Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · AI Image Generators

Shutterstock vs Recraft

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Shutterstock #1 in AI Image Generators 9.7/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Shutterstock
Recraft #3 in AI Image Generators 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Recraft

Shutterstock leads on 0 checks, Recraft on 1, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreShutterstock · 9.7/10
  • Free planonly Recraft
  • Most featuresRecraft · 4 of 4

Shutterstock scores higher on our rubric for ai image generators: 9.7 against 9.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Recraft offers free plan; Shutterstock doesn't.

Shutterstock is the better fit for teams that want AI images next to licensed stock. Recraft is the better fit for teams needing versatile image creation and editing.

  • Shutterstock fits best

    Teams that want AI images next to licensed stock

  • Recraft fits best

    Teams needing versatile image creation and editing

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 Shutterstock 9.7/10 Visit ↗ Recraft 9.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.7 9.3
Ranking #1 in AI Image Generators #3 in AI Image Generators
Best for Teams that want AI images next to licensed stock Teams needing versatile image creation and editing
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — —
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Support Live chat, Docs Email, Docs
Integrations 8,000+ integrations 6 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Shutterstock 1/4 · Recraft 4/4
Text-to-image Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Reference images Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Image editing Not checked yet ✓ (best)
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Monthly credits Not checked yet 1000 credits/mo
Commercial use Not checked yet Limited
Output formats Not checked yet SVG, PNG, JPG, PDF, TIFF, Lottie
Our review
Pros
  • AI image generation and editing inside a broad licensed stock library
  • Unlimited Images includes 50 AI generation credits a month; Unlimited Plus includes 100
  • Web, iOS, Android and API access
  • Generates raster and editable vector images from prompts
  • Adds reference guidance, natural-language editing, and background tools
  • Supports web, iOS, Android, API, and multiple output formats
Cons
  • AI credits come only with paid Unlimited plans; no free plan
  • Monthly credits cap how many images you can generate
  • Plan choices vary by media type and AI credit allowance
  • Free-plan images are publicly visible and limited to non-commercial use
  • Credit-based plans limit monthly generation volume
  • Paid commercial usage rights apply while the subscription is active
Our verdict

Shutterstock combines its stock library with AI tools, including an AI image generator and AI editing. Generation runs on monthly AI credits that come with the Unlimited plans: the pricing page lists 50 AI generation credits a month with…

Read the review →

Recraft is an AI image generation and editing platform for professional designers, illustrators, marketers, and creative teams. It can create raster images, editable vector graphics, illustrations, icons, 3D graphics, and mockups from…

Read the review →
  1. ShutterstockAI Image Generators 9.7Paid
  2. RecraftAI Image Generators 9.3Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Shutterstock — where it wins

    • AI image generation and editing inside a broad licensed stock library
    • Unlimited Images includes 50 AI generation credits a month; Unlimited Plus includes 100
    • Web, iOS, Android and API access

    Where it doesn't

    • AI credits come only with paid Unlimited plans; no free plan
    • Monthly credits cap how many images you can generate
    • Plan choices vary by media type and AI credit allowance

  • Recraft — where it wins

    • Generates raster and editable vector images from prompts
    • Adds reference guidance, natural-language editing, and background tools
    • Supports web, iOS, Android, API, and multiple output formats

    Where it doesn't

    • Free-plan images are publicly visible and limited to non-commercial use
    • Credit-based plans limit monthly generation volume
    • Paid commercial usage rights apply while the subscription is active

More comparisons

All AI image generators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update