A quick summary
We’re biased, but honest: For some companies, Canto will be the better option. What we’re trying to demonstrate is when Picflow is a better fit in terms of features, use cases, and pricing.
Choose Canto if you need a full-featured DAM to organize a large library of assets and support team collaboration, especially within marketing or brand departments. Canto is excellent for managing thousands of assets, applying metadata for advanced search, and sharing collections via branded portals. If your pain points include version control, spending too many hours searching for files, or inconsistent asset usage across your organization, Canto will likely address these issues with its structured approach and automation. It’s used by teams that want something powerful yet user-friendly.
On the other hand, Picflow is specialized for creative teams who primarily deliver galleries to clients. If your workflow is about presenting a set of photos or videos to an external client for selection or approval, Picflow is incredibly streamlined for that, and it offers beautiful client galleries, easy proofing and feedback, and even e-commerce (prints or downloads) in some cases, which Canto doesn’t focus on. Picflow doesn’t require training – you can send a gallery link, and clients immediately know what to do, whereas with Canto, you’d likely not involve clients (it’s more for internal use or controlled partner access with logins). Also, Canto is an investment with setup; Picflow you can just start using on a per-project basis.
To summarize, Canto is best when you need an internal DAM for ongoing content management and brand control, and Picflow is best when you need an external-facing proofing tool for one-off projects or photo deliveries.
We hope your search for a better Canto alternative ends here.
The Ideal Picflow Customer
You're creative or work in a marketing team.
You regularly collaborate with clients and colleagues on creative media.
You care about improving your workflow and streamlining feedback in one platform.
Unique
Features
Essentials
Sharing & Security
Proofing & Workflow
There is more: We’ve only listed some unique Picflow features that you can’t find on Canto.
What You Can't Do With Picflow
You won’t find invoicing, contracts, or other business manager features.
Coming soon: Selling digital downloads is already in the pipeline. Upvote Feature
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