Top 7 Product Information Management Tools for Composable Stores 

Offering the most authentic “Product Experience” to online shoppers is the real challenge for eCommerce businesses. But as the technologies are evolving, businesses are now empowered to fight their challenges. 

And you already know what I’m talking about — Product Information Management (PIM) platforms!

With countless PIM solutions available, finding the most suitable one for your business can be overwhelming. Don’t worry, here we tried to make your work easy!

In this blog post, you will explore the top product information management tools in the market, offering insights into their features, benefits, and limitations to help you make an informed decision.

So let’s not waste time and start with our list of some powerful and feature-riched PIM systems.

Best Product Information Management (PIM) Solutions

As your business grows, things get complicated. Multiple product hierarchies, relationships, and countless variations make product management very difficult. PIM acts as your central hub, reducing the complexity by keeping all your product information organized and consistent.

PIM is the heartbeat of your product marketing and sales efforts and every enterprise-level business or composable commerce store should have it.

So, let’s explore all the best PIMs one by one!

1. Akeneo PIM

First in the list is, my personal favorite — Akeneo PIM!

Akeneo PIM is a gateway to excellence in eCommerce. Trusted by leading enterprises, it empowers businesses to provide compelling product experiences, streamline processes, and embrace the omnichannel future with confidence. 

Akeneo PIM is available in different flavors:

1. Akeneo PIM Community Edition – Completely free open-source PIM
2. Akeneo PIM Growth Edition – A cloud-native PIM designed for mid-market businesses
3. Akeneo PIM Enterprise Edition – A PIM for your Enterprise needs

Akeneo PIM implements a customer-centric data model, that ensures product data quality and provides potential buyers with relevant product information. This approach helps reduce product returns and enhance customer satisfaction.

With its comprehensive PIM and DAM capabilities, robust support, and a commitment to innovation, Akeneo PIM can be your perfect PIM software.

Key Features

• Product catalog management with catalog change tracking and roll-back options
• Digital asset management with data import/export
• Advanced permissions and Teamwork Assistant for secure team collaboration
• Time-to-Market Insights for operational metrics and KPI tracking
• Omnichannel product experience management
• Product variation management and automation
• Asset Manager for multimedia asset organization
• Brand value sharing and inspirational content
• Data quality control with extended language coverage and spell-check
• Single sign-on for password management

These features enable businesses to manage all your digital assets effectively with the help of management software, ensuring proper data governance.

Its open-source nature allows for seamless integration with various third-party platforms and software, providing added flexibility and adaptability to cater to unique business requirements.

Why Akeneo PIM?

Akeneo PIM stands out as a popular choice for businesses due to its:

1. Seamless blend of ease of use and enterprise-grade functionality
2. Trusted by leading enterprises like Staples Canada and Fossil
3. Accelerated time-to-market with automation
4. Robust governance and security features
5. Extensive language support and spell-check capabilities
6. Comprehensive omnichannel support
7. Support from experienced Customer Success experts
8. Wide array of premium connectors and add-ons

Limitations of Akeneo PIM

1. Complicated User Interface: The user interface is often seen as complex and not user-friendly, making tasks difficult, especially for non-tech-savvy users. The setup and configuration is a little time-consuming process.
2. Lack of Key Features: Some important features like direct Tableau connectors, customization of data quality KPIs, and native alerting systems for missing data attributes are missing.
3. Performance Issues: Users have reported slow processing times and complex data structures.
4. Expensive Solution: High-end features may come at a premium cost.

Pricing

Akeneo PIM offers various pricing plans to cater to different business needs. They provide a free Community Edition with basic features, and two paid plans: Growth Edition (starting at $25000/per year) and Enterprise Edition with additional features and support. 

2. Pimcore

Now let’s welcome the Enterprise Open Source masterpiece: Pimcore!

The Pimcore Platform™ isn’t just a PIM solution; it’s a digital revolution. Pimcore excels in crafting personalized digital experiences. It enables content delivery across diverse output channels and devices. 

Here also you can choose from different editors like:

1. Community Edition (Open-source) – Forever Free
2. Cloud Edition – Paid
   1. Starter Cloud Edition
   2. Professional Cloud Edition
   3. Ultimate Cloud Edition
3. Enterprise Edition – Paid

Pimcore’s prowess in data management knows no bounds. It centralizes, orchestrates, and disseminates diverse data types and digital assets, supporting multi-channel publishing and digital commerce endeavors.

Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, Pimcore adapts, transforms, and evolves with you.

Key Features

Pimcore doesn’t stop at data management; it’s also a personalized digital experience management platform that has great features as follows:

• Comprehensive data management for diverse data types and digital assets
• Personalized digital experience management for all output channels
• Modular services for digital commerce
• Master Data Management (MDM) for harmonized corporate master data
• Digital Asset Management (DAM) for brand and marketing content
• Customer Data Platform (CDP) for personalized marketing
• Digital Experience Platform (DXP/CMS) for delivering content to various audiences
• Digital Commerce Framework for omnichannel commerce

Why Pimcore?

1. Trusted by over 100,000 companies in 56 countries
2. Powerful data management with multi-channel publishing
3. Personalized, marketing-driven digital experiences
4. Flexible licensing and pricing
5. Supportive community and open-source innovation
6. Extensive, adaptable APIs for business users
7. No vendor lock-in, transparent source code

Limitations of Pimcore

1. Requires time and resources for initial setup and configuration.
2. Learning curve for users unfamiliar with PIM systems.
3. Lack of frond-end capabilities.

Pricing

Pimcore’s flexible licensing and pricing options make it accessible from small businesses to large enterprises. Customers of Cloud and Enterprise plans enjoy additional features and support, making it a cost-effective choice.

3. PIMworks

So the third position is dedicated to PIMworks!

PIMworks is the ultimate Product Information Management (PIM) software and Content Lifecycle Management solution for businesses seeking to streamline and elevate their digital product experience. This robust platform redefines the management of product data by offering a centralized and intuitive solution. 

With PIMworks, you can effortlessly create personalized content experiences and instantly syndicate them across internal and external channels. The result? Accelerated business growth driven by accurate and insightful digital shelf analytics.

Key Features

• 360-Degree Product Overview: PIMworks offers a central repository for comprehensive product information, eliminating redundancies and simplifying the product journey.
• Automated Content Enrichment: PIMworks automates the enrichment of product content, ensuring enticing and rich product information to meet market standards and regulations.
• Multichannel Syndication: PIMworks facilitates instant product syndication with ready-to-use templates and APIs, optimizing content for different sales channels.
• Centralized Digital Asset Management: Manage all digital assets, including product images and videos, from a single centralized repository, enhancing business productivity.
• Collaborative Workflow Management: PIMworks offers built-in workflows to simplify catalog creation, improve team communication, and streamline hierarchical management processes.
• Multiple Vendor Management: The platform allows for the seamless management of vendor and supplier data through a unified interface, offering customized views of product catalogs and vendor-based price optimization.

Why PIMworks?

1. Enhanced User Experience: PIMworks’ automation abilities result in enriched product content, providing customers with enticing and rich product information.
2. Market-Ready Syndication: PIMworks’ instant product syndication with ready-to-use templates and APIs simplifies the process of preparing product content for different distribution channels.
3. Microscopic Data Validation: PIMworks offers data validation that extends a microscopic view of data quality, ensuring that the right content is syndicated to the right channel.
4. Vendor-Based Price Optimization: The multiple vendor management module in PIMworks allows businesses to optimize prices for each product based on vendor information.

Limitations of PIMworks

1. The implementation and initial setup of PIMworks may take more time than expected.

Pricing

PIMworks offers 4 plans (Starter, Professional, Enterprise, and Standard) for different business needs, and pricings are available upon request.

4. Plytix PIM

Next comes Plytix PIM, one of my favorite PIM platforms!

Plytix PIM is designed to put an end to working in silos and foster seamless team collaboration, making it easier than ever to get your products in front of your customers faster. 

Now, no more spreadsheet chaos or data errors – Plytix centralizes your product information in one place, ensuring your team can work efficiently and effectively.

Plytix is not just a PIM; it’s also a Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform. Your digital assets, such as images, videos, and documents, can be effortlessly managed alongside your product data. With Plytix, you can find, optimize, and share assets with ease, eliminating the need for separate systems.

It is known for its ease of use, affordability, and white-glove customer support, making it an attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses looking to improve their product information management system.

Key Features

• Digital Asset Management: Easily manage all file types, ensuring your assets are right where they belong, alongside your products.
• Spreadsheet and Grid View: A familiar interface for quick and easy data management.
• Open API: Enables custom integrations for seamless connectivity with other systems.
• Scheduled Imports: Automate data imports at specified intervals for efficiency.
• User Roles with Custom Permissions: Control who can access and modify your product data.
• Computed Attributes: Create and edit product information using formulas.
• Advanced Filtering Options: Find and manage your product data with ease.
• Product Completion Tracking: Monitor product information completeness.
• Unlimited Custom Attributes: Adapt the platform to your specific needs.
• Quick Export: Export data to CSV, XLSX, or PDF formats for distribution.
• Product Families: Organize products with product relationships for upselling, cross-selling, or bundling.
• In-Cell Editing: Edit data just like you would in a spreadsheet.
• Flexible Variation Handling: Manage product variations effortlessly.
• Seamless ERP Connection: Connect with your ERP system for streamlined operations.
• Change Log: Keep track of changes made to your product information.

Why Plytix PIM?

1. G2 Leader: Plytix is recognized as a leader in G2, reflecting its excellence.
2. Best Support: G2 acknowledges Plytix for providing exceptional support.
3. PIM and DAM Combined: Enjoy a unified PIM and DAM experience for streamlined asset management.
4. Distribute Product Information with Ease: Share product information through various channels, brand portals, and product sheets.
5. Secure and Efficient Cloud Storage: All files are stored in Amazon’s S3, ensuring data security and global accessibility.
6. Powerful Open API: Customize your integrations to suit your business’s unique needs.
7. No Need for an IT Team: Plytix’s user-friendly platform allows you to harness its full potential without technical expertise.

Limitations of Plytix PIM

1. While Plytix is suitable for small and medium businesses, larger enterprises might require more advanced features.
2. The software’s capabilities are extensive, which may lead to a learning curve for some users.

Pricing

Plytix PIM offers a transparent pricing structure, with many features included in their free plan. For detailed pricing information, you can compare plans and view complete pricing on their website.

5. Salsify PXM

Salsify PXM is your go-to solution for managing product information efficiently and effectively. It serves as a central source of information and enables you to consolidate and govern all your product data in one system of record. 

With Salsify, you can enforce data quality, ensuring that your product information is structured and consistent while still meeting the unique requirements of different endpoints.

One of the standout features of Salsify is its ability to streamline collaboration within your commerce ecosystem. It brings everyone together in one central system of work, making teamwork a breeze. 

Furthermore, it empowers you to get your products to market faster by automating various processes, reducing manual effort, and saving valuable time.

Salsify PXM is the only platform natively built with content syndication and direct publishing options for a unified Product Experience Management (PXM) strategy.

Key Features

• Central Source of Truth: Its centralized platform allows businesses to manage product data, store, organize, edit, and distribute product information, promote online sales, and craft captivating product stories.
• Enforce Data Quality: It brings structure to your PIM strategy while accommodating unique endpoint requirements, and maintaining data quality.
• Streamline Collaboration: Salsify fosters seamless collaboration within your commerce ecosystem, allowing all stakeholders to work in one central system.
• Get To Market Faster: With automated capabilities, Salsify refines processes, reduces manual efforts, and accelerates your product’s time to market.
• Win the Digital Shelf: As the only PIM software with content syndication and direct publishing options, Salsify supports a unified Product Experience Management (PXM) strategy.
• Integrate Seamlessly: Salsify integrates seamlessly with your existing IT investments, making it the system of record for product information.

Why Salsify PXM?

1. Extensive Reach: Salsify supports 79 million SKUs across 126 countries and offers content in 180 languages, ensuring global scalability.
2. Multi-Channel Support: It confidently manages unique versions of your product information for each channel, ensuring traceability and consistency.
3. Agility and Automation: Salsify allows you to adapt to new requirements without redoing your data schema and streamlines operations with its no-code workflow builder.
4. Unified PIM and Syndication: The platform uniquely combines PIM and direct publishing, eliminating the need for additional technologies and offering a syndication network.
5. Cloud-Native: Salsify’s cloud-native architecture ensures that you are always running the latest version without worrying about hosting costs and upgrades.

Limitations of Salsify PXM

1. Users have expressed dissatisfaction with customer support.
2. It is considered costly.
3. Users find it challenging to make changes or adjustments.
4. Steeper learning curve.

Pricing

Pricing for Salsify PIM varies based on your specific needs. To get a tailored quote, it’s recommended to reach out to their sales team for a detailed consultation.

6. inriver PIM

inriver PIM is a cloud-based PIM solution that focuses on creating engaging product stories and streamlining product data syndication across multiple sales channels. Its multi-tenant SaaS software allows for composable product information management across the product journey.

It delivers a customer-first experience, whether your customers are B2B buyers or B2C shoppers. It’s about getting the right product information to the right audience at the right time, ultimately maximizing profitability at every touchpoint.

Inriver PIM emphasizes customizing product experience for buyers, providing flexibility and ease of use in creating and managing product descriptions, as well as product information and inventory management.

Key Features

• Catalog Creation: Create and manage product catalogs with ease, ensuring that your product data is organized and presented effectively.
• Collaboration Tools: Foster teamwork and collaboration among your teams, allowing multiple stakeholders to work together on product data enrichment and quality control.
• Content Management: Effectively manage all types of product content, including images, descriptions, specifications, and more, ensuring that your product information is accurate and up-to-date.
• Data Migration: Seamlessly migrate your existing product data into inriver, making the transition to the platform smooth and efficient.
• Data Modeling: Define and structure your product data according to your specific requirements, enabling you to create a standardized and consistent product information framework.
• Data Mapping: Easily map and link different data sources, ensuring that data flows smoothly and consistently throughout your product information ecosystem.
• Categorization: Organize your products into categories and hierarchies, making it simpler for customers to navigate and find the products they need.
• Validation: Implement data validation rules to maintain data accuracy, ensuring that only high-quality product information is published.
• Publishing: Effortlessly publish product information across various channels, such as websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms, maintaining consistency and accuracy.
• Tracking: Keep a close eye on changes and updates to your product information, allowing you to monitor and improve the quality of your product data continually.

It also integrates with various applications, offering seamless data transfer and management. The platform is designed to help organizations optimize their sales, simplify product data syndication, and minimize product returns. These features make inriver PIM an ideal solution for businesses that require robust and flexible product information management capabilities.

Why inriver PIM?

1. Sustainable Transparency: Address environmental scrutiny with comprehensive product data on production, compliance, and sustainability.
2. Omnichannel Excellence: Create a consistent path-to-purchase across all channels by optimizing, syndicating, and analyzing product listings.
3. Customer-First Experience: Deliver personalized experiences on every channel by providing the right information at the right time.
4. Automation Intelligence: Enhance productivity and efficiency with automation across internal and external processes.

Limitations of inriver PIM

1. Expensive: It’s considered costly, potentially a challenge for smaller businesses.
2. Slow: Users have reported slow performance.
3. Technical Issues: Some users encounter technical problems.
4. Image/File Issues: Issues related to images and files have been noted.
5. Learning Curve: The platform has a steep learning curve.

Pricing

Pricing for inriver PIM varies based on the specific needs and scale of your business. Contact inriver for a customized pricing quote that aligns with your requirements.

7. 1WorldSync PIM

Let’s meet the last but the powerful platform on the list!

E-commerce success begins with taking control of your product information, and 1WorldSync’s PIM software is here to make that journey easier, smoother, and more efficient. 

1WorldSync PIM software – a game-changer that simplifies the orchestration of your product content and integrations, ensuring that your data remains accurate and consistent.

1WorldSync’s Data Sync Direct tool, a leading PIM platform, empowers e-commerce merchants to harmonize their product content syndication with trading partners across various sectors, from retail to distribution. 

No matter which system you use to manage your product content, Data Sync Direct excels at aggregating, validating, and seamlessly communicating your product content, ensuring your requirements are met, and your content is delivered flawlessly.

Key Features

• Validate Information Across Any Standard: Data Sync Direct ensures your product data meets the highest standards. It seamlessly validates and aggregates data from various sources.
• Aggregation: Built on a Business Process Integration Engine, it integrates your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, including popular ones like SAP and Infor. You can aggregate data in your preferred format (XML, flat file, CSV) via your best practices methodology.
• Validation: Comply with GS1 standards, guaranteeing that your product content meets regional and regulatory standards. The platform also lets you define your internal rules and policies, providing flexibility.
• Communication: Seamlessly communicate your data with trading partners in their preferred format, streamlining the exchange of information and improving collaboration.
• Streamline + Save: Automated workflows and real-time validations ensure the quality of your product content, reducing issues with recipients, speeding up product launches, and helping you avoid regulatory fines.

Why 1WorldSync PIM?

1. Expert Support and Global Reach: Benefit from expert guidance and global data synchronization for international standards compliance.
2. Community and Collaboration: Connect with a collaborative ecosystem, share best practices, and find potential trading partners.
3. Real-time Updates: Ensure always up-to-date product data with automated workflows, boosting customer trust.
4. Seamless Scalability: Grow your e-commerce business effortlessly while maintaining top-notch performance.
5. Vendor and Supplier Integration: Streamline procurement by integrating with vendors and suppliers efficiently.
6. Data Governance: Enforce data quality standards and compliance to maintain data integrity.
7. Dynamic Data Enrichment: Enhance product listings with multimedia content, improving customer experiences.

Limitations of 1WorldSync PIM

1. Steep learning curve.
2. Some users found the platform very complicated.
3. The response time is quite slow.

Pricing

1WorldSync’s pricing structure varies based on your specific roles or needs.

Here we come to the end of our list of best PIM platforms! Our list has ended but not our journey. After studying all the PIM platforms, now we will compare them to find out the most suitable one for your composable business.

Let’s move to the next section!

Comparison: Best PIM Platforms For Your Business

Don’t worry if you couldn’t evaluate the PIM platforms given in the list above. We have a detailed comparison table here to help you determine the right PIM for better product experiences.

Factors	Akeneo PIM	Pimcore	PIMworks	Plytix PIM	Salsify PXM	inriver PIM	1WorldSync PIM
Open-Source Edition	√	√	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Free Version Available	√	√	✗	√	✗	✗	✗
User-Friendly Interface	✗	✗	√	limited	√	✗	✗
Excellent Performance	✗	√	√	√	√	✗	✗
Unlimited Product Attributes	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Data Search and Filtering	limited	√	√	limited	limited	√	√
Bulk Edit Option	√	limited	√	√	limited	limited	limited
DAM Capabilities	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Product Relationships Management	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Import and Export Data	√	√	√	limited	√	limited	√
Data Validation	√	√	√	√	√	√	limited
Product Enrichment	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Multichannel Support	√	√	√	√	limited	√	√
Workflow Management	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Integration Capabilities	limited	√	√	√	√	√	√
Data Quality Control	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Catalog Management	√	√	√	√	limited	√	√
Price Management	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Localization	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Multichannel Publishing	√	limited	√	√	√	√	√
Data Governance	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Data Mapping and Transformation	√	√	√	limited	limited	√	√
Multi-language Support	√	√	√	limited	√	√	√
AI & Automation Features	limited	√	√	√	√	√	√
Role-Based Access Control	limited	limited	√	limited	√	√	√
Cloud Deployment	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Customization Options	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
API Support	√	√	√	limited	√	√	√
Reporting & Analytics	limited	limited	√	√	limited	√	√
Mobile Compatibility	√	✗	√	✗	✗	√	√
Excellent Customer Support	√	limited	√	√	✗	✗	√

Please note that this is just a general evaluation, and your specific needs may vary. It is always best to consult with Digital Commerce Experts to ensure that the platform is the right fit for your business.

So, have you decided which PIM platform suits your business operations? Not yet? Then, a few tips are waiting for you in the next section.

Which Product Information Management (PIM) solution is right for you?

The best Product Information Management platform for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a PIM solution:

1. Business size and needs: If you are a small or medium-sized business, you may want to consider a more affordable and user-friendly PIM solution like Pimcore, PIMworks, or Plytix PIM. If you are a large enterprise with complex needs, you may want to consider a more enterprise-grade PIM solution like Akeneo PIM or Salsify PXM.
2. Budget: PIM solutions can range in price from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per year. It is important to set a budget before you consider a PIM solution.
3. Features: Consider the specific features that are important to your business. For example, do you need a PIM solution with strong product enrichment capabilities? Do you need a PIM solution that can integrate with your other systems?

I recommend that you read reviews of different PIM solutions and compare their features before making a decision. You should also get a demo of the PIM solution you are considering so that you can see it in action and ask questions.

Wrapping Up!

Some of you call it PDM (Product Data management), or some call it DAM (Digital Asset Management). The evolution of Product Information Management (PIM) tools has enrolled lots of capabilities, so people get confused about the terms they should call it.

But, we are not here to find the right name for PIMs, but we are here to find the best PIM solution for your digital commerce platform. And I’m hoping that this comparison guide has helped you pick the right PIM vendor for your business.

Remember that no single PIM platform is universally perfect, and the best choice depends on your unique circumstances and priorities. 

Hunting for other components to complete your Composable store? We have prepared similar comparison guides for:

• Best Enterprise Ecommerce Platforms
• Best Digital Experience Platforms

… and more are coming soon!