Short answer
The DAM Pricing Index publishes observed DAM price ranges by pricing archetype and company size, drawn from anonymised quotes in PIMvendors engagements and buyer submissions. A cell publishes only when it holds at least five quotes, every published cell shows its sample size, and the index refreshes every quarter under CC BY 4.0.
What the index shows
The DAM Pricing Index shows a grid of three pricing archetypes by three company sizes, with one price range per cell.
| Archetype | How the vendor charges |
|---|---|
| Per seat | A fee per named or concurrent user, often with tiers for user types |
| Per storage tier | A fee per band of storage or asset volume |
| Platform tier | A package fee for a bundle of modules, users and storage |
Every cell in the index currently reads "n below 5", because no cell has reached five quotes yet. The index publishes no estimate in place of real quotes. The guide on how DAM pricing works explains each archetype in depth.
Method
The DAM Pricing Index turns raw quotes into comparable annual figures in six steps.
- Collect quotes from PIMvendors engagements, with the client's consent, and from buyer submissions.
- Remove the buyer name, the vendor sales contact and any detail that identifies a deal.
- Classify the quote by pricing archetype and by company size band.
- Normalise to the annual subscription cost in euros for year one. One-off implementation services are excluded.
- Convert other currencies at the ECB euro reference rate on the quote date.
- Publish the median and the interquartile range for each cell with five or more quotes, with the sample size shown.
The interquartile range shows the middle half of the quotes. The index omits minimum and maximum quotes, because extreme values in a small sample can identify a deal.
Fields recorded per quote
The DAM Pricing Index records twelve fields per quote, and only aggregates ever publish.
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Pricing archetype | Places the quote in a row of the grid |
| Company size band | Places the quote in a column of the grid |
| Annual subscription, year one | The figure the index aggregates |
| Currency and quote date | Conversion at the ECB reference rate |
| Contract term in years | Separates one-year and multi-year deals |
| Discount from first offer | Shows negotiation range, published only in aggregate |
| Storage included | Context for storage-tier pricing |
| Users included, by type | Context for per-seat pricing |
| AI credits included | Context for AI consumption costs |
| Modules included | Brand portal, workflow, delivery and others |
| Hosting region | EU, UK, US or other |
| Segment of the vendor | One of the five DAMSelection segments |
The vendor's name is stored for classification checks and never published. The index reports by archetype and size, never by vendor.
Company size bands
The DAM Pricing Index uses three company size bands, based on the number of DAM users in the quote.
| Band | DAMSelection definition |
|---|---|
| Small business | Under 20 DAM users, with a library under 50,000 assets |
| Mid-market | 20 to 300 DAM users, with one or two core integrations |
| Enterprise | More than 300 DAM users, often across several brands and regions |
The bands match the DAMSelection fit pages for small business, mid-market and enterprise. DAMSelection assessment: user count predicts DAM price better than staff headcount, because a large company can run a small DAM team.
Submit a quote
Buyers can submit an anonymised DAM quote to the DAM Pricing Index, and the submission never reveals the buyer or the vendor contact.
- Send the twelve fields listed in the fields table, or the quote document with names removed.
- State whether the figure is a first offer or a final negotiated price.
- Quotes older than 24 months are excluded, because DAM pricing changes with each packaging update.
Each submission adds to a cell. When a cell reaches five quotes, it publishes in the next quarterly update.
How to use the index in a selection
The DAM Pricing Index gives a reference range, and the five-year cost of a specific DAM depends on volumes and consumption.
DAMSelection assessment: storage, egress and AI credit consumption drive five-year DAM cost more than licence fees. Use the index to test whether a quote sits inside the observed range. Then model the full cost with the Five-year DAM TCO Calculator and the five-year total cost of ownership guide. The pricing negotiation guide covers what to ask for when a quote sits above the range.
Licence, citation and cadence
The DAM Pricing Index updates every quarter and is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Credit "DAMSelection.com", link to this page and to the licence, and state any changes. Worked example of a citation: DAMSelection.com (2026). The DAM Pricing Index, version 2026-Q4. https://damselection.com/research/dam-pricing-index/. Licence: CC BY 4.0. The index sits within DAM research and data, next to the DAM Market Map.
Index
| Archetype | Small business | Mid-market | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per seat | n below 5 | n below 5 | n below 5 |
| Per storage tier | n below 5 | n below 5 | n below 5 |
| Platform tier | n below 5 | n below 5 | n below 5 |
Frequently asked
How much does a DAM system cost?
DAM cost depends on the pricing archetype, user numbers, storage, egress and AI credit consumption. The DAM Pricing Index publishes observed ranges once a cell holds five quotes. Until then, model the five-year cost with the Five-year DAM TCO Calculator and ask each vendor for pricing in one standard format.
Why are DAM Pricing Index cells suppressed?
A DAM Pricing Index cell stays suppressed until it holds five quotes. Smaller samples can identify a single deal and give a misleading range. Every published cell shows its sample size, so a reader can judge how much weight the range can carry.
Is my DAM quote kept confidential?
A submitted quote is stored without the buyer name or the vendor sales contact. The vendor name is kept for classification checks only and never published. The DAM Pricing Index publishes aggregates by archetype and company size, never single quotes or vendor-level figures.
Which DAM pricing models does the index cover?
The DAM Pricing Index covers three pricing archetypes: per seat, per storage tier and platform tier. Each archetype is split into three company size bands: small business, mid-market and enterprise. Usage-based items such as AI credits and egress are recorded as context fields for each quote.
How often is the DAM Pricing Index updated?
The DAM Pricing Index updates every quarter. New quotes enter the next quarterly version, and a cell publishes as soon as it reaches five quotes. Quotes older than 24 months drop out, so the ranges reflect current vendor packaging.