Pimcore vs. Plytix: Which PIM system is the best choice
If you’re searching for a reliable PIM system for your company, you’ve most probably already heard of Pimcore and Plytix, two extremely popular PIM systems on the market.
To help you make your decision a bit easier, we’ll compare these 2 platforms in terms of pricing, features, ease-of-use, support, and much more.
We’re experts in product information management and we’re dedicated to providing you with the best information on the web you most probably won’t find anywhere else in this format.
Let’s dive right in!
What is product information management (PIM) and why should your company use it?
We’ll start with a short introduction to product information management. You’re probably already familiar with PIM, but it’s always helpful to brush up on all the essential knowledge.
In essence, the product information management (PIM) system is responsible for providing your company with accurate and up-to-date product information. It’s usually associated with increasing productivity, minimizing human error, and allowing for easier collaboration, thanks to its single source of truth approach.
All of the gathered data is centralized in a single location, making it easy for all teams to access the needed data whenever needed.
Initially, PIM connects to your external data sources (ERP, CRM, BI,...) and imports all of the product data. Next, imported data is translated, enriched, and maintained - which can even be automated.
Finally, PIM is responsible for distributing data to any communication channel of your choice. Below, you can see a simplified illustration of PIM processes.
Now, how would your company benefit from implementing a PIM system?
Firstly, an improved customer experience is the first primary benefit. Providing customers with inaccurate information often leads to a decrease in sales revenue and may just prevent your customers from becoming loyal to your brand.
Furthermore, efficiently handling all your product data through PIM results in huge cost savings long-term, as there’s less room for human error and PIM processes can often be automated.
And if you’re in the eCommerce industry, a PIM will be most likely a necessity for your business to thrive in this highly competitive market. Handling thousands of product data entries is no small task, and it even becomes harder if you’re trying to manage it all without PIM.
Now you have a clear picture of why PIM is such an important system and why is the PIM business booming in the last few years.
But what PIM system should your company use? Pimcore and Plytix are 2 of the most popular ones, so let’s compare them!
What is Pimcore?
Pimcore is an open-source digital experience platform, consisting of 6 separate systems that can function as standalone systems or work together in harmony. It has the potential to manage all of the digital data, processes, and digital experiences.
As noted earlier, Pimcore consists of 6 different systems, including:
- Product information management
- Digital asset management
- Customer data platform
- Content management system
- Master data management
- eCommerce
Pimcore is one of the few platforms on the market that can support nearly any business initiative. It has an incredible range of features and in its free Community Edition, it has all of the features needed to support a growing enterprise.
Additionally, Pimcore is built more like a framework, rather than an out-of-the-box solution, making way for unparalleled customizability. In layman’s terms, you can build whatever you want with Pimcore and customize it to the tiniest detail to ensure it works as you imagined it.
And if you’re looking to optimize your internal processes, Pimcore will help you get the most out of your workflows with its powerful workflow engine, capable of creating even the most complex business scenarios.
Besides the workflow engine, Pimcore features a personalization engine that goes to great lengths in order to provide your customers with the best possible personalized experience.
But let’s keep in mind that we’re talking about PIM today. Here’s a 2-minute video explaining Pimcore’s PIM system.
Also, you can find more information about Pimcore on our YouTube channel! There you’ll find more videos like the one below that may help you navigate through Pimcore more quickly.
The next contender is Plytix, so let’s check it out for a bit.
What is Plytix?
Plytix is an all-in-one product information management platform designed for multichannel retail. It’s popular mainly among small to medium-sized retailers and, same as Pimcore, it utilizes a single source of truth for better transparency and accessibility.
Plytix consists of 4 different products, including:
When all of them are used together, Plytix comes off as an extremely powerful product information management tool. Same as Pimcore, not all products need to be used, as each product can be used standalone.
Due to its simplicity and easy-to-use interface, Plytix is extremely popular among smaller- and middle-sized businesses that don’t have huge budgets, but still, need to manage all of their product information.
Its users praise Plytix for great customer support, as they constantly assist their customers throughout all of their PIM challenges. This only adds to the fact that Plytix is an attractive solution for smaller businesses that aren’t extremely proficient in using PIM.
Users with somewhat extensive product information management needs might give Plytix a chance, but there are some roadblocks here. Some of the advanced PIM features may not be available, but Plytix has a long product roadmap with a ton of new features coming in the next few years.
Also, if you’re looking for a completely customizable solution, Plytix probably won’t be your top choice as it’s an out-of-the-box SaaS solution, meaning that you won’t be able to adapt it to all your existing processes seamlessly.
On the other hand, it’s an amazing PIM solution with great UX and an intuitive dashboard. Additionally, it’s easy to set up and new users won’t take a long time to get used to its features and capabilities.
In their introduction video above, you can learn more about Plytix and some of its main features, as well as get the initial feel on their UX.
Now, let’s compare these two awesome platforms side-by-side.
Pimcore vs. Plytix - the comparison
Both Pimcore and Plytix have a wide arsenal of PIM features waiting to be used. Here are some of the features these platforms share:
- Intuitive dashboard
- Data import and export
- Data visualization
- External integrations
- Multi-user capabilities
- User notifications system
- Product catalog creation
- Asset lifecycle management
- Product categorization
- Collaboration tools
- Content library
- Content management capabilities
- Data modeling
- Data quality control
- Filtering
- Digital asset management
- Document management
- Workflow management
And the list goes on. These 2 platforms are the real embodiment of the words “product information management”. They share a lot of crucial PIM features, but there are some features that Plytix doesn’t have on its offer.
Here are some features exclusive to Pimcore:
- Data masking, migration, and profiling
- Dashboard creation
- Inventory management
- Order management
And the list goes on. This comprehensive list shows the sheer volume of features Pimcore brings to the table, in all of its pricing plans. Pimcore is one of the few platforms on the market that have the potential to replace all of the existing systems with one that encompasses all of the business aspects of your company.
On the other hand, there are some features that are exclusive to Plytix. Here’s a list of them:
- Asset categorization and sharing
- Cross-selling functionality
- Database publishing
- Product comparison
Plytix may not be as feature-rich as Pimcore, but it is a mighty contender in this PIM showdown nonetheless. Plytix doesn’t overwhelm its users with countless features. This comes off as beneficial to the users who aren’t tech-savvy.
When comparing these 2 platforms, it’s important to note that each of them addresses different market needs. G2 gathered data from over 150 Pimcore and Plytix users to accurately display to which market segments each platform caters.
On the left, you can see which market segments find Pimcore to be an appropriate solution for their needs, and on the right, you can see which market segments found Plytix to be a bit better equipped to help them deal with their PIM challenges.
Also, each of these platforms tends to a different set of industries. Here’s a short comparison.
On the left, you can see that Pimcore tends primarily to the IT industry, while Plytix champions are mainly from the retail and consumer goods industries.
So, the question arises.
Why and when to choose Pimcore and when to choose Plytix?
PIM business is booming. An increasing number of companies are getting their hands on some PIM systems and it’s for a good reason. There has never been more data and more products to handle and trying to do all that with the help of an Excel Spreadsheet may not be the most efficient way.
Currently, the PIM market is growing at 11.4% CAGR which is an insanely high percentage, announcing the golden age of PIM. Or rather the golden age of data management.
PIM is now becoming a necessity for a large number of businesses, and choosing the right PIM for your business is a crucial decision.
Now, if you’re a small- or middle-sized retailer, you’ll lean more towards Plytix, as it’s a simple and intuitive platform designed particularly for users with little to no technical knowledge. Plytix is easy to set up and doesn’t overwhelm you with tons of features right from the start. So, if you aren’t that tech-savvy and you need an out-of-the-box solution that will fit your business perfectly - Plytix may suit you better than Pimcore.
On the other hand, if you’re representing a larger company that’s regularly managing large amounts of data, you’ll definitely want to implement a bit more complex PIM that can provide you with more capabilities. On top of that, Pimcore as such is a platform that can provide even more benefits to larger enterprises, thanks to its feature-rich Enterprise Edition.
It has the capacity to handle as many SKUs as your company needs, kickstart your marketing efforts with its personalization engine, and promote efficiency and productivity with its powerful workflow engine.
So, if you’re working on a complex project or you want to tackle several projects simultaneously, Pimcore may be the ideal solution for your company.
Pimcore vs. Plytix - the pricing comparison
Pimcore comes in 3 different editions - Community, Enterprise, and Unlimited.
Pimcore’s paid Enterprise Edition costs start at about €19,200 per year. Besides enabling a large number of Enterprise-only features, you’ll have full access to SLA (Service Level Agreement), LTS (Long Term Support), and consulting.
Still, Pimcore’s free Community Edition comes with a wide range of features as well. Even though it’s named Community Edition, it can be successfully used in any corporate environment, as it enables the full use of any of 6 Pimcore key components.
Ultimately, there’s the Unlimited Edition. It’s pretty similar to the Enterprise Edition, except for the fact that unlimited installations are supported. Also, you’ll get a bit more out of Pimcore regarding support. So, it may be the best option for you if you’re looking for a platform that supports a large number of installations.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Pimcore’s pricing plans.
Plytix also comes in 3 different editions - Free, Standard, and Pro.
Plytix Free edition is the perfect starting point for small companies who are just now throwing away their Excel Spreadsheets and Dropbox folders. And it’s completely free. Every edition supports an unlimited number of users and that’s phenomenal. Albeit, only 1,000 SKUs are supported and analytics data is limited.
In their Standard edition, you’ll have up to 100,000 SKUs supported, unlimited file storage, dedicated customer support at your disposal, and access to optional add-ons to distribute product content to other sales channels, online catalogs, and PDF templates. It costs €300/month and it’s billed annually, meaning that costs start at €3,600/year.
Finally, the Plytix Pro edition enables you to manage products and product information on a particularly high level. You’ll have access to all features presented in the Standard edition, but with several new additions, such as automated feeds for all your online sales channels, online catalogs for sharing product content, automated data sheets in CSV and Excel formats, and PDF templates that update automatically.
This final pricing plan will cost you €1,100/month and it’s billed annually, placing the initial cost of Plytix Pro at €13,200/month.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Plytix pricing plans.
You’ll notice that Plytix does have a few more products in its offer, each charged separately, as seen in the image below.
At this point, taking into account the price, quality, and quantity of features offered in all pricing plans, Pimcore provides its customers with the best value for money. Pimcore’s Enterprise Edition costs start at €7,200/month, costing a lot less than Plytix in its Pro pricing plan and it brings to the table a much wider range of features.
Of course, platforms such as Pimcore require a dedicated team of developers who will help you customize the platform as much as you want, so development costs should also be taken into account.
Pimcore vs. Plytix - which PIM platform is a better fit?
When compared, Pimcore and Plytix come off as powerful PIM platforms with a satisfyingly wide range of features. Still, no platform is a universal solution for all businesses.
So, there are certain situations where you would rather choose Pimcore over Plytix and vice versa.
If you’re representing a larger enterprise and you’re dealing with complex projects and workflows, handling thousands of products, and selling to a large number of customers - Pimcore would be your preferred platform.
Pimcore will properly equip you with all the tools needed to take all your data under control and maximize profits through intense optimization.
On the other hand, if you’re running a smaller-sized business, Plytix will probably suit you better. You won’t need any specialized technical knowledge to successfully manage everything. Additionally, it doesn’t need to be customized and developed by a dedicated team of developers to set it up for work, so you can start using it fairly quickly.
Each platform has its own pros and cons, but when we take all of them into account to make a final decision - our preferred PIM platform is definitely Pimcore. We’ve recognized that Pimcore can offer much more to our clients than other platforms and that we could solve potentially any business problems our clients face through Pimcore.
Also, we’ve been recognized as one of the few Pimcore Gold partners, thanks to our dedication to improving the Pimcore platform and educating the Pimcore community.
If you’re looking for a PIM software to grow your business, you’ll need a reliable development partner, and we’d be happy to help you. Reach out to us and let us know how we can help you reach your goals.
Pimcore vs. Competitors
You'd like to know how Pimcore compares to the rest of its competitors?
Here are a few comparisons you may find useful: