Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best Stock Media (2026)
The cheapest stock media is Shutterstock at $7/mo. 3 offer a free tier (Shutterstock, Pond5, iStock). This page compares 8 options on entry price, free tier, HIPAA/SOC 2 and best-for — every figure linked to its source, updated June 2026.
8 options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked cheapest-first. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it; quote-only tiers show “—”, never a guess.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest: Shutterstock at $7/mo (Generative AI Plus).
- Typical paid price: from $7/mo, median $21/mo, up to $29.99/mo — across 7 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Shutterstock, Pond5, iStock.
- Tracked: 8 vendors, data current through 2026-06-15.
Comparison
| # | Stock Media | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shutterstock | $7/mo Generative AI Plus | Yes | — | — | High-volume image downloaders needing a large, well-curated library | stockphotosecrets.com |
| 2 | Depositphotos | $12.99/mo Audio (Unlimited) | No | — | — | Bloggers, small business owners, and freelancers on a tight budget needing affordable per-image rates | photutorial.com |
| 3 | Envato Elements | $16.5/mo Core | No | — | — | High-volume freelancers and agencies needing mixed asset types (photo, video, audio, templates) under one flat fee | checkthat.ai |
| 4 | Storyblocks | $21/mo Essentials | No | — | — | Video editors and YouTube producers who download 5+ clips per month and need unlimited access | checkthat.ai |
| 5 | Pond5 | $25/mo Music | Yes | — | — | Video-first creators who need 4K and 8K footage with per-clip control rather than unlimited-download plans | footagesecrets.com |
| 6 | iStock | $29/mo Basic - 10 downloads / month | Yes | — | — | Budget-conscious buyers needing Getty-quality content at lower price points than Getty Images direct | photutorial.com |
| 7 | Adobe Stock | $29.99/mo 10 Assets / month (annual) | No | — | — | Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers who want in-app licensing without context switching | stockphotosecrets.com |
| 8 | Getty Images | — | No | — | — | Major brand campaigns where image rights clarity and exclusivity matter | quote-only |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
Alternatives
Narrow it down
Popular comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest stock media?
Shutterstock has the lowest published entry price at $7/mo (Generative AI Plus), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does stock media cost per month?
Across the 7 stock media with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $21/mo, ranging from $7/mo to $29.99/mo, as of 2026-06-15. 3 also offer a free tier. 1 are quote-only.
Which stock media have a free plan?
Shutterstock, Pond5, iStock offer a free tier.
More software comparisons
How we compiled this
Published self-serve pricing was collected from each provider's own pricing/subscription page on the accessed date, corroborated with dedicated 2026 pricing-review sources where the official page returned a 403, was geolocated outside the USA (rendering EUR), or sat behind a sign-in wall. monthlyUsd records the recurring per-month USD price billed annually (the headline subscription rate) unless noted; no-contract month-to-month rates and annual upfront totals are recorded in notes, and annualDiscountPct is only set where the provider publishes a clear annual discount. Quote-only tiers (e.g. Getty/Storyblocks Enterprise) carry a null price, and minutes/calls/overage fields are null throughout as they do not apply to stock-media subscriptions.
Last verified 2026-06-15. We re-check published prices and compliance on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
Embed this comparison — free
Add the live cheapest-stock media list to your site. It reflects our latest data, and an attribution link is built in.