5 Best Digital Asset Management Software to Use in 2021 (Free and Paid)

While businesses do focus on improving their external factors, the organization often needs improvements on the inside. For example, with an OCR API, processing documents, invoices and receipts becomes much easier.

But, as many businesses keep implementing such digital technologies to move forward, the amount of data that requires processing, organization, and utilization keeps growing. That’s where digital asset management software can significantly help. It can help improve internal processes by simplifying organizational efforts. 

Keep reading to discover digital asset management software, how to find a good one and which are the best ones in the market today, both free and paid.

What is Digital Asset Management Software?

Digital asset management software serves to store, organize and share business data in one place. It’s the most effective way of managing all the company information from a single hub.

All this is made possible with features like metadata, AI recognition, search, security, sharing, permission management and collaboration. Business owners can rest assured that their data is always safe.

How to pick the right option?

The digital asset management software market is very competitive. There are lots of tools to explore and choosing the best one will depend on a couple of crucial factors.

The first thing you should consider is the nature of your business and what kind of data you’re using. Specific tools come with unique designs that are specific to certain types of documents. For example, some software tools specialize in document asset management.

If you’re someone who needs a tool with a focus on documents, you should look for a tool that has an abundance of features related to that type of file.

Another essential thing to consider is price. Some tools are free but require plenty of technical support on your side. On the other hand, others come with subscription costs but are much more user-friendly.

These are all things to consider before you make the final choice. Here are a couple of tools that are some of the best options in the industry.

Pimcore DAM

Image Source: Brand’s Website

Pimcore is one of the best digital asset management tools in the market. It brings a lot of flexibility in several ways:

• It’s open-source: There’s an active community of people worldwide always working to make it better. 

• It’s free: Like any other open-source project, Pimcore is free. However, you’ll need to take care of the setup process, which might be a bit tricky initially. Otherwise, the tool is very user-friendly with its drag and drop interface.

• There’s a paid variant: If you don’t want to go through the hassle, you can always use the subscription model, where you’ll get Pimcore support from a team of professionals, helping you set up and use the tool. 

• Pimcore Training: You can also count on the Pimcore training so your staff can master using this tool easily.

One of the most significant advantages comes down to the wide range of available features. The platform supports over 220 data formats. Furthermore, with the utilization of Google TensorFlow, image mapping workflows are seamless.

Integration support is fantastic. You can also count on its enterprise-ready system, meaning that the platform also supports scaling. No matter how demanding your needs become, you’ll be able to meet them with this digital asset management tool.

ResourceSpace

Image Source: Brand’s Website

Much like Pimcore, ResourceSpace is an open-source solution that serves to help with storage asset management. You’ll find the following features with this software tool.

• Customizability: Branding is vital for every business. You can put your name on the ResourceSpace system and tailor it to your business needs.

• Advanced organization system: The tool comes with AI automated tagging features. You still have control over manual metadata with your data, which will allow you to organize your data effectively.

• Seamless sharing: ResourceSpace packs plenty of sharing features, making it easy to publish your data on various CMS systems and social media.

• Permission control: You can easily control data access in your system. That’s the perfect way to keep your data safe.

• Integration: This free digital asset management software plays well with other tools. You can seamlessly integrate it with a range of different software.

This set of features makes ResourceSpace a great alternative to Pimcore. Its free plan comes with a limit of 100 GB of storage which is enough to cover the needs of numerous small businesses.

In case you decide to scale, there are paid plans that’ll keep your growth simple.

Keep in mind, though, you’ll need to take care of the setup process independently. Luckily, the tool comes with plenty of documentation to help with the setup process.

MediaValet

Image Source: Brand’s Website

MediaValet is an enterprise tool aimed at bigger businesses that require media asset management software. Unlike the above mentioned tools, this one offers a free demo but requires subscribing to a plan.

These are the features that you’ll find with this paid asset management software.

• Ease of use: The platform is highly user-friendly and requires no setup efforts on your side. You can start using it immediately.

• MediaValet Library: The library packs plenty of valuable features. You and your team can share, preview and edit files on the spot. It’s a great way to ramp up your team’s productivity.

• Advanced media asset management: With AI-powered search, you can find images and videos more easily.

• Integration: MediaValet integrates well with a wide range of software tools. Businesses in various industries will find that useful, as they can easily integrate this software with other tools in your arsenal.

• Resources: You’ll get access to a broad range of resources to help you learn the best practices

If your business works with videos a lot, this video asset management software is a great option, especially if you’re running a bigger company. No data limit means that you can store as much content as you need.

The most significant advantage comes down to the product’s user-friendliness. Your team will master it in no time.

Brandfolder

Image Source: Brand’s Website

Brandfolder is a big DAM platform that numerous industry giants are using to manage their tools. Slack, Mastercard and Lyft are some of its users, and it says a lot about the system. It too, like the other mentioned competitors, offers several great features.

• Custom Workflow: Use Brandfolder to create unique workflows among your teams. Filter your data, edit it and share them with ease.

• Integration: Letting your teams focus on the creative process is crucial. It’s only possible if they can combine other tools and work together seamlessly. Brandfolder supports numerous integrations, making content management even more effortless.

• Print from anywhere: Print your digital assets directly from Brandfolder. All you need is a printer connected to your device or a network, and you can send assets to printing.

• AI engine: Digital asset organization would be a daunting process without some modern features. The platform’s AI engine is there to help with the process, as it allows you to attach appropriate tags to images quickly. Finding them later via search is much easier.

• Smart CDN - Embedding your assets in other projects such as website development is made simple by the Smart CDN. You can edit images in one place and immediately see the changes apply to the location where the asset is embedded.

The platform boasts its simplicity. While no training to use the platform is necessary, there are still plenty of resources you can find on the platform. It’s an excellent option for all businesses looking for a simple solution to their digital asset management needs.

When it comes to pricing, the tool targets enterprise users as plan prices are not immediately available. You’ll have to request a quote to see them.

Canto

Image Source: Brand’s Website

Canto is another paid digital asset management software that heavily focuses on visual content such as images and video. It’s the perfect option for all businesses that work with visual assets daily. The platform comes with the following features:

• Data organization with search: The platform offers features around file organization. Adding tags, using smart folders and personal collections are all available. Add search functionality and keeping your document and finding them is a breeze.

• Sharing: Use Canto to quickly share your files with people inside and outside of your organization. You can create links and share imagery on social media with a couple of clicks.

• Preview: Explore your files with all the relevant details. You can quickly preview everything important about your image or video.

• Collaboration: Use comments, approvals, and workflows to establish smooth asset management procedures.

• Security and permissions: Keep all of your data secure with Canto and control who can access what.

These features make this tool a great addition to companies looking for a way to create a straightforward structure for their visual data.

Like MediaValet, Canto is also highly user-friendly. You’ll be able to implement it in your workflow within days. Plus, it also includes a lot of resources to help you incorporate the tool.

Concluding thoughts

Finding the best digital asset management software is a challenging process, as there are plenty of solutions in the market. It all comes down to your current needs and how you want to approach setting up the system.

While open-source provides you with more customizability, they are more challenging to set up. On the other hand, you’ll find a paid solution to be very user-friendly, but that comes at a price and less flexibility.

Finding a balance is the best route to pick, as you want a flexible and affordable system. That’s where a solution such as Pimcore hits the sweet spot.