4 reasons why ImageKit is a better Brandfolder alternative

Take a look at how ImageKit DAM works

ImageKit vs Brandfolder: Comparison overview

ImageKit offers a DAM with enterprise-grade features, a simple interface, and affordable pricing.

Here’s a quick table to skim through ImageKit's offerings vs Brandfolder's.

How ImageKit's DAM compares to Brandfolder?

When it comes to Digital Asset Management (DAM), both ImageKit and Brandfolder offer robust solutions, but they cater to different needs and user experiences. Learn the areas where we are comparable to Brandfolder and where we excel.

Media collections

ImageKit's media collections streamline asset management by eliminating the need for frequent reorganization and duplication. When you update a master asset, the latest version is automatically synchronized across all virtual collections.

Unlike Brandfolder, which restricts its collections feature to enterprise customers, ImageKit provides this capability to all users. This makes ImageKit’s media collections more accessible and practical for SMBs, allowing teams of any size to efficiently curate and distribute digital assets without the constraints of enterprise-level access.

Custom metadata

ImageKit supports custom metadata, enabling better asset organization regardless of team size. Even small teams of just five people can benefit from structured metadata fields, ensuring that assets are easily searchable and contextually relevant. Brandfolder also offers custom metadata, but the implementation may not be as intuitive for smaller teams.

Tagging

Both ImageKit and Brandfolder provide manual and AI-powered tagging to improve the searchability and organization of assets.

ImageKit’s AI tagging feature uses machine learning algorithms and integrates with services like Google Cloud Vision and Amazon Rekognition to automatically generate relevant tags based on your image content. You can set thresholds for the number of tags and confidence scores, ensuring that only accurate tags are applied. So you can categorize assets efficiently and easily locate them.

Search options

Both solutions offer powerful search functionality to help you efficiently find the assets you need. They provide flexible options such as searching by name, tags, keywords, and visual similarity, ensuring quick access to your required assets. In addition to these general search features, you can utilize search autocomplete or switch to the advanced search mode to combine multiple file parameters for precise results.

Like Brandfolder, ImageKit also offers AI-driven search that allows you to find assets using either natural language text or image input, including locating visually similar assets, which makes finding related visuals easier and more intuitive.

Access control

Both platforms provide comprehensive and granular access control, allowing for precise permission settings that enhance team collaboration and asset security.

Brandfolder's access permissions are detailed and designed for complex enterprise needs, featuring a multi-layered system with four user levels and five types of accessible objects. This structure offers extensive flexibility but may be more intricate to manage.

In contrast, ImageKit offers a more straightforward yet robust access control system, making it particularly well-suited for smaller businesses. Despite its simplicity, ImageKit ensures effective access security and allows for customizable permissions tailored to marketing, creative, and tech teams, from full admin access to granular, controlled access on specific files and folders.

Sharing capabilities

With ImageKit, you can effortlessly share files, folders, and collections with DAM users or through password-protected public links, making collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders straightforward. While Brandfolder also offers sharing capabilities, its features are more complex and tailored to enterprise businesses.

Activity logs

Both platforms offer detailed activity logs to track asset history and user actions, ensuring oversight and accountability. ImageKit provides:

• DAM Audit Logs: Monitor asset uploads, deletions, movements, and updates from a central dashboard.
• Event Filtering: Filter logs by action type, user, file path, and more to track changes and deleted assets.
• Asset-Level History: View detailed changes to individual assets, including naming, organization, and access controls from the asset detail page.

Integration with other tools in your workflow

Brandfolder excels with its extensive integrations, simplifying the process of moving between apps and managing workflows. ImageKit also stands out with its native integration, offering powerful functionality that fits smoothly into your workflow. With our DAM desktop app and the embeddable media library, you can seamlessly use ImageKit’s DAM with your internal CMS or tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Shopify, etc. without having to switch between applications or browser tabs.

Commenting and versioning

ImageKit allows for real-time feedback and collaboration through threaded and time-stamped comments directly on assets — enhancing communication and allowing quick closure of feedback loops. Brandfolder also supports stakeholder collaboration but is more focused on project management and creative workflows.

Both solutions offer version control to help you maintain asset integrity and ensure you’re always using the latest version. And if you want to track changes in a particular file, version control gives you an organized view of your asset’s progress.

Usability and learning curve

ImageKit is extremely user-friendly, with no lengthy learning curves or need for an onboarding specialist. We’re ideal for SMBs seeking top-tier DAM functionality, especially if you don’t have the resources for extensive training. In contrast, getting started with Brandfolder may require more time and support to fully leverage its features, which could be a barrier for smaller teams.

ImageKit vs. Brandfolder: Pricing comparison

ImageKit offers a forever-free plan with full access to all its features, making it an ideal entry point for growing teams. As your storage and user requirements increase, you can seamlessly upgrade to higher tiers with a transparent pay-per-use model. Notably, there’s no difference between admin and regular users in terms of cost, ensuring predictable pricing. Additionally, public links allow view-only access without consuming user licenses. Paid plans start at just $89/month, which includes 225GB of storage and up to 10 users. Best of all, you can start using ImageKit without ever needing to speak with a salesperson.

In contrast, Brandfolder provides only a limited trial, which may restrict your ability to fully evaluate the DAM before committing. For SMB businesses seeking enterprise-level features at a budget-friendly price, ImageKit stands out as the clear choice.

ImageKit vs. Brandfolder: Media processing capabilities

Brandfolder offers basic media processing features, limited to resizing and cropping, whereas ImageKit’s offering on the media processing suite is advanced and far superior. We support the latest formats and include powerful optimization tools, ensuring that your media not only stays current but also performs at its best.

With ImageKit’s built-in media optimization, you can deliver assets directly to your website and app in the best formats and smallest sizes, all while preserving visual quality. Plus, with over 50 real-time URL-based media transformations, adapting your media assets to different use cases and scaling them is straightforward and efficient.

ImageKit vs. Brandfolder: Image editing

Brandfolder provides basic image editing features, but they rely heavily on pre-configured templates created by admins. This approach can limit flexibility, making it difficult for users to make quick, on-the-spot adjustments. As a result, teams may find themselves slowed down when they need to modify assets on short notice.

In contrast, ImageKit offers a built-in, browser-based image editor designed for real-time editing. With the ability to make quick tweaks directly within the platform, users can keep their workflow moving smoothly. Additionally, the AI-powered background removal tool allows you to create polished visuals without needing external editing support, streamlining the entire process.

ImageKit vs. Brandfolder: AI and GenAI capabilities

Like Brandfolder, ImageKit’s AI and GenAI transformations help you create and enhance images effortlessly. You can generate new images or variations from existing ones—no need for expensive reshoots or endless stock photo searches. The Genfill feature intelligently adapts images to different formats, making them look great across all devices and channels. For ecommerce, tools like Remove BG, Retouch, and Upscale ensure high-quality product visuals, ready for your site or marketplaces. All of this happens via a simple URL-based API, or directly within the DAM UI (coming soon), so you can scale transformations in real-time.

ImageKit vs. Brandfolder: Storage locations

ImageKit offers a diverse selection of six storage locations across the US, EU, Asia, and Australian regions. This flexibility ensures compliance with local data regulations and minimizes latency for global teams. Brandfolder only supports storage in the US and EU.

ImageKit vs. Brandfolder: Onboarding and customer support comparison

ImageKit makes it easy for teams to get up and running quickly with our self-serve onboarding, backed by detailed documentation and helpful video guides. For those needing extra support, we offer managed migration services, where our team provides expert guidance and best practices for a smooth transition.

While some customers have expressed frustrations with Brandfolder's support, ImageKit focuses on ensuring every step of your journey is well-supported through Slack, chat, email, and phone, ensuring you have help whenever you need it.