Choosing the best DAM software in 2024
Companies today have more digital assets and files to keep track of than ever before. A shared drive might work well for a while, but eventually, you’ll need a solution that’s better suited for managing assets at scale.
That’s where digital asset management (DAM) software comes in. We’ve hand-selected some of the top DAM tools you’ll want to know about.
For each one, we’ve identified its best features based on the company websites and looked for common themes in their G2 reviews. G2 ratings and reviews are accurate as of May 2024 and may change.
What to consider when selecting a DAM
There are many DAM systems on the market, and we’ll look at several of them. Here are a few things to consider when finding the best option for your company.
- Business objectives: How does adopting a DAM system support your business objectives? Understanding your goals will help you get buy-in from key (budget) stakeholders across the organization.
- User groups: Who will use it — just creative teams or the entire organization? You’ll want widespread adoption but won’t want everyone to have access to everything. So, look into permissions and rights management when comparing different options.
- Integrations with existing tool stack: Does the DAM natively integrate with your other tools? Integrations are essential for creative solutions such as Sketch or Adobe because they make it easier for designers to use and add elements to your DAM.
- Horizontal systems: Is the tool a standalone DAM-only product or part of a comprehensive brand-building platform? You may need an independent product only or prefer the benefits a broader product offers, such as connections with brand guidelines and templates.
- Success measures: What does success look like with this investment? Consider usage metrics and softer signals, such as improved brand consistency, to identify whether your DAM system supports your business needs.
10 top DAM systems to consider
1. Frontify
Frontify is the brand-building platform for leading brands. By combining a user-friendly DAM with customized portals, Frontify enables creatives and marketers to design, organize, and collaborate.
Best suited for:
Enterprise and multi-brand organizations looking for a user-friendly DAM as part of a customized brand portal that works globally and locally.
Top features:
- Dedicated libraries to store and organize assets
- Flexible and customizable user permissions
- Built-in feedback and approval processes
- Metadata and asset tagging to improve searchability and file usage
- Enterprise-grade security to keep your assets safe
- Native integrations with dozens of creative and brand-building tools
Pricing:
On request. Free trial available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.5/5 according to G2
What users love:
- Easy-to-use platform and intuitive user interface
- Efficient management of brands and assets
- Centralized storage for brand materials
- Accessible templates to expedite digital and print materials
- Built-in connection to Frontify guidelines and brand portals
What users don't love:
- Some users don’t need everything the software offers and would prefer a lighter-weight plan
2. Bynder
Bynder was one of the first DAM solutions on the market. Since its launch in 2013, it has developed more comprehensive brand management functionality, including brand guidelines and creative templates.
Best suited for:
Companies looking for a centralized content repository as an alternative to cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive.
Top features:
- Custom filters optimize asset organization
- Flexible control over access and usage rights
- Ability to share files internally and externally
- Option to download assets in required formats
Pricing:
On request. Demo available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.5/5 according to G2
What users love:
- User-friendly platform with an intuitive interface
- Easy to migrate assets from previously used tools
- Filters and metadata improve asset searchability
What users don’t love:
- Potentially steep learning curve to make best use of it
- The platform can be hard to customize and often requires additional vendor support
- Some users feel that uploading and tagging new assets isn’t very smooth
3. Brandfolder
Brandfolder is a digital asset management solution that was acquired by Smartsheet, an enterprise work management platform, in 2020. Since this acquisition, Brandfolder has expanded its collaboration capabilities and DAM functionality.
Best suited for:
Mid-size and enterprise companies, especially if they already use Smartsheet in other areas of the business, as it has a native integration.
Top features:
- Different options to store and organize brand assets
- Workflow tools to manage the creation and approval of new assets
- Integrations with other creative and brand-building tools
- Ability to share files internally and externally
Pricing:
On request. Demo available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.5/5 according to G2
What users love:
- The platform is easy to use
- Easy to share brand assets with colleagues
- Ability to customize the way assets are organized
What users don’t love:
- Some users feel the platform has a steep learning curve
- Some users find the search functionality unreliable and difficult to use
- It can take a long time to set up if you have a lot of assets to migrate
4. Air
Air is a visual workspace that helps teams store and organize visual content. It provides space for working together and allows you to manage collaboration, feedback, and approvals all in the same place.
Best suited for:
Dedicated creative teams that use it in their asset creation process. Less likely to be used across the wider business.
Top features:
- Native desktop app
- Enterprise-grade security
- Customizable user permissions to control asset access and usage
- Integrations with hundreds of other tools
Pricing:
Enterprise pricing available on request. Lower-tier plans are USD 100 or USD 300 a month, and there’s a small free plan available for individuals.
Ratings and reviews:
4.7/5 according to G2
What users love:
- The visual interface simplifies finding assets
- The tool is easy to use and navigate
- Easy to share assets with colleagues
What users don’t love:
- Some users frequently encounter bugs like image previews not displaying
- Can be time-consuming and complex to upload or import new files
- Some users find it difficult to add new users to the system so they can access shared files
5. Dash
Dash is a DAM system that gives e-commerce and DTC companies a centralized home for all their brand’s visual assets.
Best suited for:
E-commerce teams looking for a tool to improve digital asset management in their company.
Top features:
- One location to store and organize assets
- Internal team members and external contributors can leave feedback and approve files
- Ability to share files internally and externally
- Integration with popular e-commerce tools like Shopify
Pricing:
Monthly pricing ranges from USD 109 for startups to USD 589 for established brands. Free trial available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.6/5 according to G2
What users love:
- Easy to implement, use, and navigate
- Affordable for smaller businesses
- Centralized storage and organization of visual assets
What users don’t love:
- Some users would like more granular control over asset sharing and permissions
- The platform doesn’t support full previews of some file types
- Not as many options to customize the platform as you get in other tools
6. MediaValet
MediaValet is an enterprise DAM platform that makes it easy for companies to store, organize, find, and use their digital assets. It’s built on Microsoft Azure and has a strong global customer base.
Best suited for:
Enterprise companies looking for a dedicated DAM solution.
Top features:
- Ability to store and organize brand assets in a secure, scalable library
- Advanced search capabilities make it quick and easy to find files
- Enterprise-level security
- Analytics features to help you track asset usage and platform engagement
Pricing:
On request. Demo available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.6/5 according to G2
What users love:
- Easy to set up and use
- Flexible user permissions for both internal team members and external partners
- Ease of sharing assets with internal and external stakeholders
What users don’t love:
- Some users say it’s difficult to search and find assets in the DAM
- The platform can be hard to customize
- Some users feel the platform has a steep learning curve
7. Image Relay
Image Relay helps companies manage digital assets and product information in one central location.
Best suited for:
Product teams that have lots of branded and product-related digital assets to manage.
Top features:
- Ability to store and organize brand assets into libraries and folders
- Product information management functionality
- Integration with popular marketing and e-commerce platforms
- Asset sharing with internal and external partners
Pricing
On request for enterprise customers. Free trial available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.6/5 according to G2
What users love:
- Ease of use and implementation
- Customer support during set-up and onboarding
- Centralized location for brand assets and product information
What users love:
- Some users find it difficult to share assets with other people
- Can be time-consuming to set up
- Search functionality is less effective than other tools
8. Acquia DAM
Acquia DAM is an enterprise digital asset management solution that helps companies manage and distribute assets across teams, tools, and channels. Acquia DAM is available standalone or as part of the Acquia Digital Experience Platform (DXP).
Best suited for:
Enterprise teams that already use other products in the Acquia Digital Experience Platform, such as the Drupal content management system.
Top features:
- Central home for all brand assets
- Metadata and tagging to make it easy to search for assets
- Integrations with other creative, collaboration, and distribution tools
- Ability to share assets internally and externally
- Enterprise-level security
Pricing:
On request. Product demo available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.5/5 according to G2
What users love:
- Ability to organize brand assets
- Easy to set up and manage different user groups and permissions
- Ease of use
What users don’t love:
- Some users feel the interface looks dated compared to other tools
- Collaboration with external partners can be difficult
- Some customers feel the quality of the product and service has declined over time
9. Canto
Canto was established over 30 years ago. It provides a central DAM platform for organizing, finding, and distributing digital assets and is used by thousands of brands worldwide.
Best suited for:
Companies looking for a traditional, established standalone DAM product
Top features:
- Ability to organize brand assets in one central location
- Search and filter to make it easy to find relevant assets
- Integrations with creative and collaboration tools
- Enterprise-level security
- Analytics to track and measure asset usage
Pricing
On request.
Ratings and reviews:
4.3/5 according to G2
What users love:
- User-friendly platform
- Efficient file searches
- Ability to share assets internally and externally
What users don’t love:
- Some customers find user permissions limiting
- Some users find the UI feels dated compared to other tools
- Some users feel the search functionality doesn’t work as well as expected
10. Filecamp
Filecamp is a lightweight digital asset management system that helps creative businesses share and collaborate on digital files.
Best suited for:
Smaller companies looking for a budget-friendly DAM solution
Top features:
- Different levels of user access
- Customizable metadata and tagging for files
- Folders and collections to organize files
- Flexible options when downloading assets
Pricing:
Three plans ranging from USD 29 to USD 89. Free trial available.
Ratings and reviews:
4.7/5 according to G2
What users love:
- One of the most affordable DAM options on the market
- Easy-to-use product interface
- Central space to store and organize brand files
What users don’t love:
- Fewer features than other DAM solutions on the market
- Some users feel the access controls for files and folders aren’t granular enough
- No drag-and-drop functionality in the product
Start your DAM journey today
The right DAM solution can make a significant difference to your team: By giving everyone access to relevant branded content, a DAM makes it easier to achieve the internal alignment that’s so important for building a consistent brand.
The Frontify DAM sits at the heart of your asset management efforts and connects directly with the rest of our brand-building platform and your other creative and collaborative tools. See how well it can work for your team.