Introduction
As commerce becomes more digital and global, the need for robust product information management has never been greater. Handling structured product data across channels, regions, vendors and technology systems is a massive undertaking that requires a sophisticated PIM. In this blog, we analyze the leading PIM platforms against critical factors that determine a solution’s ability to support strategic growth objectives.
Methods of Evaluation
To identify the PIM software most poised to empower growth, we evaluated vendors based on functionality, customer reviews, partner networks, metrics like backlinks, traffic and keyword trends. Key areas of focus included commerce capabilities, data modeling flexibility, localization support, API integration, and personalization/AI tools. Customer testimonials, case studies and analyst reports also provided valuable insight into real-world user experiences and solution fit for various business models and use cases.
1. IBM Digital Experience
IBM Digital Experience is a leading product information management (PIM) software developed by IBM. As one of the largest technology companies in the world, IBM brings over a century of experience in developing enterprise software solutions.
Pros: Key advantages of IBM Digital Experience include its robust PIM functions for centralized product data management, strong data governance capabilities for regulatory compliance, and integration of AI/analytics for personalization and recommendations.
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that as an enterprise solution, IBM Digital Experience may be more expensive than other mid-market PIM options.
Pricing: IBM Digital Experience pricing is customizable based on business needs and deployment type. Generally it starts at $10,000/month for smaller deployments and scales upwards for more advanced enterprise installations.
Some key stats about IBM Digital Experience include: ability to manage over 10 million product records, integration with over 50 ecommerce platforms, and usage by over 500 global brands.
2. Periscope By McKinsey
Periscope By McKinsey is a leading product information management (PIM) platform built from McKinsey’s expertise in data governance and digital transformation. Trusted by global brands to organize complex product information across channels.
Pros: Key advantages of Periscope include that it was built from McKinsey’s expertise in data governance and digital operations, has a focus on usability for complex product data, and is a great option for established brands looking to modernize their operations through centralized product data management.
Cons: As a more enterprise-focused solution, Periscope may have a higher learning curve and price point than some simpler PIM options. Additionally, being part of a large consulting firm, the sales cycle may be longer than some standalone SaaS vendors.
Pricing: Periscope pricing is not publicly listed and is tailored to individual customer needs based on factors like data volume, users, and customization requirements. Generally suited for large enterprises with sophisticated product data requirements.
Some key facts about Periscope include that it supports over 1000 global brands, manages billions of product variants and assets, and is focused on usability and governance of critical product data.
3. SAP Hybris Commerce
SAP Hybris Commerce, formerly known as SAP Hybris, is a commerce software solution from SAP that provides capabilities for product information management (PIM), eCommerce, digital commerce and more. As one of the leading commerce platforms on the market, SAP Hybris Commerce helps companies deliver compelling shopping experiences across all channels while ensuring consistent product data.
Pros: Some key advantages of SAP Hybris Commerce include:
– Deep commerce capabilities beyond just PIM like eCommerce, digital commerce, order management etc.
– Great for large brands with complex requirements across regions and channels
– Robust data governance and validation features to ensure consistent high quality product content
– Integrates well with backend SAP systems many companies already rely on for ERP
Cons: A potential disadvantage could be the high total cost of ownership due to the robust feature set and needs of complex enterprise implementations. It may not be suitable for smaller brands or businesses with limited budget and scope.
Pricing: SAP Hybris Commerce pricing is customized based on several factors like revenue, number of products/catalogs, supported languages etc. but typically starts at $150,000+ for standard deployments.
Some key stats about SAP Hybris Commerce include:
– Used by over 2500+ brands globally including Adidas, Coca Cola, Samsung, L’Oreal and more
– Supported in over 35 languages
– Handles peaks of over 10 million concurrent shoppers
– Integrates with SAP ERP systems used by 80% of Global 500 companies
4. Salsify
Salsify is a leading product experience management (PXM) platform that helps brands, retailers, and distributors effectively manage their product information and maximize the impact of digital experiences across every sales channel. As an advanced product information platform, Salsify provides a single source of truth for structured and unstructured product content that can be leveraged across websites, online marketplaces, and more.
Pros: Key advantages of Salsify include its advanced product information platform, built-in connectors to major marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Target, AI capabilities for computer vision and natural language processing to automate imagery and copy, and a strong community and resources through product schools and forums.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is the upfront costs as Salsify is an enterprise-level PXM platform requiring a meaningful investment. Smaller businesses or startups may find the baseline pricing too high initially.
Pricing: Salsify pricing is based on annual recurring revenue managed through the platform. There is no free or freemium version. Pricing typically starts in the tens of thousands of dollars per year for mid-market companies and scales significantly higher for enterprises managing billions in revenue on ecommerce channels.
Some key stats and facts about Salsify include: active on over 850 digital properties across 20 countries, processes over 1 billion product views per month, supports over 12,000 brands, retailers and distributors globally including Walmart, Coca-Cola, GSK, and Nestle.
5. Izettle
Izettle is a POS system and payments platform built for small businesses. It offers a versatile all-in-one solution that allows merchants to accept various payment types, manage their inventory, and gain insights into their business performance.
Pros: Some key advantages of Izettle include:
– Integrated PIM capabilities to manage product data from one centralized system.
– Advanced analytics and AI features to provide actionable insights.
– Omnichannel capabilities that allow merchants to operate both online and in-person.
– Support for various payment methods including chip and pin, contactless, and mobile wallets.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that Izettle is best suited for small brick-and-mortar businesses rather than large enterprises.
Pricing: Izettle offers simple and transparent pricing. There is no setup fee and transaction fees start at 1.75% + $0.25 per swipe. Additional optional services like reporting and inventory management are available for monthly subscription fees.
Some key stats about Izettle include:
– Used by over 900,000 merchants globally.
– Supports payments in over 25 currencies.
– Integrates with over 300 different partners and apps.
– Processed over $30 billion in payments in 2021.
6. Treasure Data
Treasure Data is a customer data platform (CDP) that specializes in using artificial intelligence and machine learning to power personalization at scale. Founded in 2010, Treasure Data helps brands capture and analyze customer data from various sources to deliver hyper-personalized experiences across marketing, sales, support, and more.
Pros: Some key advantages of Treasure Data include:
– Specializes in AI-driven personalization by leveraging machine learning algorithms
– Powerful customer data platform (CDP) capabilities to unify customer profiles and data from various sources
– Seamlessly integrates with leading platforms like Salesforce, Google Analytics, Adobe, and Microsoft Dynamics
– Helps companies deliver hyper-personalized experiences across marketing, sales, support and more channels
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that Treasure Data is usually more expensive than other CDP options and may not be suitable for smaller businesses or those just getting started with customer data management.
Pricing: Treasure Data offers pricing tailored for different business needs. Standard pricing starts at $10,000 per month for up to 250 million events per month. Larger packages with additional features and support are available for enterprise customers.
Some key stats about Treasure Data include:
– Over 300 enterprise customers including Forbes Global 2000 companies
– Pre-built connectors to over 150 marketing, analytics and commerce platforms
– Processes over 25 trillion events per month
– More than 25 petabytes of historical customer data under management
7. Contentstack
Contentstack is an API-first headless content management system (CMS) and product information management (PIM) platform that allows businesses to manage digital content and deliver composed digital experiences at scale. Founded in 2013, Contentstack aims to be the composable digital experience platform by removing legacy system limitations and facilitating agile innovation.
Pros: Some key advantages of Contentstack include: its API-first headless architecture that allows decoupling of applications from content storage for agility, its focus on enabling composed digital experiences across channels, its low/no-code capabilities that empower non-developers, and its integrated PIM functionality.
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that as a newer platform, it may lack some features of more mature legacy CMS platforms. However, Contentstack aims to overcome legacy limitations through its composable and API-driven approach.
Pricing: Contentstack pricing starts with a free trial and developer plan. Paid plans include Professional ($99/month per site), Enterprise ($399/month), and Custom. Pricing is based on the number of API requests and sites.
Some key stats about Contentstack include: used by over 400 global brands, supports over 20 billion API calls per month, localized in over 30 languages, and advocated for its low/no-code capabilities.
8. Akeneo
Akeneo is an open source product information management (PIM) software that helps companies manage product data across channels. As one of the most popular open source PIM solutions, Akeneo simplifies how businesses centralize, enrich, publish and syndicate consistent product information to any sales channel.
Pros: Key advantages of Akeneo include its user friendly UI, strong data modeling capabilities, open source flexibility and large ecosystem of partners and integrations. It also has powerful automation and workflow features to increase productivity.
Cons: As an open source solution, Akeneo may not have as many advanced features compared to paid enterprise PIMs. It also requires in-house development and support resources.
Pricing: Akeneo has both open source and enterprise editions. The open source edition is free to download and use for any purpose. Paid subscriptions for additional support, hosting and premium features start at $150/month.
Some key stats about Akeneo include: Used by over 2,500 brands globally; Available in 15+ languages; Over 1 million downloads since inception; Integrates with 40+ platforms out of the box including Magento, Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and more.
9. Hybris
Hybris is a customer experience (CX) and customer relationship management (CRM) platform developed by SAP. It provides enterprises with solutions to attract buyers, build loyalty, and manage customer relationships across various channels. Some key capabilities of Hybris include extensive e-commerce features, strong workflow management, a robust data model and attributes, and the ability to scale to large product catalogs.
Pros: Some key advantages of Hybris include its extensive e-commerce features, strong workflow management capabilities, a robust and flexible data model with rich attributes, and the ability to scale to handle large catalogs with millions of products.
Cons: One potential disadvantage of Hybris is that as an enterprise platform, it may be overkill for some smaller businesses and have a higher total cost of ownership compared to other alternatives.
Pricing: Hybris pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies based on factors like scalability needs, customization requirements, ongoing support needs. It is typically sold as an annual or multi-year subscription with both on-premises and SaaS deployment options available.
Hybris powers over 2500 storefronts globally and manages over $40 billion in commerce transactions annually. It has over 1000 customers worldwide across industries like retail, CPG, manufacturing and telecom.
10. Kibo Commerce
Kibo Commerce is a leading headless commerce platform that allows businesses to manage their product information and drive sales across multiple sales channels from a single control panel. Founded in 2009, Kibo Commerce helps mid-sized brands and retailers looking to go omnichannel without the headaches of disparate systems.
Pros: Some key advantages of Kibo Commerce include:
– One suite to manage commerce and digital experiences across all touchpoints
– Great option for mid-sized brands looking to sell through multiple sales channels
– Robust content and asset management capabilities
– Strong support for multilingualism and localization
Cons: As with any software, there are some limitations. The main disadvantages include:
– Not as fully-featured as some monolithic commerce platforms
– Some advanced capabilities may require additional development
Pricing: Kibo Commerce offers flexible monthly pricing plans starting at $399 per month for up to 10,000 SKUs. Pricing scales based on the number of SKUs, users, and other requirements. They also offer a free 14-day trial to test the platform.
Some key stats about Kibo Commerce include:
– Used by over 1200 brands worldwide
– Supports integrations with 30+ platforms including Magento, Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud
– Achieves up to a 1050% ROI in the first year for customers
– Supports 35+ languages for localization
11. Jitterbit
Jitterbit is an API integration platform that enables organizations to manage product data across systems and applications. Founded in 2001, Jitterbit aims to power productivity through complete data integration. The company provides a low-code integration platform that allows both technical and non-technical users to build integrations between various applications and databases.
Pros: Some key advantages of Jitterbit’s PIM platform include:
– API and integration-focused platform designed specifically for managing product data across systems.
– Strong focus on connectivity and integration capabilities which makes it excellent for organizations with complex IT landscapes and many applications.
– Low-code visual designer makes it easy for both technical and non-technical users to build integrations without coding.
– Robust set of pre-built connectors covering major ERP, CRM, and other applications commonly used by enterprises.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is the platform may have a steeper learning curve compared to some simpler DIY integrations tools. Fully utilizing all of Jitterbit’s powerful features requires some technical and integration design skills.
Pricing: Jitterbit pricing is based on the deployment options, number of integrations, data volumes, and required support levels. Starting pricing for an on-premise deployment typically begins at around $50,000 and upwards depending on configuration. Cloud versions have more flexible subscription based pricing starting from $2,500/month.
Some key stats about Jitterbit include:
– Used by over 850 enterprises worldwide across industries like retail, manufacturing, and financial services.
– Processes over 1 trillion transactions annually moving data between thousands of endpoints.
– Supports 170+ pre-built connectors to popular applications like SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, and AWS.
– Flexible deployment options with on-premise, cloud-hosted, and fully managed cloud versions.
12. Core dna
Core dna provides an all-in-one modern hybrid CMS and eCommerce platform that has pioneered a new category of Digital Experience Platforms (DXP). Core dna is designed for brands and retailers who want a frictionless omnichannel experience across their web, mobile and offline channels.
Pros: Some key advantages of Core dna include:
– Specializes in omnichannel order management
– Integrated MDM, PIM and OMS in one suite
– Robust catalog configuration tools
– Rich supplier and vendor capabilities
Cons: As an all-in-one platform, Core dna may be more complex to implement compared to best-of-breed or modular solutions. Customers would need to rely on Core dna’s capabilities across multiple functions rather than selecting specialized individual products.
Pricing: Core dna pricing is not publicly disclosed but is typically sold as an annual or monthly SaaS subscription based on factors like seat licensing, data volumes, transactions and customization requirements. Prospective customers can request a live demo and quote from Core dna’s sales team.
Some key stats about Core dna include:
– Over 10 years of market leadership
– 200+ customers worldwide
– Processes over $5B in annual commerce
– Integrates CMS, eCommerce, PIM, OMS and other critical capabilities into a unified platform
13. Pimcore
Pimcore is an open source product information management (PIM) software that enables companies to manage and enrich data across various systems. As one of the leading PIM software, Pimcore powers digital experiences for many global brands. It allows customers to centralize product data and distribute it seamlessly to all sales channels.
Pros: Some key advantages of Pimcore include:
– Open source and affordable pricing model
– Powerful data modeling capabilities to structure data for any use case
– Flexible API and web services for easy system integration
– Integrates seamlessly with major e-commerce platforms
Cons: One potential downside is that as an open source software, it does not come with dedicated support like commercial PIM solutions. However, commercial support packages are available for purchase.
Pricing: Pimcore offers three pricing plans:
– Open Source (free): Core PIM functionality with community support
– Premium ($399/month): Adds commercial support and access to commercial extensions
– Enterprise (custom pricing): Includes additional features, priority support and on-premise option
Some key stats about Pimcore include:
– Used by over 5,000 companies worldwide
– Supports 40+ languages out-of-the-box
– Integrates with over 50+ e-commerce and CMS platforms like Magento, Shopware and WordPress
14. Plentymarkets
Plentymarkets is a comprehensive all-in-one ERP and ecommerce platform for mid-sized retailers and merchants. The platform offers a full-featured product information management (PIM) module along with other key capabilities like inventory management, order processing, CRM and more to help companies streamline their online and offline business operations.
Pros: Some key advantages of Plentymarkets include:
– Strong omnichannel commerce capabilities extending beyond traditional PIM functions
– Fully customizable data model that can be adjusted for unique business needs
– Integrated pricing, order and inventory management for end-to-end process automation
– Great fit for growing retailers and merchants needing scalability
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the platform is more suitable for mid-sized businesses and enterprises rather than small retailers on a budget due to licensing costs.
Pricing: Plentymarkets offers flexible pricing plans starting at $99/month for smaller stores up to customized enterprise pricing. Additional fees apply for add-on modules, plugins, and premium support. Discounts are available for annual subscriptions.
Some key stats about Plentymarkets:
– Founded in 2002 and is based in Oldesloe, Germany
– Serves over 15,000 customers globally
– Supports multi-vendor, marketplace and B2B commerce
– Available in 8 languages including English, German, French and Spanish
15. Syndigo Content Experience Hub
Syndigo Content Experience Hub is a leading product information management (PIM) solution that helps brands and retailers effectively manage their product content. The software harmonizes product data across the entire commerce ecosystem to ensure accurate, consistent information is available anywhere it’s needed.
Pros: Some key advantages of Syndigo Content Experience Hub include:
– Leader in harmonizing retail product content across the entire commerce ecosystem
– Supports international data standards like GS1 to ensure compatibility
– Can manage product information at massive scale for extremely large catalogs
– Integrates seamlessly with all major retail and eCommerce platforms
Cons: One potential disadvantage is the software requires an enterprise-level commitment and investment due to its scale and capabilities targeting large retailers and brands.
Pricing: Pricing for Syndigo Content Experience Hub is not publicly disclosed and requires a custom quote based on the scope of deployment, number of products/SKUs managed, desired integrations, and support/maintenance needs.
Some key stats about Syndigo Content Experience Hub include:
– Manages over 1 billion SKUs for many major retailers and brands globally
– Integrates with over 30 major commerce platforms including Amazon, Walmart, eBay, SAP, Oracle, and more
– Supports international standards like GS1 to enable seamless exchange of product information
Conclusion
Mastering product information is a prerequisite for success in today’s digital economy. The platforms at the top of our list offer the advanced feature sets, robust partner ecosystems and proven track records that large, complex brands need to scale global operations, launch new initiatives and stay ahead of the constantly evolving competitive landscape. By choosing a solution with growth in mind, companies can begin reaping returns immediately through more efficient operations while positioning themselves for exponential expansion opportunities down the road.