Adobe Stock vs Shutterstock
Adobe Stock
stock.adobe.com
Shutterstock
shutterstock.comSide by side
| Figure | Adobe Stock | Shutterstock |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 29 | 9 |
| Spec score · Stock Photo Websites | 9.1 (#2) | 8.4 (#13) |
| Spec score · Stock Illustration Websites | 9.0 (#2) | 7.7 (#20) |
| Spec score · Stock Video Websites | 9.1 (#2) | 7.6 (#16) |
| AI editing | AI Studio tools include changing colors and moods, changing image ratios, swapping backgrounds, animating still images, and text-based editing. | Image editing features include Expand Image, Variations, Magic Brush, and Background Remover; Background Remover works only on images up to 7000×5000 pixels and does not remove vector background layers. |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Editorial assets | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 1982 | 2003 |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Headquarters | San Jose, California, USA | New York, NY |
| Illustration assets | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Adobe Stock can be used without other Adobe products, while Creative Cloud integration lets users preview, edit, and license assets in Photoshop before purchase. | The Shutterstock API provides library search and licensing within third-party applications and is integrated with Google, Facebook, IBM, and Wix, among others. |
| Monthly downloads | 10 | 10 |
| Support | Adobe Stock plan pages provide a consultation request option for business plan inquiries. | Shutterstock offers a 24/7 multilingual AI support agent that can connect customers to a live agent during live support hours. |
| Team plans | Team subscriptions support pooled licenses across team members and are described as designed for small to midsize businesses. | Team subscriptions have an annual commitment paid upfront; image-only plans cover up to 20 people, while mixed-media Flex Team plans cover up to 10. |
| Vector assets | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Adobe Stock
- 10 standard assetsPriced on request
- 10 standard assetsPrice not published
- 25 standard assetsPrice not published
- 25 standard assetsPriced on request
- 40 standard assetsPrice not published
- 40 standard assetsPriced on request
- 750 standard assetsPriced on request
- 750 standard assetsPrice not published
- 3 standard assetsPriced on request
- 3 standard assetsPrice not published
Shutterstock
- Image downloadsPriced on request
- Image downloadsPrice not published
- Image packsPrice not published
- Image packsPriced on request
- Image pack$29, paid once
- Image downloads (10 per month)$300 a year
- Unlimited Images$348 a year
- Unlimited Plus$828 a year
- Teams and EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock is a stock library with more than 900 million images, videos, audio, templates, and other assets. Subscriptions include standard images, templates, 3D assets, and music; most plans also include HD video. AI Studio lets users edit stock images and videos before licensing and downloading them. Its tools can change colors and moods, alter image ratios, replace backgrounds, animate still images, and make text-based edits. Plans include commercial-use licensing. Adobe Stock works on the web, Android, and iOS, and provides API access. It can be used independently, or connected with Creative Cloud to preview, edit, and license assets in Photoshop before purchase. Team subscriptions pool licenses among members and are described for small to midsize businesses. Enterprise plans add configurable access, advanced administration, and deployment for midsize to large organizations. The Standard License generally limits print runs to 500,000 and excludes items for resale; larger runs or resale use require an Extended License. A seven-day trial is available, but there is no free plan. Prices for the listed plans are not provided.
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a paid creative platform for finding and licensing photos, vectors, illustrations, video, 3D models, music, and sound effects. It is available on the web and through an API, which can bring library search and licensing into third-party applications. The company says its library contains more than 450 million images and grows by 200,000 images a day. Image tools include Expand Image, Variations, Magic Brush, and Background Remover; the remover works only on images up to 7000×5000 pixels and does not remove vector background layers. Its AI image generator returns four results per prompt, downloadable under a Standard or Enhanced license. Both licenses allow perpetual use of downloaded content; Enhanced adds permissions for merchandise, templates, and unlimited physical print runs. Unlimited plans include models from Runway, Google, OpenAI, and others, but cap downloads at 100 assets daily. Monthly subscription downloads do not roll over. The API license bars raw asset-file access or downloads and requires assets delivered in an app to be limited to projects created there. The listed 10-image subscription is $25 a year, billed yearly at $300; a one-time image pack is 29.00 USD.