iStock
iStock licenses royalty-free photos, illustrations, vectors, and video clips for uses including advertising, websites, presentations, podcasts, and video pro…
What iStock is
iStock licenses royalty-free photos, illustrations, vectors, and video clips for uses including advertising, websites, presentations, podcasts, and video productions. Its Essentials collection offers everyday content, while Signature contains handpicked material exclusive to iStock. The service also provides AI tools to add or remove objects, extend images, change backgrounds, edit by prompt, and upscale generated images to 4K. iStock says its AI is trained on licensed content, not web-scraped visuals or data; generated images receive automatic legal protection of $10,000 per image. Licensed files carry a $10,000 USD legal guarantee, with an extended option up to $250,000 USD. Annual Basic and Premium plans each list 10 downloads per month at 29.00 USD and $70 a month, respectively. iStock also offers one free Signature photo weekly and free illustrations and video clips monthly. API access is listed, and a plugin can link Dropbox for accessing, sharing, and collaborating on content across devices.
Good
- Library includes photos, illustrations, vectors, and video.
- AI tools can edit and upscale generated images to 4K.
- Licensed files include a $10,000 USD legal guarantee.
- One free Signature photo is offered each week.
- API access is available.
Watch out
- Basic plan is $29 a month, billed annually.
- Basic and Premium plans list 10 downloads per month.
- Essentials and Signature video clips cost 6 and 18 credits.
Who it suits
iStock suits people who need licensed visual content for projects such as websites, advertising, presentations, or video. Its listed plans include 10 monthly downloads, while free content is also offered on a weekly and monthly basis.
Verdict
iStock combines royalty-free visual assets with AI editing tools and legal protections. Review the download limits and credit costs alongside the plan that fits your content needs.
Plans and prices
From iStock's own pricing page, checked 1 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited AI | $14.99 a month | Unlimited AI generations and downloads · unlimited iStock image modifications · 4K upscaling · monthly |
| Basic | $29 a month | 10 downloads/month shown · options 10, 25, 50 or 750 · Essentials photos, vectors and illustrations · up to 250 unused downloads rollover · monthly |
| Premium | $70 a month | 10 downloads/month shown · options 10, 25, 50 or 750 · Essentials and Signature images · up to 250 unused downloads rollover · monthly |
| Premium + Video | $99 a month | 10 downloads/month shown · options 10, 25, 50 or more · all images, videos, music tracks and sound effects · monthly |
The facts
Each one read from iStock's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI editing
- The iStock AI tools can add or remove objects, extend images, replace or remove backgrounds, edit by prompt and upscale generated images to 4K.checked 1 Oct 2026
- AI legal protection
- AI-generated images include automatic legal protection of $10,000 per image.checked 1 Oct 2026
- AI training
- iStock says its AI is trained exclusively on licensed content, including its creative library, without web-scraped visuals or data.checked 1 Oct 2026
- API access
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Collections
- The library has Essentials for affordable everyday content and Signature for premium handpicked content exclusive to iStock.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Content library
- iStock licenses royalty-free photos, illustrations, vectors and video clips for advertising, websites, blogs, presentations, video productions, podcasts and more.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Contributor AI policy
- iStock does not accept AI-generated content from contributors, and AI-generated or modified images remain separate from its visual library.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Credit limits
- Essentials photos, vectors and illustrations cost 1 credit, Signature photos, vectors and illustrations cost 3 credits, Essentials video clips cost 6 credits and Signature video clips cost 18 credits.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Editorial assets
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Illustration assets
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The iStock Plugins page supports linking Dropbox so users can access, share and collaborate with content across devices.checked 1 Oct 2026
- License protection
- Every licensed file includes a $10,000 USD legal guarantee, with an Extended Legal Guarantee available up to $250,000 USD.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Monthly downloads
- 10checked 24 Sep 2026
- Privacy and compliance
- iStockphoto LP is a Getty Images subsidiary and says its privacy policy addresses data security, privacy rights and responsibilities under applicable data-protection laws.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Support
- iStock says it aims to respond to web-form support requests within 24 business hours.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Vector assets
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
Money
- Free content
- iStock offers one free Signature photo each week and free illustrations and video clips each month.checked 1 Oct 2026
The company
- Included team seats
- 1checked 24 Sep 2026
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