There are two forms of Google Drive alternate options: digital asset administration (DAM) software program and cloud storage drives.

Digital asset administration (DAM) software program is for customers who’ve grown out of Google Drive and wish software program that does extra than simply retailer their property within the cloud.

DAMs provide you with options to handle your model property so you’ve better management over your asset library, asset utilization, and your total digital presence. We suggest DAMs for manufacturers and companies that work with a number of groups or exterior companions and have loads of collateral to prepare, replace, distribute, publish, print, share, and so forth.

Cloud storage drives operate rather a lot like Google Drive: They allow you to retailer and share your recordsdata on-line. Some instruments have a handful of superior options or are constructed with integrations to attach with different instruments, however none of them make it straightforward to take care of an up to date asset library, monitor sharing, or examine on how individuals are utilizing your property (and in the event that they’re utilizing them the proper means).

They’re good for people or groups who don’t have loads of property, don’t regularly collaborate on property or share recordsdata with exterior teams, and don’t publish loads of content material on-line. We usually suggest switching to a different cloud storage supplier if you happen to want one thing on par with Google Drive and are simply dissatisfied with Google’s platform as a consequence of glitches with file sharing, syncing, and so forth.

So whether or not you’re able to improve to DAM software program otherwise you simply want another device to retailer photos, paperwork, and different digital recordsdata on-line, we’ve acquired you coated. In our submit, we’ll discuss each choices so you possibly can evaluate well-liked DAM and cloud storage choices and discover a Google Drive different that’s best for you.

Brandfolder is a wholly web-native digital asset administration system that permits you to securely retailer your property within the cloud, share your property with different workforce members or stakeholders, and management how others in your group work together together with your asset library. To be taught extra about how Brandfolder helps you past file storage, request a free demo with our workforce.

Our DAM, Brandfolder, just isn’t a “one measurement suits all” storage platform: It’s a complicated asset administration device that’s tailor-made to your groups by means of our hands-on set-up and onboarding course of.

Brandfolder is a handy DAM for customers switching from Google Drive for quite a lot of causes:

1. It accepts all asset varieties, together with wealthy media like audio and video recordsdata, so it may possibly retailer all the pieces that Google Drive does (and extra). That means, you solely want one storage system and also you don’t have property floating round throughout totally different libraries.
2. It connects with Google’s workplace suite of merchandise, so you possibly can push your whole property instantly from GDrive into Brandfolder. Brandfolder accepts Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and so forth. however provides you a better means of organizing and sharing these recordsdata.
3. It really works on all web browsers on desktops and cellular units so you possibly can nonetheless entry your property everytime you want them.
4. It’s safer than Google Drive because it makes use of fashionable encryption strategies to switch and retailer your information — its best-in-class safety features and strict procedures hold your property non-public.

Let’s discuss in regards to the major methods Brandfolder goes past common cloud storage to help your customers.

Arrange Your Digital Belongings in a Approach that Makes Sense for Your Model

First, Brandfolder provides you clearer methods to set up your property — by model, by teams of associated property, by teams of property for various end-users, and so forth.

Earlier than importing, our workforce will enable you map out the way you need to arrange your asset library. For instance, eCommerce companies utilizing digital asset administration software program might need to set up their library in another way than a photographer or a tourism firm. Then, our workforce will arrange guidelines in Brandfolder so our DAM routinely organizes your property upon add.

In Brandfolder, you possibly can set up property inside:

– Brandfolders: Brandfolders are meant for all property associated to a selected model. A number of companies solely handle property for one model and solely want one Brandfolder; however firms who handle property for a lot of manufacturers, comparable to inventive businesses or PR corporations, could make a number of Brandfolders to retailer property for every model individually.
– Collections: Collections home teams of associated property inside Brandfolders. You possibly can create devoted collections of property for various services or products, advertising collateral, seasonal promotions, and so forth.
– Model Portals: Model Portals are like customizable homepages used to curate teams of related property for particular finish customers. These are useful if you happen to work with retailers or distributors and for world manufacturers which have regional groups.

When it comes time to add your property, you possibly can join Brandfolder together with your GDrive and push your whole property over. If in case you have property saved in different cloud storage companies, in your pc, or on exterior exhausting drives, you possibly can push property over from these and our platform will stroll you thru the method. This makes it straightforward to get your whole property in a single location.

Search For Belongings & Discover What You Want Rapidly

Irrespective of the way you retailer your property in Brandfolder, our user-friendly flat search makes it potential for you and your groups to seek out the property you’re on the lookout for with out digging round Collections or having to recollect actual file names.

When importing property, our platform routinely assigns metadata and tags to enhance asset searchability; then once you go to look your library, Brandfolder analyzes all of that asset information along with the precise content material of your asset (i.e., colours, merchandise, background surroundings) to tug all the pieces that’s related to your search. So you possibly can sort in nearly something about an asset you’re on the lookout for and Brandfolder can discover it (in seconds). Then, you should utilize pin tags and filters to slender down your search outcomes.

Brandfolder’s person interface is clear; we show clear thumbnails for every asset and type property by file sort, so once you do have to go scrolling by means of your library, it’s fast and painless.

Preserve Your Asset Library Present and Clear

One factor many cloud storage options lack is options to maintain your asset library up to date, like duplicate asset detections, real-time asset updates, asset expirations, and model management.

However Brandfolder retains your library up-to-date by:

• Detecting duplicate property upon add to allow them to be deleted or merged with the unique file in an asset container
• Updating property in Brandfolder (and each place the place the asset is embedded) as quickly because the asset is edited and the newest model is permitted
• Permitting admins to set expirations for property when they need to now not be used
• Offering an in depth model historical past for every asset so customers can look again at earlier variations and see how the asset has modified over time

These options allow you to keep an organized asset library with little to no effort. And preserving an organized asset library isn’t simply good follow; it additionally improves model consistency as a result of it ensures that everyone who’s discovering and utilizing your digital recordsdata is utilizing the proper variations of your model property (we’ll talk about model administration extra in a bit).

Management How Customers Work together With Your Asset Library

When including customers to your Brandfolders, Collections, Model Portals, and even singular property, you possibly can management precisely what they will do in your library and together with your property by utilizing permissions. Person permissions forestall customers from going rogue in including property to your library, duplicating recordsdata, deleting property, and so forth.

In Brandfolder, there are three roles you possibly can assign customers: Admins, Collaborators, and Company.

• Admins can add or take away customers; add, edit, or take away property within the library; evaluation and approve asset uploads; view and obtain property
• Collaborators can add, edit, or take away property within the library; evaluation and approve asset uploads; view and obtain property
• Company can view and obtain property.

However we additionally allow you to management permissions on the group, Brandfolder, Assortment, or asset degree so you will get extra granular with asset sharing.

It’s also possible to try our person permissions web page to be taught extra about person roles and what every person can do.

Share Your Belongings with Anyone & Observe Asset Sharing

Talking of asset and file sharing, Brandfolder has options that allow you to share property with individuals outdoors of your group and observe which property are at the moment being shared. Plus we provide limitless free visitor seats so you possibly can share digital property and not using a bunch of restrictions or additional charges.

As an alternative of downloading your recordsdata from Drive and sharing them over Gmail, you possibly can share recordsdata by making a customized share hyperlink. To do that, choose the Brandfolder, Assortment, Portal, asset, or group of property you need to share and click on to generate a hyperlink.

With customized share hyperlinks, you possibly can:

• Change the title of the hyperlink
• Set the hyperlink to run out
• Watermark your property or disable downloading for end-users
• Require an e mail handle to open the hyperlink and think about the property inside
• Add or take away property at any time

You possibly can even set notifications to provide you with a warning when shared property are opened or downloaded, so you possibly can see who’s accessing and utilizing your property in real-time.

Give Your Groups Extra Freedom & Enhance Productiveness

One of many largest advantages of switching to a DAM is additional freedom: You don’t must spend time manually updating your asset library, your groups can discover the property they want with out submitting asset requests, and creatives aren’t slowed down sending property round.

As we talked about earlier, DAMs enhance model consistency as a result of they hold your asset library updated and be sure that all people’s utilizing the proper variations of your property. Protecting an up to date asset library additionally improves workforce productiveness as a result of it lets all people in your group entry the property they want for his or her initiatives and instantly begin utilizing them — with out asset requests or ready round for creatives. This lets all people — together with the creatives who would in any other case spend their days responding to asset requests — concentrate on their very own duties.

Brandfolder additionally improves effectivity as a result of:

• It’s linked with a content material supply community (CDN) system so you should utilize Brandfolder to immediately publish your property in your web site, in e mail advertising campaigns, and somewhere else throughout the online. This additionally helps you keep a constant model picture since our platform routinely updates property on-line when modifications are made in Brandfolder. So for instance, you possibly can energy your web site content material from Brandfolder so when product photos are up to date on the Brandfolder degree they mirror in your web site.
• It integrates with quite a lot of purposes and is constructed with an open-source API so you possibly can sync Brandfolder with any software program you employ and push property backwards and forwards between the platforms.
• It options web-to-print performance so groups can ship property instantly from Brandfolder to the printer of their selecting to publish print collateral.

It’s also possible to make the most of our DAM’s templating function to retailer pre-approved, on-brand templates in Brandfolder, so your groups can customise them and create new collateral on the fly (while not having one other approval). Templates make it simpler for social media groups and entrepreneurs who want to supply and publish loads of digital content material to help their very own content material wants with out counting on inventive groups. This lets them publish sooner and sustain with constant posting.

Monitor Your Model Presence & Use Information to Enhance Content material Creation

One other worthwhile advantage of utilizing digital asset administration software program is asset analytics. Common storage drives don’t present any details about how property are used or the place they stay on-line. However Brandfolder supplies detailed information and insights for each asset so you possibly can see:

• What number of instances an asset was considered, downloaded, or shared
• Who’s considered, downloaded, or shared the asset
• The place the asset is embedded on the web (a.okay.a. The place you’ve posted the asset’s CDN hyperlink)
• How individuals are participating together with your asset on-line

These studies provide you with a greater thought of:

• Which model collateral is hottest or regularly used
• Who’s utilizing your property and in the event that they’re utilizing them appropriately
• How your property carry out on the internet and the impression of your digital methods

So you should utilize this information to refine advertising efforts, plan asset updates or content material creation, keep watch over your model presence, and extra.

Does Brandfolder sound like the proper Google Drive different to your wants? Request a free demo with our workforce to stroll by means of the ins and outs of our software program, discuss your distinctive wants and customization, and be taught extra about storage plans and pricing.

Along with Brandfolder, many groups transitioning from cloud storage options additionally take into account Canto and Bynder’s digital asset administration instruments.

Canto has historically been considered as an entry-level DAM or a DAM for small companies — nevertheless, they’ve just lately up to date their platform with extra superior performance to enchantment to enterprise companies. However, Bynder is extra well-liked amongst bigger companies as a result of it has a extra sturdy function set.

Let’s discuss extra about these different digital asset administration methods so you possibly can evaluate your choices.

Canto

Canto was one of many first DAMs to hit the market — over 25 years in the past — in order that they’ve had loads of time to be taught from their customers and excellent their product. They provide cloud-based, on-premise, and hybrid variations of their software program to allow them to help totally different groups’ wants. Canto supplies fairly good buyer help and receives (principally) constructive opinions.

Though Canto’s all the time updating options and making tweaks to their software program, their DAM is typically described as “outdated” or “cluttered” because the interface isn’t tremendous fashionable. Some customers don’t like working with software program that feels outdated, however groups who want the essential performance of a DAM and don’t thoughts the software program’s look. Actually, different customers evaluate it to Apple’s iPhoto app (on Mac) and say it’s straightforward to make use of as a result of it shows property in a transparent thumbnail view and stacks folders in a menu bar to the facet. Canto additionally provides an iOS cellular app for customers to entry their library on the go, so it feels rather a lot like working with iCloud, however with extra superior capabilities.

In the event you’re a small or mid-size enterprise and thinking about a “starter DAM,” Canto might be a superb possibility for you.

Nevertheless, we should always point out: We don’t suggest Canto for enterprise companies (regardless of their updates) as a result of they cost for each visitor person — and for giant groups who do loads of sharing, visitor seat charges can actually add up. It’s additionally value noting that whereas Canto is an efficient DAM for many who simply want the fundamentals, it doesn’t scale effectively; most groups finally attain a degree the place they should improve from Canto to a extra superior resolution.

It’s also possible to try our different submit to be taught extra about Canto’s software program.

Bynder

Bynder is a well-liked DAM as a result of it’s extraordinarily versatile; it really works for companies small and huge and is customizable to cater to groups in numerous industries. Bynder’s DAM can be constructed to scale with your small business so that you don’t must improve to a different DAM as your asset library and digital presence develop. It has dozens of superior options to help with organizing, sharing, and monitoring your property and Bynder provides add-ons for companies who need to improve the platform even additional.

Regardless of Bynder’s customization and flexibility, it doesn’t all the time get nice opinions as a result of their buyer help is so-so. Whereas Bynder is useful once you attain out to them, they aren’t all the time immediate: Some reviewers point out having to achieve out to their workforce a number of instances and ready what felt like perpetually to obtain a reply.

You possibly can take a look at out Bynder’s DAM your self by signing up for the 30-day free trial. Whereas some individuals could also be intrigued by their 30-day free trial, bear in mind, it may possibly take a few weeks to get absolutely transitioned over to a DAM system, so with out correct help, you could find yourself spending this whole 30 days simply shifting property over to Bynder. Then the trial is up and also you’re caught committing to the platform… or all of that effort shifting property was for nothing. (Which is why most DAM manufacturers nix a free trial and simply provide a free demo.)

As an alternative of beginning a free trial and basing your determination on how that goes, you’re higher off reaching out to Bynder to speak with their workforce in regards to the platform and whether or not or not it’s a match to your wants.

Learn extra about Bynder’s platform in our Bynder Alternate options submit.

Different Cloud Storage Drives to Contemplate: pCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, & Sync

In the event you don’t want the superior performance of digital asset administration software program and simply need a totally different cloud storage supplier that’s, a) simpler to work with, b) has (only some) additional options Google Drive doesn’t, or c) the entire above — take into account pCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, or Sync.

pCloud

pCloud is a safe cloud storage system that you simply obtain and host in your desktop. It’s appropriate with MacOS, Linux, and Home windows working methods, in addition to iOS and Android units. It additionally provides a desktop backup service, so it can save you your pc’s folders in pCloud and entry them from any gadget.

pCloud serves as a private, digital storage drive. As such, we don’t suggest it for companies that have to retailer and handle model property. As an alternative, it’s higher for people like journalists or photographers who’ve loads of media to prepare and hold safe; it’s not nice for distributing property in bulk, collaborating on asset updates, or monitoring asset utilization and file sharing.

pCloud holds photographs, movies, paperwork, music, and extra. They provide quite a lot of packages on their web site to go well with people, households, and companies, however their most simple plan — satirically referred to as the “Premium Plan” — begins at $59.88 per yr. pCloud additionally permits you to join a Lifetime Plan for additional financial savings, however committing to a storage plan for all times isn’t advisable: What if you happen to want one thing totally different sooner or later and might’t cancel pCloud?

Microsoft OneDrive

In the event you already use Microsoft units or instruments like Microsoft Workplace or Workplace 365, Microsoft OneDrive might really feel like a pure subsequent step.

Microsoft’s private cloud storage system, OneDrive, is one other self-hosted device that creates a digital cloud to your recordsdata — so that you obtain and run Microsoft’s software program out of your pc, however your recordsdata stay on-line and may be accessed from different units. In addition they present extras like doc scanning, PC backup companies, and a private vault for extremely delicate paperwork.

Microsoft provides a free model of their storage drive — offering as much as 5GB of free storage for brand spanking new customers. So their platform is nice for people who simply want to save lots of their private recordsdata within the cloud or need to clear up space for storing on their pc or cellular gadget.

Along with their free plan, Microsoft additionally provides private plans and packages for companies with extra space for storing. Though, like with pCloud, we don’t suggest companies that regularly ship recordsdata backwards and forwards or publish their media on-line change to OneDrive as a result of it lacks asset administration options.

Sync.com

The final possibility on our record of Google drive alternate options, Sync, is a cloud storage drive that makes use of end-to-end encryption to maintain recordsdata ultra-secure and has additional options to enhance sharing.

Sync provides quite a lot of packages for people, small groups, and enterprise companies with over 100 customers, and their pricing is reasonably priced. For instance, their “Limitless” package deal for groups has limitless storage, collaboration instruments, a personal vault (and some extra perks) and prices $15 per 30 days per person. We suggest sync for groups who want who’ve a ton of recordsdata — particularly giant recordsdata that take up loads of area — to retailer and don’t need to spend so much, since Sync provides limitless storage choices.

Sync has a really fashionable really feel, a crisp interface, and all of their options are very intuitive, so transitioning from GDrive to Sync (and coaching your different groups to make use of the software program) isn’t a problem.

Sync provides free plans — as much as 5GB of free storage, like OneDrive — for brand spanking new customers. It’s also possible to improve to a paid plan to retailer extra recordsdata. As we talked about with OneDrive, these free plans are appropriate for customers who simply want private cloud storage and don’t have a ton of property to retailer.

Did You Discover the Finest Google Drive Different?

When searching for an alternative choice to Google Drive, take into consideration why you’re making the change within the first place: Are you simply sad with Drive and need a change? Or have you ever reached a degree the place you’ve merely outgrown the software program?

It’s protected to say you want one thing extra subtle than Google Drive if:

• Your groups are continuously including, deleting, or duplicating property and your asset library has turn into a cluttered mess
• You could have hassle trying to find property
• You possibly can’t hold observe of who you’ve shared property with or who’s utilizing your property
• You could have hassle sustaining consistency with model collateral as a result of individuals are utilizing the flawed variations of property and it’s exhausting to distribute model tips
• You possibly can’t hold observe of asset efficiency or collect information to gauge how profitable your property are together with your target market

DAMs like Brandfolder clear up all of these issues and have additional options to allow you to do extra together with your digital content material. As an alternative of sticking with a cloud storage system that’s exhausting to navigate and restricted in capabilities, you’re higher off making the transition once you acknowledge you should. The price of not making the change simply isn’t value it in the long term, because the time your groups save and the elevated productiveness pays for the value of utilizing a DAM.

However since transitioning storage methods could be a troublesome job to tackle, our workforce assists alongside the best way. We sit down with you earlier than beginning the transition to find out precisely what you want from a brand new storage platform, then sport plan for a way we’ll tailor Brandfolder to suit these wants (which options to incorporate, what integrations to arrange).

Afterward, we help all through importing and coaching to assist your groups get absolutely converted. Our buyer expertise workforce has been voted top-of-the-line within the DAM business and it’s the rationale we’ve a 98% retention price amongst purchasers.

To be taught extra about switching to Brandfolder and the way our groups may help with the method, click on the button beneath.