned to the exact spot on the sheet so nothing gets lost between review rounds.
Can I do PDF markup for architects on a Mac?
Yes. Annotably runs in any modern browser, so macOS, Windows, and iPad all work the same with nothing to install. That matters for architects specifically, since some popular desktop markup tools dropped their Mac version — here the whole studio works from the same drawings regardless of hardware.
How is this different from marking up a PDF in Acrobat or Preview?
Acrobat and Preview let you draw and leave comments, but a comment is just a comment — there's no status, no assignee, no shared dashboard of what's still open across a drawing set. In Annotably each PDF markup is a real issue you can assign, track, and close out, with everything anchored to the exact location on the sheet.
Can I share PDF markups with clients and consultants?
Yes, and that's the point. Invite clients, structural, MEP, and the contractor to view the drawings and join the conversation on each issue. Guests you invite are free, so you can bring in everyone who needs to weigh in on a markup without buying them a seat.
Does Annotably do takeoff, estimating, or full CAD/BIM?
No — and we'd rather be upfront about it. Annotably is focused on PDF markup and turning those markups into tracked issues you coordinate and close out. If your day is quantity takeoff, estimating, or CAD/BIM authoring, you'll want a dedicated tool for that. We do the markup-to-resolution loop, and we try to do it really well.
How much does it cost?
Annotably is free for your whole team while we're in beta — no credit card, nothing to pay. The plans you'll see later start at $12/seat/mo as your team grows, with guests always free. Early teams lock in founder pricing.
Curious what paid will look like later? See pricing →
Mark up a PDF. Watch it become an issue.
Upload a drawing, drop your first pin, invite a consultant — about two minutes, free while we're in beta, no credit card, no install.