Tool profile
Cage: cost, fit and limits
Cage is a creative collaboration and proofing app made by CageApp, LLC in the United States that lets studios and agencies annotate images, video, audio and PDFs, run light project management and share client presentations, with a free plan and per-user paid tiers.
What to know first
Cage has a free plan for one user and paid plans per user per month: Standard at $8 and Professional at $14, each for up to 25 people, plus a custom Enterprise tier. Storage runs from 2 GB on Free to 2 TB on Professional. The vendor pages name no AI feature and no security certification, so Cage competes on price and simplicity.
Cage at a glance
| Maker | CageApp, LLC, United States |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | $0 |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Creative Proofing Software in 2026, rank 7 of 12 |
| Website | cageapp.com |
Who Cage is best for
Solo creatives and tiny studios
The free plan gives one user all media collaboration and project management features with 2 GB, which is enough to test the tool on a single project.
Small agencies on a tight budget
At $8 or $14 per user per month for up to 25 people, the cost of a 10-person studio stays far below the flat plans at Ziflow or Filestage.
Photoshop-centered design teams
A Cage extension runs inside Adobe Photoshop and a Slack channel carries Cage activity, so designers see feedback where they already work.
Cage plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | One user, all media collaboration and project management features, 2 GB storage, one project and unlimited reviewers. |
| Standard | $8 per user per month | Up to 25 people, media collaboration features, up to 500 GB storage, unlimited projects and reviewers, all integrations and priority support. |
| Professional | $14 per user per month | Up to 25 people, project management and media collaboration features, up to 2 TB storage, unlimited projects and reviewers and priority support. |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | Unlimited people and large storage options at a discounted price, arranged through sales. Unlimited people, with large storage options at a discounted price, arranged through the sales team. |
Checked November 2026.
What Cage does
- Broad file annotation
- Annotations go directly onto images, video, audio, PDFs and more than 150 other formats, so one review view covers most files a design studio handles.
- Time-spanning video notes
- Video annotations can span more than a single frame, and approvals carry a date and time stamp, which suits a note about a whole scene.
- Project hub
- Tasks, files, discussions and activity share one place with planning and milestones, so a small team can skip a separate project management tool entirely. Everything stays in one place.
- Branded client presentations
- Clients see work in a branded experience with customizable color palettes and layouts built without code, and shares can be password-protected, public or sent by automated email.
How Cage handles your data
The privacy policy, dated 24 May 2018, says services are offered from Oklahoma and data is processed in the United States, where the servers are located. Data is kept as long as reasonably necessary for legal obligations, and the features page says it is backed up several times a day. The pages read do not say whether customer content trains AI models, and they state no SOC 2, ISO 27001 or GDPR certification. European buyers should ask about transfer terms before uploading client work.
Where Cage falls short in practice
- No AI named. Nothing on the vendor pages describes automated brand, compliance or checklist review, so every check stays manual and depends on the reviewers noticing each problem.
- Policy shows an old date. The privacy policy carries a May 2018 date, which raises questions a buyer should put to the vendor about current retention rules and processor details.
- User cap on paid plans. Standard and Professional are for up to 25 people, so a bigger organization needs an Enterprise quote. Standard and Professional are priced for up to 25 people, so a bigger organization needs an Enterprise quote and a conversation with sales about storage.
Works with
Alternatives to Cage
Cage: common questions
Is Cage free to use?
Yes. The free plan is $0 for one user, indefinitely and without a credit card. It includes all media collaboration and project management features, 2 GB of storage, one project and unlimited reviewers. A second paying user means moving to Standard at $8 per user per month.
How much is Cage per user?
Standard is $8 per user per month and Professional is $14 per user per month, each for up to 25 people. Standard allows up to 500 GB of storage and Professional up to 2 TB. Both include unlimited projects, unlimited reviewers, integrations and priority support.
Does Cage have AI features?
The vendor pages we read name none. Cage offers manual annotation, approvals and project tools. A team that wants automated checks against brand rules or label regulations should look at Ziflow, Filestage or GoVisually, which name AI review features. Cage offers annotation, approvals and tools.
Where does Cage store my files?
The privacy policy says the services are offered from Oklahoma and data is processed in the United States where servers are located. The features page says data is backed up several times a day. No hosting region choice or certification is stated.
Can clients review in Cage without paying?
Yes. All plans, including Free, list unlimited reviewers, so clients do not need paid seats. Shares can be password-protected, public or sent through automated email, and presentations can carry your branding with custom color palettes. Ask the vendor about transfer terms if your clients are in Europe, and whether any subprocessors are used.