Best Shutterstock Alternatives in 2026
The top Shutterstock alternatives are Adobe Stock, Pixabay and Pexels: 15 stock photo websites our editors would look at instead of Shutterstock, in our ranking order.
Shutterstock: A broad stock-media library with API access, AI tools, and team controls. Where it falls short: single-seat plans limit built-in collaboration.
Switching from Shutterstock? For most stock photo websites buyers the best Shutterstock alternative is Adobe Stock, built for creative Cloud users needing stock assets. On a budget, VectorStock starts at $9.99/mo. Pixabay has a free plan, which Shutterstock does not. Alamy offers the most monthly downloads (15 /mo).
Why People Look for a Shutterstock Alternative
- Single-seat plans limit built-in collaboration
- Unlimited Plus is required for unlimited video, music, and sound effects
- Plan choices vary substantially by media type and AI credit allowance
- No free plan — 10 of the alternatives below have it
- Monthly downloads: 10 /mo — up to 15 /mo with Alamy
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAdobe Stock9.2
Creative Cloud users needing stock assets
Visit Adobe Stock - Lowest priceVectorStock7.9
Paid plans from $9.99/mo
Visit VectorStock - Best free optionPixabay9.1
Has a free plan (Shutterstock has none)
Visit Pixabay - Most monthly downloadsAlamy7.9
15 /mo
Visit Alamy
All 15 Shutterstock Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forCreative Cloud users needing stock assets
A broad stock library with strong Creative Cloud and API workflows.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Adobe Stock -
Best forFree stock media with vectors and an API
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A broad free media library with vector assets, mobile apps and an image-and-video API.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Pixabay -
Best forFree photos and video with strong integrations
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A free stock media library with useful integrations, mobile apps, and API access.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Pexels -
Best forFree photo browsing with a capable developer API
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A broad free visual library with collections, mobile tools, Figma support, and a capable API.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Unsplash -
Best forBroad stock content with a free starting point
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A broad stock library with a free starting point and API access.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Depositphotos -
Best forFree users needing broad stock and office integrations
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A broad stock media library with free collections, integrations, APIs and AI-assisted tools.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Dreamstime -
Best forCreators who want structured stock subscriptions
A stock library with tiered downloads, image tools and an API for creative workflows.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit iStock -
Best forLow-cost unlimited downloads across asset types
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A low-cost stock library with unlimited Pro downloads across several asset types.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Vecteezy -
Best forBroad stock media plus built-in AI tools
A broad stock media library with AI creation and editing tools for creative teams.
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
- Editorial assets
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit 123RF -
Best forShopify users needing free commercial photos
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A free stock photo library with useful Shopify access and a narrower scope.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Burst -
Best forFree stock photos with API access
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A free stock media community with broad asset types, licensing options and API search.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Stockvault -
Best forEditorial-heavy teams needing API licensing
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Monthly downloads: 15 /mo vs 10 /mo
A broad stock library with editorial depth and API access, priced from $139 per month.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Alamy -
Best forBuyers needing Asian-market stock breadth
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A broad stock marketplace with Asian-market depth, AI search, subscriptions and API access.
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
- Editorial assets
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit PIXTA -
Best forVector specialists needing low-cost licensing
- Better than Shutterstock:
- Free plan
A focused vector library with free downloads, flexible licensing, and unlimited plans.
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
- Editorial assets
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit VectorStock -
Best forCurated visual teams needing similarity search
A curated stock media library with similarity search, team licensing, and API access.
- API access
- Illustration assets
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Stocksy
Shutterstock Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Shutterstock?
Adobe Stock: #2 in our Stock Photo Websites ranking, with an editor score of 9.2 out of 10. A broad stock library with strong Creative Cloud and API workflows.
Is there a free alternative to Shutterstock?
Yes. Pixabay, Pexels, Unsplash, Depositphotos and Dreamstime have a free plan or a free tier (10 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Shutterstock?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, VectorStock starts lowest, at $9.99/mo.
Why do people look for Shutterstock alternatives?
Single-seat plans limit built-in collaboration; Unlimited Plus is required for unlimited video, music, and sound effects; Plan choices vary substantially by media type and AI credit allowance.
Which Shutterstock alternative has the most monthly downloads?
Alamy, with 15 /mo.
How do I switch from Shutterstock?
Take a full backup of your site files and database at Shutterstock (or use a migration plugin). Open the new hosting account; many hosts migrate a WordPress site for you, check before doing it by hand. Import the backup and check the site on the temporary address the new host gives you. Point your domain's DNS to the new host, wait for it to switch, then cancel Shutterstock.
How to Switch from Shutterstock
- Take a full backup of your site files and database at Shutterstock (or use a migration plugin).
- Open the new hosting account; many hosts migrate a WordPress site for you, check before doing it by hand.
- Import the backup and check the site on the temporary address the new host gives you.
- Point your domain's DNS to the new host, wait for it to switch, then cancel Shutterstock.
Shutterstock vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Vector assets | Illustration assets | Editorial assets | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shutterstock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 | |
| 1 | Adobe Stock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 2 | Pixabay | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 3 | Pexels | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 4 | Unsplash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Depositphotos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 6 | Dreamstime | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 7 | iStock | $29/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 8 | Vecteezy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 9 | 123RF | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 10 | Burst | Yes | Free | 8.1 | |||
| 11 | Stockvault | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 12 | Alamy | No | $139/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 13 | PIXTA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 14 | VectorStock | Yes | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | Stocksy | No | No | Yes | No | 7.8 |
Head-to-Head
- Shutterstock vs Adobe Stock
- Shutterstock vs Pixabay
- Shutterstock vs Pexels
- Shutterstock vs Unsplash
- Shutterstock vs Depositphotos
- Shutterstock vs Dreamstime
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update