Akeneo vs. Pimcore

All of these features should be standard for a PIM system, as well as the ability to easily integrate with other systems to ensure smooth collaboration. To simplify internal handling, it is also beneficial for the system to be user-friendly and intuitive, allowing employees to quickly get the hang of it.
In addition to these aspects, and looking toward the future, it’s important to ensure that the vendor offers long-term support when choosing your PIM system. After all, you’ll need ongoing support, from PIM updates to maintenance, even after implementation.

Akeneo

The first candidate we would like to introduce to you is Akeneo. Founded in 2013, over 70,000 companies currently use Akeneo as their PIM system. This open-source software is based on the Symfony PHP framework and can be hosted either in the cloud or on premises. Akeneo’s core function is to support companies in effectively managing and preparing product data for various sales channels in multi-channel retail, with a primary focus on product data.

Scope of services

Akeneo’s scope of services covers a wide range of features, starting with product data management: The system provides a central database where all product information is managed and stored. The accompanying data modeling allows for the structuring of product data according to various requirements, such as different categories. In parallel, you can define and manage all product types using attributes like color, size, and weight – and do so in multiple languages.

Quality assurance

Another key feature is data enrichment. With mass data processing, Akeneo allows you to edit large quantities of product data simultaneously. This feature is further enhanced by media integration, which enables you to link images, videos, and more to the product data.
Continuous quality control with data validation ensures that your data is always accurate and complete: For this, Akeneo employs validation rules or mandatory fields. Additionally, error detection automatically identifies missing or incorrect data, allowing you to correct it quickly.

Collaborations

In addition to handling data, Akeneo places great emphasis on team collaboration. The system features team workflows that allow multiple users to simultaneously process product data, with clearly defined tasks and roles. The guiding principle here is ‘Always well structured!’: To ensure smooth collaboration, user roles with dedicated permissions can be defined to control access to data records. If errors occur, all changes are tracked via versioning, allowing for easy rollback to previous versions if needed.

Data integration and analysis

One of the most important aspects of PIM systems is data integration and distribution. After all, product data needs to reach the world and the customer! Akeneo users appreciate the API and connectors provided by the system. These enable seamless integration of Akeneo with other e-commerce platforms and systems. Additionally, omnichannel publishing allows product information to be distributed across various sales channels, including both online stores and offline channels.
To assess the success of Akeneo’s operations, the system generates reports on data quality, user activity, and the progress of data enrichment.

User friendliness

Above all, Akeneo impresses with its intuitive user interface: the system takes a user-centered approach, designing its features in a way that makes them accessible to all users, even without prior technical knowledge. This is exemplified, for instance, by the drag-and-drop functionality, which ensures smooth system management.
Simplicity is also a top priority during onboarding: guides, tooltips, as well as training materials and documentation, are always available to users, helping them get up to speed with the software as quickly as possible.
When it comes to workflows, Akeneo focuses not only on teamwork but also on the needs of the individual. This allows for the creation and customization of individual workflows that ultimately benefit not only the individual user but also the overall team collaboration.

Advantages and disadvantages

User-friendliness is one of the first aspects mentioned when asked about the advantages of Akeneo – not least because of the efficient workflow and quick onboarding. Naturally, the central product data management, multilingual support, data quality, and the system’s expandability through the Akeneo Marketplace are also key highlights. Additionally, the active community and support for enterprise customers receive positive mention.
However, what is appreciated in the Enterprise Edition is criticized by users of the Community Edition: no official support is provided in this version, and the significantly limited functionality frustrates some users. Similarly, the exclusive focus on product information management is a drawback: neither digital asset management nor a content management system is available.
Another disadvantage lies in Akeneo’s range of features. If comprehensive functionalities are required, companies are forced to integrate additional software solutions. When you add the relatively high price of the Enterprise Edition and the additional costs for solutions and plugins, you may face a significant increase in overall expenses in the worst-case scenario.

Pimcore

Akeneo and Pimcore not only share basic features but also the same founding year: The Austrian software company, which has adopted the motto ‘Own the digital world,’ has also been around since 2013 and currently counts more than 118,000 companies across 75 countries worldwide among its customers.
Pimcore is a digital experience platform (DXP for short) with a PIM solution. However, the open-source software goes beyond just product information management: features such as data asset management (DAM), content management system (CMS), and master data management (MDM) are already integrated into the Pimcore platform. As a result, the system is aimed at companies with diverse data management and digital content needs.

Scope of services

Like Akeneo, Pimcore follows a best-of-breed model that enables the digital capture, harmonization, and management of product data for multi-channel sales. To ensure seamless integration with third-party systems, Pimcore adheres to an API-first approach, allowing the software to be connected to CRM, store, and ERP systems.
As already mentioned, Pimcore offers much more and provides DAM, CMS, and MDM features for users. DAM stands for Digital Asset Management and enables the management of digital media such as images, videos, and documents. The Content Management System (CMS for short), which Pimcore includes, is used to create and manage websites and digital content. The portfolio is completed with Master Data Management (MDM), which, in contrast to Akeneo, facilitates the centralization of master data.

User friendliness

Customizable dashboards, clearly structured navigation, and easy data handling already make Pimcore user-friendly. This is further reinforced by the quick linking of assets and content, allowing digital assets to be inserted into web content, product pages, and marketing materials without the need to manually insert code.
The automated workflows and easy management of approvals are also impressive in terms of efficiency. Processes like product release, data validation, and approval for publication can thus be automated, and responsibilities within a workflow can be assigned to the relevant employees.
International teams, in particular, benefit immensely from the multilingual interface and product data management. At the same time, it is possible to localize data and adapt it to different markets.

Advantages and disadvantages

The biggest advantage of Pimcore is its position as an all-in-one solution, offering companies all the tools they need for successful PIM: from managing product master data to multi-channel publishing.
In addition to the customizability of the open-source model and the data models, other advantages include real-time data processing and the large, active community: developers from all over the world are continuously contributing to Pimcore and provide effective solutions to questions or problems.
Pimcore offers a lot of features and is a very complex system – a factor that can also be seen as a disadvantage. Implementation and onboarding come with many technical requirements and a significant time investment. As a result, users without technical knowledge may find it difficult to get familiar with the system, making training necessary.