Digital asset management (DAM) is critical in this digital age. So critical – in fact – that it is now officially part of the martech conversation. As more and more companies are growing, scaling and becoming more digitised, their digital assets — videos, audios, images, documents, and creative files — are also multiplying. And there’s no better way to manage these digital assets than utilising DAM software.
Post updated: June 2023
In this article, we will evaluate the top 20 Digital Asset Management (DAM) software on the market and hopefully help guide you in selecting a software that is right for your and your business.
What is DAM software?
DAM software allows you to upload, store, organise, manage, share, and track all your digital assets in one place, from one single source. And it’s usually accessible at anytime, anywhere, and on any device making it very handy for the on-the-go. Backup and syncing are done regularly to ensure all your files are secure and protected. Additionally, with these types of tools, administrative users are able to grant or deny access to specific files by specific roles with access control giving you complete control over your assets. DAM software is also used to archive digital assets of the past and automate and streamline current content and creative workflows.
Different types of DAM software
Before we get started, it’s important to point out that there are several different types of DAM systems, including Brand Asset Management systems, Library Asset Management systems, Production Asset Management systems and Digital Supply Chain services.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these:
- Brand Asset Management systems: systems focused on marketing and sales materials, e.g. product images, logos and other marketing collateral.
- Library Asset Management systems: systems focusd more on the storage and retrieval of large sums of infrequently changing media assets.
- Production Asset Management systems: systems focused on the storage, organisation and revision control of media that is frequently changing.
- Digital Supply Chain services: focused on distributing content to digital retailers.
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Benefits of Digital Asset Management Software
Digital Asset Management software gives you easy, complete control and management over the full lifecycle of your digital assets, from creation to archive. These types of software also make sure your digital assets are secure, protected, and never get lost. Beyond easy access, control, and security, they enable you to maintain brand consistency as everyone in your company will have access to all the same digital assets in one place.
Let’s get started with our list…
1. Adobe Experience Manager Assets
Adobe’s DAM, known as Adobe Experience Manager Assets is a great tool for managing all of your content and assets on one single platform – with the speed of a cloud-native solution. And because Assets is cloud-native, the tool can also automatically scale itself to meet traffic and processing demands keeping it highly responsive to change. With this DAM software, users can create workflows for planning, designing, reviewing, approving, and publishing as well as manage digital rights and link up with teams using their Adobe Asset Link feature.
Pricing: Upon request
Website: www.business.adobe.com
2. Brandfolder
Brandfolder is a popular, all-around digital asset management software that boasts brands such as Under Armour, Slack, and Snap among its top clients. It enables users to upload, store, organise, and share all your digital and branded assets and unlimited files from one secure location. The software implements multiple levels of security to protect all your files and regularly back them up. It also comes with AI image recognition, auto-tagging, controlled custom fields, and more. Brandfolder offers customised plans and quotes based on your company’s size and needs.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.brandfolder.com
3. Bynder
Bynder is a popular digital asset management platform that is used by Spotify, Canon, Puma, and other global brands. It enables users to automate creative workflows with versioning, annotations, and customisable approval paths. It also offers easy-to-use brand templates for users to create new marketing content right on the platform. Integration-wise, it supports with plenty of third-party apps such as Magento, Google Analytics, and more. Its Android and iOS apps are certainly a bonus too.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.bynder.com
4. Bright
Bright offers two different DAM software – one for medium to large businesses (Asset Bank) and one for SMEs and startups (Dash). Dash has recently relaunched and is built to focus on marketers in small/growing businesses. One great feature is that you can share, find, and organize your digital files effortlessly with your own tags. Or let Dash’s AI do it for you.
Collectively Bright is one of the few DAM software that offers web-based as well as on-premise, end to end experience. The software is equipped with various tools such as bulk upload and multiple lightboxes to help you upload, store, centralise, manage, and track all your digital assets. A particularly unique feature is the Advanced Download, which lets you customise existing files by choosing the formats, modifying the quality, or resizing before downloading them as separate files. There is also a built-in content management system to enhance your workflows. Another great benefit, for those who are on a tight budget, is that its prices are more competitive and affordable than others.
Pricing: For Asset Bank, pricing packages include: Essential: 493EUR/month, Professional: 779EUR/month, Enterprise: 1689/EUR/month. For Dash, pricing packages include: Starting: 64EUR/month, Growing: 259EUR/month, Dashing: 493EUR/month.
Website: www.builtbybright.com
5. Cloudinary
Cloudinary is a cloud-based, end-to-end DAM software that counts renowned brands such as Vogue, Buzzfeed, and Virgin as its clients. It uses AI to automatically tag assets such as images according to colour, faces, and objects to make them easy to search and retrieve. Additionally, Cloudinary allows you to create roles and define access based on the roles to enable seamless collaboration with internal and external parties. Beyond storing, managing, and sharing your assets, it even tracks, analyses, and reports to you how your digital assets are performing. The best thing about it yet is it currently offers a free plan for getting started!
Pricing: Free: $0, Plus: $999, Advanced: $249, Enterprise: Upon request.
Website: www.cloudinary.com
6. MediaValet
MediaValet is a cloud-based DAM that helps Marketing and Creative Teams easily manage, collaborate on and distribute their digital assets and content. With unlimited users, support and training, teams worldwide can access the content they need, wherever and whenever they need it. It’s trusted by global brands like Brand USA, Razer, Margaritaville, Experian and more.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.mediavalet.com
7. Image Relay
Image Relay is digital asset management software that not only lets you store, organise, and manage your digital assets, but also enables you to create asset profiles around specific assets to set things apart. Asset profiles capture unique details, contexts, and uses of every file so you can always access the right files quickly. Plus, its versioning feature keeps different versions and histories of your assets clearly and you can even revert to previous versions. The great thing about Image Relay is its startup-friendly, highly affordable plan for small and growing teams, which starts at only $99 per month. This tool has also been rated as Best Usability by G2.
Pricing: Startup: $99, Professional: $750, Enterprise: Custom (per month)
Website: www.imagerelay.com
8. Widen (part of Acquia)
Widen, or Acquia DAM, is an enterprise-grade digital asset management software that goes beyond what a typical centralised, shared digital asset library does. This DAM software lets users easily distribute their content across the web, provides powerful content analytics, and even allows users to automate your marketing workflows. Additionally, the software seamlessly integrates with many types of platforms, including social media, content management, and marketing automation. Its cloud architecture is also secure and scalable as Widen is built on AWS.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.acquia.com
9. Extensis Portfolio
Portfolio by Extensis is DAM software that sports a modern, minimalist user interface and dashboard. It leverages its Smart Automation feature to automatically organise your digital assets, adds accurate keywords, extracts metadata, and create workflows. In addition, the software has a feature called “Flexible Organisation” that lets you define catalogs and folders based on your organisation’s needs. Apart from being easy to use, Portfolio is also highly flexible in the way that it can either be installed on-premise or off-premise on cloud servers such as AWS, Azure, and more.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.extensis.com
10. Panopto
Panopto is leading DAM software specialising in enterprise video. It enables organisations and universities around the world to upload, host, and share videos in a secure, private YouTube-like platform. Users can record and edit videos right in the software too. Large-scale live streaming is also supported. Probably one of the coolest features however, is the video search feature, which lets you search any words spoken or that appear on screen in videos.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.panopto.com
11. Daminion
Daminion is a simple and easy-to-use digital asset management software. It supports a broad range of file types and formats, ranging from raster (JPEG, PNG, .etc) to vector (AI, SVG, .etc) to camera and video raw formats. Additionally, it keeps all the file information such as copyright and the rights to use in the metadata. It allows you to easily import photos from other programs and integrates well with software such as Photoshop and InDesign. But its unrivaled benefit is its affordable plan for small teams.
Pricing: Upon request on the website.
Website: www.daminion.net
12. Aprimo Digital Asset Management
Aprimo DAM is a highly scalable, centralised, and content-centered DAM platform for mid to large size enterprises. This digital asset management software allows enterprises to upload, store, manage, share, and track all sorts of files, including images, videos, audios, texts, and creative files. It also boasts capabilities such as content workflows that will help streamline content creation and planning processes. Additionally, it provides integrated content insights and analytics that show how your content is performing and measure content ROI. However, you can expect the feature-rich platform to come with premium price tags.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.aprimo.com
13. MerlinOne
MerlinOne is a digital asset management hub that is trusted by major corporates such Comcast and Koa. It lets users upload, store, manage, edit, and distribute assets. Users can simply publish content stored in the hub to social media platforms, CRM, and other channels with its one-click publishing feature. There is also a built-in system for approval and review paths to accelerate content cycles. You can choose to deploy MerlinOne on-premise, cloud, HIPAA, or single tenant SaaS.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.merlinone.com
14. IntelligenceBank
IntelligenceBank is DAM software that is dedicated to drive content marketing with its centralised, shared system. Its clean and bright user interface and dashboard make it easy to use and a well-loved software by its users. Its core strengths, however, lie in its capability to let internal and external parties frictionlessly collaborate on artworks with features like annotations conversation and access control. Additionally, it has advanced search and filter capabilities and automatic keyword tagging feature for convenience. You can even set up email notification so you don’t have to frequently check to see if there’s anything new added or updated.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.intelligencebank.com
15. Cumulus
Cumulus (a product of Canto) is enterprise-grade digital asset management software that powers successful brands such as Honda and Wells Fargo and agencies like NASA. Enterprises can either deploy Cumulus on-premise or both on-premise and on cloud servers. It comes with an impressive content management that allows videos and images to be transformed and transcoded on the fly. Another feature important to enterprises is its Cumulus Portals that let you create branded portals to share and collaborate with third parties. However, the learning curve of the software can be steep and a little bit intimidating.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.canto.com
16. ResourceSpace
ResourceSpace is UK-based open source DAM that offers both cloud and on-premise deployments. Since it’s open source, the great thing is it is highly configurable and scalable according to your company size and needs. You can customise the software’s interface and header to reflect your branding and your company’s name — which is pretty cool. Another feature that stands out is its Enterprise Single Sign-On for top-notch security. On the downside, ResourceSpace offers annual plans and charges annually only; there is no monthly billing option. But it does offer 10-GB storage and a no time-limit free trial.
Pricing: Cloud: Virtual: $3,990, Performance: $8,750, Enterprise: $15,750 (per year, cheapest plans with lowest storage); On-premise: Support: $4690, Enterprise: $7910
Website: www.resourcespace.com
17. Workfront Library
Workfront Library is cloud-based DAM software that is designed for enterprises to have a centralised digital asset hub throughout the full cycle from creation to use. It comes with a content management for all the work-in-progress and personalised workspaces for individual performers to work on their own. Users can also create customisable collaboration portals to share groups of content with internal and external collaborators. It also enables you to automate creative and content workflows across departments and teams. However, you can expect the pricing to reflect the robust features and end-to-end solution offered by the software.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.workfront.com
18. Amplifi
Amplifi is cloud based DAM software that is easy to use with its intuitive user interface. Like Workfront Library, it also allows fully branded look and feel and boasts customisable portals. Besides, Amplifi automates media transcoding and leverages AI for content tagging and product-centric organisation. Another unique feature about the software is all the videos uploaded and stored are readily available to stream, embed, and link, and for on demand cross conversion. All the digital assets can also be easily published, distributed, and shared via third party apps that accept automation.
Pricing: Quotation needs to be requested on the website
Website: www.amplifi.io
19. Pics.io
Pics.io is one of the few DAM software that lets you integrate it with Google Drive, Amazon S3, or go for a separate storage. It enables you to build custom links between assets to have related files together. You can also easily group files in collections and label them with colours, flags, stars, etc. When it comes to keyword tagging, Pics.io offers 3 different AI models for generating keywords: Llama, Google Cloud Vision, and ChatGPT-4o. This AI-powered feature also allows customizing prompts for generating keywords depending on your needs, the industry, and so on. Pics.io DAM provides ready-made templates for you to customise and publish, send, and receive contents, as well as interactive proofing templates for collaboration with external parties. For those who are on a tight budget, the good news is Pics.io has billing constructor, so that you can buy add-ons (users, websites, etc.) if needed.
Pricing: Solo: $50, Micro: $150, Small: $600, Medium: $1100, Enterprise: Custom (per month, billed monthly)
Website: www.pics.io
20. Phraseanet
Phraseanet is one of the very few open source digital asset management software that you can download and use for free. That’s the obvious bonus: no fees, no charges, and it’s up to you to configure and scale. But the France-based publisher of Phraseanet, Alchemy, does provide maintenance and SaaS services for those who need it. It’s also worth noting that the website itself comes with an installation guide and a community of users and experts. Note: if you don’t have an in-house technical team to handle set up and maintain the software, it might not be an ideal choice for you.
Pricing: Open source and free
Website: www.phraseanet.com
Start organising your digital assets with the right DAM software!
Now it’s time to transform the way your company manages its invaluable digital assets! You will have complete and painless control and access to the full lifecycle of all your digital assets in one place in no time! Plus, all your digital assets will be secure and well-protected. Remember to make the most out of it by maximising your brand consistency too!
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