Widen Collective

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Widen Collective

A curated collection of the 5 best self hosted alternatives to Widen Collective.

Cloud-based digital asset management (DAM) platform for organizing, storing, managing, and distributing brand assets (images, videos, documents). Provides metadata, search, workflows, versioning, rights management, portals and sharing for teams, agencies, and partners.

Alternatives List

#1
Pimcore

Pimcore

Pimcore is an open core data and experience management platform combining PIM/MDM, DAM, CMS/DXP, CDP and digital commerce with extensible APIs and modeling tools.

Pimcore is an open core data and experience management platform that unifies product/master data, digital assets, and web content with a flexible framework. It is commonly used to build tailored PIM/MDM, DAM, CMS/DXP, CDP, and commerce solutions on top of a single data model.

Key Features

  • Structured data modeling for PIM/MDM-style product and master data management
  • Digital Asset Management for organizing files and enriching them with metadata and versions
  • CMS/DXP capabilities for managing websites and content using template-based rendering
  • Extensible architecture built on Symfony, with reusable bundles and integrations
  • APIs for managing and delivering structured data and content to multiple channels
  • User and permission management suitable for editorial and data governance workflows

Use Cases

  • Centralize product data, categories, and enrichment workflows for omnichannel syndication
  • Manage and transform digital assets (images, documents, media) for web and commerce outputs
  • Build content-driven websites that combine structured data with editorial pages

Limitations and Considerations

  • Community support for a minor version ends when the next minor version is released; longer-term support is tied to paid editions

Pimcore fits teams that want a single platform to consolidate content, assets, and structured business data while retaining high flexibility for custom implementations. It is especially suited for organizations that need strong data modeling and multi-channel delivery in one stack.

3.7kstars
1.5kforks
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#2
ArchivesSpace

ArchivesSpace

Open-source archives information management application for accessioning, describing, preserving, and providing access to archival collections and digital objects.

ArchivesSpace screenshot

ArchivesSpace is an open-source archives information management application designed for archivists and cultural heritage institutions. It provides tools to manage archival descriptions, digital objects, and discovery interfaces for researchers and staff.

Key Features

  • Structured archival description supporting accessioning, arrangement, and descriptive metadata workflows
  • Management of digital objects and file uploads tied to descriptive records
  • RESTful API for integration, batch import/export, and programmatic access
  • Full-text and indexed search backed by a search engine for discovery and finding aids
  • Role-based access controls and user management for staff workflows and permissions
  • Deployments supported via packaged releases and containerized setups for production environments

Use Cases

  • Managing institutional archival collections, finding aids, and descriptive metadata
  • Publishing searchable discovery interfaces and providing researcher access to digital objects
  • Integrating archival metadata with institutional systems via the provided API

Limitations and Considerations

  • Typical deployments require a relational database and a search index; initial installation and configuration can be complex for smaller teams
  • Community membership provides access to some support channels and member-only documentation resources; non-members rely on community forums and public docs

ArchivesSpace is focused on archival standards and workflows, prioritizing structured metadata, preservation-aware object management, and interoperability. It is widely used by libraries, museums, and archives to centralize collection control and provide researcher access.

395stars
243forks
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#3
CollectiveAccess Providence

CollectiveAccess Providence

Providence is the backend of CollectiveAccess: a PHP-based collections management system for cataloging complex metadata and media with search, GraphQL API, import/export and reporting.

CollectiveAccess Providence screenshot

CollectiveAccess Providence is the backend/cataloguing component of the CollectiveAccess collections management suite. It provides a configurable framework for describing, managing and indexing complex digital and physical collections, supporting diverse metadata schemas and many media types.

Key Features

  • Flexible data model and configurable metadata profiles to support multiple standards and custom fields
  • Multi-format media support (images, audio, video, documents, 3D) with media metadata extraction and processing
  • Built-in indexing and full-text search with support for hierarchical indexing and non-roman characters
  • GraphQL-based API for search, browsing, introspection and editing
  • Background processing for media handling, indexing and large exports
  • Importers and exporters for many formats and systems, including batch export workflows and BagIt packaging for preservation
  • Reporting and export capabilities with background processing for large datasets
  • Support for automated translation of interface/profile text and automated transcription for audio/video via integrated services

Use Cases

  • Museums, archives and libraries cataloguing and managing complex collections and associated media
  • Research institutions or projects needing structured metadata, advanced search and bulk import/export workflows
  • Institutions requiring preservation-ready exports and integration with external digital preservation systems

Limitations and Considerations

  • Installation and configuration are non-trivial and typically require familiarity with PHP, a supported RDBMS, web server configuration and Composer dependency management
  • Large collections can require careful tuning of background job/work queue settings and server resources for indexing and media processing
  • Providence provides the backend/cataloguing layer; public-facing presentation typically requires the companion front-end or custom development

CollectiveAccess Providence is a mature, feature-rich backend for institutions that need a highly configurable collections management system with advanced indexing, APIs and preservation-oriented export features.

352stars
188forks
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#4
Islandora

Islandora

Islandora is a Drupal module ecosystem for building institutional digital repositories with Fedora and Solr integrations, IIIF support, background processing and modular media handling.

Islandora screenshot

Islandora is an open-source framework of Drupal modules that enables institutions to build and operate digital repositories and manage diverse digital assets. It connects Drupal content management with preservation and discovery services to provide indexing, metadata, derivative generation, and standardized delivery formats.

Key Features

  • Modular Drupal modules that add repository functionality, metadata handling, and collection management
  • Integration with Fedora Commons for optional preservation and linked-data storage
  • Enterprise indexing and search via Apache Solr integration
  • IIIF manifest generation and support for delivering images and media at-scale
  • Background processing and message-queue based workflows for generating derivatives and running transcodes
  • Pluggable derivative services (image, audio, video, OCR/text extraction) using external processors
  • Configurable admin UI, JWT-based token settings, and Flysystem storage abstraction for flexible backends

Use Cases

  • Institutional repositories for libraries, archives, museums, and research data centers
  • Public discovery portals combining rich metadata, IIIF-enabled viewers, and Solr search
  • Managed preservation workflows that create derivatives, run OCR, and index content for discovery

Limitations and Considerations

  • Installation and operation require significant infrastructure and Drupal expertise; multiple external services (Fedora, Solr, image/video/OCR processors, message broker) are commonly needed
  • Can be complex to configure and tune for large-scale collections; resource usage grows with external processing services and indexing volume

Islandora provides a flexible, community-driven platform for building full-featured digital repositories on top of Drupal, suited for organizations that need preservation, discovery, and rich media delivery capabilities.

156stars
120forks
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#5
ResourceSpace

ResourceSpace

ResourceSpace is an open-source digital asset management (DAM) system for storing, organizing, searching, and securely sharing files with metadata, permissions, and auditing.

ResourceSpace screenshot

ResourceSpace is an open-source digital asset management (DAM) platform for centralizing, organizing, and distributing digital files across teams. It focuses on metadata-driven search, controlled sharing, and governance features suited to organizations that need structured asset libraries.

Key Features

  • Centralized library for digital assets with metadata fields for structured cataloging
  • Advanced search and filtering to quickly find assets across large collections
  • Granular permissions and role-based access controls for secure collaboration
  • Audit trails and activity logging for governance and compliance workflows
  • Version control to manage updates and maintain asset history
  • Usage reporting and download logs to understand how assets are consumed
  • Integrations via plugins and an API, including support for single sign-on deployments

Use Cases

  • Managing brand, marketing, and communications assets across distributed teams
  • Building searchable archives for museums, cultural institutions, and publishers
  • Secure distribution of approved assets to internal stakeholders or external partners

Limitations and Considerations

  • Source distribution is maintained in Subversion; Git workflows typically use a git-svn bridge

ResourceSpace is a solid choice for teams needing a flexible DAM with strong permissions, auditing, and metadata-driven discovery. It fits well in environments where controlled access and structured asset governance are required.

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Why choose an open source alternative?

  • •Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • •No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • •Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • •Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running