Best Stock Media · alternatives
Best Shutterstock alternatives (2026)
7 alternatives to Shutterstock in stock media, ranked by entry price. Shutterstock starts at $7/mo. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
Key takeaways
- Free alternatives: Pond5, iStock.
- Closest by price: Depositphotos ($12.99/mo), Envato Elements ($16.5/mo), Storyblocks ($21/mo).
Shutterstock alternatives compared
| # | Alternative | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Depositphotos | $12.99/mo | No | — | Bloggers, small business owners, and freelancers on a tight budget needing affordable per-image rates | photutorial.com |
| 2 | Envato Elements | $16.5/mo | No | — | High-volume freelancers and agencies needing mixed asset types (photo, video, audio, templates) under one flat fee | checkthat.ai |
| 3 | Storyblocks | $21/mo | No | — | Video editors and YouTube producers who download 5+ clips per month and need unlimited access | checkthat.ai |
| 4 | Pond5 | $25/mo | Yes | — | Video-first creators who need 4K and 8K footage with per-clip control rather than unlimited-download plans | footagesecrets.com |
| 5 | iStock | $29/mo | Yes | — | Budget-conscious buyers needing Getty-quality content at lower price points than Getty Images direct | photutorial.com |
| 6 | Adobe Stock | $29.99/mo | No | — | Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers who want in-app licensing without context switching | stockphotosecrets.com |
| 7 | Getty Images | — | No | — | Major brand campaigns where image rights clarity and exclusivity matter | quote-only |
Data current through 2026-06-13. Compare any two directly on the Stock Media index.