Dreamstime vs iStock

Dreamstime8.7Visit iStock8.6Visit

Higher score Dreamstime #7 in Stock Photo Websites 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Dreamstime

vs

iStock #8 in Stock Photo Websites 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit iStock

• Dreamstime fits best

  Free users needing broad stock and office integrations

• iStock fits best

  Creators who want structured stock subscriptions

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Dreamstime 8.7/10 Visit ↗	iStock 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.6
Ranking	#7 in Stock Photo Websites	#8 in Stock Photo Websites
Best for	Free users needing broad stock and office integrations	Creators who want structured stock subscriptions
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$29/user/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Email, Phone	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Dreamstime 4/4 · iStock 4/4
Vector assets	✓	✓
Illustration assets	✓	✓
Editorial assets	✓	✓
API access	✓	✓
Specs
Monthly downloads	5 /mo	10 /mo (best)
Included team seats	Not checked yet	1 seats
Our review
Pros	Free and public-domain collections broaden access to stock media Microsoft Office, Google Docs and WordPress integrations support content workflows APIs, corporate accounts and AI-assisted tools extend business use	Basic and Premium collections cover photos, vectors and illustrations. Image customization and AI image generation are included in paid plans. Boards, API access, Dropbox and Sketch support organizing and workflows.
Cons	The listed subscription tier includes 5 downloads per month Monthly and annual options shown are limited to the 5-image plan Corporate sub-account seat limits are not stated on the official page	There is no free plan; subscriptions start at $29 per month. Standard subscriptions are for a single user. Basic plan downloads are limited to the selected monthly allowance.
Our verdict	Dreamstime is a stock media licensing platform for individual creators, publishers, agencies, businesses and enterprise teams. Its catalog covers royalty-free photos, vector graphics, illustrations, editorial imagery, video footage, music… Read the review →	iStock is a stock content library for designers, marketers, publishers, businesses and other creators producing advertising, websites, presentations, editorial work or video. It offers royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, editorial… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Dreamstime — where it wins

  • Free and public-domain collections broaden access to stock media
  • Microsoft Office, Google Docs and WordPress integrations support content workflows
  • APIs, corporate accounts and AI-assisted tools extend business use

  Where it doesn't

  • The listed subscription tier includes 5 downloads per month
  • Monthly and annual options shown are limited to the 5-image plan
  • Corporate sub-account seat limits are not stated on the official page

• iStock — where it wins

  • Basic and Premium collections cover photos, vectors and illustrations.
  • Image customization and AI image generation are included in paid plans.
  • Boards, API access, Dropbox and Sketch support organizing and workflows.

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no free plan; subscriptions start at $29 per month.
  • Standard subscriptions are for a single user.
  • Basic plan downloads are limited to the selected monthly allowance.

• Dreamstime8.7/10 · Free plan

  A broad stock media library with free collections, integrations, APIs and AI-assisted tools.

  Visit DreamstimeFull verdict →
• iStock8.6/10 · Paid

  A stock library with tiered downloads, image tools and an API for creative workflows.

  Visit iStockFull verdict →