Trying to make sense of self-hosted digital asset management in 2025? Not an easy task. Let’s do it together!
Most digital asset management (DAM) systems run on the provider’s cloud, so you don’t have to worry about the storage space and computing power. And it’s not just DAMs that do so—think applications like CRMs, accounting software, and others.
However, you might not want to rely on third-party servers. This could be because you worry about privacy, need to comply with regulations, or just don’t want to get stuck with a provider. Although cloud storage and computing have been a software standard for many years, we’re seeing a growing trend toward self-hosting across industries.
Discover How Daminion Can Work for You
Get a free walkthrough of the features
that matter most to your team.
Why Companies Choose Self-Hosted DAM Solutions?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) powers countless businesses with its cloud technology. In 2024, the provider testified in a hearing as part of a cloud services market investigation in the UK. That testimony revealed:
- On-premises services are the main competitor to the cloud giant.
- Cloud services only make up around 15% of the IT services market as a whole.
- A move to the cloud isn’t a one-way street; companies often move back to on-premises.
- Organizations move away from the cloud despite the effort it takes to build their own data centers.
AWS holds the largest cloud market share, so it’s telling that on-premises solutions are the only thing challenging their dominance in the broader IT market.
Inside Cloud Repatriation: More Teams Are Returning to On-Premise
The trend of migrating back to an on-premises infrastructure is often referred to as cloud repatriation. In the same hearing, AWS said companies take this step to:
- Reallocate internal finances
- Readjust access to technology
- Gain full control over their resources, data, and security
- Avoid cloud vendor lock-in
Now, we certainly need to take data from testimonies like this with a pinch of salt. But, in this case, experts nod in agreement. A popular system admin on X writes:
As for the financial side, people often think that the cloud is cheaper than running your own physical infrastructure. In reality, it’s often easier, not cheaper:
Now, if the cloud is easier, is self-hosting too difficult? Not necessarily. On-premises DAM software providers like Daminion will usually go out of their way to help you set up and maintain their product locally.
The AWS testimony also missed another key reason to switch that some Daminion users have pointed out: offline access. Organizations like National Parks and on-the-ground charities that can’t completely rely on the internet connection benefit from managing their digital assets locally.
Your DAM, Your Rules? Choosing Between Self-Hosted and Vendor-Hosted Solutions
Does switching from a cloud to on-premises mean going from vendor-hosted to self-hosted digital asset management? Not always.
The terms can get tangled, but the difference between hosting models boils down to one question: Who manages the infrastructure? This table lays it out:
| Self-Hosted DAM | Vendor-Hosted DAM |
|---|---|
| On-Premises | Commercial Cloud |
| Private Cloud |
As you can see, DAM hosting falls into two main camps:
- Vendor-hosted is the most common model, often called Commercial Cloud or SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). The vendor manages and secures the software and servers, and you simply access it over the internet, similarly to how other clients do.
- With the self-hosted model, you run the DAM software on infrastructure you control. This way, you fully own your system and can better protect your data. Self-hosted comes in two main flavors:
- On-Premises: You install the DAM on your own local servers. This setup keeps your digital assets highly secure because they stay inside your local network. You can also access them reliably, even without an internet connection.
- Private Cloud: You run the DAM on dedicated cloud servers that you manage. You get to control everything, just like an on-premises system, but you can also scale your setup more easily. This approach is powerful, but you’ll need more technical know-how to set it up and manage it.
📋Quick Checklist: Is a Self-Hosted DAM for You?
Whether you choose cloud or on-premises, digital asset management on your own dedicated server only makes sense if you both need and can do it. Here are the four more specific prerequisites:
1. ✅You Have an In-House IT Team
Someone must set up the infrastructure for any self-hosted system. A DevOps department or a skilled system administrator makes this work much easier. Some providers (e.g., Daminion) will be happy to guide your admin to configure their system on your end—no big IT team needed.
2. ✅You Have an Existing Storage Infrastructure
If you already have a network-attached storage (NAS), a corporate cloud, or a virtual private server (VPS), self-hosting a DAM will be an easy choice.
3. ✅You Store Sensitive Media Files
Your digital assets might fall under strict data sovereignty and compliance rules or clients’ requirements – a strong reason to host the entire system yourself.
Ryan Keogh, a data management expert, writes:
“If your organization is in a heavily regulated industry like finance or healthcare, compliance has to come before all else, including maintaining extra redundancy in backups.”
Ryan Keogh
Data Management Expert with extensive experience working with B2B Marketing and Sales teams.
4. ✅You Can’t Rely on Your Internet Connection
A local DAM ensures you can always work with your files, even when the internet goes down.
5. ✅You Want Your Media Assets to Load Fast
With local hosting, you control how quickly your data loads thanks to short file paths. Your internet quality doesn’t matter—the load speed only depends on your hardware.
6. ✅You Handle Large Data
Each new 3D model or high-resolution image consumes more cloud space, causing your storage expenses to quietly grow until they explode. This doesn’t happen when you host your DAM locally.
Before You Decide: Key Things to Look for in a Self-Hosted DAM
Ready to start looking for a DAM? Keep these points in mind:
1. Ease of Setup and Maintenance
You’ll find systems that offer precise control over every detail. But some of them require a complex server setup, constant manual updates, or developer-level skills to configure. Walk past if you don’t have a large in-house IT department!
2. Robust Security and Access Control
Nothing trumps on-premises when you need to control access to your files. While cloud-hosted data can be shared outside your organization in a finger slip, it takes social engineering skills to break into a hard drive.
According to Fortinet’s 2023 Cloud Security Report, most organizations globally were “moderately to extremely concerned about cloud security.” What’s more:
😨🌩️ 43% of respondents see public cloud as more risky than on-premises environments.
If not you, your partners and clients could be among those surveyed.
3. Powerful Metadata Management Tools
A DAM is only useful if it helps you find the right file in seconds. So, look for features like consistent metadata tagging, smart search, and helpful visual previews.
4. Long-Term Cost Viability
Cloud DAMs often come with unpredictable monthly fees, storage limits, or pay-per-user pricing. This explains why
😵📈 49% of organizations struggle to keep on top of their cloud expenses, which often leads to a cloud bill shock.
A self-hosted DAM can prevent these unpredictable costs. Look for a model where you pay a fixed price and get ongoing support.
As you consider your options, you will likely come across a dilemma:
Open-Source or Commercial DAM Software?
You can host an open-source DAM either in the cloud or on-premises and use it for free. Choose this option if you need ultimate control over every little detail. Before you do, though, get into the right mindset:
- ⚠️ Be ready to set it up yourself
- ⚠️ Don’t expect dedicated support
- ⚠️ Prepare for a raw, bare-minimum interface
- ⚠️ Learn to ensure security on an ongoing basis
All in all, open-source software developers often don’t care much about user needs beyond what they consider important. They don’t build a product for you – they build it for themselves and let you use the code for free.
Have you ever assembled IKEA furniture? Setting up an open-source DAM feels a lot like that, but you are also responsible for all the customization, security, and user experience work.
So, if you have the skills and the time to invest in an open-source DAM, go for it. Otherwise, check out ready-made commercial software with dedicated support like Daminion.
Top 3 Self-Hosted DAM Solutions in 2025
When you go searching for self-hosted DAMs in 2025, you will likely discover multiple options. These three are worth a closer look:
1. Daminion
As an on-prem-first DAM, Daminion is a breeze to set up. You buy the license once, download the installer, and get personalized onboarding support. A Daminion guide will help you configure who can access what, down to the tiniest detail.
Your team will love AI-powered features for handling digital assets like automated tagging, smart search, facial recognition, and others. All at no infrastructure cost—your files live on the hard drive you own.
Of course, you can’t customize Daminion as deeply as an open-source DAM. But if you’re a small to medium organization, you probably need a modular home rather than the sand to build a castle from.
That said, Daminion developers keep improving the product, releasing updates every quarter in response to user feedback. The team focuses on making AI features cheaper and faster.
Getting Started with Daminion
Experience Secure Multi-User Digital Asset Management!
Store, tag, search, and share media assets like never before ➡️
2. ResourceSpace
If you need to customize every single detail of your DAM, consider ResourceSpace. Unlike Daminion, this open-source software doesn’t come with a pre-set installer, so you’ll need to configure it yourself. Manuals, guides, and forum discussions are there to guide you.
You can run ResourceSpace either in the cloud or on-premises. If you struggle with configuring user roles or the manual tagging system, you can always upgrade to paid support.
ResourceSpace offers a less robust AI tagging system and search than Daminion. But if you want more, you can buy add-ons anytime.
Go for ResourceSpace if you’re a not-for-profit or tech-savvy organization.
3. Pimcore
Finally, if you work for a large enterprise with a solid IT department, check out Pimcore. Its system for defining user roles and permissions is powerful enough to support complex product information management (PIM) platforms—perfect for big E-commerce stores. Setting it up will mentally stimulate your tech professionals!
Just like ResourceSpace, Pimcore can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud. This DAM comes in a free Community Edition and a paid Enterprise Edition. Choose the Enterprise Edition to get the features a large company truly needs. ⚠️The price ranges from €8,400 to €34,200 per year.
As you explore Pimcore, you will find that working with metadata isn’t as straightforward as it is in Daminion. This may be a deliberate choice to simplify how large, diverse teams work with creative assets.
Comparison Table of Top Self-Hosted DAM
Here’s a comparison table to sum things up about the three DAMs:
| Criteria | Daminion | ResourceSpace | Pimcore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Setup & Maintenance | ✅ Simple installer, strong onboarding support, minimal IT effort | ⚠️ Requires technical setup, plugins | ⚠️ Complex enterprise setup |
Security & Access Control | ✅ On-prem solution, granular access and permissions | ✅ On-prem, decent role management | ✅ On-prem, decent role management |
Metadata Management | ✅ AI tagging, custom tags, powerful search engine, facial recognition | ⚠️ Manual tagging, weaker AI-assisted tagging and search tools | ⚠️ Decent permission settings, but limited metadata tools and complex UX |
Long-Term Cost Viability | ✅Fixed annual price, one-time license option, no storage fees | ⚠️ Free core, paid add-ons & support | ❌ High license and support costs |
| Best For | SMBs that need reliable, low-maintenance DAM | Nonprofits or tech-savvy institutions | Enterprises with large IT departments |
Your Next Step to a Better Self-Hosted DAM
The DAM software landscape isn’t easy to navigate. This guide was designed to help you understand the differences between cloud, on-premises, open-source, and commercial systems. With this knowledge, you’re better equipped to choose the right self-hosted DAM for your team.
What next? You’ll probably go on to explore the market. A great next step is to see a pre-set, self-hosted DAM in action—schedule a free demo of Daminion.
Why start with Daminion?
- ✅ It works with NAS and VPS.
- ✅ You can easily install, manage, and scale the software.
- ✅ Your team will thank you for the AI-powered tagging and advanced search.
- ✅ More than 800 teams in fields like architecture, design, public sector, and more use Daminion.
The Daminion team is ready to answer all your questions – just book a demo.
Getting Started with Daminion
Experience Secure Multi-User Digital Asset Management!
Store, tag, search, and share media assets like never before ➡️
