Air is a modern creative DAM - digital asset management first - with review and approval features layered on: its own copy describes DAM as "store, organize, and find creative assets" and its reviews module as "review, comment, and approve in one place." That shape is genuinely good at its job, and this comparison starts by conceding it: for teams whose daily problem is finding and sharing creative files - mood boards, brand kits, image libraries, social assets - Air's free tier (10 GB, 3 users, verified November 2026) is one of the friendliest on-ramps in the category. The alternatives question arrives when the daily problem becomes reviewing video cuts: frame-accurate notes, version stacks, approval states - the review-first column. Every Air price below was verified from its live pricing page in November 2026; our own product is disclosed like everyone else's.
Air pricing (verified November 2026)
| Plan | Price | Storage | Users | Notables |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 10 GB | Up to 3 | 100 credits/mo; no card required |
| Starter | $100/mo billed annually | 200 GB | Up to 5 | 500 credits/mo |
| Business | $900/mo billed annually | 2 TB | Unlimited | 2,000 credits/mo; comment-only collaborators; public API; MCP server access |
| Enterprise | Custom | 5+ TB | Custom roles | 4,000+ credits/mo; SSO (SAML 2.0) |
Three structural facts to note before comparing: Air meters AI features through credits (packs available - 1,000 credits for $1,000/year); extra storage prices at 1 TB for $500/year; and the Business plan - the one with unlimited users - is a $100 → $900 jump from Starter, which is the pricing cliff most teams researching alternatives are standing on.
Why video teams look for alternatives
The review-depth gap: Air's comments and approvals serve quick creative passes; teams running structured video rounds want frame-accurate annotation, version-per-round stacks, and review-link controls (passwords, expiry, watermarks, download control) as first-class surfaces - the vocabulary difference is mapped in MAM vs DAM for video teams. The pricing cliff: between five users and unlimited users sits $800/month. The loop: Air holds the library; video teams often want comments living next to the timeline and flowing back to the edit - the NLE integration map shows what that looks like.
How we compared (methodology)
Fixed criteria applied identically to every tool including ours: pricing model with list prices verified against vendor pages as of November 2026; reviewer economics; review depth (frame-accurate comments, version compare, approval states); volume limits (storage, seat caps); and library/search surface. Disclosure: Frooty is our product; its weaknesses are stated like everyone else's. Re-verify prices before buying (we re-check quarterly, next in February 2027).
The six alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Pricing model | List price (Nov 2026) | Reviewers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frooty (ours) | Freemium + flat Studio | Free (5 GB, 2 members, 1080p); Studio $39/mo or $380/yr, unlimited members, 2 TB | Free via links | Video-first review with NLE panels and publishing |
| Frame.io (V4) | Per member (Adobe) | Pro $15/member/mo (up to 5 members); Team $25/member/mo (up to 15) | Free via share links | Premiere-centric teams wanting the in-NLE loop |
| MediaSilo | Per user, seat floors | Team from $15/user/mo (min 5 seats, 2 TB); Pro from $25/user/mo (10-30 seats, 4 TB) | Unlimited per their plan copy | Video review with watermarking and SSO on Pro |
| Playbook | Freemium + per member | Free (100 GB, 1 member, 3 guests); Pro $10/member/mo annual; Team $20/member/mo annual (10 members) | Guests on free tier | Design-forward DAM with generous free storage |
| Filestage | Flat rate | Starter 199 EUR/mo annual; Business 329 EUR annual - unlimited reviewers | Unlimited, free | Flat-cost review across content types |
| Wipster | Per user | Light $9.95/mo annual (solo); Team $19.95/user/mo annual | Always unlimited | Budget per-seat video-first review |
The alternatives, one honest paragraph each
Frame.io (V4) is the review-first heavyweight whose panel loop (Premiere especially) is the deepest edit-side integration in the category - the trade is Adobe-centric pricing and member caps. MediaSilo covers video review with enterprise trimmings (visual and forensic watermarking, SSO on Pro) at per-seat pricing with seat floors. Playbook is Air's closest DAM rival - a generous 100 GB free tier, per-member paid tiers - strongest for design-forward teams; the head-to-head frame is in our Frame.io vs Playbook comparison, and the review-side flank (they now market video comments on a product landing page) is worth testing against real rounds. Filestage flattens cost at 199 EUR/month annual with unlimited reviewers - the answer when Air's per-seat math grows. Wipster is the budget video-first pick with reviewers always unlimited. And Frooty (ours) pairs video-first review depth with flat $39/month unlimited-member pricing - the honest weaknesses: our library/search surface is simpler than a dedicated DAM's, and Air's free tier storage is larger than ours; teams who live in the library first should test both shapes before deciding (the choosing framework).
The agents angle
One more comparison column is arriving: Air's Business plan lists MCP server access - AI agents connecting to the asset library. We ship the same direction (our MCP bridges are in beta), and the workflow shape - agents that read a review thread and drive an edit - is described in the agents-and-MCP explainer. If agent access is a buying criterion, put both products' implementations in the trial list rather than trusting either marketing page.
Match the reason to the tool
You need frame-accurate review, not file browsing: the video-first column - Frooty, Wipster, Frame.io, MediaSilo (frame accuracy explained).
You outgrew Air's 5-user Starter tier: unlimited-user economics at a flat rate - Frooty Studio ($39/mo flat) or Filestage (199 EUR flat) - versus Air's $900 Business tier (the seat-math explainer).
The library is still your main job: stay in the DAM column - Air or Playbook - and bolt on review with a link-based tool; the run-both pattern is in PM vs review tools (the same boundary logic applies).
FAQ
What is Air (air.inc) used for?
Creative asset management: storing, organizing, finding, and sharing creative files - with comments and approvals layered on. Its own positioning is DAM-first ("store, organize, and find creative assets"), which is the lens for every comparison in this piece.
How much does Air cost?
Verified November 2026: Free at $0 (10 GB, up to 3 users, 100 credits/mo); Starter at $100/mo billed annually (200 GB, up to 5 users); Business at $900/mo billed annually (2 TB, unlimited users, comment-only collaborators, API, MCP access); Enterprise custom. Extra storage: 1 TB for $500/year.
Does Air do video review?
It has comments and approvals ("review, comment, and approve in one place," per its copy) - genuinely usable for light passes. Structured video rounds that depend on frame-accurate annotation, version stacks, and link controls should trial the review-first alternatives and compare the loop, not the feature list.
What are Air credits?
Air meters its AI features through monthly credits (100 on Free, 500 on Starter, 2,000 on Business), with packs purchasable - 1,000 credits for $1,000/year at verification time. Budget AI-heavy workflows accordingly.
What is the best Air alternative for video-first teams?
Frame.io if your edit lives in Premiere and members fit its caps; Frooty or Wipster for flat-rate or budget video-first review; MediaSilo when enterprise trimmings matter. The deciding framework is in how to choose video review software.