Best iStock Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from stock photo websites ranked against iStock on the same published basis.
- 1iStock vs Adobe Stock
- 2iStock vs Pixabay
- 3iStock vs Pexels
- 4iStock vs Vecteezy
- 5iStock vs VectorStock
- 6iStock vs Bigstock
- 7iStock vs Shutterstock
- 8iStock vs Depositphotos
- 10iStock vs Yay Images
- 11iStock vs PIXTA
- 12iStock vs Dreamstime
- 13iStock vs IMAGO
- 14iStock vs Unsplash
- 15iStock vs Reuters Connect
- 16iStock vs Scopio
- 17iStock vs PeopleImages
- 18iStock vs 123RF
- 19iStock vs Alamy
- 20iStock vs PhotoSearch (Fotosearch)
- 21iStock vs Arctic Stock
iStock alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adobe Stock | 8.7 | No | — | Android, API, iOS, Web |
| 2 | Pixabay | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Web |
| 3 | Pexels | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Web |
| 4 | Vecteezy | 8.4 | Free plan | — | API, Web |
| 5 | VectorStock | 8.0 | Free plan | $0.83/mo | Web |
| 6 | Bigstock | 8.0 | No | $53.25/mo | API, Web |
| 7 | Shutterstock | 7.8 | No | — | API, Web |
| 8 | Depositphotos | 7.7 | No | — | API |
| 10 | Yay Images | 7.7 | Free plan | — | Web |
| 11 | PIXTA | 7.6 | No | $15/mo | Web |
| 12 | Dreamstime | 7.5 | No | — | API |
| 13 | IMAGO | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | API |
| 14 | Unsplash | 7.4 | No | — | API |
| 15 | Reuters Connect | 7.4 | No | — | API, Web |
| 16 | Scopio | 7.3 | No | $29/mo | Web, iOS, Android |
| 17 | PeopleImages | 7.2 | No | — | Web |
| 18 | 123RF | 7.0 | No | — | Web |
| 19 | Alamy | 7.0 | No | $139/mo | API |
| 20 | PhotoSearch (Fotosearch) | 7.0 | No | $19.49/mo | Web |
| 21 | Arctic Stock | 7.0 | No | — | Web |
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Questions about iStock alternatives
What is the best alternative to iStock?
Adobe Stock, number 1 in stock photo websites with a score of 8.7 out of 10. The others here: Pixabay, Pexels, Vecteezy and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to iStock?
Pixabay is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 6 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.