6 privacy-first tools for sharing assets

Why privacy-first sharing matters for modern marketing teams

Marketing teams often move faster than the systems designed to support them. As a result, information tends to spread informally—forwarded links, overlapping file versions, screenshots, or attachments living in inboxes.

That might be convenient, but when assets aren’t shared securely, teams risk:

• Unintended leaks of embargoed creative
• Outdated assets circulating internally or externally
• Loss of version control when files are shared freely
• Untracked edits or approvals
• Exposure of sensitive client or partner content

A privacy-first approach ensures assets stay visible only to the right people at the right moment—no matter how quickly timelines shift.

What to look for in a privacy-focused asset sharing tool

The right asset sharing tool should make it effortless to move work forward while quietly enforcing the guardrails that protect your data. In other words, privacy should feel like a natural part of how you work.

A strong, privacy-first tool should provide:

• Granular access controls—the ability to restrict visibility by user, group, or link behavior, both internally and with external partners
• Clear permission inheritance—no surprises, file access should always honor existing rules
• Auditability—teams and admins should know who viewed, shared, or edited what
• Secure preview and share options—a way to show work without requiring uncontrolled downloads
• Support for AI without data exposure—AI features must remain confined to approved content, not external sources

These qualities help teams move quickly without introducing unnecessary risk. This balance gives marketers and creatives the freedom to collaborate at full speed, while keeping data aligned with existing security standards.

6 privacy-first tools for sharing digital marketing assets

Here’s a selection of privacy-focused asset sharing tools to consider—and a look at how Dash brings all your existing tools together.

1. Dropbox

Dropbox remains one of the most trusted options for storing and distributing sensitive assets. With an industry-leading security framework, teams can:

• Lock down sharing settings at the file or folder level
• Set link passwords and expiration dates
• Track activity as assets move through approvals
• Maintain strict version history

It’s the secure file foundation many marketing teams already rely on—and the environment that Dash builds on top of—so it’s a great option to securely share where you already work when you use Dropbox cloud storage too.

2. Dropbox Dash

Dash turns your secure file system into an intelligent workspace—bringing AI-powered search, question and answer capabilities, and visibility to your assets without compromising permissions.

Key benefits include:

• Universal search only shows assets that users are authorized to access
• Dash Chat answers and summarizes content based on files the user already has access to, honoring existing permissions and file restrictions
• Protect and control settings, and an admin console, provide organization-wide oversight
• Stacks help teams organize sensitive content for campaigns, clients, or launches

Dash gives teams faster access to the right assets while ensuring nothing is seen by the wrong audience. It’s also built on the same trusted Dropbox security standards.

3. Google Drive (with admin-managed controls)

Drive provides strong link sharing controls and integrates well across large organizations. If you happen to use Gmail as your company email client, trying out Drive is an easy path to sharing securely.

Key strengths:

• Domain-wide controls for link visibility
• Clear permission tiers for viewers, commenters, and editors
• Integrated activity tracking

Potential limitations:

• Harder to maintain consistency when teams use personal accounts
• No AI-layer visibility tied to existing file governance

Google Drive works well for large teams that need straightforward, centralized sharing and permission controls across the familiar productivity tools they already use. Drive offers reliable storage, but without the speed and recovery options that Dropbox has—learn more on how Drive compares to Dropbox.

4. Box

Box is well known for enterprise document security and its granular admin controls, which provide excellent data governance standards.

Key strengths:

• File classification and retention policies
• Watermarking and secure preview options
• Integrations across corporate environments

Potential limitations:

• AI features require higher-tier plan subscriptions
• The collaboration experience may feel more formal than creative-friendly

Box is a strong fit for regulated or compliance-heavy organizations that prioritize document control, retention, and governance above flexible creative workflows. Box doesn’t have the speed and collaboration options of Dropbox, like secure sharing features. Get a full breakdown of how Box compares to Dropbox.

5. Frame.io

Built primarily for video teams, Frame.io offers secure media sharing with watermarking and review capabilities.

Key strengths:

• Time-stamped feedback and restricted review links
• Transfer and download controls
• Good for production workflows

Potential limitations:

• Narrower use case—not a full workspace solution
• Not ideal for mixed creative and marketing teams

Frame.io excels for video production teams that need secure review, precise feedback, and controlled delivery of media assets throughout the edit cycle. Frame.io is a slower, less reliable option than Dropbox Replay according to surveys—learn more about how Frame.io and Dropbox Replay compare.

6. Dropbox Replay

Replay is built for secure, frame-accurate video review, giving creative and marketing teams a central place to share cuts, gather feedback, and manage approvals—without pulling files out of Dropbox.

Key strengths:

• Time-stamped, frame-accurate sharing with comments that keep feedback clear and actionable
• Secure review links that honor existing Dropbox permissions and sharing settings
• Version-aware review, so stakeholders always know which cut they’re commenting on
• Integrated with Dropbox, making upload, access, and storage seamless for internal and external collaborators

Potential limitations:

• Optimized for video and rich media—not a full solution for all document-based workflows
• Best used alongside a broader workspace (like Dash) for cross-channel context

Replay is ideal for creative and production teams that need secure, precise video review and approval—while keeping every file governed by the same Dropbox permissions and controls they already trust.

How Dropbox Dash protects sensitive work while speeding collaboration

Dash is the only connected workspace designed to keep sensitive Dropbox-stored assets secure while adding AI-powered intelligence on top of them. Here are a few ways it stands out:

Universal search respects existing permissions

Dash is designed to never reveal content that a user shouldn’t access. That means, at a global agency, if a junior strategist searches for “new pricing framework” while building a client pitch—Dash surfaces only general sales enablement materials and public case studies.

By avoiding restricted data like finance models or analysis reserved for leadership, the strategist can move quickly with the right inputs—while sensitive financial documents remain fully protected.

Secure AI through Dash Chat

Answers in Dash Chat only summarize documents your team already has permission to view—and only from your internal, connected content, not the public web—making AI safer for sensitive creative and campaign materials.

Consider the example of a brand manager asking Dash Chat, “Summarize our Q4 campaign performance.” Dash pulls from reports, internal decks, and approved results files stored in Dropbox. It won’t pull in third-party data or exposes other clients’ campaigns—so the summary is accurate, on-brand, and safe to share with stakeholders.

Protection and governance built in

Admins can use protect and control and the admin console to:

• Set and limit external sharing options
• Review link and access behavior
• Apply organization-wide sharing and access policies
• Get visibility into how content is being accessed across the connected workspace

So, if IT notices a spike in external links created for a major product launch, they can quickly review the situation in the admin console—without disrupting the creative team’s workflow. Data governance happens behind the scenes, keeping campaigns secure while work progresses as planned.

Dash keeps privacy central to how teams work—so organizations get the benefits of AI and connected workspaces without compromising control over their most important assets.

How to choose the right privacy-first tool for your workflow

Picking a workspace or AI layer is about trust. The tool you choose will sit on top of your most important data. A quick way to separate “nice demo” from “long-term partner” is to look at how tools handle your data.

Ask these questions when evaluating options:

1. Does the tool respect your existing permission model?
2. Can you see who accesses and shares files?
3. Does it support AI without exposing sensitive content?
4. Is it easy for teams to use without training?
5. Does it unify, or complicate, your workflows?

The right tool doesn’t slow teams down. That’s the balance Dash strikes—permission-aware AI, clear governance, and a connected workspace that makes it easier to move fast without losing control of your most important work.

Secure your asset-sharing workflows with Dropbox Dash

Teams shouldn’t have to choose between moving fast and staying secure. Privacy-first tools give them both. Dash builds on the secure Dropbox foundation and adds the intelligence layer teams need to find, understand, and share assets safely.

Whether you’re prepping a launch, collaborating on embargoed content, or reviewing in-flight creative, Dash helps teams move with speed—and guard their work with confidence. See how Dash keeps assets protected across your workspace—try a demo or contact sales today.