If you’ve ever spent way too long digging through endless folders just to find that one logo file, or worse, accidentally used the wrong version in a campaign, you know the pain of disorganized digital assets. I’ve been there too.
That's precisely what pushed me to explore the best digital asset management (DAM) software. I was searching for a more efficient way to organize, store, and share creative files, a way to cut through the chaos.
Whether you're part of a dynamic marketing team, a creative agency, or simply tired of file names like "final_v6_reallyfinal.psd," a solid DAM tool can significantly improve your workflow.
In this article, I'm sharing the best digital asset management software I've evaluated using G2 reviews, highlighting what works, what doesn't, and which platforms are worth considering for your team's time and budget.
According to G2 Grid Reports, these are the top-rated tools in their category. I've also included their monthly pricing where available for easy comparisons.
Before I started researching DAM platforms, I thought it was just a buzzier name for cloud storage. I was probably doing what you’re doing, using Google Drive and Dropbox, creating endless folders, and hoping I’d find the right version when I needed it.
But as our content library and team grew, basic storage just wasn’t enough. That’s when I discovered what a DAM really does: it’s purpose-built for organizing, storing, finding, and sharing creative files at scale, with features like metadata tagging, usage rights, access controls, and version tracking. In short, it brings order to the chaos.
So, instead of asking someone to resend a file or digging through Slack for the "final final" version of a design, you can find everything in seconds. And because the whole team can be given access, everyone is on the same page, no bottlenecks, no version mix-ups.
To make sure I was recommending DAM tools that actually work for creative and content teams, I started with a shortlist based on the top-rated products on G2 and combed through reviews about each platform’s features, pricing, and usability. I looked at how they handled key functions like uploading, tagging, organizing, and sharing files.
I also used AI to analyze G2 reviews, spotting common pain points, standout features, and real user feedback.
I also spoke with professionals who’ve used the platforms directly and validated their feedback against verified G2 user reviews.
The screenshots included in this article are a mix of those sourced from the vendors' G2 profiles or publicly available materials.
When I evaluated each DAM platform, I focused on the features that actually matter for creative and marketing teams managing growing libraries of content. Here’s what I looked for:
I'll be honest and admit that not all the DAM platforms check every criterion on my list. But they have strengths that make them worth considering, depending on your needs. Now, let’s take a look at the best options.
The list below contains real user reviews from the best digital asset management software category page. To be included in this category, a solution must:
*This data was pulled from G2 in 2025. Some reviews may have been edited for clarity.
With a name like Bynder, I expected it to bind all the creative chaos into one clean, organized space (pun very much intended). Honestly, I had high expectations for Bynder because it’s top-rated on G2 and widely recommended.
According to G2 reviewers, the platform makes a strong first impression right from the login screen. The interface is frequently described as modern, clean, and intuitive, striking a nice balance between functionality and user-friendliness without feeling overly enterprise. Users note that it’s easy to start exploring assets, browsing collections, and testing out upload and organization workflows within just a few clicks.
One feature that stands out in G2 reviews is Bynder’s powerful and intuitive asset filtering. Users appreciate how easy it is to narrow down results, not just by asset type like images, videos, or documents, but also by campaign objective, distribution channel (such as social, web, or events), and even the team responsible for creating the asset. It’s a level of filtering that helps teams find exactly what they need without wasting time digging through folders.
G2 reviewers frequently call out Bynder’s usage rights filter as a standout feature. It goes well beyond a basic “available” toggle—you can filter by “on request,” “confidential,” or even “special usage rights,” which is especially helpful for teams managing licensed or region-specific content. The advanced filter options are also appreciated, with users noting how easy it is to refine searches by orientation, resolution, video duration, and even publication date. Everything is clearly labeled and easy to click through, making asset discovery feel fast and organized.
Tags are another highlight. Reviewers mention that Bynder’s AI-driven tag suggestions do a solid job recognizing objects, themes, and even specific activities. Clicking on tags like “concert,” “logo,” or “guitar” helps surface highly relevant assets, especially useful for teams managing large content libraries across departments or campaigns. While not perfect, the tagging system is seen as a big time-saver that improves content findability across the board.
One feature that users consistently enjoy is how simple it is to create and manage asset collections in Bynder. Starting a new collection is quick, and organizing campaign-specific content feels intuitive. Uploads are fast across images, PDFs, and videos, and the platform handles them with a polished, professional feel, perfect for creative teams managing large volumes of content.
Bynder also has features like brand templates and Studio to create branded images and assets easily within the platform, as well as 100+ integrations. But there are some things to consider too.
One thing that might trip up new users, especially those coming from a traditional folder-based system, is the fact that Bynder doesn’t use a folder-based structure. Instead, everything is organized through collections and metadata tagging. I saw a number of G2 reviewers talking about this.
The absence of a folder-based structure comes with a learning curve. But once you get used to it, you'll realize how much more scalable and flexible this approach is. You’re not locked into a single hierarchy. Instead, you can group, filter, and surface assets dynamically based on what you actually need.
Also, it can be slow at times. It’s not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind if your team works with bulk files or large campaigns regularly.
All in all, Bynder feels like a well-rounded, highly polished DAM that balances usability with power. It’s especially ideal for mid-sized to large marketing and creative teams who need structure without sacrificing flexibility.
"The Onboarding Team made it easy for us to get up and running. They had templates for us to think through how to structure our assets and metadata for searching. And we had regular meetings to keep us on track so we hit our launch date without issue.
Bynder is intuitive, which makes it easy for our end users. It's fully customizable, so we could set it up to fit how we work and how we search for assets. We've had a great adoption rate with the Marketing team and look forward to rolling it out to the rest of the company."
- Bynder Review, Suzanne B, Senior Manager, Creative Ops
"I’ve encountered a few hangups, such as issues with refreshing changes on the homepage, delays in thumbnail appearances while uploading, and some features that aren’t the most intuitive."
- Bynder Review, Sam I, Content Producer.
If you’re curious about how digital rights management (DRM) fits into the DAM world, this guide by G2 breaks down the differences between the two and how they often work together.
I read someone describe Canto as “the DAM that just works,” so naturally, I wanted to see if it lived up to that promise. After exploring its features through a self-guided tour and analyzing hundreds of user reviews, it’s clear the platform delivers, more so for teams that value simplicity, structure, and brand consistency. G2 feedback consistently highlights these as core strengths.
One thing G2 reviewers often point out is how Canto’s folder-based layout feels familiar, especially for teams transitioning from traditional shared drives. That structure can make onboarding smoother. But once you start using metadata, tags, and filters, the platform shifts into a much more modern DAM experience, offering the flexibility and discoverability users expect.
What stood out to me in multiple reviews was the built-in digital rights management panel. You can define terms and conditions, set copyright rules, and add watermarks, all within the platform. That kind of native DRM functionality is rare and incredibly useful for teams working with licensed or internal-use-only assets.
Users also appreciated the style guide section, which centralizes brand colors, logos, fonts, and templates in one place. It’s a nice touch for keeping branding consistent, especially when collaborating with partners or external teams.
Canto offers AI-powered tagging and facial recognition, similar to Bynder, which reviewers say is a real time-saver for managing large image libraries. While not flawless, the AI does a solid job organizing assets upfront and helps reduce manual tagging when refined.
That said, the interface feels a bit dated to a number of users. Some parts of the UI come off as more functional than polished. It’s easy enough to navigate, but Canto clearly leans toward structure and familiarity over sleek design.
Also, based on my observations of G2 user reviews, tagging seems to be a common friction point. While Canto supports AI tagging, users often mention that the automated tags can be inconsistent or too broad to be useful without manual cleanup. This is a common problem with most DAMs, though. If your team doesn’t already have a solid taxonomy or tagging strategy in place, the system can feel a bit disorganized until that structure is built out.
On the whole, I'd say Canto is an excellent option for mid-to-large-sized companies that need a reliable system for organizing and protecting a library of digital assets.
"What I like most about canto is the reliability. At the end of the day, I need a system that is operating and consistent, and that is what Canto is. I do like the way that it's organized, and I also really appreciate the brand-new AI feature that lets you do a visual search. A lot of times, guest users for my organization don't know or understand how we've organized our system, and having the option for them to do a visual search is really helpful."
- Canto Review, Cameron B, Director of Multimedia Production and Strategy.
"I dislike how long it takes for certain files to upload, such as large illustrator files or videos. I also think the entire UX / UI is very outdated and in dire need of a refresh."
- Canto Review, Brock M, Visual Designer.
Brandfolder by Smartsheet pretty much does what the name promises. It creates a clean, organized space for everything that makes up your brand’s identity. Based on what I researched and what users on G2 had to say, it feels like a DAM built for teams that live and breathe brand consistency.
One of the first things that stood out to me during my research was how modern and polished the interface looks. Brandfolder feels genuinely built for creative teams. It’s visual, intuitive, and gives off that “marketing-friendly” vibe right away.
I saw that Brandfolder uses collection-, label- and section-based approach to storing and displaying assets. Collections are similar to what Bynder has, like little curated sets, perfect for grouping related assets for a specific campaign or team. Sections act more like categories for content types like videos, images, social media graphics, fonts, colors, and more .
And then there are labels, which G2 users really liked. They're basically a smarter version of folders that reflect how your organization already thinks about content. I think it makes the platform feel familiar and makes navigating assets feel intuitive right from the start.
I also saw multiple users highlight how easy it was to share specific collections or branded kits with partners and vendors using the brand portal. You can control access levels, set expiration dates, and track asset usage, making it a solid choice for external collaboration.
From what I’ve gathered, Brandfolder packs in some smart AI features—like auto-tagging, suggested descriptions, and trainable AI that adapts to your brand. It also offers duplicate detection, video scene analysis, and asset analytics to help teams stay organized and track what’s actually being used.
And like other top-tier DAMs, Brandfolder also plugs into the tools creative teams use like Adobe, Canva, and more. I did see some users mentioning that the Adobe integration, while extremely helpful, could be smoother.
And, of course, it’s not all straightforward. A recurring theme in reviews I looked at was that the platform’s search and tagging system needs thoughtful setup. Without consistent metadata or a clear taxonomy, the search can feel less powerful than it looks on the surface.
I also noticed a few G2 reviewers mentioning that it can be expensive, especially for smaller teams or startups. But many still gave it 4 or 5 stars, citing features like content automation, brand control, and integrations as worth the cost.
So, while Brandfolder isn’t flawless, it’s clear that for the right teams, especially those managing a high volume of branded content, the payoff can be well worth it.
"I love how easy it is to create labels and organize your teams' assets. I also love how easy it is to download assets of different file sizes. BrandFolder made sharing with vendors, partners, and retailers easy and stress-free."
- Brandfolder Review, Morgan P, Director of Marketing.
"Searching for Assets is easy for me as an administrator but terribly difficult for our sales teams. I wish the search could be more intuitive for non-technical users. Also, there is live support available, but it seems they are never available. Sometimes, my requests take longer than 48 hours for a response. They do make up for the delay; normally, every time I do get ahold of support, they go above and beyond to help me. I only wish they were more responsive when I raise the flag."
- Brandfolder Review, Thomas N, Digital Specialist.
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I evaluated quite a few digital asset management platforms for this article. While most of them offer a free trial, but not a truly free plan. That’s what made Air stand out to me right away. There's no need to book a demo or start a countdown on a 14-day trial.
According to G2 reviewers, even the free plan offers a solid introduction to the platform. Users say it doesn’t feel overly limited, you can explore the interface, upload assets, and get a clear sense of how it fits into a real creative workflow.
The overall experience is described as clean and modern, with an emphasis on simplicity and visual organization. Reviewers appreciate that it doesn’t overwhelm with features right away, making it easy to get started without feeling lost.
Navigating around is described as easy. The way assets are organized into “Boards” and "Sub-boards" makes the whole experience more visual and digestible. Users could switch between list, gallery, or Kanban view when browsing through boards. It's very Google Drive-meets-Notion type of layout. G2 reviews mentioned that uploading different file types, creating boards, tags, and custom fields all worked without issue.
One subtle but impactful feature G2 users appreciate in Air is how custom fields are handled. In addition to creating tags for things like campaign names or asset types, users can color-code them. It might seem minor, but when you're managing a high volume of assets, those visual markers make it much easier to scan and filter content quickly.
The search bar at the top and the filters under All assets and files let you search assets by tags, status, usage rights, rating, and more.
Sharing and collaboration are frequently highlighted as smooth and intuitive. G2 reviewers note that it’s easy to invite others, set permissions, and create board-based views for external stakeholders. Even with a small number of assets, many users say it’s clear how well the platform can scale for team or client collaboration.
The free plan is surprisingly generous. You get 5 GB of storage, 50 boards, and access for two members, which is enough for a small team just getting started with DAM. The fact that you get a 7-day deletion recovery window even on the free plan is a nice safety net too.
That said, there are a few things to be aware of. From what I read on G2, while the tagging features are incredibly helpful for organizing assets, the AI auto-tagging feature can be a bit hit-or-miss. I saw some users mentioning that it can be improved.
Also, when it comes to sharing, Air uses shareable links instead of full-fledged brand portals. It definitely works well for quick collaboration, but I saw a few reviewers mention that the controls a bit unintuitive at first.
Despite these limitations, the overall experience still feels thoughtfully designed, especially for creative teams that need a lightweight, visual, and collaborative DAM solution. If you are a small team with a tight budget, I'd definitely suggest giving Air a try.
"We previously tried a digital asset manager packed with features, but it was so complicated and time-consuming to upload and tag images that no one ended up using it (despite being locked into a three-year contract!). Air has been a game-changer. Its simplicity makes it incredibly easy to use—we can provide guest links for photographers to upload photos directly to a board and seamlessly share boards with stakeholders for selection and approval. It's streamlined, intuitive, and a tool our entire team actually loves."
- Air Review, Bryan L, Senior Director, Communications and Marketing.
"The thing we'd like to see in terms of improvements from Air include a more robust AI auto-tagging feature. In addition, a dedicated Windows program/software to use, not just Mac."
- Air Review, Dan S, Director of Digital Strategy.
Ansira isn’t your typical DAM platform, and to be honest, it took me a minute to understand what exactly it offers. It’s really more of a brand-to-local marketing execution platform with DAM capabilities baked in.
Based on my research, the DAM side (called Ansira Create) is one part of a broader system designed to help brands scale local marketing while keeping everything on-brand.
I'd say it’s built for franchise systems, dealer networks, retail brands, and co-op marketing environments - any organization that works with distributed partners who need access to customizable, brand-approved content. The focus isn’t just on storing assets, but on enabling local teams to launch campaigns that still look, feel, and sound like the brand, no matter where they run.
What’s even more impressive is that it’s not just about managing and distributing assets, you can also analyze campaign performance right within the same platform.
One thing that stood out to me when researching is intelligent templates and design tools. You can lock down brand-critical elements in templates, but still give local teams the flexibility to personalize what matters. That’s a huge win if you’ve ever struggled with off-brand creative floating around in your ecosystem.
Several G2 reviewers also called out the ease of use once everything is configured and praised how it supports their local marketing efforts in a structured way.
But, like with most platforms this comprehensive, there are some trade-offs. I saw some reviewers mentioning that pricing felt high for smaller companies. Another thing I picked up from the G2 feedback is that there can be slight delays when connecting with customer support at times. These aren’t deal-breakers per se but something to keep in mind.
So, who’s Ansira Create really for? Not your average startup or creative team just looking to manage files, in my opinion. It’s for enterprise brands with local execution challenges. It's for companies that need to empower their partners with compliant, co-branded, and high-performing creative without sacrificing control.
So, if your biggest marketing problem is scale and consistency, not just storage, then Ansira might be the right fit.
"One-window solution hub. Ansira has simply been a godsend. It has not only helped us unify our partner campaigns but also identify and clean our underperforming campaigns quickly."
- Ansira Brand-to-Local Growth Platform Review, Zeeshan K, SEO Manager.
"Due to the platform resource requirements, smaller companies like ours with tighter budgets or teams may find it difficult to use. Furthermore, it could be difficult to integrate Ansira Edge with current systems, which could disrupt workflow."
- Ansira Brand-to-Local Growth Platform Review, Saad G, B2B Marketing Strategy Consultant.
Dash was frequently mentioned as one of the easiest ones to get up and running with. It’s clean, intuitive, and gives off zero enterprise bloat vibes, which users really appreciated. You can tell it’s made with small to mid-sized marketing and creative teams in mind.
G2 reviewers often describe Dash’s UI as modern, clean, and genuinely enjoyable to navigate. Customizing the home screen with brand colors, logos, and favicons is a feature users appreciate. It helps create an on-brand experience from the start.
From uploading and organizing to sharing, the platform is designed to minimize friction. Features like version control, tagging, and advanced search are frequently mentioned as critical to a successful DAM experience, and Dash gets strong marks across all three.
That said, the auto-tagging feature isn’t perfect. While it helps speed up bulk uploads, reviewers note that it occasionally adds overly generic tags. Look for the example below: “female,” “jeans,” or “clothing”. It can clutter asset organization. Some manual cleanup is still needed to keep tags accurate and meaningful.
Another minor drawback I saw in G2 reviews included video previews taking a little longer to load at times. That said, none of these felt like dealbreakers, just things to be aware of depending on how your team works.
On the whole, I was really impressed with Dash. If you’re part of a small to mid-sized team and want a no-fuss DAM that’s easy to get started with, Dash feels like a solid, thoughtfully designed option.
"Dash has a tagging system that helps in sorting the assets by campaign, client, or deadline. It can be quite useful during several campaigns. To be more precise, I like real-time collaboration and version history options on Dash. We can see who changed what (no more wrong version syndrome) and share files and assets with freelancers or clients straightaway."
- Dash Review, Emma T, Video Editor.
"Some of the auto-tags aren't very effective and can take a while to remove them."
- Dash Review, Gina G, Strategic Communications and Marketing Manager.
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Cloudinary is one of those tools that I had heard a lot about, and after digging into user reviews and getting a feel for how it works, I can see why it’s so widely used.
The interface isn’t flashy, but G2 reviewers often describe it as clean and easy to navigate once you know where to look. From the Media Library, users say they can upload assets and immediately jump into tasks like cropping, resizing, background removal, or format conversion, right from the browser.
What stands out most in the feedback is Cloudinary’s flexibility. Reviewers appreciate being able to apply image transformations on the fly, resize for different devices, add branding, or prep content for publishing, all within a single dashboard.
While many DAMs offer tools for resizing and converting assets, Cloudinary takes it a step further with its “What do you want to do today?” prompt. Users say it makes the experience feel more guided and approachable. It’s clear the focus isn’t just on storage but on helping teams get more done with their media.
Collections are another familiar feature, but the ability to create dynamic collections using tags and filters really sets Cloudinary apart. Instead of manually curating each set, G2 users highlight how easy it is to define rules and have assets pulled in automatically. The feature is still in beta, but for teams managing high-volume libraries, it’s seen as a major time-saver.
Of course, there are trade-offs. One of the more common themes I saw in G2 reviews is that Cloudinary’s strength in flexibility can make it feel a little overwhelming at first. It’s clearly not built for teams who just want a super visual, drag-and-drop DAM experience with full creative collaboration tools. Also, a few reviewers mentioned that the UI could be more intuitive.
It’s also worth noting how pricing works. Since it’s based on usage—things like storage, bandwidth, and transformations—costs can scale up quickly if you’re running large campaigns or working with heavy media files. It’s something to keep in mind as your content volume grows.
If you’re a developer or technical marketer working with lots of images and video across web, and mobile, Cloudinary is hard to beat, in my opinion. It gives you control, speed, and scalability, and even though the learning curve is there, the value you get once you’re set up is absolutely worth it.
"I love Cloudinary's on-the-fly transformations that can be activated by writing only a few words on the image or video URL. At my job we rely heavily on it for video and image optimizations. No other vendor comes close when it comes to providing this service. This allows images to load fast and keeps our google site speed scores in great standards. Cloudinary has some great advanced features as well as custom widgets and advanced video cropping options. Cloudinary offers tons of options and has great documentation available online."
- Cloudinary Review, Gary C, Frontend Developer.
"I believe that the price of the premium plan is an obstacle, it requires an investment, as the free plan is limited. The understanding of the tool as well, I believe that clearer and more interactive documents and manuals help in understanding how to use the tool at its best performance.."
- Cloudinary review, Marcus R, Operations Analyst.
Digital asset management software helps organizations store, organize, retrieve, and distribute digital files such as images, videos, documents, and other media assets. It streamlines workflows, improves collaboration, and ensures brand consistency across channels.
Effective digital asset management ensures brand consistency, reduces time spent searching for files, and protects assets through permissions and version control. It also supports collaboration and speeds up content production cycles.
Start by evaluating your needs: the number of assets, team size, file types, and required integrations. Then compare digital asset management programs based on features, user reviews, and pricing tiers. You can use review platforms like G2 and their grid reports to find the best ones.
Yes, there are free digital asset management software tools available, but they often come with limitations. They’re great for smaller teams or individuals just starting out.
Absolutely. Paid digital asset management systems provide advanced features like automated workflows, enhanced security, larger storage, and better support—ideal for growing teams.
The answer depends on your goals. Some teams need the best digital asset management tools for marketing, others for creative workflows or enterprise-wide usage. Based on recent reviews and the G2 Spring Grid Report 2025, platforms like Brandfolder, Bynder, Air, Ansira Brand-to-Local Growth Platform, Air, Dash, and Cloudinary are some of the best digital asset management software this year.
In my evaluation (and way too many hours spent comparing platforms), the best DAM tools didn’t just organize assets. They reduced bottlenecks, improved version control, and made collaboration actually feel seamless.
I started noticing how features like AI-powered tagging or built-in rights management could shave hours off repetitive tasks. And for creative or marketing teams juggling hundreds of assets, that time is gold.
But I'd strongly emphasize that choosing the right DAM tool really comes down to knowing your workflows. If your team’s constantly digging through folders or sending Slack messages like “Where’s the latest version of X?”, it might be time to upgrade to something more purpose-built.
Personally, I found that the platforms that balanced ease of use, smart automation, and solid integrations (think with your design tool, CMS, or project management tool) stood out the most.
If you're on the fence, test a few. Most offer free trials, and you’ll know pretty quickly which one clicks with your team’s needs.
Lock it down with DRM. Browse the best DRM software on G2 to safeguard your assets because great content deserves great protection.
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