Digital asset management (DAM) tools are a common way to help businesses organise important digital property, such as videos, photos, and training info decks. However, how can small to midsize enterprises (SMEs) choose the best digital asset management software for small businesses? We investigated the options for the best free digital asset management software in the UK market to find out.
To assess the most popular digital asset management software, we reviewed our catalogue to find the platforms with the most positive reviews from verified UK users collected between 17th March 2021 and 17th March 2023.
To be considered for this list, tools had to be accessible via a free trial, free version (or both), and receive over 4 stars in their reviews. They also had to meet our definition of digital asset management software, which describes entries as applications that allow users to develop, organise, and distribute digital assets across office locations and ensure optimal usage of photo, information and video assets for advertising, product, and sales. This helped us create a final list of 6 digital asset management software options.
Our full methodology for how we chose the best free digital asset management software can be found at the bottom of the page.
What is a digital asset management system?
Creative and marketing teams can use digital asset management software to stay on the same page on projects by simplifying the process of sharing and accessing files and designs across an organisation.
It provides useful tools for users such as storage, design and controlling access to videos and images needed for projects and campaigns. It also, in many cases, can be used to simplify the workflow process of creating and editing digital property.
DAM software helps managers and leaders monitor and approve updated versions of newly created digital media as they go through iterations of editing. It also lets stakeholders and creators control access so that confidential information is shared with only the relevant decision-makers securely and confidentially.
What are the key features of digital asset management software?
Users of DAM software can expect to have access to the following key features:
- Asset library - To organise the assets stored in the system
- Asset sharing - For sharing files between colleagues and stakeholders
- Search filters - To speed up finding the right assets
However, common additional features in digital asset platforms include:
- Access controls/permissions - To control and set permissions who can access and view files
- Asset categorisation - Allowing businesses to define digital file hierarchy and create folders and subfolders
- Reporting/analytics - For collecting data and monitoring KPIs
- Version control - To track changes and updates to assets and navigate different versions
- Workflow management - For reviewing progress and processes of digital assets.
- Value for money: 4.6/5
- Features: 4.5/5
- Ease of use: 4.7/5
- Customer support: 4.4/5
Canva is a graphic design suite that features extensive digital asset management tools. This allows a creative team to build their own 3D assets, graphics and other digital media using templates and original designs.
Users can customise folders and create a library of assets that can be accessed directly from the editor when creating new digital designs and videos. This allows companies to centralise their creative assets in one place so the whole team can access them if needed.
The software is available via a free version allowing access for multiple team members, with premium assets like branding kits kept behind a paywall. To upgrade to a paid subscription that allows a whole team across a company to access the suite, SMEs can use Canva for Teams. This opens up a range of extra tools such as workflows, the ability to assign tasks and up to 1TB of cloud storage.
- Value for money: 4.5/5
- Features: 4.5/5
- Ease of use: 4.4/5
- Customer support: 4.4/5
Airtable’s campaign management software platform has many digital asset management functions built into its system. It uses a spreadsheet-style interface and customisable forms, to facilitate digital content workflow management in a number of ways.
The software allows users to delegate approvals, set workflow steps, and use pre-prepared marketing templates to monitor product development, and asset tracking. It also supports integration with a selection of third-party apps so work can be managed and centralised from one location.
Airtable can be used free by up to 5 team members, although with limits on integrations and up to 2GB of attachment space per database used. Beyond this, users can access Plus and Pro tier subscriptions, which expand on these limitations by allowing unlimited users premium integrations and increased attachment capacity. Both are priced per seat per month and offer a free trial of up to 14 days.
Additionally, there is an Enterprise tier which expands admin controls and user support further. To get more information on the pricing of this subscription level, it’s necessary to contact Airtable’s sales team directly.
- Value for money: 4.4/5
- Features: 4.5/5
- Ease of use: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 4.3/5
Miro offers a collaborative whiteboard platform to assist distributed and hybrid teams in working on creative assets. It features DAM tools that allow access to creative designs and digital brand asset files from a singular location, with organisational tools that can help teams keep on top of their files.
In addition to this, it features tools to organise creative workflows in a way that allows multiple stakeholders to collaborate together at once and for all involved to receive updates on progress. It also integrates with design tools, collaboration software, and team communication platforms to centralise the experience.
Miro lets users create a single workspace for free, access free asset libraries and connect a selection of software integrations. To gain additional features like unlimited workspaces, the ability to collaborate outside an organisation securely and access to more content management tools, small firms can purchase a Business subscription. This is charged per user per month.
There is also the option to expand these tools further with an Enterprise tier subscription, which includes more advanced security, company-wide controls and customer support. For pricing of this tier, potential customers can contact Miro directly for a quotation.
- Value for money: 4.3/5
- Features: 4.4/5
- Ease of use: 4.5/5
- Customer support: 4.5/5
monday.com is a workflow management tool with built-in DAM capabilities. In addition to hosting files with its own storage systems, it can connect with DAM integrations for other cloud storage services such as Google Drive, OneDrive, or Box to help teams keep a general overview of their digital creations.
The asset management library tools help teams keep track of created assets by allowing them to sort by type (for example, the media file type, tags, or dimensions). It also lets users collaborate during the creative process to give feedback via comments on assets being worked on and the ability to follow the updates as they happen with notifications. Additionally, integrations with creative design tools mean that updates and edits can be made directly from the software platform.
Monday.com can be used completely free by up to 2 users, although with limits on the number of boards and storage. However, by upgrading to a Basic subscription. This removes many of these limits and allows up to 5 GB of cloud storage.
Additional upgrades include a Standard subscription, which opens extra views, allows guest access, and automations, with up to 250 actions per month. Pro subscriptions, add time tracking and increases available actions per month on automations and integrations to 25,000 per month. Lastly, there is an Enterprise tier that includes advanced reporting and analytics and multi-level permissions, amongst other features.
- Value for money: 4.4/5
- Features: 4.4/5
- Ease of use: 4.4/5
- Customer support: 4.2/5
OneDrive is best known for being a cloud storage platform, although it also has several features that make it a practical DAM solution. Users can work on files simultaneously, and control access rights when sharing.
The software offers a number of ways to organise files for easy searchability, such as folders, who authored the asset or when it was created. Additionally, OneDrive can connect with other tools in Microsofts 365’s productivity cloud to help teams work together on digital media files.
OneDrive, as a standalone tool, allows users to sign up free for 5GB. To increase the storage capacity up to 1TB, small companies can opt for Business Plan 1, or upgrade to Business Plan 2 for unlimited storage and enhanced security and compliance features.
Additionally, OneDrive can be obtained in a Microsoft 365 Business Basic bundle, which adds services such as MS Teams, SharePoint and Exchange. Finally, companies could opt for the Microsoft Business Standard pack that adds MS Office apps and Yammer also. Both give users 1TB of storage and can be tried for free for up to 30 days.
- Value for money: 4.3/5
- Features: 4.4/5
- Ease of use: 4.4/5
- Customer support: 4.2/5
Box is another cloud storage platform that also bundles in many digital asset management tools. It achieves this through organisational labels, an asset library system, and controls over access to assist in keeping everything accessible and secure at the same time.
It also provides users with the ability to add real-time comments on assets going through different edit versions, approval workflows and confidentiality permissions such as watermarks. Additionally, it has analytical tools allowing managers to access reports on their most used and downloaded assets.
Box can be accessed for free on an individual basis, allowing users up to 10GB of storage. However, across wider teams, a Business subscription plan is necessary for unlimited storage and integrations for document management software or campaign marketing software.
Users can also upgrade to a Business Plus plan which adds advanced search filters and custom metadata. Alternatively, they can opt for an Enterprise plan which further adds document watermarking and two-factor authentication (2FA). These subscription tiers are all available for a per-person, per-month fee and can be tried out for 14 days for free initially.
However, there is also an Enterprise Plus subscription available for bigger companies with more advanced needs, which gives users access to everything in the Enterprise tier and additional apps such as workflow automation and developer tools. For pricing of the Enterprise Plus tier, interested users can contact Box directly.
What's the difference between DAM and a CMS?
Digital asset management software and content management systems (CMS) both offer users tools to manage, organise and store digital media files. However, that is where the similarities end.
CMS software focuses on giving users the means to create, edit and manage content but also to control where it is posted online. This places more focus on the creation and publication of content.
DAM software, on the other hand, is for organisations that have wider and more complex libraries of content. In these cases, there are often multiple versions of the same asset due to editing and approval processes, historical record-keeping, or due to variations for advertising campaigns that target different market sectors.
Digital asset management software can help keep things properly organised by using tagging, metadata and other criteria to make these media files easily searchable and to share with correct permissions to designated colleagues. It prioritises the management of a wide library of content that is already created and being created and modified, rather than giving users the tools to publish it online on a website or social media.
Methodology
To be considered for this report, products had to:
- Meet our definition for digital asset management software:
"Digital Asset Management software automates the management of images and other non-textual materials. Digital Asset Management applications enable powerful, flexible solutions for developing, organizing, and distributing digital assets across multiple office locations and business sectors. These solutions ensure optimal usage for an organization's rich media assets such as advertising pieces, product images, sales collateral, audio, and video files." - Have the following features:
- Asset library
- Asset sharing
- Search/filter - Meet our minimum number of user reviews: Products had to have 20 or more verified user reviews in the last two years, from 17/03/2021 to 17/03/2023 from verified reviewers in the United Kingdom.
- Meet our rating criteria: Product providers had to have at least 4 out of 5 stars for inclusion in this list.
- Be free to use: Products must have a free version or a free trial (or both) available.
