Cage

Cage is media collaboration and project workflow software for designers, agencies, and in-house teams. Users can annotate images, video, audio, PDFs, and more than 150 additional file formats. Projects, tasks, messages, calendars, milestones, and activity streams provide tools for coordinating the work. Timestamped approvals and file version history support review, while branded presentations let users share design files with teams and clients. Listed integrations include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Slack, and Dropbox. Its Chrome extension captures files with one click for download or addition to a Cage project for annotation. The Free plan is available at no cost and is limited to one user, one project, and 2 GB of storage; it can be used indefinitely without a credit card. Standard costs $8 per user per month and includes up to 25 people, up to 500 GB of storage, unlimited projects, and unlimited reviewers. Professional costs $14 per user per month and includes up to 2 TB of storage. Paid plans are month to month and can be cancelled, upgraded, or downgraded at any time.

Cage brings media annotation, project coordination, approvals, and client presentations together. The free plan is tightly limited by users, projects, and storage; paid plans offer more room with per-user monthly billing.

Cage suits freelancers and creative teams, agencies, and studios that need to review media and coordinate project work. Its client presentations and unlimited reviewers may also suit teams sharing work for approval.

Cage suits creative teams that want media feedback, project coordination, and client sign-off in one workspace. Its broad format support and unlimited reviewers are useful strengths; the free plan is limited to one user and one project, so a working team will need a paid plan.

Overview

Cage brings file annotation and project workflow tools together for designers, agencies, studios, and in-house teams. Users can review images, video, audio, PDFs, and more than 150 other file formats, then organize work with tasks, messages, calendars, milestones, and activity streams. That makes Cage a practical fit when feedback is part of a larger creative workflow. Teams focused only on proofing may find the project layer unnecessary, while solo users will run into the free plan’s single-project cap quickly if they manage several jobs at once.

Key features

Media review and approvals

Timestamped approvals and file version history help keep decisions connected to the relevant media and revision. Multi-stage approval workflows suit projects that need sign-off at several points, and video proofing extends the review process to moving images. Unlimited reviewers on every plan make client participation possible without consuming paid user capacity. The tradeoff is that the Standard and Professional plans cap the workspace at 25 people; larger teams need Enterprise.

Coordination and client presentations

Tasks, messages, calendars, milestones, and activity streams put project coordination alongside review rather than leaving it to a separate workflow. Branded presentations give teams a way to share design files with clients and colleagues for feedback. This combination is most useful to agencies and creative teams managing both the work and its approval; it is less compelling if a team already has a project system it prefers to keep separate.

Integrations and capture

Cage lists integrations for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Slack, and Dropbox. Its Chrome extension captures files in one click so users can download them or add them to a Cage project for annotation. Those connections can reduce friction when creative files and conversations already move through those tools, though the published integration set is focused rather than broad.

Security and support

Cage says it uses 256-bit SSL encryption, PCI-compliant payment processors, and daily backups. It stores data copies across multiple data centers and uses erasure encoding across physical storage devices. Support is available through in-app live chat or email, with responses within minutes during normal business hours, Monday through Friday Central Time. That weekday schedule is a useful support channel for business users, but does not cover evenings or weekends.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and is free forever. It includes one user, one project, 2 GB of storage, and unlimited reviewers, with no credit card required. It is a low-commitment way for a freelancer to try a single project, but the user and project caps make it unsuitable as a shared team workspace or for juggling ongoing client work.

Standard costs $8 a month, billed per user, per month. It supports up to 25 people, up to 500 GB of storage, unlimited projects, and unlimited reviewers. This is the entry point for teams that need several active projects and more room for files; the per-user billing means the total grows with the team.

Professional costs $14 a month, billed per user, per month. It keeps the 25-person limit and unlimited projects and reviewers, while raising storage to up to 2 TB. It is the more suitable paid tier for teams whose files outgrow Standard’s 500 GB allowance; the extra storage is the key stated distinction between these two plans.

Enterprise has custom pricing. It includes unlimited people, large storage options, and concierge onboarding, making it the plan for organizations beyond the paid plans’ 25-person cap. Paid plans are month-to-month, and users can cancel, upgrade, or downgrade at any time.

Platforms

Cage is available on the web, iOS, and as an extension. The Chrome extension captures files for download or addition to a Cage project, complementing the web workspace for teams collecting material as they browse.

Who it's for

Cage is best suited to freelancers, creative teams, agencies, and studios that need to review media and coordinate the surrounding project in one place. It is particularly relevant when clients need to comment or approve work, since reviewers are unlimited and presentations can carry custom branding. A solo user handling multiple concurrent projects will likely outgrow Free, while larger groups should account for the 25-person ceiling on Standard and Professional.

Pros and cons

• Broad media coverage: Annotation spans video, audio, PDFs, images, and more than 150 other formats, supporting varied creative work in one review workflow.
• Reviewers do not use paid seats: Unlimited reviewers on every plan make it easier to include clients without increasing the paid user count for each reviewer.
• Workflow tools sit alongside proofing: Tasks, calendars, milestones, messages, and activity streams can keep coordination close to review, though teams that already have a preferred project system may not need this layer.
• Free has strict workspace caps: One user and one project limit its use to an individual or a single active job, despite unlimited reviewers.
• Team plans cap at 25 people: Standard and Professional cannot accommodate larger groups; Enterprise is the option for unlimited people and has custom pricing.
• Storage separates the paid tiers: Standard provides up to 500 GB and Professional up to 2 TB, so teams with modest storage needs may not benefit from the higher per-user price of Professional.

Alternatives

Ashore is a freemium option with Android and API support as well as web and iOS; its free plan allows one user, 30 files per month, and 1 GB of storage, a tighter file quota than Cage’s single-project free workspace.

Frame.io is worth comparing for a free plan with up to two members, two projects, and 2 GB of storage, plus a free trial and support for more platforms including macOS and Windows.

Pastel offers a free plan for one user and one canvas, while its Pro plan is $29 a month billed at $350/year for two users, three canvases, and 100 GB of video storage; choose it if that canvas and video-storage structure fits the work.

Ziflow has a free plan with unlimited proofs and reviewers, two users, 2 GB of storage, one workflow stage, and 60 days of review history, making it a comparison for teams whose proof volume matters more than Cage’s project allowance.

Notism is another freemium option for readers comparing design project and collaborator plans.

Approval Studio is a paid alternative with a LITE plan at $60 a month, five or more users, 5 GB of storage, unlimited projects and external reviewers, and a 14-day free trial.

ftrack Studio is a paid option at $30 a month billed monthly, with planning, scheduling and tracking, interactive media review, project reports, an API, and 250 GB of storage.

GoVisually is a paid alternative whose Lite plan costs $16 a month billed at $16 /user/month and supports one to five users, 15 active projects, up to 15 external reviewers, and 50 GB of storage.

For category-level comparisons, browse Online Proofing Software, Design Proofing Software, or Video Review Software.

Verdict

Choose Cage if your creative team wants media annotation, staged approvals, client presentations, and project coordination together, especially when many external reviewers need access. The main reason to look elsewhere is scale or fit: Free is too constrained for ongoing team work, the two standard paid tiers stop at 25 people, and teams that need only proofing may prefer a more focused workflow.