Brandfolder vs Phraseanet

Fit:

Migration notes

Suitable for a searchable media library with structured/embedded metadata, faceted and thesaurus search, collection/document permissions, annotations, validation and web galleries. Plan asset and metadata export/import and rebuild taxonomy, access rules and workflows; existing approval history, SaaS integrations and branded portal behavior need separate validation. Phraseanet publishes an API and bulk import/export tools; no direct migration connector was verified. Parade is a separate front-office offering and its licensing is not established here.

Sources: www.phraseanet.com, www.phraseanet.com, brandfolder.com · checked 2026-10-21

BrandfolderPaid incumbent

Entry priceNot established

Pricing modelquote, billed quote

OwnerSmartsheet; acquired by Blackstone and Vista funds in2025

Official pricing requires a personalized quote; no numerical entry price published. Source

Brandfolder plans reviewed
Premium	entry	Quote only
Premium	business	Quote only
Enterprise	enterprise	Quote only

PhraseanetOpen-source alternative

Fit for Brandfolder

License

GNU General Public License v3.0 Permissions of this strong copyleft license are conditioned on making available complete source code of licensed works and modifications, which include larger works using a licensed work, under the same license. Copyright and license notices must be preserved. Contributors provide an express grant of patent rights. May Commercial useModificationDistributionPatent usePrivate use Must License and copyright noticeState changesDisclose sourceSame license No LiabilityWarranty Summary from GitHub's choosealicense.com

Paid-feature tier A

Self-host

Paid-feature limitsNone established

Phraseanet plans reviewed
Phraseanet4.1 core	self-hosted core	Free

What you may give up

No paid-feature limits established for this edition.

First-party SaaS, installation, configuration, training and maintenance are commercial services.

Tier A: Current LICENSE includes GNU GPL version 3; official download and product pages explicitly include all application interfaces/functions and unlimited users. Hosting, installation, training and maintenance are services. Classification covers Phraseanet itself; separately promoted Parade front-office customization has not been verified as part of the GPL application. Current repository is active, not archived, with 4.1.25 released on the check date. License source

What running it takes

Elasticsearch
RabbitMQ

Hover or focus an icon for its name. Dashed means not established; struck through means no; grouped icons are alternatives.

Current Phraseanet4.1 README stack runs test defaults. Production requires customized credentials, storage/DB tuning; external infrastructure services can replace included containers except app/workers. Linux preferred; macOS/Windows use Linux containers via VM. Manual Compose build/pull plus up is not one-click. Infrastructure and staff time are not priced here; this page does not compare total cost.