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# Adobe Stock vs iStock Comparison - What are their main differences?

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](/compare/adobe-adobe-stock/getty-images-istock/export.csv)

Adobe StockiStock[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Adobe Stock** [

4.3/5(194)

](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews#reviews)

**iStock** [

3.5/5(117)

](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Adobe Stock**
No pricing available

**iStock**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Adobe Stock**
3 months

Based on 11 responses

**iStock**
Not enough reviews yet

Return on Investment

**Adobe Stock**
Not enough reviews yet

**iStock**
Not enough reviews yet

Perceived Cost

**Adobe Stock**
$$$$$

**iStock**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Adobe Stock**
Not enough reviews yet

**iStock**
Not enough reviews yet

Pros & Cons

**Adobe Stock**
[
Images (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2449193&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Collection Quality (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2449166&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cost (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1628864&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1630661&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**iStock**
[
Images (4)
](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1204903&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Quality (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1204832&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cost (5)
](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1204658&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (5)
](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1204705&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Adobe Stock**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_7fe3ac866a6ee2c8e79ddc61b45ae7d2/adobe-illustrator.png "Product Avatar Image")

Illustrator

](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-illustrator/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_b63a01034ac032eb534b8ffbbe659987/adobe-indesign.png "Product Avatar Image")

Adobe InDesign

](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-indesign/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_0d6021e1f6253f85ed0eb22a67eb101b/adobe-photoshop.png "Product Avatar Image")

Photoshop

](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_631289741aefb94562cf8cdf404fa7b6/adobe-photoshop-lightroom.png "Product Avatar Image")

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/integrations)

**iStock**
Not enough data

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Adobe Stock**

8.8

8.8156

**iStock**

7.9

7.984

Ease of Use

**Adobe Stock**

9.0

9.0156

**iStock**

8.2

8.284

Ease of Setup

**Adobe Stock**

8.8

8.830

**iStock**

7.6

7.622

Ease of Admin

**Adobe Stock**

9.2

9.219

**iStock**

9.0

9.07

Quality of Support

**Adobe Stock**

8.1

8.1108

**iStock**

6.4

6.466

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Adobe Stock**

8.6

8.619

**iStock**

8.1

8.18

Product Direction (% positive)

**Adobe Stock**

7.7

7.7142

**iStock**

6.0

6.081

Features

Stock Footage[Hide 7 FeaturesShow 7 Features](javascript:void(0);)

7.1

43

6.4

20

Pricing

Free Footage

6.8(won by 1.2)

37

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

5.6

15

Pay Per Image

6.7(won by 1.6)

37

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

5.1

15

Subscription

6.6(won by 1.3)

37

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

5.3

15

Media

360/VR

5.7(won by 0.7)

24

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

5.0

7

Animation

7.0(won by 0.5)

29

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

6.5

9

4K High Definition

8.7(won by 1.9)

38

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

6.8

10

Agentic AI - Stock Footage

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Show 1 feature category with incomplete data

Stock Music[Hide 6 FeaturesShow 6 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Media

Sounds Effects

Not enough data

Not enough data

Genre Tagging

Not enough data

Not enough data

Pricing

Royalty Free

Not enough data

Not enough data

Pay Per Track

Not enough data

Not enough data

Subscription

Not enough data

Not enough data

Agentic AI - Stock Music

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Adobe Stock](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/c92ae2255a769e0f012c9d6c6b5c9ede/adobe-adobe-stock.svg "Adobe Stock")](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews)

Adobe Stock

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

71.1%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

19.5%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

9.5%

[![iStock](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_866db67bfdbf973da16c24dd7965b41b/getty-images-istock.jpg "iStock")](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews)

iStock

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

60.2%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

31.0%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

8.8%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

71.1%

60.2%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

19.5%

31.0%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

9.5%

8.8%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Adobe Stock](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/c92ae2255a769e0f012c9d6c6b5c9ede/adobe-adobe-stock.svg "Adobe Stock")](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews)
Adobe Stock

Marketing and Advertising

14.4%

Graphic Design

12.8%

Design

9.6%

Computer Software

8.0%

Information Technology and Services

5.9%

Other

49.5%

[![iStock](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_866db67bfdbf973da16c24dd7965b41b/getty-images-istock.jpg "iStock")](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews)
iStock

Marketing and Advertising

17.7%

Graphic Design

6.2%

Non-Profit Organization Management

4.4%

Media Production

3.5%

Photography

2.7%

Other

65.5%

FAQs

## Adobe Stock vs iStock FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 14, 2026

### What is the difference between iStock vs Adobe Stock?

Adobe Stock stands out from iStock with higher reviewer satisfaction across ratings, setup, and support, while iStock's top strength is its search and filtering capabilities.

| | [iStock](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews) | [Adobe Stock](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| G2 Rating (reviews) | 3.5/5 (117 reviews) | 4.3/5 (194 reviews) |
| Largest Segment | Small-Business | Small-Business |
| Ease of Setup score | 7.6 | 8.8 |
| Quality of Support score | 6.4 | 8.1 |
| Top Reviewer-Cited Strength | Search and filtering | Integration with Creative Cloud |

### How do the pricing models of iStock and Adobe Stock compare?

Adobe Stock is rated as the stronger value by reviewers, with a higher satisfaction score on price and cost-related dimensions.

- **iStock:** In recent reviews, many cite iStock's pricing as expensive, with restrictive subscription limits and confusing licensing, though some appreciate the flexible credit and subscription options.
- **Adobe Stock:** Reviewers describe Adobe Stock's pricing as high but feel the quality and integration justify the cost, and several mention the availability of free assets as a value add.
- **Switching-reason:** Recent reviewers who switched from iStock to Adobe Stock cite better value and lower cost for similar or higher quality assets.

### What are the best alternatives to iStock and Adobe Stock?

Vecteezy, Shutterstock, and Storyblocks are the top three alternatives to iStock and Adobe Stock according to G2 rankings.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [iStock](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews) | 3.5/5 (117 reviews) | Small-Business | Pricing is often cited as expensive, with restrictive subscription limits | Search and filtering |
| [Adobe Stock](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews) | 4.3/5 (194 reviews) | Small-Business | High price but justified by quality and integration, with some free assets | Integration with Creative Cloud |
| [Vecteezy](https://www.g2.com/products/vecteezy/reviews) | 4.7/5 (8,589 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Extensive free and premium vector content |
| [Shutterstock](https://www.g2.com/products/shutterstock-shutterstock/reviews) | 4.4/5 (656 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Large, diverse image library |
| [Storyblocks](https://www.g2.com/products/storyblocks/reviews) | 4.6/5 (429 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Video and audio stock content |

### Which Stock Photos features should I prioritize when comparing iStock and Adobe Stock?

Buyers should prioritize image quality, search and filtering, integration with design tools, pricing flexibility, and customer support when comparing iStock and Adobe Stock.

- **Image quality:** iStock (3 all-time mentions), Adobe Stock (2 all-time mentions)
- **Search and filtering:** iStock (1 all-time mention), Adobe Stock (1 all-time mention)
- **Integration with design tools:** Adobe Stock is frequently praised for Creative Cloud integration; iStock has no comparable integration mentions.
- **Pricing flexibility:** iStock (5 all-time mentions for cost/expensive), Adobe Stock (2 all-time mentions for cost/expensive)
- **Customer support:** iStock (5 all-time mentions for poor support), Adobe Stock (higher Quality of Support score: 8.1 vs 6.4)

### What are the pros and cons of iStock vs Adobe Stock?

Adobe Stock's headline strength is its integration with Creative Cloud, while iStock's is its search and filtering capabilities.

- **iStock strengths:** Search and filtering (1 all-time mention), consistent image quality (3 all-time mentions), large content library, flexible credit and subscription options.
- **iStock trade-offs:** Cost and expensive pricing (5 all-time mentions), restrictive subscription limits, confusing licensing, and poor customer support (5 all-time mentions).
- **Adobe Stock strengths:** Integration with Creative Cloud, high-quality images (2 all-time mentions), extensive template and video library, availability of free assets, and strong search functionality.
- **Adobe Stock trade-offs:** High pricing (2 all-time mentions), credit system confusion, and some reviewers note limited diversity in certain image categories.

### Is iStock or Adobe Stock better for small businesses?

Adobe Stock is the better fit for small businesses, with higher satisfaction scores and strong small-business reviewer sentiment.

- **iStock:** Largest segment is Small-Business; reviewers note flexible pricing but frequently cite cost and support issues as pain points for small teams.
- **Adobe Stock:** Largest segment is Small-Business; reviewers highlight ease of use, Creative Cloud integration, and higher satisfaction with support and setup for small business needs.

### Which Stock Photos platform has better integrations?

Adobe Stock is favored for integrations, especially with Creative Cloud, while iStock has no recent reviewer-cited integrations.

- **iStock:** No reviewer-cited integrations in recent reviews.
- **Adobe Stock:** In recent reviews, many cite integration with Creative Cloud, Photoshop, and Illustrator as a key advantage.

### How do iStock and Adobe Stock compare on customer support?

Adobe Stock outperforms iStock on Quality of Support by a material margin, with a score of 8.1 versus iStock's 6.4.

- **iStock:** Reviewers frequently cite poor customer support, with 5 all-time mentions and recurring complaints about refund policies and responsiveness.
- **Adobe Stock:** Reviewers describe support as responsive and helpful, with a higher satisfaction score and positive experiences in recent reviews.

### Which is easier to implement, iStock or Adobe Stock?

Adobe Stock is easier to implement than iStock, with a higher Ease of Setup score (8.8 vs 7.6).

- **iStock:** Reviewers describe setup as generally straightforward but note occasional confusion with account setup and subscription management.
- **Adobe Stock:** Reviewers consistently report easy initial setup, especially for those already using Creative Cloud, and highlight the convenience of integrating stock assets directly into design workflows.

Alternatives

**Adobe Stock Alternatives**

 ![Vecteezy](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/c09fcde10f2fcbf011dbe92edadac585/vecteezy.svg "Vecteezy")

[
Vecteezy
](/products/vecteezy/reviews)

 ![Shutterstock](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/19dd39b419f93df66c0f7f5549667c3b/shutterstock-shutterstock.svg "Shutterstock")

[
Shutterstock
](/products/shutterstock-shutterstock/reviews)

 ![Storyblocks](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/9a53858b24c39c32d87876ded80439b1/storyblocks.svg "Storyblocks")

[
Storyblocks
](/products/storyblocks/reviews)

 ![PixaBay](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_2b9911c5a74d477e3886980b13ab419a/pixabay.png "PixaBay")

[
PixaBay
](/products/pixabay/reviews)

**iStock Alternatives**

 ![Shutterstock](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/19dd39b419f93df66c0f7f5549667c3b/shutterstock-shutterstock.svg "Shutterstock")

[
Shutterstock
](/products/shutterstock-shutterstock/reviews)

 ![Storyblocks](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/9a53858b24c39c32d87876ded80439b1/storyblocks.svg "Storyblocks")

[
Storyblocks
](/products/storyblocks/reviews)

 ![Vecteezy](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/c09fcde10f2fcbf011dbe92edadac585/vecteezy.svg "Vecteezy")

[
Vecteezy
](/products/vecteezy/reviews)

 ![123RF](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_0e3009cc93667a83e5d6ce3ff3319598/123rf.jpg "123RF")

[
123RF
](/products/123rf/reviews)

## Adobe Stock vs iStock

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Adobe Stock easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Adobe Stock overall.

- Reviewers felt that Adobe Stock meets the needs of their business better than iStock.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Adobe Stock is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Adobe Stock over iStock.