Best iStock Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from stock photo websites ranked against iStock on the same published basis.
- 1iStock vs Pixabay
- 2iStock vs Pexels
- 3iStock vs Vecteezy
- 4iStock vs Adobe Stock
- 5iStock vs VectorStock
- 6iStock vs Shutterstock
- 7iStock vs Depositphotos
- 8iStock vs Yay Images
- 10iStock vs Dreamstime
- 11iStock vs Bigstock
- 12iStock vs IMAGO
- 13iStock vs Unsplash
- 14iStock vs PIXTA
- 15iStock vs Reuters Connect
- 16iStock vs 123RF
- 17iStock vs Scopio
- 18iStock vs PeopleImages
- 19iStock vs Stockvault
- 20iStock vs Alamy
- 21iStock vs PhotoSearch (Fotosearch)
iStock alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pixabay | 9.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Web |
| 2 | Pexels | 8.9 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Web |
| 3 | Vecteezy | 8.8 | Free plan | — | API, Web |
| 4 | Adobe Stock | 8.5 | No | — | Android, API, iOS, Web |
| 5 | VectorStock | 8.4 | Free plan | $0.83/mo | Web |
| 6 | Shutterstock | 8.2 | No | — | API, Web |
| 7 | Depositphotos | 8.1 | No | — | API |
| 8 | Yay Images | 8.1 | Free plan | — | Web |
| 10 | Dreamstime | 7.9 | No | — | API |
| 11 | Bigstock | 7.9 | No | $53.25/mo | API, Web |
| 12 | IMAGO | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | API |
| 13 | Unsplash | 7.8 | No | — | API |
| 14 | PIXTA | 7.8 | No | $15/mo | Web |
| 15 | Reuters Connect | 7.6 | No | — | API, Web |
| 16 | 123RF | 7.4 | No | — | Web |
| 17 | Scopio | 7.4 | No | $29/mo | Web, iOS, Android |
| 18 | PeopleImages | 7.4 | No | — | Web |
| 19 | Stockvault | 7.3 | No | — | API |
| 20 | Alamy | 7.3 | No | $139/mo | API |
| 21 | PhotoSearch (Fotosearch) | 7.3 | No | $19.49/mo | Web |
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Questions about iStock alternatives
What is the best alternative to iStock?
Pixabay, number 1 in stock photo websites with a score of 9.0 out of 10. The others here: Pexels, Vecteezy, Adobe Stock 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: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on.