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 in 2025, 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.
Suddenly, instead of asking someone to resend a file or digging through Slack for the "final final" version of a design, I could find everything in seconds. And because the whole team had access, everyone was 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 researched 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.
Please note: While some tools offer free trials, demos, or self-guided product tours, there were a few I couldn’t explore firsthand. In those cases, I spoke with professionals who’ve used the platforms directly and validated their feedback against verified G2 user reviews, alongside my own research.
The screenshots included in this article are a mix of those captured during my own research and testing, as well as images sourced from the vendors' G2 profiles.
When I explored 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 my 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.
From the moment I logged in my trial account, I could see why it’s such a popular pick. The interface is modern and intuitive; nothing felt overwhelming or overly enterprise. In just a few clicks, I was exploring assets, browsing collections, and testing out the asset upload and organization flow.
One thing I really appreciated during testing was how powerful and intuitive Bynder’s asset filtering is. You can filter by asset type (like graphics, photography, video, audio, or documents), but it doesn’t stop there. I could also narrow results by campaign objectives, channels (such as social, web, or live events), and even which team produced the asset.
What really stood out to me was the usage rights filter. It's not just a checkbox for “available." You can filter by “on request,” “confidential,” or even “special usage rights,” which is incredibly useful when managing licensed or region-specific content. And under the advanced filter, I could use options like file orientation, resolution, duration (for video), and even publication date to get the assets I needed. Everything felt organized and clickable.
Tags were another win. Bynder automatically suggests tags using AI, and from what I saw, it did a solid job recognizing objects, people, and themes. I could click on tags like “concert,” “logo,” “guitar,” or even “leisure activities” to surface highly specific assets. If you’re working with a large content library across multiple teams or campaigns, this kind of filtering makes a huge difference. It’s not completely perfect and has its hits and misses, but it's definitely a useful feature.
I really liked the option to create a collection of assets I just hit “New Collection,” added a name and description, and started adding assets for that particular campaign. The platform made it feel like organizing assets could actually be... enjoyable. I tested uploading a mix of images, PDFs, and video files, and they were all processed quickly. There’s a sense of polish to how the system handles media. It’s clearly built for creative teams managing a high volume 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 tere 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’d heard someone describe Canto as “the DAM that just works,” so naturally, I wanted to see if it lived up to that promise. After spending time exploring its features, taking a self-guided product tour, and reading through 100s of user reviews, I’d say it does, especially for teams that prioritize simplicity, structure, and brand consistency.
Right away, I noticed how Canto leans into a folder-based layout, which feels familiar if you’re coming from traditional shared drives. I can see how that would make adoption easier for teams used to that system. But once you layer in metadata, tags, and filters, it starts functioning more like a modern DAM.
What stood out to me 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.
I also liked 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.
The platform also offers AI-powered tagging, like Bynder, and a facial recognition feature, which I think can be a huge time-saver when dealing with large image libraries. Like most AI features, it’s not always perfect, but it does a solid job with initial organization and can definitely reduce manual tagging work if you refine it along the way.
That said, the interface can feel a bit dated. Even during the guided tour, some parts of the UI felt more functional than polished. It’s not hard to navigate, but it’s clear that Canto prioritizes structure over flash. That choice works well for teams that like a familiar, folder-style layout.
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 I tried, honestly. 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. I didn’t get a demo or a free trial, but 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 I 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’ve tested 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. It let me start using it without needing to book a demo or start a countdown on a 14-day trial.
And even though I was on the free plan, it didn’t feel stripped down. I was able to explore the interface, upload assets, and get a real feel for how it might work in an actual creative workflow.
The platform felt clean and modern, with a focus on simplicity and visual organization. It doesn’t try to overwhelm you with too many features upfront, which I appreciated.
Navigating around was easy. The way assets are organized into “Boards” and "Sub-boards" makes the whole experience more visual and digestible. I could switch between list, gallery, or Kanban view when browsing through boards. It's very Google Drive-meets-Notion type of layout. I didn’t feel lost or overloaded at any point.
I tested uploading a few different file types, creating boards, tags, and custom fields and everything worked without issue.
One little detail I really liked while testing Air was how custom fields work. Like other DAMs, I could create custom tags like campaign names or asset types but in addition, I could color-code the options. It sounds minor, but when you're managing a lot of assets, those visual cues help make filters and labels way easier to scan at a glance.
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 also feel smooth. You can invite others, set permissions, and create board-based views for external use. While I only tested this with a small number of assets, I could already see how it’d scale for working with clients or teammates.
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. I couldn't try it out personally, but they do offer a demo.
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 put 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."
- Anisra 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."
- Anisra Brand-to-Local Growth Platform Review, Saad G, B2B Marketing Strategy Consultant.
Honestly, Dash was one of the easiest ones to get up and running with. It’s clean, intuitive, and gives off zero enterprise bloat vibes, which I really appreciated. You can tell it’s made with small to mid-sized marketing and creative teams in mind.
The UI looked dashing (pun totally intended). It’s modern and sleek and genuinely makes navigating through folders and assets enjoyable. I was also able to customize the home screen right away with my brand colors, logo, and even favicons—which gave it a polished, on-brand feel from the start.
From uploading to organizing and sharing, the whole platform feels designed to reduce friction. Version control, tagging, and search features are the kinds of things that can make or break a DAM, and Dash definitely delivered on all three for me.
But there are some limitations. While auto-tagging was genuinely helpful for speeding up the process, especially when uploading a lot of assets at once, it wasn’t always accurate. I noticed it sometimes added overly generic tags like “female,” “jeans,” "clothing," or “pants” which didn’t really help. This meant spending some time manually removing the tags and adding the appropriate ones.
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. It’s intuitive, clean, and actually makes managing assets feel easier. 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 before trying, 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 trying to win design awards, but it’s clean and surprisingly approachable once you know where to look. From the Media Library, I could upload assets and jump straight into tasks like cropping, resizing, background removal, and format conversion—without needing to leave the browser.
What impressed me most was how flexible the platform is. I could take an image and apply transformations on the fly, resize it for different device types, and even brand it or prep it for publishing, all within the same dashboard.
It's not that other DAMs don't have this feature. They definitely do have such features to resize and convert files. But the “What do you want to do today?” section on Cloudinary made it feel more guided, which I didn’t expect from a tool often described as developer-centric. It was clear from the start that Cloudinary wants to help you do more with your media, not just store it.
Cloudinary also has collections, similar to what you’d find in tools like Bynder or Brandfolder. But what really blew my mind was the option to create dynamic collections from existing assets using tags and filters. Instead of manually curating each set, I could just set the rules and let Cloudinary pull in the right assets automatically. It’s still in beta, but it’s one of those features that feels incredibly powerful if you’re managing large, fast-moving libraries.
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, while the UI worked fine for me, a few reviewers mentioned it could be more intuitive, especially for less technical users.
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. I didn’t run into issues on the free plan, and most teams probably won’t early on, but 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 own research (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.
