# iStock pricing (2026): plans, cost, and compliance

**Entry price:** $29/mo (Basic - 10 downloads / month). Among the 7 stock media we track it is #6 cheapest of 7; median entry $21/mo.
**Domain:** istockphoto.com
**Free tier:** Yes
**Compliance:** HIPAA Not published · SOC 2 Not published · GDPR Not published
**Integrations:** Dropbox, Sketch
**Best for:** Budget-conscious buyers needing Getty-quality content at lower price points than Getty Images direct; Bloggers and small businesses needing a mix of images and videos under one subscription; Users who need Epidemic Sound music included (Premium + Video tier); Buyers wanting rollover downloads across annual plans
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Plans

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Billing | Notes | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basic - 10 downloads / month | $29 | — | flat | 10 downloads/month from the Essentials collection (images/vectors). $29/mo annual; $40/mo month-to-month. Higher Basic tiers: 25 dl $49/mo annual, 50 dl $90/mo, 750 dl $167/mo. Unused downloads roll over up to 250 files (annual subscriptions). | photutorial.com |
| Premium - 10 downloads / month | $70 | — | flat | 10 downloads/month with access to both Essentials and Signature collections. $70/mo annual; $99/mo month-to-month. Higher tiers: 25 dl $120/mo annual, 50 dl $199/mo, 750 dl $334/mo. | photutorial.com |
| Premium + Video - 10 downloads / month | $99 | — | flat | 10 downloads/month including images, video, and music tracks. $99/mo annual; $149/mo month-to-month. Higher tiers: 25 dl $165/mo annual, 50 dl $265/mo. | photutorial.com |

**Key features:** Two content tiers: Essentials (1 credit/image) and Signature (3 credits/image, more natural/editorial style); AI Image Generator powered by NVIDIA Edify model (included with Premium plans); Unused downloads roll over up to 250 files on annual subscriptions; Standard license: $10,000 legal protection per image; Extended license: up to $250,000; Free account: 3 Signature-collection videos per month at no cost; 160,000+ contributors worldwide.

**Plan limits:** Free trial ended June 2, 2025 — no longer available to new customers; Free account: 3 pre-selected Signature collection videos/month only; Basic plan: Essentials collection only (Signature requires Premium or higher); Standard license: up to 500,000 physical print reproductions; AI-generated content not licensed for AI training use; Extended licenses required for resale, merchandise, or multi-user commercial use.

## Cheaper stock media alternatives

- [Shutterstock](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/shutterstock/) — from $7/mo
- [Depositphotos](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/depositphotos/) — from $12.99/mo
- [Envato Elements](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/envato-elements/) — from $16.5/mo
- [Storyblocks](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/storyblocks/) — from $21/mo
- [Pond5](https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/pond5/) — from $25/mo

Sources: 1 · Last verified 2026-06-13
Provenance: Official istockphoto.com plans page geolocated to Germany under WebFetch (showing EUR), so US 2026 USD rates were taken from the Photutorial 2026 iStock pricing guide. monthlyUsd is the annual-billed-monthly rate; month-to-month rates are noted. iStock (a Getty brand) offers Basic, Premium, and Premium+Video subscription families.
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/istock/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, iStock's entry plan was $29/mo as of 2026-06-13 — https://frontdeskreview.com/software/stock-media/istock/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl