Google Drive works fine for documents, but it struggles when teams use it to manage creative work. Designers, art directors, brand managers, and marketing teams often spend more time searching for files than doing real creative work. Google Drive was not built for visual assets, version control, or brand consistency.

In this post, you will learn why creative teams outgrow Google Drive, what to look for in an alternative, and which tools actually support visual work. We will also show how Lingo solves the biggest problems designers face every day when trying to use Google Drive for digital asset management.

Why Creative Teams Outgrow Google Drive

Search that does not work for visual work

Google Drive depends on file names, and that is a big issue for design teams. Think about the last time you needed a specific image. Can you see it in your mind? Most of us do and that’s how we expect to find what we have in our mind.

Now try to think of how that might be named. Images with similar names, multiple versions, and inconsistent naming make search unreliable. Images of a retail location might be found under ‘store,’ where the location is located (e.g. Brooklyn or Phoenix), or even an internal naming convention. If the file name fails to have all three naming conventions, you’re not finding the image. Take that at scale and it becomes even harder when hundreds of new assets are added each month.

Brand control is almost impossible

Google Drive cannot protect your brand. Anyone can upload a wrong version. Old logos hide next to updated files. Teams who are not designers often cannot tell the difference. This leads to brand drift, which slowly weakens trust in the brand.

Sharing assets slows everyone down

Google Drive creates daily interruptions. People request access. Links expire. Permissions get mixed up. Creatives lose focus because they must stop what they are doing to send another file or fix another broken link.

No good way to present assets

Google Drive was not built to showcase creative work. External partners often get confusing folders, ZIP files, or links that lead to even more links. It is not a clean or helpful way to share brand assets, photos, or campaign files.

What a Google Drive Alternative Should Fix

Fast, visual search

Creative teams need to search by tags, colors, formats, or categories. The right tool should help you find files without digging.

Built-in brand control

Version locking, approved files, and clear guidelines help teams stay on the same page. A Google Drive alternative should protect your brand and remove guesswork.

Sharing without permission chaos

External partners should be able to access what they need without asking for access each time. Links should stay fresh and point to the correct version.

Organized campaign views

Designers work visually. They need galleries, kits, and organized views, not folder mazes.

Easy for non-designers to use

You might live in Figma, but you do not want your sales and marketing teams digging in there for assets. A digital asset management system can help with that, syncing the changes the design team makes in Figma with the asset management solution for easy access and download.

The Best Google Drive Alternatives for Creative Asset Management

Lingo (Best for Creative Teams)

Lingo is the best choice for creative teams who want an end-to-end digital brand hub. It’s built for visual work, which makes it far more helpful than Google Drive for designers, art directors, and brand teams.

You can store all your files in one clean library and search is fast and visual. You can tag files, sort by format, filter by color, or focus on one asset type at a time. Lingo helps teams find files without hunting or guessing.

Lingo also makes sharing easy. Kits, galleries, and portals help teams present assets in a clear layout. No more ZIPs or messy folders. You can send a single link that always stays up to date and contains access to all digital assets contained in that kit or portal. This is a major benefit for retail teams, cannabis brands scaling their SKU’s, higher ed athletics programs, and fast-growing tech companies.

Brand control is also built in. Brand guidelines are built directly into any Kit, so everyone knows which files are approved. This reduces the risk of off-brand content and helps teams stay consistent.
“Creative teams do not need more storage. They need clarity. The biggest problem we hear from designers is that files live everywhere. Lingo solves that by making one place where the right assets are always easy to find” says Edward Boatman, Co-Founder and CEO of Lingo.

Brandfolder

Brandfolder has strong metadata and structured features. It works well for enterprise teams with formal workflows. It is powerful, but its setup can feel heavy for smaller teams who want a simple solution.

Bynder

Bynder offers deep enterprise workflows, approvals, and rights management. It is a strong choice for large marketing and creative operations teams. Smaller teams may find it more complex than needed.

Frontify

Frontify shines in brand guidelines. It has a clean interface and helps companies document their brand. Many teams pair it with a DAM because its asset layer is lighter than what most design teams need for daily production.

Canto

Canto is a steady mid-market DAM system. It includes a library and basic workflows. It has been around a long time, but it may feel dated for creative work that requires visual browsing and flexible sharing.

How These Tools Compare to Google Drive

Finding files

Lingo and Brandfolder outperform Google Drive when you need visual search. Google Drive depends on names, not visual context.

Sharing assets

Google Drive creates permission headaches. Lingo removes them with kits, portals, and fresh links that do not break.

Brand consistency

Google Drive cannot prevent old files from spreading. Lingo helps teams lock down approved assets and stay consistent.

Visual organization

Google Drive has folders. Lingo has galleries and organized layouts that match how designers think.

Which Tool Is Right for Your Team

Choose Lingo if you need a simple, visual platform that combines digital brand guidelines and DAM in one place.
Choose Brandfolder if you have strict enterprise workflows.
Choose Bynder if you need heavy approval systems.
Choose Frontify if you mainly want brand guidelines.
Choose Canto for basic DAM needs.

Moving Your Creative Teams Beyond Google Drive

Creative teams deserve a place built for visual work. Google Drive was never designed to manage large libraries of images, videos, brand files, or packaging assets. A better system removes friction, protects your brand, and saves hours of busywork each week. When teams stop fighting their tools, they spend more time creating and less time searching.

Q&A

What is the best Google Drive alternative for creatives?

Lingo is the strongest choice for teams who want guidelines, asset management, and clean sharing in one place.

Why does Google Drive struggle with design files?

Google Drive depends on file names, which makes it hard to find visual assets or track versions.

What should a creative asset management tool include?

Fast visual search, brand control, organized views, and easy sharing.

How does Lingo compare to Google Drive?

Lingo is built for creative work. Google Drive is built for documents. Lingo removes the daily friction that slows teams down.