Air vs Canto

Canto is a DAM built to organize and distribute approved assets, with a few power users managing the library and everyone else viewing and downloading. Air puts the whole team in the work, with assets, approvals, versions, and context connected so approved work can be found and multiplied.

For many creative and marketing teams, yes. Air covers storing, sharing, reviewing, and adapting assets, with a free plan, unlimited users, and published pricing, so you don’t have to request a quote or count power-user seats.

Creative Directors, Brand Directors, and Marketing Managers at growing brands are often a better fit for Air, especially when they want everyone on the team to contribute, not just a handful of administrators, and when speed, findability, and reuse matter more than portal-style distribution.

Air keeps workflow context attached to the asset itself: comments, approvals, versions, and status all live with the work. Canto is strongest at organizing and distributing finished assets, while Air is centered on the day-to-day flow of active creative management as well as production.

Yes. Air includes AI search and auto-tagging on every plan and finds assets by objects, faces, dialogue, and intent. Canto offers AI visual search and smart tags, but some of its newer AI is sold as an add-on. Air also extends into editing with Canvas, so teams can adapt what they find.