Pexels vs Shutterstock
Pexels
pexels.com
Shutterstock
shutterstock.comSide by side
| Figure | Pexels | Shutterstock |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 9 |
| Spec score · Stock Photo Websites | 9.1 (#3) | 8.4 (#13) |
| Spec score · Stock Video Websites | 8.5 (#8) | 7.6 (#16) |
| Spec score · Stock Video Libraries | 8.4 (#5) | 7.7 (#8) |
| API access | Anyone with a Pexels account can request an API key and receive it instantly. | Yes |
| Editorial assets | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Illustration assets | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Pexels identifies Canva, Typeform, Sketch and Airtable as API partners. | The Shutterstock API provides library search and licensing within third-party applications and is integrated with Google, Facebook, IBM, and Wix, among others. |
| Product | Pexels is a free stock photo and video website and app for designers, bloggers and anyone seeking downloadable visuals. | Shutterstock provides licensed photos, vectors, illustrations, video, 3D models, music, and sound effects through a searchable creative platform. |
| Support | Pexels directs API users to its Help Center for answers and troubleshooting. | Shutterstock offers a 24/7 multilingual AI support agent that can connect customers to a live agent during live support hours. |
| Vector assets | Yes | Yes |
Plans
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
Pexels
Pexels is a free photo and video library available on the web and through apps and add-ons. Its downloadable photos and videos are licensed for personal and commercial use without attribution. The site lists vector, illustration, and editorial assets. Accounts add collections, download history, photographer follows, a personalized homepage, likes, and uploading. Developers can use the free RESTful JSON API to access the photo and video library programmatically. API keys default to 200 requests per hour and 20,000 requests per month; the API may not be used to reproduce Pexels or make wallpaper and image-gallery apps. Official tools include iOS and Android apps, a Chrome extension, Google Slides add-on, and Figma and Sketch plugins. A community MS Office add-in is also listed. Pexels identifies Canva, Typeform, Sketch, and Airtable as API partners. Its listed Free plan costs nothing. Pexels says uploads created with generative AI are not allowed.
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.