Best Stock Media · head-to-head
Shutterstock vs Adobe Stock
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for stock media. Shutterstock has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
At a glance
- Price: Shutterstock $7/mo vs Adobe Stock $29.99/mo — Shutterstock is cheaper to start.
- Free tier: Shutterstock Yes; Adobe Stock No.
- HIPAA: Shutterstock —; Adobe Stock —.
Side by side
| Shutterstock | Adobe Stock | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $7/mo (Generative AI Plus) | $29.99/mo (10 Assets / month (annual)) |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| HIPAA (BAA) | — | — |
| SOC 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | — |
| Best for | High-volume image downloaders needing a large, well-curated library | Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers who want in-app licensing without context switching |
Sources — Shutterstock: stockphotosecrets.com (verified 2026-06-13). Adobe Stock: stockphotosecrets.com (verified 2026-06-13).
Key features
Shutterstock: 503 million royalty-free images, 40 million videos, 43,400+ music tracks; AI Image Generator (multi-model, commercially licensed output); Creative Flow browser-based design editor; Standard license includes $10,000 legal indemnification; Enhanced license $250,000; Free account: 3 royalty-free photos/month and 40 free videos (no paid plan required)
Adobe Stock: Native panels inside all major Adobe Creative Cloud apps for watermark-free preview and one-click license; Royalty-free images, vectors, templates, 3D assets, audio, and HD/4K video in one subscription; AI Studio (Adobe Firefly) for generative AI editing before licensing; 30-day free trial: 10 free images or 1 video (via promo link); Standard license includes $10,000 legal indemnification; Unused monthly downloads roll over while subscription is active