PIM comparison
Bluestone PIM vs ConnectingTheDots
Two SaaS PIMs for product data, each with a DAM and a way in for suppliers. How Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots differ on scope, data model, channels, AI, architecture and pricing, from public sources only.
Same category, two different emphases
Bluestone PIM
In its own words “The Agentic PIM. Agents drive. Humans govern.”1
A Norwegian SaaS PIM vendor, founded in 2016, with a development site in Gdansk, Poland. It sells a headless, API-first PIM with a native DAM, AI skills and an MCP server, and has been a MACH-certified member of the MACH Alliance since 2021. It is aimed at companies that connect product data to composable commerce, ERP systems and AI agents across several markets.
ConnectingTheDots
In its own words “Good product data starts before your PIM.”31
A Dutch PIM vendor based in Zwolle, run by ID Interactive B.V. under the ConnectingTheDots name. It sells a SaaS PIM in two plans, with an Import & Onboarding layer that maps and validates supplier data before it reaches the PIM, and AI agents for classification, enrichment and translation. It is aimed at retailers, wholesalers and brands; its published customer cases include Wehkamp, de Bijenkorf and ANWB.
“Both keep the product record at the centre. Decide on how your data gets in, and on how other systems and AI tools get it out.”
What they have in common
Read the differences below against this common ground. Both are credible options for the same broad job.
- Both are PIM-first and product-focused: neither line-up has customer or location master data domains.
- Both are sold as SaaS, and neither lists a self-hosted or open-source edition.
- Both include a DAM in the platform and give suppliers a way to deliver their own product data.
- Both reach GS1 data pools through a GS1 connector by Qmica, and both name Digital Product Passports among their compliance features.
- Neither publishes prices: both quote after discussing requirements.
When to look beyond both
You need multi-domain PIM and MDM, or GDSN and retailer compliance drive the project.
Syndigo
Stibo Systems
You need multi-domain PIM and MDM with AI features.
Viamedici
Informatica Product 360
You want commerce and PIM in one platform, with AI built in.
Crystallize
Pimcore
At a glance
The basic facts side by side. Every cell links to the public page it comes from.
| Bluestone PIM | ConnectingTheDots | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 20162 | 2008, according to its LinkedIn page; its About page says active since 2009. It traded as ID interactive until a 2017 rename.323133 |
| Headquarters | Registered office in Tønsberg, Norway. Offices in London, Utrecht, Gdansk, Stockholm and Bangkok.34 | Zwolle, the Netherlands (Nervistraat 2). The registry lists ID Interactive B.V., with ConnectingTheDots as its trading name.3435 |
| Ownership | Bootstrapped until its first external round in January 2024, led by Scale Leap Capital (Norway) with Narwhal Investments (Netherlands). The amount was not disclosed.5 | A private limited company (B.V.). Co-founder Max Schrevelius is named as an owner. We found no announced outside investment.3533 |
| Chief executive | Einar Augedal, since the 2018 merger with WebOn67 | Arnout Schutte, co-founder and managing director. Co-founder Max Schrevelius is commercial director.3637 |
| Size, in the vendor's own words | Businesses in 70+ countries, millions of SKUs in production. No customer or employee count published.79 | 50+ implementations, as stated by ConnectingTheDots. Its LinkedIn page lists 51-200 employees. No customer count published.3132 |
| Delivery | Multi-tenant SaaS on AWS, with production regions in Europe, the US and Singapore. We found no self-hosted edition.89 | SaaS, as described by ConnectingTheDots. The hosting provider and data region are not published.3837 |
| Published pricing | No prices published. Bluestone PIM quotes a range based on usage, such as users, SKUs and languages.10 | No prices published. PIM and PIM Enterprise are quoted per proposal, with implementation as a separate one-off cost.40 |
| Security certifications | ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type II8 | Not published: no security certification named on the ConnectingTheDots pages we checked. |
Factor by factor
Eight factors, each with how the two approaches differ. Open a factor for the sourced facts and the questions to ask both vendors. Nothing here is scored.
How a capability is deliveredDescribes packaging, not quality.
- In the platform
- Separate module
- Apps or partners
- Not offered
- Not publicly documented
01 · How they differProduct scope and packaging
Bluestone PIM keeps the PIM, DAM and a PDF and catalogue generator in its core, and adds supplier access, pricing rules and InDesign sync as extensions. ConnectingTheDots puts Import & Onboarding in front of the PIM, includes onboarding and publishing in both plans, and adds ESG and compliance data such as EPR exports; it lists no print module.
What each vendor sells around the product record, and how it is packaged. Packaging decides what is in the licence, what costs extra, and who you call when something breaks.
Core PIM
The PIM is the core product, with a native DAM, AI capabilities and the Extension Hub around it.111
The PIM, with Import & Onboarding in front of it and modules for the data model, workflows and AI, publishing, reporting and user management.39
Master data beyond products
Product data only: no customer, supplier or location domains in the feature line-up.11
Supplier onboarding
Supplier Portal, an extension built by Bluestone PIM, gives suppliers limited access, with completeness rules and review tasks.13
Digital assets
Syndication
Channel performance analytics
No channel or digital shelf analytics in the line-up. Dashboards track product data trends inside the PIM.11
No channel performance or digital shelf analytics in the line-up. Reporting covers data quality, completeness and progress per channel.45
Sharing with partners
No separate sharing portal. The Supplier Portal extension can also give distributors limited access to chosen catalogues.13
Print and publishing
Ask both vendors
- Which of our requirements are in the base subscription, and which are separate modules, add-ons or partner apps?
- Who supports a partner app when it breaks: you, the partner or us?
- Can we add a module later without a new implementation project?
02 · How they differData model and governance
Bluestone PIM models category hierarchies, variants, groups, relations and bundles, with contexts for languages and markets and product statuses with full history. ConnectingTheDots models entities, product families, variants and relations, with fields per language, market and channel and category trees that can follow GS1 or ETIM.
How products, variants and relationships are modelled, and how each platform keeps data complete and approved. This decides how much of your catalogue fits without workarounds.
Modelling approach
Category hierarchies, attributes, variants and groups, relations and bundles, with contexts for languages and markets.11
Entities, product families, attributes, variants and relations, with contextual fields per language, market and channel. Category trees can follow GS1 or ETIM.42
Data quality
Workflow and governance
Tasks and notifications, validation and publishing workflows, and product statuses with full history.11
Ask both vendors
- Model our three hardest products live: a configurable item, a bundle and a spare part with fitment data.
- How do completeness rules differ per channel and per locale?
- What does a change to the data model cost once we are live?
03 · How they differSyndication and channels
Bluestone PIM feeds marketplaces directly or through Productsup and WakeupData, and builds its own connectors for commercetools, Shopify, BigCommerce and Magento 2. ConnectingTheDots publishes through templates for Amazon, Bol and Kaufland, and lists integrations for platforms such as Shopify, Shopware, commercetools and Lightspeed without saying who maintains each.
How product content leaves the PIM: to your own webshop, to marketplaces and retailers, and to commerce platforms. If the number of channels is your bottleneck, this factor weighs more than the editing screens.
Delivery to retailers and marketplaces
Connectors to Productsup and WakeupData for marketplaces, plus 1WorldSync and a GS1 connector by Qmica for trading-partner networks.18
Commerce platform connectors
Connectors built by Bluestone PIM for commercetools, Shopify, BigCommerce and Magento 2. Vaimo builds the Adobe Commerce connector.18
Integrations listed for Shopify, Magento and Adobe Commerce, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Shopware, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, commercetools and Lightspeed. The page does not say who maintains each one.48
Ask both vendors
- Show a live feed to one marketplace we use, including what happens when the channel rejects an item.
- Which channel connectors do you maintain yourselves, and which do partners maintain?
- When a retailer changes its template, who updates the mapping, and at what cost?
04 · How they differAI features
Bluestone PIM offers a conversational AI Agent, AI skills on a model the customer picks and a production MCP server with 89 tools for outside AI clients. ConnectingTheDots runs agents for classification, enrichment, translation and channel checks as workflow steps, uses AI to map supplier feeds, and publishes no statement on MCP access.
What AI does inside each product, as announced by the vendor. Vendors ship AI features several times a year, so read this as a snapshot and test on your own data.
Agents in the platform
AI in onboarding
Access for outside AI tools
A production MCP server (Agent Gateway) with 89 tools that read and write products, catalogues, assets and tasks, for clients such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor.2526
Not published: no statement on an MCP server or other access for outside AI tools.
Ask both vendors
- Which AI features are in the subscription, and which are priced per use or per credit?
- Run the enrichment on ten of our real products and show what a reviewer still has to correct.
- Where is our data processed, and is it used to train models?
05 · How they differArchitecture and integrations
Bluestone PIM runs on AWS with production environments in the EEA, the US and Singapore, is MACH-certified, and offers 700+ REST endpoints, webhooks and an Extension Hub with an SDK. ConnectingTheDots does not publish its hosting provider, region or stack, and offers an open API, feeds and webhooks; we found no public API documentation, app store or SDK.
How each platform is hosted, built, extended and connected to ERP, commerce and DAM systems. This is where IT teams spend most of their evaluation time.
Hosting
Technology
MACH-certified since May 2021: microservices, API-first, cloud-native SaaS and headless. The languages and databases are not published on Bluestone PIM's own pages.27
Not published: no statement on the languages, frameworks or databases behind the platform.
APIs
Extensibility
Extensions from Bluestone PIM and partners in the Extension Hub, and an SDK for UI extensions such as dashboard widgets and full pages.18
SAP S/4HANA
We found no SAP-certified connector. Bluestone PIM says its Connectivity Suite delivers a tailored, bidirectional sync with SAP.20
Ask both vendors
- Which connectors for our ERP and commerce platform are yours, and which are built by partners?
- What are the API rate limits, and how long does a bulk import of our full catalogue take?
- Where is our data hosted, and can we choose the region?
06 · How they differPricing and licensing
Neither publishes prices. Bluestone PIM gives a range based on usage such as users, SKUs and languages; ConnectingTheDots quotes PIM and PIM Enterprise on product range, data sources, sales channels and automation needs, with implementation as a separate one-off cost.
How each vendor packages its offer and what moves the price. Compare offers over three to five years, including modules, connectors, partner work and your own team, not on the first-year licence.
Published prices
None. Bluestone PIM gives a price range after discussing requirements.10
None. ConnectingTheDots makes a proposal after reviewing requirements.40
Packages
No named packages. Extension Hub apps are priced the same way as the core PIM.10
PIM and PIM Enterprise. Enterprise adds multiple brands and markets, advanced governance and audit trails, and high-volume automation.40
Pricing unit
Usage-based. The number of users, SKUs and languages are among the inputs.10
No single unit: product range, data sources, sales channels and automation needs set the price. Implementation is a separate one-off cost.40
Open source
No open-source edition. The terms grant a non-exclusive licence to use the software in object code and prohibit decompiling.59
Ask both vendors
- Which metrics drive the price: products, users, channels, locales, API calls or modules?
- How are renewals priced, and is there a cap on increases?
- What does year three cost if our catalogue doubles?
07 · How they differPartners and implementation
Bluestone PIM publishes Silver, Gold and Platinum partner tiers and a certification programme, and partners publish extensions in its Extension Hub. ConnectingTheDots publishes no tiers and agrees one of three collaboration models with each partner (referral, reseller or implementation partner), with training and certification.
Who implements the platform, and with what. The partner you pick shapes the project as much as the software does.
Partner network
Solution partners (consultancies and integrators) and ISV partners. No partner count published.29
Implementation partners, agencies, system integrators and technology partners. The partners page shows six logos: WoodWing, Qmica, PIMvendors, PIMDAMPET, Tweakwise and Bynder. No partner count published.58
Partner tiers
The partner directory uses Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers. The certification programme has Specialist, Architect and Implementation Lead levels.29
No tiers published. Three collaboration models (referral, reseller and implementation partner), chosen with each partner, with training and certification.58
Partner-built tooling
Partners publish extensions in the Extension Hub, including composable commerce accelerators from Avensia, Lab Digital and NoA Ignite.18
Ask both vendors
- Which certified partners in our region have delivered a project like ours in the last two years?
- What does your own team do during the implementation, and what is left to the partner?
- Can we speak to two customers in our industry?
08 · How they differAnalyst coverage
Bluestone PIM announced a Visionary placement in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for PIM and states a Major Player placement in the 2021 IDC MarketScape. ConnectingTheDots is not among the 16 vendors in that Gartner edition, and we found no Forrester Wave that includes either.
Where analyst firms placed each vendor in recent editions, as announced by the vendor or the analyst. Analysts weigh criteria you may not share, so read this as a map of the market, not a ranking for your project.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for PIM, 2026
Visionary, as announced by Bluestone PIM.30
Not among the 16 vendors in the edition, per Gartner's report.60
IDC MarketScape, latest PIM or MDM edition
Major Player in the 2021 edition, as stated by Bluestone PIM. We found no Bluestone PIM statement on a later edition.2
We found no IDC MarketScape for PIM that includes ConnectingTheDots, and no ConnectingTheDots statement on one.
The Forrester Wave, latest PIM or MDM edition
We found no Forrester Wave for PIM that includes Bluestone PIM, and no Bluestone PIM statement on one.
We found no Forrester Wave for PIM that includes ConnectingTheDots, and no ConnectingTheDots statement on one.
Ask both vendors
- Which of the analyst's criteria match our requirements, and where did you score lowest?
Where each tends to fit
Teams tend to shortlist Bluestone PIM when
- the commerce stack is composable or MACH-based, and the PIM has to work headless through APIs
- outside AI clients such as Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor should read and write product data through an MCP server
- partners or the team will extend the interface with apps from the Extension Hub or its SDK
- print catalogues and PDFs should come from the PIM core, with InDesign sync as an extension
Teams tend to shortlist ConnectingTheDots when
- many suppliers send feeds in their own formats, and data should be mapped and validated before it reaches the PIM
- content goes to marketplaces such as Amazon, Bol and Kaufland, with prices and mappings per channel
- the team manages ESG evidence with validity dates and EPR exports next to the product data
- the ERP is SAP Business One, and items, bills of materials, price lists and stock should flow into the PIM
Expert view
Bluestone PIM or ConnectingTheDots: it depends on your requirements
Described in a few lines, Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots sound alike: both are SaaS PIMs for product data, both include a DAM, both reach data pools through Qmica's GS1 connector, and neither publishes prices. The differences show up in where each puts its weight: in how open the platform is to other systems and AI tools, and in what happens to supplier data before it reaches the product record.
Bluestone PIM's headless, MACH-certified platform, Extension Hub and MCP server suit teams that connect product data to composable commerce, ERP systems and AI agents across several markets. ConnectingTheDots, with Import & Onboarding in front of the PIM and templates for marketplaces such as Bol and Kaufland, suits retailers, wholesalers and brands that take in data from many suppliers. Neither profile matters unless it answers a requirement you can name.
What works best for you depends on your unique requirements. Write them down first, then ask both vendors to import a real supplier file, model your hardest products and publish to one of your channels. Send us your list and we will gladly help you run that test with your own data.
Independent advice that starts from your requirements, not from a platform.
Recent moves
Releases, deals and leadership changes from both vendors, newest first, each with its source.
- Bluestone PIM
Bluestone PIM named a Visionary in the 2026 Gartner PIM Magic Quadrant
Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Product Information Management Solutions, dated 12 October 2026, placed Bluestone PIM among the Visionaries.
Bluestone PIM - Bluestone PIM
Dutch integrator Squadra adds Bluestone PIM to its partner set
Squadra said the partnership extends its PIM and MDM practice with Bluestone's composable platform.
Squadra - Bluestone PIM
Bluestone PIM sets out a Digital Product Passport initiative
The company said it is developing Digital Product Passport capabilities so customers can prepare product data for EU rules.
Bluestone PIM - ConnectingTheDots
ConnectingTheDots partners with Qmica on product data.
On 27 January 2026 the companies said they will combine the PIM with Qmica commerce tools for product data flows.
ConnectingTheDots - Bluestone PIM
Bluestone PIM launches an AI agent for product data
The agent lets users request product data and content in natural language.
Bluestone PIM
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots?
Both are SaaS PIMs for product data with a DAM, a way in for suppliers and a GS1 connector by Qmica. Bluestone PIM is MACH-certified and headless, with 700+ REST endpoints, an Extension Hub and an MCP server with 89 tools. ConnectingTheDots puts Import & Onboarding in front of the PIM, publishes through templates for Amazon, Bol and Kaufland, and manages ESG and compliance data. Which difference matters depends on your commerce stack, your suppliers and your channels.
Do Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots publish their prices?
No. Bluestone PIM gives a price range after discussing requirements, based on usage such as users, SKUs and languages, and prices Extension Hub apps the same way as the core PIM. ConnectingTheDots makes a proposal for PIM or PIM Enterprise after reviewing requirements, based on product range, data sources, sales channels and automation needs, with implementation as a separate one-off cost. Compare offers over three to five years.
Can you self-host Bluestone PIM or ConnectingTheDots?
Neither lists a self-hosted edition. Bluestone PIM is SaaS on AWS only, with production environments in the EEA, the US and Singapore, and customer data stays in the chosen region. ConnectingTheDots is SaaS and does not publish its hosting provider or data region; its general terms mention client-managed servers, but no such offer is described on the pages we checked.
How do the AI features of Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots compare?
Bluestone PIM's AI Agent works as a conversational operator in the interface, AI skills such as AI Enrich and AI Analyst run on a model the customer picks, and its MCP server gives outside AI clients 89 tools. ConnectingTheDots runs agents for classification, enrichment, translation and channel checks as workflow steps, with suggestions a person can review, edit and revert, and uses AI to map supplier feeds. It publishes no statement on MCP. Test both on your own products.
Do Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots connect to SAP?
Both say they do, in different ways. We found no SAP-certified connector for Bluestone PIM, which says its Connectivity Suite delivers a tailored, bidirectional sync with SAP. ConnectingTheDots has a SAP Business One integration that pulls items, bills of materials, price lists and stock into the PIM, and does not name SAP S/4HANA on its integration pages. Ask both to show the connection with your own SAP system.
How do you choose between Bluestone PIM and ConnectingTheDots?
Write down your requirements first. Then run a scripted demo in which both vendors import a real supplier file, model your own products and publish to one of your channels. Compare the offers over three to five years, including extensions, implementation, connectors and partner work.
Read next
How this comparison was built
We compared the two vendors on public information only: their own websites, documentation and press releases, plus reporting that names its source. We did not run either product for this page and we do not score or rank. Where a vendor does not publish something, the page says so instead of guessing.
We have a relationship with every vendor on our platform. None gets preferential treatment: all are compared in the same way, on the same factors, for our customers.
Spotted something out of date? Email info@pimvendors.com and we will check it against the source.
Sources
- Bluestone PIM Homepage
- Bluestone PIM Our story
- OpenCorporates Bluestone AS company record (982017440)
- Bluestone PIM Contact and offices
- Bluestone PIM Bluestone PIM secures strategic investment for next growth phase Published 16 Jan 2024
- Bluestone PIM Bluestone merges with WebOn Published 18 Apr 2018
- Bluestone PIM Digital Product Passport accelerates: Bluestone PIM enables compliance Published 2 Mar 2026
- Bluestone PIM Security at Bluestone PIM
- Bluestone PIM Security and scale
- Bluestone PIM Pricing
- Bluestone PIM Features overview
- Bluestone PIM AI DAM
- Bluestone PIM Supplier Portal extension
- Bluestone PIM AI Analyst extension
- Bluestone PIM Price Manager extension
- Bluestone PIM Adobe InDesign Sync extension
- Bluestone PIM Digital Product Passport solution
- Bluestone PIM Extension Hub
- Bluestone PIM Accelerate channel revenue
- Bluestone PIM PIM integration patterns
- Bluestone PIM API documentation
- Bluestone PIM Bluestone PIM launches AI Agent for fast, easy product data management Published 21 Oct 2025
- Bluestone PIM AI features
- Bluestone PIM AI Agent
- Bluestone PIM MCP (Agent Gateway)
- Bluestone PIM Bluestone PIM MCP tool reference
- MACH Alliance Bluestone PIM member profile
- MACH Alliance Agent Ready: 2026 Agent Ready organizations
- Bluestone PIM Partners
- Bluestone PIM Bluestone PIM recognised as a Visionary in the 2026 Magic Quadrant Published 14 Oct 2026
- ConnectingTheDots About ConnectingTheDots
- LinkedIn ConnectingTheDots company page
- Emerce Author profile: Max Schrevelius
- ConnectingTheDots Contact
- OpenCorporates ID Interactive B.V. company record (08185975)
- ConnectingTheDots Agentic commerce starts with product data. Not with AI. Published 8 Oct 2026
- ConnectingTheDots Webinar: Import & Onboarding in partnership with PIMvendors.com Published 8 Apr 2025
- ConnectingTheDots Implementation Consultant vacancy
- ConnectingTheDots PIM platform
- ConnectingTheDots PIM pricing and plans
- ConnectingTheDots Import & Onboarding
- ConnectingTheDots Data Model & Structure
- ConnectingTheDots Workflows & AI
- ConnectingTheDots Publishing & Channels
- ConnectingTheDots Reporting & Analytics
- ConnectingTheDots User Management
- ConnectingTheDots Product Information Management
- ConnectingTheDots Integrations
- ConnectingTheDots SAP Business One integration
- ConnectingTheDots GS1 Connector (Qmica)
- ConnectingTheDots Bynder DAM integration
- Bynder Marketplace ConnectingTheDots PIM
- ConnectingTheDots Customer case: Wehkamp
- ConnectingTheDots Customer case: Masimo
- ConnectingTheDots ESG and sustainability data
- ConnectingTheDots AI product data automation
- ConnectingTheDots Supplier data onboarding
- ConnectingTheDots Partners
- ConnectingTheDots Terms and Conditions
- Gartner Magic Quadrant for Product Information Management Solutions Published 12 Oct 2026