PIM pricing explained: What you’re paying for and why it matters
How much does a PIM cost? It depends on who you ask…and what you’re really buying. Some vendors will tell you it’s £500 a month. Others won’t talk to you for less than £50K a year. Then, somewhere in the middle, there’s an open-source champion promising a free solution, omitting to mention that you’ll need to hire a developer, buy infrastructure, and write your own onboarding manual.
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PIM pricing can feel like a riddle. So, we’ll cut through the noise and solve it.
At Start with Data, we believe: Price doesn’t automatically equate to value. A “cheap” PIM that slows you down is far more expensive than a “premium” one that speeds you up.
Our article breaks down the cost landscape, without fluff or upsell. Just the information you need to understand what you’re paying for, why it matters, and how to avoid being sold a glorified ‘spreadsheet in the cloud’.
The two big pricing models: SaaS vs open source
Most PIM platforms fall into one of two categories:
- SaaS (Software as a Service)
You pay a subscription fee to access cloud-based software. Everything is managed for you: updates, hosting, backups, an support (usually – make sure any SLA is watertight for your needs!). This option is good for speed and simplicity.
- License fees: £500–£5,000+/month
- Hosting: Included
- Setup & onboarding: £5K–£20K (one-off)
- Support: Often included, but tiered support may cost extra
Pros: Quick to implement, predictable costs, scalable
Cons: Less control, ongoing subscription, possible vendor lock-in
- Open Source
You download and host the software yourself. Far more options for customisation, but not so great if you don’t have IT experts on standby.
- License fees: £0 (for core); £££ for enterprise versions
- Hosting: £200–£2,000/month (or internal infrastructure)
- Setup/development: £10K–£100K+ (depending on complexity)
- Support: Usually extra or in-house
Pros: Highly customisable, no vendor lock-in
Cons: Slower to implement, hidden costs, heavier resource lift
What’s included?
Cost Element | SaaS PIM | Open Source PIM |
Licence | Subscription | Free or one-off fee |
Hosting | Included | Not included |
Onboarding | Often included | Usually extra |
Maintenance | Vendor-managed | In-house or third party |
Customisation | Limited | High (but expensive) |
What drives the cost up (or keeps costs manageable)?
The following are real-world cost drivers – the factors which will quietly nudge your PIM invoice upward:
- Number of SKUs: 500 SKUs vs 500,000 is a very different data load. Some platforms price by volume.
- Number of users: Many SaaS platforms charge per user—or cap the number of users per plan.
- Integrations: Connecting to ERPs, ecommerce platforms, DAMs, CRMs, marketplaces. Each integration, while very valuable, adds complexity and cost.
- Customisation: Custom workflows, dashboards, or UI tweaks = developer time, which = higher budget.
- Digital asset volume: If you’re hosting thousands of high-res images or videos, you need storage, and it’s not usually free.
- Analytics and reporting: Some tools bundle reporting; others sell it as an add-on.
- Channel syndication: Publishing to Amazon, eBay, Shopify, print… the more channels your product data occupies, the greater the range of rules your PIM has to play by.
The cost curve over time
Take note: The cost of a PIM is dynamic, not static.
- Year 1: This is the heavy lifting: Setup, onboarding, integration costs.
- Year 2–3: Spending Stabilises: licences, support, incremental improvements.
- Year 4–5: Costs may spike again depending on your scaling needs: New regions and markets, team resources, new channels.
Common hidden costs
- Change management: Train and educating your team to adopt a new system (not to say, new mindset) takes time and resources.
- Training: Every new hire needs to learn the system. Some vendors charge for refresher training.
- Replatforming: Potentially realising you’ve chosen the wrong platform? You pay twice if you switch in two years.
- Delays in time-to-value: There’s a silent cost if it takes 6 to 12 months to get regularly usable output
Why ROI should drive your budget
In essence, you’re not simply buying software. You’re buying outcomes. The right PIM for you will boost ROI by delivering value:
- Faster time to market: Centralised product data means faster launches.
- Fewer returns: Clear, consistent product content means fewer dissatisfied customers.
- Fewer rejections from marketplaces: Amazon and a multitude of other channels and marketplaces have stringent rules. A fit-for-purpose PIM keeps you universally compliant.
- Far less time wrangling spreadsheets: Your teams have better things to do than spend hours as glorified data inputters.
- Increased revenue per SKU: Enhanced content and more accurate listings generates greater revenue through higher conversion rates, lower returns, and brand loyalty.
An instance: One Start with Data client managing 50K SKUs in spreadsheets was taking three weeks to roll out price changes. After PIM implementation, this fell to three hours. That’s tangible ROI.
How to compare PIM pricing (the right way)
Before you select a PIM, do your internal homework. Far too many businesses make the mistake of jumping to feature lists and pricing tables without taking that crucial step back to carry out an assessment of their own needs. Without understanding what you want a PIM for, you can’t compare options effectively.
Start by mapping out three key areas:
● List must-haves vs good-to-haves: Think beyond product demos. What capabilities do you really need in the next 12–24 months? If you’re managing thousands of SKUs across channels, channel syndication might be essential. If you’re a team of five, advanced workflow tools might be rather over the top, for now. Gaining clarity in this area avoids you ending up paying for features you won’t use.
● Assess internal capabilities: Do you have in-house developers? A strong IT team? If not, you’ll need a PIM with strong vendor support, a simple UI, and lower technical overhead. Many businesses underestimate the hidden costs involved with relying on external partners for basic configuration or ongoing maintenance.
● Evaluate ease of use vs flexibility: A highly customisable tool sounds attractive until your marketing team needs a half-day of training just to upload images. Ease of use means ease of adoption. However, don’t trade away future flexibility. Your sweet spot is a system which is simple to learn but has power under its bonnet.
Doing this pre-planning will help you avoid shiny-tool-with-bells-and-whistles syndrome. You’ll focus on fit-for-purpose solutions. What’s more, you’ll be armed with clearer questions for vendors, which leads us to…
Three smart questions to ask every vendor
What’s included in the licence? Are features or support gated by your plan? Some vendors charge extra for things like user roles, integrations, or basic analytics, so make sure you know what bang you’re getting for your buck.
What’s the upgrade path? Can we grow into this, or will we outgrow it? Enquire about how pricing scales with more SKUs, more users, or new sales channels. Additionally, whether upgrades require technical migration.
What’s the onboarding experience? This sets the tone for everything that follows. Is onboarding guided, self-service, or at an extra cost? A rough and choppy start can often result in poor adoption rates and slower ROI.
So… how much should you actually spend?
Here’s a guide to ballpark budgets, based on company size and complexity:
Business Stage | Typical PIM Spend (Year 1) |
Early stage / SMB | £0–£10K |
Mid-market (growing) | £10K–£50K + plus services |
Enterprise / complex | £50K+ plus services |
So, your sweet spot is where you’re spending enough to solve the problems you actually have, rather than the ones your vendor assures you you’ll have in five years.
Final; words: Make your spend count
The cost of a PIM is only painful when it doesn’t deliver. You’re not looking for the flashiest tool, rather, the right one: one that fits your team, your tech stack, and your ambitions for growth.
At Start with Data, we guide and support businesses in cutting through and making sense of the complexity around PIM pricing and implementation. Whether you’re constantly wading through spreadsheet mud or already in the process of comparing vendors, we can audit your needs, help you build a smart vendor shortlist, and spend your budget wisely.
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Get our free PIM Pricing Comparison Checklist, and talk to us in more depth to get the numbers that matter.
Your future product data can’t manage itself. The right PIM at the right price can.