TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Pexels

    Score10 out of 10
    N/APexels, headquartered in Berlin, offers stock photos and video under the Creative Commons Zero license, from a global network of creators.N/A

    Shutterstock

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AShutterstock is a global technology company headquartered in New York, offering a creative platform boasting high-quality assets, tools and services. With it, users can license images, video, music, and editorial assets -- as well as custom content tailored to a brand’s needs. Shutterstock offers a variety of plans for individuals, teams, and enterprise customers as well as creative editing and collaboration capabilities.

    $379

    per month (2 users)

    Pricing
    PexelsShutterstock
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Single User - 10 Images
    $29 ($49)
    monthly, annual contract (no contract)
    On-Demand Packs - Standard License
    $29, $49, $299
    number of images (2, 5, 25)
    Single User - 50 Images
    $99 ($125)
    monthly, annual contract (no contract)
    Single User - 350 Images
    $169 ($199)
    monthly, annual contract (no contract)
    Single User - 750 Images
    $199 ($249)
    monthly, annual contract (no contract)
    On-Demand Packs - Enhanced License
    $199, $449, $1,699
    number of images (2, 5, 25)
    Teams (750 images per month)
    $379
    per month (2 users)
    Teams (750 images per month)
    $479
    per month (3-10 users)
    Teams (750 images per month)
    Contact Sales
    per month, 11+ users
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    PexelsShutterstock
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    PexelsShutterstock
    Considered Both Products
    Pexels
    Chose Pexels
    I would put Pexels library up against Unsplash. iStock and Shutterstock are both SUPER pricey, and I haven't used either of them in YEARS simply due to the fact that they remain to be cost-prohibitive. Pixabay is fine, but the quality seems far less curated or just like more …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Pexels has a great search function behind it and is very compatible with the other leading brands. One of the main benefits in comparison is that it is free to use and promotes creativity with its photographers. It has fewer 'stock looking' images as opposed to Adobe or Shutters…
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Pexels offers an extensive catalogue of royalty-free, high-quality images and high-resolution videos that can be downloaded without the need for monthly subscriptions or license fees. Most of the time, our stock requirements are easily met. For occasions when we do need more …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    I think Shutterstock does not have the same quality photos available for free. In addition, I am not sure if they spend as much time trying to uplift the artist taking the photos as they are uplifting Shutterstock as a go-to resource for these photos and videos. I tend to favor …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Pexels is more simple. The alternative options give no good search/selection experience. For example, you are limited to searching just one characteristic or the results are not always accurate. For example, your search for A and get B. Finally, I also note that the user does …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Pexels is very affordable, and has a decent range of free-to-use options. Images have a wide arrange of people and places represented.
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Whether paid or free stock photography, we go to where the solutions are. Pexels is on our top 5 go-to list. When we can't find what we are looking for on paid stock sites, we look at Pexels. Each platform has its pros and cons. I like that Pexels has a good lifestyle variety, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    In my opinion, they are all very similar. Sometimes when I am searching for something more specific, one or other might well be suited. But, in general, I tend to open at least 3 or 4 different image banks at the same time and use the same search terms on all of them. Since …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Pexel images are more inspiring, aspiring, creative, and artistic than the usual stock images. We work with Pexels because it is free and we really admire the fact that some photographers or creatives around the world are happy to share their work in such a kind and generous …
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    Pexels is one of my favorite stock image tools. The quality is top-notch and the search capabilities/filters really help you find what you want.
    Incentivized
    Chose Pexels
    I've used both Adobe Stock and Shutterstocks's services for my projects and for the most part find Pexels more useful - but this is only due to Pexels being free in most cases. However, if you're looking for more specific and larger libraries, I would still recommend the other …
    Incentivized
    Shutterstock
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    94%
    Would buy again
    32 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    34 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    34 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    28 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    29 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Best Alternatives
    PexelsShutterstock
    Small Businesses
    Adobe Express
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Pexels
    Score10 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Adobe Express
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Adobe Express
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Adobe Express
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Pexels
    Score10 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    PexelsShutterstock
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.2
    (34 ratings)
    9.8
    (3 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    PexelsShutterstock
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Pexels
    1. Small businesses with small or non-existent budgets still need assets to create content 2. Individual content makers or freelancers who need stock assets 3. Corporate eLearning wants to modernize and replace all old-fashioned, outdated, brightly lit studio photos with more realistic and relevant imagery that will resonate with modern audiences and learners.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shutterstock
    It is best suited for medium enterprises who get a lot of workload for their video productions and have many clients but lack of creative individuals. because it is a bit expensive than other competitors, but for some studios having good budget and looking for improving their work quality then shutterstock is the best platform with very good quality and quantity of graphics, photos and videos. for small studios who are just starting out i think it is bit costly you can even go for some subscription based platforms which offer unlimited downloads but their is a bit downside you will have to compromise with quality of work. so in short if you have a decent budget then shutterstock is best for your creative needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Pexels
    • High-resolution images – Pexels is full of images that are high enough in resolution to look beautiful on their own, but also high quality enough to be combined with other images without distracting pixelization
    • Stock videos – other free stock sites are often limited to just images, but Pexels has a wide range of videos available as well, which we use to plus up decks
    • Good search functions – while not as robust as some paid sites, Pexels' search functions make it pretty easy to track down what you need
    • Licensing – it's very straightforward to know what you can and can't do with a Pexels photo, which protects my company and our clients
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shutterstock
    • Large library with a great variety of high quality images
    • "Similar images," "same model," and "same artist" suggestions to help you drill down your search for the right image
    • Handy editing tool that lets you save your custom image sizes
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Pexels
    • I do think that the library should grow. For example, I was looking for an image of a living room with a fireplace and there were only a few options
    • I get tricked sometimes because I see images I want to use but they are from some other company and they are paid
    • Improve search understanding for multi-word searches
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shutterstock
    • i think the pricing is still higher than other platforms
    • locating right files is sometimes difficult here like the search results could be better
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Pexels
    Intuitive and simple interface.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shutterstock
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Pexels
    Pexels has a few unique features that stand out, the most important being a 1-click download from the search results. No need to navigate to another page to find a "download" button. This reduces the time required to find and download an appropriate image. The search results load fast, with lazy loading, so there's no annoying pagination at the bottom. I often travel as I work, and at times my internet connection can be slow or unstable. This kind of feature may seem minor to some users, but when on a slower connection, it makes a big difference. If a search term is too broad, it can recommend related keywords to search for - this helps to find the right image faster.
    Read full review
    Shutterstock
    Very comparable to iStock. In my experience, there isn't a huge difference between the two, but I like the way Shutterstock' provides suggested images for drill-down searching - iStock's suggestions are more limited. Shutterstock's pricing may be better as well, although it's been a while since I've compared the two.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Pexels
    • Social media campaigns created with photos from Pexels achieves 40% higher engagement vs others.
    • Thanks to faster and easier content sourcing provided by Pexels, our campaign generation period has dropped to an average of 4 hours, instead of 2 days.
    • Their stock images adorn our offices.... and it's a much lore cheerful space for that reason. Staff are happier, and stay in the office longer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Shutterstock
    • it improved our work quality
    • it helped us to handle multiple projects as catered our creative needs well
    • due to faster project creation our business scaled
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots