iStock

iStock is Getty Images' more affordable stock library, with photos, illustrations, and video clips for everyday design needs. It offers the quality control of the Getty family at prices a small business can afford, with a focus on commercial imagery for marketing, websites, and social media.

Key Features

Affordable stock photos and video
Backed by Getty Images quality
Subscriptions and credit packs
Illustrations and vectors included
Strong search and collections
Commercial licences included

Pricing

Plan	Price	Details
Basic	$29/mo	10 downloads per month.
Premium	$70/mo	25 downloads per month and more.

Prices as listed in 2026 research. Always check the official site for the latest price — plans change. Free plan: No free plan — paid plans only.

Best for: small businesses that need affordable stock photos for everyday design.
Popular with: Designers, Marketers

How it works

Subscriptions give a set number of downloads per month, and credit packs cover one-off purchases. The library is smaller than Shutterstock but well curated, and the search makes it easy to find a usable image quickly.

iStock subscriptions start with Basic at $29 per month and Premium at $70 per month, with higher download limits as you move up. There is no permanent free plan. It is a solid middle ground between free libraries and premium Getty pricing.

Pros and Cons

✓ Pros

Good quality at a fair price
Backed by Getty
Flexible subscriptions and packs
Easy to find usable images

✗ Cons

No free plan, only a trial
Quality varies across the library
Licence terms need checking for some uses

Frequently Asked Questions

Is iStock free?

No — iStock has no free plan. From $29/mo (Basic subscription)

What is iStock best for?

small businesses that need affordable stock photos for everyday design.

What kind of tool is iStock?

iStock is a Design Tools tool on VerlumoAI.

Key Features

Pricing

How it works

Pros and Cons

✓ Pros

✗ Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools

Canva

Adobe Express

Looka