Canto, is one of the oldest DAM providers, but follows a rigid operating model. Expect clunky interfaces, hidden pricing, no free plans, and a complicated setup process.

We have a better alternative for you - ImageKit.io

4 reasons why ImageKit is a better Canto alternative

Get hands-on with ImageKit DAM

ImageKit vs Canto: 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 Canto’s.

How does ImageKit's DAM compare to Canto?

Media collections

Canto lets you create personal collections that can be shared, but details on whether the asset version updates within these collections are vague.

With ImageKit, media collections are designed for flexibility and ease. You can organize files and folders without sticking to rigid structures. When a master file is updated, the latest version is automatically reflected across all collections, ensuring everyone always has access to the most up-to-date assets—no need for manual syncing or duplicates.

Custom metadata

Both Canto and ImageKit offer custom metadata, but ImageKit includes this feature even in its free plan. This makes it accessible to smaller teams, allowing them to organize and search assets more effectively using structured metadata fields.

Tagging

Both platforms provide manual and AI-powered tagging to improve asset searchability.

ImageKit does this by integrating with advanced AI services like Google Cloud Vision and Amazon Rekognition. You can set custom thresholds for tags and confidence levels to ensure the most relevant tags are applied, making asset categorization and retrieval more accurate and efficient.

Canto only uses Amazon Rekognition for AI tagging.

Search options

User reviews show Canto’s search functionality with mixed feedback. Keywords sometimes fail to yield expected outcomes, leading to frustration during searches

The search experience with ImageKit is more consistent and thorough. You can find assets by name, keywords, tags, or even visual similarity. Features like autocomplete make quick searches easier, while advanced search lets you combine multiple filters for highly accurate results.

The AI-powered search goes further, allowing you to use natural language or image input to quickly find related assets, making asset discovery fast and intuitive.

Access control

Canto offers granular access controls, but they are often restricted by pricing tiers.

With ImageKit, you get the full set of customizable permissions across all plans, giving you complete control over who can access specific files and folders. This flexibility is perfect for marketing, creative, and tech teams who need tailored permissions without restrictions.

Sharing capabilities

With ImageKit, sharing files, folders, and collections is seamless. You can easily collaborate with internal teams or external stakeholders by providing DAM users access or using password-protected public links. Canto is comparable to ImageKit with it sharing capabilities.

Activity logs

Canto’s asset reports provide asset-level analytics, offering insights into how users engage with individual assets through metrics like views, downloads, and shares.

ImageKit’s activity logs are more granular.

• 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:

ImageKit integrates effortlessly into your workflow with its native tools. Whether you're using the DAM desktop app or the embeddable media library, you can manage assets directly within your CMS or favorite tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Shopify—no need to constantly switch between apps or tabs. Canto offers something similar with its Canto Connect app for Windows and Mac.

Commenting and versioning

Both ImageKit and Canto offer real-time commenting and version control. ImageKit's threaded comments, time-stamps, and version history ensure smooth collaboration and feedback, so you can track asset changes and always work with the latest version.

ImageKit vs. Canto: Pricing comparison

ImageKit gives you a forever-free plan with access to all its features, making it perfect for growing teams. As your needs grow, you can easily upgrade with a simple pay-as-you-go model. There are no extra fees for admin users, so pricing stays predictable. Plus, public links let you share content without using up your user licenses. Paid plans start at $89 a month, giving you 225GB of storage and up to 10 users. And the best part – You don’t need to talk to a salesperson to get started.

Get more details on ImageKit pricing here.

Canto doesn’t share its pricing upfront. And when dug deeper, it can be found pricey. It only offers a short 7-day free trial and has no ongoing free plan. Their pricing also depends on user roles and limits the number of users per plan, which can make it harder to manage costs if your team needs flexibility.

ImageKit vs. Canto: Media processing capabilities

Canto provides simple cropping and resizing but lacks tools for optimizing media assets.

ImageKit’s media processing capabilities are top-notch. You can easily support the latest formats while ensuring your media is always optimized for peak performance.

With built-in optimization, ImageKit delivers your assets in the best formats and smallest sizes, all while keeping visual quality high. Plus, with over 50 real-time, URL-based transformations for both images and videos, you can quickly adapt and scale your media for any use case, making your workflow smoother than ever.

ImageKit vs. Canto: Image editing

Canto provides the ability to crop, resize, and compress images. Nowhere close to the image editing features that ImageKit offers.

With ImageKit’s built-in, browser-based image editor, you can make quick adjustments in real time, keeping your workflow smooth. The AI-powered background removal tool also boosts your efficiency, letting you create polished visuals without relying on external tools for simple edits.

ImageKit vs. Canto: AI and GenAI Capabilities

Canto’s AI focuses on visual search and smart tagging, but it stops there. ImageKit goes further. With its advanced AI and GenAI transformations, you can easily create and enhance images. Need something fresh? Generate new visuals or tweak existing ones, saving yourself from expensive reshoots and endless stock photo hunts.

The Genfill feature seamlessly adjusts images to fit various formats, ensuring they look stunning on any device. For eCommerce, ImageKit has you covered with powerful tools like Remove BG, Retouch, and Upscale, delivering high-quality product images ready for your website or marketplaces. Plus, you can access all these features through a straightforward URL-based API or directly within the upcoming DAM UI, allowing you to scale transformations in real time.

ImageKit’s vs. Canto: Storage locations

Canto primarily stores digital assets in Dublin, Ireland, as part of its European operations. Additionally, it has storage capabilities in the United States and Germany, specifically in cities like San Francisco and Berlin. ImageKit, on the other hand, provides six storage locations across the US, EU, Asia, and Australia. This range of options helps meet local data regulations and reduces latency for international teams.

ImageKit vs. Canto: Onboarding and customer support comparison

Canto doesn’t offer a fully self-service onboarding experience. Instead, they have different packages—ranging from basic to premium—that are tailored to fit the needs of each organization. While users can start the setup, Canto recommends working with a dedicated account manager to help ensure everything goes smoothly.

At ImageKit, we want our users to have the option of spearheading their DAM journey. Our self-serve model includes clear documentation and helpful video guides to get you started. If you need extra support, our managed migration services provide expert advice and tips for a smooth transition.

Plus, our support team is always available through Slack, chat, email, or phone, so you can get help whenever you need it.