Your Cumulus On-Prem license has been discontinued. 

This and other similar messages landed into the team inboxes, as Canto (Cumulus) decided to retire one of its long-standing DAM solutions.  

The result? Many clients that relied on their on-prem provider scrambled to make a swift decision: change to Cloud DAM (with all data privacy and cost implications) or try their luck elsewhere. 

Did they feel frustrated? For sure. Abandoned? Unfortunately. Not to mention the fact that it happened during the pandemic when the companies were already budget-tight.

Several years have passed but the pain point remains. As the on-prem DAM pool continues to shrink, finding a reliable provider feels like finding a drop in the ocean. In this article, we’ll clear up this cloud of confusion to help you choose a DAM solution that will work for years to come.

From Industry Leader to Legacy Software: The Cumulus Story

Before jumping into a curated list of top Cumulus replacements, let’s take a brief overview of the solution and why so many teams were left looking for alternatives.

Launched in the tech-boom decade of the 1990s (think of Apple, Microsoft, Intel), Cumulus went on to become a tech pioneer itself. What began as a single-user Macintosh application evolved into a multi-user, multi-lingual, and network-ready DAM. 

By the 2010s, Canto matured into an enterprise solution to cater to large and growing digital libraries, offering new cloud capabilities, version controls, and integration with creative software like Adobe.

So far so good, right? Not really. The clouds already started to loom heavy above Cumulus.  

Why Cumulus Fell Behind in a Cloud-First World

The 2010s marked a turning point for Cumulus, as the growing cloud DAM providers like Bynder, Brandfolder, and Cloudinary began to dim its light. 

Trying to catch up in a brand asset space, Cumulus started to offer branded portals (Cumulus Sites, Portals) and improved mobile access, but its legacy system started to show the crack. 

Limitations That Came to Light

• Walking Against the Time: According to Canto’s blog: “Cumulus’ unique feature set also requires a level of complexity that requires project planning and duration… Where Cumulus often requires an IT project of its own…” In other words, Cumulus was built on a legacy system, which was increasing difficult (and expensive) to maintain, update, and integrate with other tools. 
• When Add-Ons Don’t Add On: Heavy custom plugins and add-ons created another layer of maintenance complexity and rising licensing costs. As a result, many clients had to modify the system to fit the workflow.
• Customizable, But Not Always Usable: Whether you tried to adjust user permission settings or metadata, chances are, you needed extensive tech support. In addition, PeerSpot reviews highlighted that Cumulus struggled with “slow processing speeds, limited customization options, and frequent updates that disrupt workflows“.

As you see, the very things that initially made Cumulus so great (think tailored design and configurations) became its major pain point for clients that had to deal with slow performance and head-spinning setups. 

Given the mounting internal and external challenges, the company decided to put an end to it all in September 2021:

Cumulus Officially Discontinued: Now What?

For ex-Cumulus customers who counted on their on-prem DAM solution, this meant choosing between the following:

From our clients’ experience, moving forward with another DAM provider became the most go-to choice. While switching to a different provider meant establishing a new DAM workflow, many ex-Cumulus customers believed that would be a right decision long-term rather than being wedged between an obsolete or expensive tool.

If you’re also exploring your next move, you’re probably asking: Where do we begin? Which DAM features to prioritize for our team? Which considerations to keep in mind?

Let’s go through them together. 

What to Look For in a Canto Cumulus Alternative?

1. Continuous On-Prem Support (No More Unplanned Endings)

Despite the cloud providers dominating the market, there is still a number of on-prem DAM solutions willing to support local teams. When searching a closer eye whether they offer essential asset security tools with user permissions, intuitive metadata management, and useful integrations.

2. Modern DAM Features and Active Product Development

These days, you can read a lot of articles of cloud DAM providers lambasting on-prem for being obsolete. But is it really so? Some local DAM companies actively invest in developing and improving their solutions for clients.

In fact, some on-prem providers offer locally run features similar to cloud-based tools: AI Autotagging, Facial Recognition, Geotagging, etc. Make sure to have a quick look at the company’s roadmap and product update announcements. 

3. Successful Migration Stories from Ex-Cumulus Clients

Actions speak louder than words. When evaluating different DAM options, check whether those DAM vendors helped other ex-Cumulus companies to migrate smoothly and cost-efficiently (ideally, in your industry).

Top 5 DAM Systems as Alternatives to Cumulus

1. Daminion: Most Trusted Cumulus DAM Alternative

Even before the Cumulus demise in 2021, Daminion has earned a considerable reputation as one of the most reliable and comprehensive on-prem DAM solutions. 

Sharing similar beginnings, the company started off as a local solution in the 1990s. Now with  26+ years of expertise, the company actively supports 800+ small and medium-sized teams across marketing, public sector, architecture, higher education, and other industries.

While Canto Cumulus tried to innovate with more and more chunky add-ons above the already bulky system, our team took a different approach. We’ve focused not on quality, not on quantity. Thus, we proactively and intentionally adapt to changing needs of fast-paced, modern teams that value local security and long-term reliability without unnecessary complexity.

We believe on-prem doesn’t have to be outdated. It just has to be done right.

We believe on-prem doesn’t have to be outdated. It just has to be done right.

Canto Cumulus signed off on-prem as inefficient. We’ve made (and keep making) it efficient, inspired by teams like yours.

How Daminion On-Prem Empowers Local Teams

1. Committed to On-Prem Without Compromise

Compared to Canto or other former on-prem vendors, Daminion is here to stay. We’re continuously updating and developing our solution, making your digital libraries more accessible and future-proof for years to come.

2. Smart DAM Features with Local Control (No Internet Required)

Whether it’s AI autotagging, Facial Recognition, Geotagging, and many other smart DAM features, we make them accessible for you on your local server. No Internet-dependence, no lengthy third-party lists. Just workable, modern-day tools to make your teamwork efficient.

3. Fits Right into Your NAS and Industry Software

Many of our clients highlight how smooth it is to connect Daminion with their local server. Why? Daminion acts as a light overlay over your file server, which: 

• ✅ Doesn’t slow down solution performance.
• ✅ Makes searching, previewing and accessing files a matter of seconds.
• ✅ Requires minimal maintenance from your team.

This way, we make sure your team doesn’t have to go through time-consuming setups and onboardings.

The good news? You can easily link Daminion on-prem not only to your NAS server, but also to industry software that your team is currently using:

• ✅ Adobe Creative Suite
• ✅ Google Drive
• ✅ Outlook

Anything else you might need? Check out our integrations here or reach out to us for more information.

4. Built to Handle Big Libraries (and Keep Them Secure)

How to know whether a DAM solution is actually efficient? Look at how it handles your asset library. Our clients manage over 500 million assets in 150+ formats daily in Daminion, so it’s one of our priorities to make the DAM process as well-organized as possible. 

Thanks to continuous feedback sharing, we’ve introduced a number of handy features, from custom tags for industry- and project-specific assets, hierarchical tags for intuitive browsing to controlled vocabulary for consistent file names and batch tagging for tackling overflows of new assets. 

But remember: with great DAM power comes great responsibility. Especially if you handle sensitive or confidential information, you can enhance asset security with multi-layered user permissions and control settings.

5. Predictable Pricing with No Hidden Fees

As some of our clients explained, one of the biggest pain points around Canto DAM were beyond-the-budget cloud subscription costs, especially for small teams. This concern is valid, because storage costs plus hidden add-on fees can quickly skyrocket your expenses.

At Daminion, we do it differently:

• Pricing transparency with no surprises
• Fixed annual fees to keep your costs predictable not just for year one
• Lifetime license and discounts for nonprofit or public organizations

We’re committed to continuously developing and improving our solution, because Many teams DO need workable DAM software. And we’re here to help them reach their company’s goals with reliable, secure, and locally hosted software.  

Getting Started with Daminion

Experience Secure Multi-User Digital Asset Management!
Store, tag, search, and share media assets like never before ➡️

 

Book your 30-minute demo now!

Or visit Daminion web-site

Other DAM Solutions to Consider

If you’d like to consider more Canto replacement options, we’ve also gathered a list of alternative on-prem DAM providers and compared them with Daminion.

2. CELUM

CELUM is an on-prem DAM solution for large-scale organizations that manage extensive content creation and require a robust DAM workflow.

Main considerations:

• Main considerations:
• Enterprise-level solution that can be too overwhelming and complex for smaller businesses.
• Detailed customization needed to set up a workable workflow. 
• Can be budget- and training-intensive.

✅ Daminion is better suited for agile teams who look for a powerful and customizable DAM software without unnecessary organizational complexity.

3. NetX

NetX is an on-prem DAM provider that offers an intuitive interface and features. 

Main considerations:

• Ideal for large organizations with full-scale IT Department (higher education institutions and museums).
• Offers advanced asset management features with a longer learning curve.
• More suited for handling media assets over other types.

✅ Daminion provides a more more intuitive and easy-to-use alternative with comprehensive features for various asset types.

4. Extensis Portfolio

Extensis Portfolio provides an easy-to-use on-prem DAM solution that offers various asset management tools, customizable workflow and collaboration features.

⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE: Extensis Portfolio has recently canceled its on-premise subscription, echoing the Cumulus discontinuation.

✅ Daminion has already helped many of these teams to migrate smoothly and leverage a reliable on-prem alternative they can count on long-term.

Migrating from Canto Cumulus? Here’s What You Need to Know

Suppose you’ve decided to move away from Cumulus, one important question emerges: how can your team transfer all this years’ worth of assets and metadata without losing structure or time?

While every case is a little different, our experienced team has identified the major steps and potential challenges to avoid based on real-life migration examples of our clients: 

1. Select the Metadata You Want to Migrate

Essentially, there were 2 types of tags in Cumulus:

• Default (file creation date, size, resolution, etc.)
• Custom (campaign name, photographer, client name, etc.)

To prevent losing important information, you need to decide on which ones to keep and which ones to leave behind. If your team is unsure how to approach these tags, our team will assist you in sorting out the tags and ensuring there won’t be any double work for you in the next steps.

2. Export and Review Your Cumulus Archive

Once you’ve selected the metadata you’d like to preserve, we’ll ask you to export it in a specific format that includes both the original file paths and other related data.

Next comes a crucial step: double-checking what kind of metadata has been exported and how it will be mapped in Daminion. Some information will be matched automatically using default tags. But other data, like custom Cumulus tags, may need some adjustment to work the same way.

Let’s say, in Cumulus your team used a custom tag called “Client Event Type” with multiple values, like “Presentation“, “Webinar“, “Internal Team Training“. If the tag parameter is not set up correctly in Daminion to include several values per asset, the system might end up keeping only one of them, leaving behind important details. 

That’s why, we schedule a brief review session to make sure all the tag parameters are well-defined and ready for smooth importing.

3. Import Assets and Resolve Compatibility Issues

If your assets are stored on a regular Windows, Linux or NAS server, this process usually runs without a hitch. In case you transfer files from a macOS server, some file names might need adjusting, because Windows-based systems may not support or read certain characters properly.

No worries though: if any questions or compatibility issues arise, our team will guide you to make importing efficient and error-free. 

You’re Not Alone in This Process

It’s understandable that migrating from an old DAM system can feel daunting and complex. But in reality, it doesn’t have to be this way. Our experienced support team has already helped a number of Cumulus clients successfully move over their digital assets, metadata, and workflows to Daminion smoothly and efficiently.

Remember: you don’t have to do it from scratch, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Discover the On-Prem DAM That Is Built to Last

While Canto Cumulus discontinuation brought many challenges, it has also offered teams an opportunity to pause and ask: What do we really value in a good DAM provider? Local asset security? Long-term cost stability? Or most importantly, reliability of the DAM vendor?

At Daminion, we’re dedicated to continuously supporting local teams like yours with: 

• Ongoing on-prem support from a team committed to its future;
• Smart DAM tools like AI tagging, facial recognition, and metadata control (all without cloud dependencies);
• A smooth, guided migration process tailored to former Cumulus users;
• Predictable, transparent pricing without any “surprise” fees;
• Easy integration with NAS, industry software, and large digital libraries.

If you’re still navigating the post-Cumulus landscape, know this: you don’t need to compromise your data privacy or team workflows to move to thecloud.

You just need the reliable DAM partner, the one that’s here to stay.

Getting Started with Daminion

Experience Secure Multi-User Digital Asset Management!
Store, tag, search, and share media assets like never before ➡️

 

Book your 30-minute demo now!

Or visit Daminion web-site