Last updated: July 21, 2026

You’ve got Canto on your DAM shortlist and you’re trying to figure out if it actually works for an AEC firm. And now that Canto markets explicitly to “construction” as an industry, you’re wondering whether that changes the answer.

Both questions have straightforward answers. You just need to look at the right data. This article covers where Canto and OpenAsset differ at a structural level, which industries each one actually serves, and how to make the call with confidence. We’ll use G2 review data, a side-by-side integration comparison, and three AEC case studies to give you what you need.

Disclosure: This comparison is published by OpenAsset, one of the two platforms compared here. G2 ratings and review counts are drawn from g2.com and linked directly in the Sources section; integration data comes from Canto’s published integrations page. We’ve used third-party sources throughout so you can verify what we’re claiming.

What is digital asset management?

A digital asset management (DAM) system stores, organizes, and makes visual assets findable across an organization. 

DAMs help marketing, communications, and business development teams quickly find approved project photos, renderings, staff headshots, logos, and videos without digging through shared drives or emailing colleagues.

What makes a DAM built for AEC different from a general-purpose DAM? 

AEC firms don’t just need to find images. They need to connect those images to project records, staff CVs, and proposal templates. The integration layer matters as much as the storage layer. A general-purpose DAM and an AEC-specific DAM store the same file types. They differ in what the file connects to once it’s stored.

What is OpenAsset?

OpenAsset is an AEC-specific digital asset management and proposal platform that helps architecture, engineering, and construction firms centralize project photography, connect assets to proposal workflows, and quickly surface the information needed for proposals, qualifications packages, and marketing materials.

The platform has two components. OpenAsset DAM serves as the core asset library, with smart search, automatic image resizing, an Employee Module for staff CVs and bios, and an Adobe InDesign plugin for proposal and qualification templates.

Shred is OpenAsset’s AI-powered proposal tool. It helps teams surface past proposal content, evaluate opportunities with go/no-go analysis, and draft responses using the firm’s own project data.

OpenAsset earned a place on G2’s 2025 Best Software list, ranking 34th in Best Content Management Software.

What is Canto?

Canto is a cloud-based digital asset management and product information management (PIM) platform built for product-driven brands, including retailers, consumer packaged goods companies, e-commerce operations, and manufacturers that manage visual assets alongside product catalog data.

Canto acquired Image Relay, a Vermont-based DAM and PIM provider, in September 2024. The acquisition added Image Relay’s combined DAM and PIM capabilities to Canto’s platform, expanding its offering for organizations that manage product images, specifications, and catalog data in the same workflow.

Canto’s notable capabilities include an AI Library Assistant for natural-language search, AI Visual Search, facial recognition, and integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, Figma, Shopify, Hootsuite, and Vimeo.

Canto vs. OpenAsset at a glance: G2 ratings and best-fit summary

If you’re comparing Canto and OpenAsset, the biggest differences come down to industry focus, integrations, and proposal support. 

The table below highlights the criteria that matter most for AEC firms evaluating both platforms.

	OpenAsset	Canto
G2 rating	4.7/5 (204 reviews)	4.4/5 (1,769 reviews)
G2 awards	2025 Best Software Award	None
Best for	Architecture, engineering, and construction firms	Marketing teams in retail, CPG, e-commerce, manufacturing
AEC integrations	Procore, Deltek Vision, Deltek Vantagepoint, AEC360, Unanet/Cosential	None
Other integrations	Adobe InDesign, PowerPoint, Templafy, Affinity, Salesforce, HubSpot, Okta, Dropbox	Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, Figma, Shopify, Hootsuite, Vimeo, Monday, WordPress
Employee/CV module	Yes	No
AI proposal tools	Shred (native)	None
Pricing	Contact for quote	Contact for quote

How do Canto and OpenAsset compare for AEC workflows?

The sharpest difference between the two platforms is organizational model: OpenAsset is project-centric; Canto is brand- and product-centric. That distinction affects everything from integrations to proposal development.

Capability	OpenAsset	Canto
Asset organization	Project-centric: assets link to project records	Brand/product-centric: assets organized by campaigns and product lines
Search and AI	Smart search, AI Visual Search, Facial Recognition, Content Assistant	AI Library Assistant, AI Visual Search, Facial Recognition
Proposal and template tools	InDesign plugin, PowerPoint integration, Templafy, Affinity; Shred for AI-assisted drafting	No proposal tools. InDesign integration is present, but has no specific capabilities  for AEC proposals
File sharing	DAM File Sharing, Portals, share links	Portals, share links
AEC integrations	Procore, Deltek Vision, Deltek Vantagepoint, AEC360, Unanet/Cosential	None
Non-AEC integrations	Salesforce, HubSpot, Dropbox, Slack, Okta, Microsoft Azure AD	Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, Figma, Shopify, Hootsuite, Vimeo, Monday, WordPress
Employee/CV module	Yes (staff bios, CVs, and InDesign CV templates)	No

The AEC integrations row is the one that decides this comparison for most firms. 

Canto has no native integrations with Procore, Deltek, or AEC360. If your firm already relies on one of those systems, your DAM becomes another standalone repository instead of part of your proposal workflow.

Does Canto work for architecture, engineering, and construction firms?

Canto can store, organize, and share AEC project photography. It cannot connect to the ERP, project management, or proposal systems that AEC marketing teams depend on.

Canto markets to construction: What does that actually mean?

Canto has a dedicated construction industry page that covers asset organization and sharing features for construction teams. What it doesn’t include are native integrations with Procore, Deltek, or AEC360, along with an Employee Module or proposal assembly tools. Canto addresses storage and sharing, not the ERP-connected workflow that typically drives AEC firms to evaluate a DAM in the first place.

What do AEC firms find when they try Canto?

Canto has 1,769 reviews on G2 as of June 2026. Of the 42 Canto G2 reviews we analyzed for this article, zero came from architecture, engineering, or construction firms. Reviewers represent marketing and advertising agencies, higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, entertainment companies, apparel brands, and manufacturing, the industries Canto is designed for. AEC firms are not in the mix.

Who is Canto built for?

Canto is a strong fit for organizations managing brand assets and product data across marketing, retail, and product-driven workflows.

• Marketing and brand teams in retail, CPG, and e-commerce: Canto’s integrations with Shopify, Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Hootsuite serve teams managing product photography and campaign assets across digital channels.
• Organizations that need a combined DAM and PIM: If your team manages both product images and product data (SKU details, spec sheets, and product descriptions), Canto’s combined system reduces the need for a separate PIM platform.
• Teams with heavy Adobe Creative Cloud workflows: Canto’s connections to Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma work well for creative teams that spend most of their time in those tools.
• Higher education and nonprofit communications teams: Canto’s portal and sharing features work well for organizations managing large photography archives for broad internal distribution without the need for proposal or ERP integration.
• Consumer brands outside AEC: If your integration stack centers on Shopify, Canva, and Hootsuite rather than Procore or Deltek, Canto’s connector set matches your needs more closely.

Who should choose OpenAsset, and when isn’t it the right fit?

OpenAsset is built for AEC firms that need their DAM connected to the project management and ERP systems driving their business development.

Choose OpenAsset when your firm:

• Runs Deltek Vision or Vantagepoint: OpenAsset’s native Deltek integration connects project records directly to your asset library, so data in both systems stays in sync.
• Uses Procore for project management: OpenAsset’s Procore integration surfaces project assets inside the platform your project teams already use every day.
• Assembles proposals, qualifications packages, or RFP responses regularly: The Employee Module, Adobe InDesign template engine, and Shred work together for proposal assembly; no general-purpose DAM includes these capabilities.
• Manages assets across multiple offices: Many OpenAsset clients are multi-office AEC operations where shared access to approved project photography is a daily operational need.
• Is evaluating AI proposal tools: Shred integrates natively with OpenAsset DAM, with no separate system or data export required.

When OpenAsset isn’t the right call

If your team’s integration stack centers on Shopify and Canva, or if you’re in retail, CPG, or e-commerce and need DAM+PIM combined, Canto is a better fit. OpenAsset is built for the AEC proposal and business development workflow; outside that context, you’d be paying for capabilities you won’t use.

OpenAsset in practice: results from AEC firms

AEC firms that use OpenAsset report measurable time savings on asset search, proposal assembly, and CV management. OpenAsset reports a 99% customer renewal rate across its AEC firm customer base. The case studies below show how those savings play out in practice.

Nitsch Engineering

Nitsch Engineering, a Boston-based engineering firm, runs a two-person marketing team. Before implementing OpenAsset, the team tracked its workflows to establish a baseline. After implementation, it confirmed a positive return on investment within the first year because the improvements were easy to measure across such a small team.

WilkinsonEyre

WilkinsonEyre, the London-based architecture practice, turned to OpenAsset to solve CV management at scale.

“We manage hundreds of CVs and making sure that each one is kept up-to-date required a lot of effort.” — Katharine Hubbard, Bid Manager at WilkinsonEyre

OpenAsset’s Employee Module brought 150 CVs and 99 employees into a structured, searchable system within four months.

Sundt Construction

Sundt Construction, ranked No. 42 on Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Top 400 Contractors list, used OpenAsset to consolidate digital assets across multiple offices.

Frequently asked questions

Does Canto integrate with Procore or Deltek?

No. As of June 2026, Canto has no integration with Procore, Deltek Vision, Deltek Vantagepoint, AEC360, or Unanet/Cosential. For AEC firms where these systems are central to daily workflow, this gap typically decides the comparison.

Is Canto a good fit for architecture or engineering firms?

For storing project photography, yes. For AEC proposal workflows, no. Canto lacks the Procore and Deltek integrations, Employee Module, and proposal tools that AEC marketing teams rely on. Of the 42 Canto G2 reviews analyzed for this article, none came from AEC firms.

What DAM is best for AEC proposal management?

OpenAsset is the only DAM purpose-built for AEC proposal workflows. Its Employee Module manages staff CVs, its Adobe InDesign plugin connects to qualification and proposal templates, and Shred lets teams draft RFP responses from the firm’s own project data. General-purpose DAMs, Canto included, don’t offer these capabilities.

How does OpenAsset’s G2 rating compare to Canto’s?

OpenAsset holds a 4.7/5 rating from 204 G2 reviews and earned a 2025 Best Software Award. Canto holds a 4.4/5 from 1,769 reviews as of June 2026. OpenAsset’s smaller count reflects its AEC focus; Canto’s larger base covers retail, education, and consumer brands.

Can OpenAsset be used outside the AEC industry?

OpenAsset is designed for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. Its integrations with Procore, Deltek, and AEC360, along with its metadata structure and proposal tools, are built for AEC-specific needs. Outside AEC, a general-purpose DAM is a better starting point.

Making the call

For most AEC firms, the Canto vs. OpenAsset decision comes down to one question: does your DAM need to connect to Procore, Deltek, or AEC360? If yes, OpenAsset is the answer. Canto is a capable DAM for marketing and product-driven organizations, but its integration set doesn’t reach the ERP and project management systems AEC firms run.

You now have the G2 review data showing where Canto’s user base actually sits, the specific integration gap that decides this comparison for most AEC firms, and a clear framework for running your own pre-demo evaluation. The clearest next step is an integration audit: list the systems your firm runs today and check which DAM connects to them natively.

OpenAsset’s AEC-specific digital asset management platform serves more than 1,000 architecture, engineering, and construction firms. The platform handles project photography, proposal assembly, staff CV management, and AEC ERP integration from a single system.

How to take action now

• List the project management and ERP systems your firm runs today. Your DAM should connect to as many as possible, natively. 
• Ask every DAM vendor directly whether they integrate with Procore, Deltek Vision, Unanet, or AEC360 before scheduling a demo
• Pull G2 reviews filtered to your industry before shortlisting any platform
• If you’re evaluating AI proposal tools alongside a DAM, confirm whether the tools integrate natively or require a data export

Related resource: See how OpenAsset compares to other DAM platforms.

Sources and references

• OpenAsset G2 profile [https://www.g2.com/products/openasset/reviews]: G2 rating (4.7/5, 204 reviews) and 2025 Best Software Award, retrieved June 2026
• Canto G2 profile [https://www.g2.com/products/canto/reviews]: G2 rating (4.4/5, 1,769 reviews), retrieved June 16, 2026
• Canto integrations page [https://www.canto.com/integrations/]: integration list
• Canto construction industry page [https://www.canto.com/industries/construction/]
• Engineering News-Record (ENR): Sundt ranks No. 42 on ENR’s Top 400 Contractors List (2026). [https://www.enr.com/toplists/2026-Top-400-Contractors-1]
• WilkinsonEyre case study: source for CV count and implementation timeline [https://openasset.com/clients/wilkinsoneyre/]