iStock vs Shutterstock - Stock Photo Titans Battle (2024)

iStock(previously known as iStockphoto vs. Shutterstock) and Shutterstock are microstock agencies that have been at the top of the stockphoto industry consistently since their dawn in the early 2000s, leading the group of what was called the “Big 6” most important microstock companies.

Both stock photo websites launched with very different pricing models, each pioneering in their style, but fierce competition drove them to adjust their offers, and now they share more features than they originally did. Competition, expansion, and business strategies have led them to remain the best stock photo sites to date.

As a buyer, it can be difficult to decide which of these two agencies would better meet your needs. But here, you will find a comprehensive comparison between the two different offers, their pricing points, and the core value of each of them.

Our iStock vs Shutterstock analysis is almost like a stock photography pricing guide… with wrestling mascots!

If you want to consider more stock agencies, you can look at the 5 Shutterstock Alternatives Comparedor at our 7 cheapest stock photo subscriptions here. If you like comparative analysis like this one, check our next, Shutterstock vs Adobe Stock facedown!

iStock vs Shutterstock: The Similarities

• Free membership– Both agencies have free sign-up to access their service and explore their offer.
• Free weekly photos – Both agencies offer weekly free stock photos that are released regularly to their members on the website. None of them has free photo galleries. Find the Shutterstock free photos here and the iStockphoto free photos here.
• Royalty-free licenses – Both image banks sell images under a royalty-free license, cleared for commercial use. This makes the pictures much safer to use than other alternatives, like free images from the web, which can be troublesome and potentially cause legal problems with copyright infringement. Both Shutterstock and iStock have a standard license and an extended or enhanced license with extra usage rights. In all cases, it's a non exclusive license.
• Editorial images – Both companies have selections of pictures for editorial-only use
• Large image libraries – Both agencies have large image libraries and add new content regularly. They're a popular choice amongst photographer contributors, which helps in the constant feeding of new images.
• Complimentary partner sites – They both highlight a partner site that widens their offer. Shutterstock's partner site is Bigstock (sometimes called Bigstockphoto), which has different pricing points and a more modest collection of images. iStock's parent company is the prestigious Getty Images which focuses on high-end, exclusive imagery –they used to have Thinkstock as a smaller collection with lower prices, but they closed it in 2019.
• Multiple language support – Both agencies have platforms supporting multiple languages to better serve international customers.
• Forerunners in stock photography – Both companies are pioneers in the industry. iStock is considered the very first microstock agency founded in 2000, the precursor of the microstock model.
  Shutterstock was the first company to introduce the stock photo subscription model when it launched in 2003, which was later adopted by most other agencies. Both agencies have been in the stock photography market for over two decades and are widely considered the leaders in the industry.

Shutterstock vs iStockphoto: The Differences

Now let's look at what these agencies do differently from one another. Comparing iStock vs Shutterstock's differences is what ultimately will help graphic designers and creatives define which one is the best for them.

Highlights in Shutterstock's Offer

Shutterstock has modified its original offer in the years since its launch.

They launched in the market by introducing an innovative buying model, the stock photo subscription. Shutterstock was the first agency to offer a limited number of downloads for a flat, periodic fee. Many other companies, including iStock, adopted this model in their own offers. Their subscriptions have varied a bit, but right now, their plans have different monthly download limits.

We have even covered their pricing in a full Shutterstock pricing post here!You might want to look at our5 Shutterstock alternative agencies compared. If you want to sell your work on Shutterstock, don't miss our Shutterstock Contributor review!

Sometime after launch, Shutterstock adopted the on-demand sales option in its own style, in the form of image packs that you can pay upfront. Their image packs are priced in USD, and there is one price for all image sizes and resolutions. This means you can download an image in any size available, and it will always cost you one download. The larger the pack you buy, the lower the per-image price.

This agency doesn't have exclusive content in the sense that it doesn't make exclusive distribution deals with any contributor. Instead, it highlights the newest and best-selling images in its search results and website.

Exclusive! We have a new and amazing Shutterstock coupon code for image packs! This special offer gives you a 25% discount on the 25 images pack at Shutterstock. Pay only $171.75 instead of $229, and download high-resolution photos for just $6.87 each! This discount applies only to the pack of 25 image downloads.

Get 15% Off on Shutterstock subscriptions and image packs

You can read more about the company in our full Shutterstock Review.

This is what they offer today:

• Over 485 Million photos, vector illustrations, video content, and audio files. Other assets, such as 3D graphics, are also available.
• Millions more images are added weekly.
• Image packs for on demand purchases, priced in USD, starting at 2 images and up to 25.
• Individual image price depends on the pack bought, starting at $14.50 and as low as $9.16 each.
• Subscriptions are tailored by volume size. They can be hired monthly or annually. They include an option to pay an annual fee upfront, saving more money.
• Their cheapest subscription is $199 a month for 750 images monthly, with an annual plan.
• Team subscriptionsgrant multiple users access to the same account.
• Editorial stand-alone website with special editorial subscription plans.
• Extended licenses are available only as separated image packs, starting at $99,50 per image and as low as $67,96 each with the largest 25-image pack.
• They have only one Extended license (named “Enhanced”) that includes different bonus rights.
• Recently improved search engine that uses computer vision to find and suggest the best images to fit your needs. Includes a reverse image search from any image you drag and drop on their search bar.
• Shutterstock Creative Flow platform offers online tools for creatives and business owners that include image editing, content planning, content discovery, and more. Learn how to get Shutterstock Creative Flow for free!

See Shutterstock full Plans and Pricing here

Do you want to buy Shutterstock photos? Sign Up with Shutterstock here. And don't forget to grab our Shutterstock Coupon Code to save more on your stock images!

Particularities in iStock's Offer

iStock's buying model has also evolved since it came to life in 2000, particularly in the past few years.

Their pricing system is based on “credits,” an independent pricing unit whose value has changed throughout the years (many stock agencies replicated this system, too – you can learn more about credits here). Originally, they only offered different sizes of on demand credit packs that buyers could buy upfront and then use credits to buy photos. Later, when Shutterstock came around, they introduced “subscriptions for credits,” a form of on demand plans where you could purchase monthly credit packs. In 2014, they introduced actual subscription plans. And one of their latest introductions was the single image purchase, a direct way to buy enough credits to cover just one image.

In the origins, they had several different collections. The main collection contained budget images for everyday needs, and other higher-priced collections had exclusive and high quality photos and videos. But in 2014, they redesigned their offer. Now, iStock divides its catalog into 2 collections called Essentials and Signature and new subscription plans that apply to them.

We have a whole iStock pricing breakdown post for you! But what is worth knowing is that iStock has a variety of buying options for all budgets and all creative needs: monthly and annual low- and high-volume subscriptions for budget-friendly or exclusive content, as well as credit packs with great flexibility. And there are even more methods to download iStock images without a watermark.

Unlock the iStock Free Trial with 10 Free Images for 30 Days

This special free trial lets you access one month of an Essential and/or Signature subscription for free, including 10 image downloads of your choice! The images downloaded with the trial are yours to use forever.

Enjoy a Bonus 10 Free Images with your iStock Monthly Subscription

Our exclusive offer gives you a bonus pack of 10 free image credits, completely free of charge, with the purchase of any of iStock's monthly plans!

Seize a 25% Discount on iStock Large Credit Packs

This new and exclusive deal lets you save 25% off the regular price on purchasing any iStock credit pack from 18 credits and up! Save more money with the flexible on-demand packs that let you download images and videos indistinctly, with credits that never expire!

Get a 15% Discount on all iStock Credit Packs and iStock Subscriptions

Our long-standing iStock promo code gives you a 15% discount on any iStock credit pack and any iStock subscription plan, no matter the volume of downloads or duration of the plan. Enjoy!

Learn more about this agency in our full iStock Review.

This is what iStock offers today:

• Photos, vector illustrations, and video content.
• Essentials collection for lower-priced, everyday needs images.
• Signature collection of higher quality videos and images exclusive to the agency (this collection includes all former high-quality collections like Vetta, Signature+, etc.).
• Free trial – The iStock free trial gives you 10 free Essential or Signature images for one month.
• Credit packs for on demand purchases. The individual credit price is $12, but this price is reduced the larger the credit pack is. There are packs from 1 and up to 300 credits.
• Credits are good to download images and videos from any collection. And as long as you log in to your account once a year, credits never expire. They're the most flexible buying option.
• Individual image price is 1 credit for Essential photos and 3 credits for Signature images.
• Subscriptions tailored for volume size and collection, with monthly download limits. Can be hired month by month or per year. A Premium subscription gives access to both Essentials and Signature libraries.
• Their recommended subscription is $100 a month for 10 monthly images from Essentials and Signature.
• Subscriptions have the lowest per-image rates of all buying options.
• Possibility to roll unused downloads from one month over to the next.
• Team subscriptions give multiple users access to the same account.
• Incredibly flexible iStock license with extensive coverage.
• Extended licenses, only available for on demand credit purchases, are 18 credits each.
• Each bonus right is sold as one Extended license
• Great search tool and a highly searchable library that makes it easy for buyers to find the photos they want.

See iStock full Plans and Pricing here

Are you ready to buy photos from iStock? Then get your iStock Membership here, and don't forget to save up to 25% with our special iStock Promo Code!

iStockphoto vs Shutterstock: Which One is Best for You?

As we said, these microstock agencies have strengths that put them under an umbrella of excellence as options to buy stock photos. They've millions of high quality images, simple buying systems, and affordable prices. Our Shutterstock vs iStock comparative analysis will now go more in-depth.

iStock and Shutterstock Price Comparison

Note: Edited, June 9th, adding more comprehensive comparative observations on multiple buyer needs.

Which one can give you the best value stock photos depends on your particular needs.

• Quality Images? If quality in resolution and content is important to you, you must remember that iStock sets higher prices for its highest-quality images, while Shutterstock lets you download all its images, including high-end ones, for the same price. However, iStock's lower-priced images from the Essentials collection are very good quality and great for everyday stock photo needs.
• Only a couple of photos? If you only want to buy a couple of images, the decision depends on what quality you're after. If everyday budget photos would do for you, Shutterstock could be a good choice: the minimum investment is $29 for a pack of 2 image downloads, with each image costing $14.50. iStock has a comparable offer in Essential on-demand images: you can buy 3 Essential images with a 3 credit pack for $33; the price per image is $11 each, but you need a slightly higher upfront payment.
• More control and flexibility in on-demand purchases?If you want to control exactly how much you spend on stock images and avoid time limitations, iStock's credits are convenient. With credit packs, you can decide exactly how much you want to pay, how many, and what kind of images you want. And you can buy videos too! A big plus is that credits never expire: as long as you log in to your iStock account once a year, all your credits remain usable. Shutterstock sells video (and audio) separately; their image packs are pre-made, so they aren't as flexible and expire one year after the purchase date.
• Some images with better quality but not exclusive? If you want a higher quality but don't mind whether the pictures are exclusive, then Shutterstock could be for you: you get 5 images for $49 versus 4 Signature images for $115 at iStock.
• Images regularly? If you need to buy stock photos regularly, getting a stock photo subscription is the best option. At both agencies, hiring an annual plan (with monthly download limits) is cheaper than getting a month-to-month renewable subscription.
• If you need only a few images per month, iStock has you covered. They have plans for 10, 25, and 50 photos per month at $40, $65, and $100, respectively. Keep in mind that these prices are for Essential images only. They also have subscriptions granting access to Essential everyday images and Signature high-quality, exclusive images. Signature subscriptions have a higher price point but are affordable for the quality of images you get.
• If you will need lots of stock photos every day, you need larger volume subscriptions. In this case, Shutterstock has one of the best stock photo subscriptions. Their plans give you 350 images a month for $199 (or $169 if you hire the annual option) and 750 images for $249 (or $199 with the annual plan). This means you're getting 750 photos for as little as $0.33 per image, with just a one-month commitment, and for even less with an annual subscription.
  iStockalso offers plans with 750 images a month. If you are willing to take a one-year commitment, they have the cheapest stock photo subscription with Essentials: 750 images a month for $159, and each image costs $0.21.
• You need lots of images, but you don't want an annual commitment?ThenShutterstock is for you. This agency offers large volume subscriptions that can be renewed on a month-to-month basis, so you don't need to commit for longer than a month.
• You need lots of images constantly but without losing unused downloads? iStock subscriptions come with an additional benefit. With an annual plan (or if you renew your monthly plan), all the downloads you didn't use are rolled over to the next month, so you never lose the downloads you pay for. AtShutterstock, the download limit expires and gets restarted month to month, so if you don't use up all of your downloads, these are lost at the end of the month.
• High quality production images?Shutterstockhas a larger library than iStock. For this reason, they have more variety in content. But Shutterstock doesn't curate more valuable content from everyday stock photos, at least not for their main service –they have a selection of premium content available on demand only, the Offset collection.iStock has the Signature collection of photos from their exclusive contributors. Signature images have a higher production value and a higher quality in content overall than Essential images. For this reason, they are priced higher. However, Signature subscriptions give you access to both Essentials and Signature images. If you can use higher quality images, then a Signature subscription is worth the extra cost. A Signature subscription for 750 images a month costs $399 (or $0.53 per image) monthly and $319 (just $0.42 per image) with an annual plan. For only a few more cents per image, you are getting the value that you can't get at Shutterstock.
• Team Access?If you need to have your team or clients access the account and see the downloaded images, the most convenient agency depends on how many users you need to add. For 2 users, both agencies are even with a $ 300-a-month subscription.
  But for larger than 3-member teams, if everyday budget images are ok for you, then iStock is cheaper: for 4 users, for example, iStock costs $433 a month vs Shutterstock's $499. Keep in mind this refers to iStock's Essential non-exclusive collection. Shutterstock's subscriptions give you access to their entire library.
• What about Extended licenses? Here, too, it depends on your needs, but overall, Shutterstock offers a better deal. You can get 2 Enhanced licensed images for $199 ($99,5 each), and this license includes rights to use photos in unlimited copies, in products for resale, and large TV or media productions. At iStock, these different rights are bought separately, and each Extended license costs 18 credits (from $144 to $170, depending on the credit pack you have).

iStock vs. Shutterstock Price Comparison Condensed:

• Shutterstock has a larger library and more variety in content
• iStock has cheaper price points for budget images
• Shutterstock image packs have a lower minimum purchase
• iStock credits are more flexible
• Shutterstock has a simpler subscription structure with low prices
• iStock subscriptions have more benefits likerollovers of unused downloads
• ShutterstockTeam accounts give access to their entire library
• iStock's Team accounts are cheaper for large teams with budget images

Exclusive Images in iStock and Shutterstock

If you look for exclusive photos, then this might be the decisive factor.

iStock offers content that is unique to its site and can't be found in any other microstock agency in its Signature collection.

iStock Signature encompasses several exclusive collections that were previously much more expensive and offer images with a higher production cost and overall higher content quality. Available on demand for between $33 and $24 apiece or with Premium subscriptions for as little as $0.33 each, Signature images are an added value in iStock's offer for many buyers.

Shutterstock provides exclusive content through its Offset collection. Originally hosted on a separate website, Offset by Shutterstock is now available on the agency's main platform and is a selection of premium and very high-value imagery from reputable production houses and individual artists. These pictures are available on demand only at $249 per image.

If you wish to work with exclusive, high-end pictures from renowned sources and can afford its reasonable albeit higher price points, Shutterstock is a no-brainer.

If you like using photos that are less widely available (and so less common) and of higher value but want to stay within budget, iStock is a good option.

If exclusivity is not a concern for you, then your particular buying needs and the comparisons you read above will guide you to choose the best option.

iStock vs. Shutterstock Exclusive content:

Shutterstock has exclusive images available on demand in a Premium and higher-priced collection

iStock provides exclusive content in a curated collection at only a slightly higher cost

iStockphoto vs. Shutterstock FAQ

These are some common questions about these two agencies and their answers.

Explore iStockphoto and Shutterstock for Free Before Committing

Both agencies offer free membership registration. This means you can set up an account and browse their offers without committing to a purchase.

It's clever to seize this opportunity to examine the different options and decide which buying model and agency best suits your needs.

Plus, by registering, you'll have access to each agency's weekly free photos, another good opportunity to explore the quality and utility their images have for your projects without paying anything.

Which One to Pick? iStock vs. Shutterstock?

The truth is both agencies are parring in almost every aspect; they have some of the best stock photos out there, and they both serve the creative community very well.Only you can decide. The convenience of one over the other will always be bound to your individual needs as a buyer.

As for us,Shutterstock is the winner for clients who need many photos consistently, a huge library with lots of variety and new photos every week.

But if you need exclusive content and a more thoughtfully organizedselection,iStock is the winner in that case.

Remember, you can also contact Shutterstock and iStock directly to iron out any inquiries about their services before committing to either of them.

iStock vs. Shutterstock

Who wins?

You decide!

Tell us your verdict in the comments!