Filestage vs Ziflow

We could make a huge comparison table of features. But who does that really help? Instead, let’s focus on your needs. And which online proofing software is best for your use case. Spoiler alert: it’s probably Filestage.

  • 30-day free trial
  • No credit card needed
  • GDPR compliant

Filestage

Filestage is a comprehensive online proofing platform for brands and agencies. The simple dashboard makes it easy for anyone to jump on and review assets with no learning curve. With unlimited users and flat-rate pricing plans, your team can scale without worrying about hidden costs.

Ziflow

Ziflow is a complex proofing tool with many features, but a steep learning curve. The pricing, advanced UI, and limited features on lower price plans make Ziflow less accessible for smaller teams. Or teams with large numbers of external reviewers. Or teams with budget constraints.

Compare Filestage and Ziflow side-by-side

  • Pricing
  • Usability
  • Collaboration
  • Automation
  • File management
  • Compliance

Pricing

Both Ziflow and Filestage offer different flat-rate pricing plans to suit your needs.

But Ziflow’s entry price is considerably higher than Filestage’s. It also limits the number of free users to 15, while Filestage offers unlimited users.

Ziflow logo
Filestage logo
  • $199/month
    Starting price
    $109/month
  • 15
    Users
    Unlimited
  • Free trial
  • 1 TB
    Storage
    1 TB

Usability and accessibility

If you’re looking for a mobile-friendly platform that supports multiple languages, both solutions excel.

Both also enable reviews without requiring an account.

Filestage’s simple UI makes it easier to use for internal teams and external reviewers without extensive training.

See Filestage in action
Ziflow logo
Filestage logo
  • Simple UI
  • 6
    Languages supported
    4
  • Mobile-friendly
  • 4.6
    Capterra logo Ease of use
    4.7

Collaboration and feedback

Filestage and Ziflow both support in-context feedback on any file type, including video, documents, and rich media.

Both enable private team collaboration before sharing files externally and let you compare asset versions side-by-side.

Filestage goes further with internal to-do lists for faster teamwork.

It also lets external users like freelancers upload files and participate in reviews without an account. A feature Ziflow lacks.

Ziflow logo
Filestage logo
  • Supports multiple file types
  • Private team collaboration
  • Smart compare asset versions
  • External reviews without an account

Task automation and integration

Both Filestage and Ziflow automate repetitive tasks, control access to sensitive files, and offer an extensive list of integrations.

But Ziflow limits API and integration access on lower-priced plans, while
Filestage makes this accessible on all plans.

Filestage also offers project templates for faster workflows.

See Filestage integrations
Ziflow logo
Filestage logo
  • Automated reminders
  • 9
    Integrations
    14
  • Automated status updates
  • Project templates

File management and approval process

Your proofing tool should handle large numbers of files and clearly show the review status of creative assets. Both Filestage and Ziflow do this well.

Both also offer analytics or dashboards to monitor review progress and spot delays.

Filestage’s robust version control features outperform Ziflow’s.

Ziflow logo
Filestage logo
  • Analytics
  • Status indicators
  • Approval workflows
  • 4.7
    Capterra logo Version control
    4.8

Compliance and data security

If you need to securely store confidential information and export detailed compliance reports, both tools excel. 



Both also have identity verification and audit trails to support regulatory requirements like FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and GDPR.

Filestage includes unlimited access to audit trail data on all plans, while Ziflow limits this to its Enterprise plan.

Ziflow logo
Filestage logo
  • Detailed reporting
  • Unlimited audit trails
  • Access control for sensitive files
  • Data encryption and secure storage

Trusted by 20,000+ people from top brands and agencies

Johannes Morath

Manager Marketing Projects, Kärcher

Since rolling out Filestage, we’ve saved 100s of hours on our artwork reviews

Filestage gives our suppliers and agencies a centralized platform to submit creative assets for feedback and approval. This helps us deliver content at speed and scale.

See all success stories
Karina Berner

Karina Berner

Creative Production Specialist, Sartorius

Filestage saves our company a huge amount of time

Instead of writing detailed instructions over email, reviewers can just click on a file to add comments in context. This makes everything faster – from giving feedback, to managing the process, to making edits before sharing the next version.

See all success stories
Zsolt Arnodi

Zsolt Arnodi

Digital Communication Specialist, B. Braun

Our review turnaround time has significantly improved

Filestage helps us reduce long email threads and revision loops by working more interactively and collaboratively.

See all success stories
Naeran Rubio

Naeran Rubio

Associate Director of Content & Communications, Sharp

The process has become much more automated and simple

There have been quite a few instances where we were able to go back to something someone said in Filestage and make a correction that perhaps was missed, so the tool has proven to be very useful.

See all success stories

Angelika Schneider

Executive Creative Direction Motion Design, Sixt

Filestage has simplified the approval process for us and the departments we are working with

It is now much easier for us to process the collected feedback since we can access all the information in a single place.

See all success stories

Skip the (Zi)slow setup

Need a tool your team can use right away? Ziflow’s lengthy setup, steep learning curve, and limited features on lower plans could be efficiency blockers.

Want the bells and whistles? That’ll cost you.
Sure, it’s got advanced proofing, security features, and integrations. But they’re stuck behind higher price plans.

Learning curve? More like learning mountain.
Complex UI is an efficiency blocker. Your stakeholders don’t need any more bottlenecks in the approval process.

An onboarding cycle so slow you forgot why you bought it.
You want to streamline your chaotic review workflows today. Not next year. Don’t let a lengthy onboarding cycle hold you back.

Why Filestage is the #1 Ziflow alternative

We may be a little biased, but here are a few reasons why 20,000+ people from top brands and agencies love our product.

Track the progress of your project in your online proofing tool

Project-level visibility at last

Ditch the guessing game. Filestage’s bird’s-eye view dashboard shows you the status of every project at a glance.

Unlike Ziflow, it’s so simple even your least tech-savvy stakeholder can jump in and check the approval status of an asset. No training necessary.

create a custom review workflow

Custom workflows that actually flow

Filestage’s custom workflows with reviewer groups are a “lifesaver” for our clients (their words, not ours). No more crowbarring your processes into a tool, and trying to make it work.

With Filestage, you can build workflows that truly align with your review and approval process.

List of apps to integrate with Filestage

Access a full menu of integrations – on any plan

Our goal is to make your creative reviews faster, smarter, and more collaborative. That’s why we offer integration and API access on all pricing plans.

So you can get your best work approved without toggling between apps.

Compare two versions side-by-side with online proofing software

Compare versions with ease

With Filestage’s top-rated smart compare feature, you can quickly see the latest asset versions side-by-side to make sure feedback has been executed.

Our AI feature will act as your second pair of eyes to flag what’s changed, speed up your approval process, and mitigate costly errors.

Connect Filestage with your favorite apps

Automate your workflow with our native and custom Zapier integrations.

Project management

Assign review tasks to your teammates and track file statuses in your project management tool.

Asana, Slack, Trello, Jira, Click-Up, Basecamp logos

Messenger

Share files, comments, and review decisions in your favorite channels and spaces.

Slack, MS teams, discord logos

Content creation

Upload files and see comments in your content creation tools, so you can iterate and get approval faster.

Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, Indesign logos

And many more!

Create custom integrations in Zapier, turn marketing request forms into projects, and more.

Zapier, Drive, Dropbox, Excel, Jotform logos

FAQ

What’s the best alternative to Ziflow?

Filestage is one of the best Ziflow alternatives if you love its enterprise-ready security features, but you need something more user-friendly for your team. Filestage outperforms Ziflow in usability, affordability, and scalability.

What’s the difference between Filestage and Ziflow?

Both Filestage and Ziflow are robust online proofing solutions. The main difference is the use case. Filestage is best for brands and agencies looking for a simple but powerful tool to streamline complex review workflows. It focuses on creating an intuitive user experience so anyone can jump in and review creative assets without any training or friction. Ziflow has advanced features, but the pricing and UI make it less accessible to teams with budget constraints or multiple stakeholders.

Who is Filestage for?

Filestage is for marketing teams and creative agencies struggling with a chaotic review and approval process. The platform offers a fast and effective way to review and approve digital assets. Features like version tracking, a user-friendly interface, and due dates keep creative projects on track. You can review any file type with Filestage on all our plans. That includes documents, video files, live websites, and multimedia.

How easy is Filestage to use?

Filestage is all about simplicity. Our goal is to remove the chaos from messy email reviews, not create more bottlenecks for your team. That’s why we pride ourselves on our intuitive dashboard and user-friendly UI. G2 has acknowledged this by awarding us the titles of “Easiest Admin”, “Most Implementable” (Enterprise), and “Highest User Adoption” (Enterprise).

Which is better for creative teams: Ziflow or Filestage?

Both Filestage and Ziflow are great online proofing tools for creative teams. While Ziflow has some more advanced markup tools, Filestage has a more intuitive interface that makes it easier for creatives to collaborate with external stakeholders. That makes for a clearer and more efficient approval process. 

Can external users upload files in Filestage?

Yes, external users like freelancers can upload files, see feedback, and participate in the review process in Filestage without creating an account. Ziflow does not offer this feature. As a result, Filestage is the top online proofing software for teams who work with a large number of freelance creatives.

Can I review any file type with Filestage?

Yes, you can review all types of files in Filestage, including video content, PDF documents, live websites, and multimedia. To make creative feedback faster and more precise, use the annotation tools to leave comments directly on assets. Then, your project manager can easily turn these into to-do lists for designers and other stakeholders.

Best support badge
most implementable badge
regional leader Europe badge
Best Estimated ROI badge
regional leader EMEA badge
highest user adoption badge
Easiest Admin badge

The stage is set

Start for free, upgrade anytime. No credit card needed.