Pimcore vs Akeneo: Which One Empowers Australian Retailers the Most?
With the constantly changing Australian retail landscape, where sales through the online platform are increasing and customer expectations are higher than ever before, selecting the right product information management (PIM) solution is mission-critical in the truest sense of the word.
Anything from handling hundreds of thousands of SKUs, handling multi-channel sales, to seamless integration with legacy systems, the stakes are high.
For Aussie retailers, two PIM heavyweights keep coming up: Pimcore and Akeneo. Each has its strengths, but which one is the better match Down Under?
We’ll compare them in depth, touching on everything from pricing, implementation, and development scenarios, to help you get a long-term scaling potential.
Why This Comparison Is Important to Aussie Retailers
The Australian retail landscape offers special challenges, including vast geography, delivery expectations, international players to compete with, local tax and GST bonus, and convenience-hungry customers.
In this scenario, choosing the right PIM is not merely a matter of ticking boxes, but looking forward to its future-proofing your business.
If your product catalogue is modest, and you’re selling in Australia only with standard attributes, then a basic PIM platform is sufficient.
But if you’re handling a large amount of catalogues and expanding across multi-channel (marketplaces, global), offering rich product experiences (bundles, digital assets), or planning for growth, then selecting the right PIM choice becomes a strategic decision.
Hence, this comparison is important to choose wisely and make the right business decisions for the Australian market.
Platform Overview
Pimcore
Pimcore is an open-source digital experience platform which has PIM, master data management (MDM), digital asset management (DAM), etc. on board.
It’s super customisable and built for enterprises with complex data requirements, which is perfect if you’re going to need complex workflows, bespoke integrations, or are looking at a large Australian + Asia-Pacific expansion.
Akeneo
Akeneo is committed to PIM, narrower in scope but robust in the core product information management segment. In offering Community, Growth and Enterprise editions, it concentrates on product enrichment, channels, workflow and usability.
It can be the right choice if your interest lies in basic product data management with quicker time-to-value.
Feature Comparison Between PimCore VS Akeneo
Scalability & Large Catalogue Handling
For large SKU bases or growth strategies (and come on – most Australian retailers do), scalability is not an option.
Pimcore excels here: due to its extensible data model, robust API-first fundamentals, large hierarchy, large amounts of digital assets, and global localisation support.
Akeneo does scale exceptionally well for most mid-sized companies. However, when dealing with very big SKUs, numerous variations, deep structures or heavy customisation workflows, Pimcore provides more flexibility.
If you anticipate growth beyond Australia or need to manage complicated product information (large bundles, variations, sophisticated digital assets), Pimcore has more long-term flexibility, but if looking for basic product management, then Akeno can be good for your brand.
Integration, Customisation & Flexibility
On the ground in Australia, you’ll often need to integrate your PIM with ERP, CMS, DAM, eCommerce platform, marketplaces, logistics & fulfilment systems.
You’ll also need localisation (AUD, GST), potentially multi-language experience, digital asset workflows and so on.
Pimcore has been designed to be customisable. If you have or can use development expertise (or swap with an expert partner), you can create workflows, interfaces, integrations and solutions for your own retail structure.
That’s where the term hire a Pimcore developer comes in; a lot of Aussie retailers will engage a partner to create the custom work.
On the other hand, Akeneo comes with easy deployment and boasts great out-of-the-box PIM functionality. With Akeneo PIM integration services and hands-on interaction with experienced partners, you can get trusted workflows, product enrichment, and channel syndication.
Customisation can be done, but the emphasis here is on speed and structured development and not full-bodied custom build.
So, the choice can be determined whether your retail business is best matched with a built-out, quicker deployment (Akeneo) or a highly custom, adaptable platform (Pimcore). Based on the needs, the selection needs to be made.
Pricing, Cost of Ownership & Implementation
As far as technology goes, Australian retailers prefer to speak in dollars and sense — and for good reasons. The question is not only how much a PIM costs to start with, but what it pays for in the long run.
Akeneo: Pricing & Implementation
The Akeneo PIM Growth Edition costs approximately US $25,000 annually (about AU $38,000, exchange rates permitting).
Implementation fees differ depending on your catalogue size, sales channels, and integration complexity, but for smaller Australian retailers, setup is quite affordable.
Since Akeneo is a PIM-centric platform, its cost of deployment and training are usually lower compared to more generic enterprise systems, making it an appropriate choice for teams in need of ease and quickness.
Pimcore: Pricing & Installation
Pimcore community is open-source and free to license, but still needs fees for development, hosting, support, and customisation.
On the other hand, the Enterprise Edition, starts at around $7,200 (approximately AU $11,000) per year.
Pimcore may be initially more expensive to set up, but perhaps its total cost of ownership would be lower in time, especially when your company is planning to make custom modules, deep connectivity or long-term scalability.
AI & Automation Features
Emerging Australian retailers are adopting AI-powered automation to automate operations and improve product information.
Akeneo offers AI-driven product data enrichment, allowing teams to simply identify missing attributes, enrich descriptions, and maintain data consistency.
Pimcore goes one step further with AI-driven data categorisation, image recognition, and workflow automation, highly adjustable for specific retail processes — ideal for large or fast-growing companies.
User Experience & Team Adoption
With the help of Akeneo, the brands can boost the user experience, as it comes with a user-friendly, intuitive UI that makes the platform easy to use. It is designed for brands and marketing teams with a little tech knowledge, thus facilitating better and quicker ongoing and smooth usage for daily use.
Pimcore, on the other hand, being more on the technical side, provides features like complex user role management, control over the dashboard, and flexible admin UI. This suits businesses with specialised technical teams or who desire a custom experience.
Aussie Implementation & Partner Ecosystem
Down here in Australia, it’s important to work with partners who understand the local market, GST, logistics, multi-state operations and omni-channel retail.
Whether you’re looking at Akeneo PIM implementation, handling integration services, or hiring a PIMcore developer, using a partner who has Australian retail experience matters.
Look for local expertise, track record with Australian retailers, and integration experience with local ERPs, marketplaces and fulfilment networks.
Conclusion
Choosing the right PIM platform is a strategic move. Australian retailers are navigating through digital retailing, from SKU growth to dealing with omni-channel operations and delivering better customer expectations of convenience and personalisation.
Akeneo can be an ideal fit if you need fast deployment, standard workflows, a predictable budget and strong functionality.
However, if you foresee rapid growth, many product variations, expansion into different markets, or complex digital asset management, then you must consider Pimcore as the ideal platform for your company. It gives you the advantage of long-term scaling with high flexibility and power.
Whichever way you choose, teaming up with experienced professionals who are well-versed in the Australian retail market is crucial. Select your PIM with a focus on growth, total cost of ownership, and long-term sustainability.
Want to walk through your PIM plan aligned to the Australian retail business? Connect with us, and map your journey forward.
FAQs
What platform grows better for growing Australian retail businesses?
Pimcore tends to scale better when it comes to large SKU numbers, massive variant hierarchies and globalisation. On the other hand, Akeneo is very well optimised for most businesses but might require additional plans or add-ons to scale completely.
How do both platforms approach large product catalogues?
Pimcore is capable of dealing with huge catalogues with an unlimited number of hierarchy levels and elaborate data modelling.
Akeneo is capable of dealing with large catalogues, but better suited for moderately large sizes rather than very complex data structures.
Do Pimcore and Akeneo provide product data enrichment or automation based on AI?
Yes, each platform supports automation and enrichment workflow. Akeneo has native rules, connectors and an ecosystem.
Pimcore, being open-architecture, provides deeper customisation for AI workflows if you work with developers.
Is both the platforms good with customisation?
Yes. Pimcore offers high-level customisation from data model to UI to workflows, perfect for unique retail requirements.
On the other hand, Akeneo has high out-of-the-box functionality and workflow-designed workflows, which made the customisation feasible. However, if your brand demands high-end personalisation, then Pimcore will be a better option.
