iStock Reviews & Product Details

Their images are good but really their bad policies overwrites their experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I recently had a frustrating experience with iStock’s subscription and refund process. After my free trial ended, I was automatically charged for a paid subscription, which I canceled immediately upon noticing the charge. I hadn’t downloaded any content during the paid period, and according to their policy, that should make me eligible for a refund. However, because I had downloaded a single image during the free trial to test the service, they refused to issue a refund—keeping nearly $100 for a service I never used.

I even offered to pay for the one image I downloaded, but they were unwilling to make any exceptions. This policy feels unfair and seems more focused on trapping customers with technicalities rather than offering a customer-friendly experience.

I expected more flexibility and understanding from a company of this size. If you’re considering trying iStock, be very cautious with their free trial and automatic renewals—it’s easy to get charged for something you didn’t intend to keep, with little chance of a refund. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There are some nice photos in a lot of different categories. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

If you forget to cancel yoursubscription, like I did, forget a refund. It is also overpriced at $70 monthly. I only signed up to see what was available and intended to cancel. I only used a few photos. Not worth the charge. Beware and make sure to cancel in advance if you don't intend to keep using it. Their customer support is not helpful if you want a refund. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

As far as generic stock photo sites go, this one fits the bill. For stock photos with character though, there are other options. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Customer service is a joke. Tried the one month trial and went to cancel the auto renewal and thought I had done it. I was charged anyways and when I talked with customer support to cancel and get a refund (I hadn't used it since the beginning of my free trial) and they refused to give me a refund. They were quick to cancel my subscription for me though and offered many times. Very disappointed that they refuse to work with me on refunding a subscription I thought I had cancelled but don't care if I'm actually using the service or not.

UPDATE I was charged AGAIN for another month. After chatting last month with customer service and telling them that I am turning off auto-renewal and will not be using them again, I get charged a second time. This time they tell me that auto-renewal only includes the annual subscription, so while I thought I was cancelling monthly payments, they would've continued to take money from me for the rest of the year (under my subscription payments, the last invoice I paid said the service expires after a year and included no footnote about it charging every month until then). And all I wanted was a free trial. BEWARE of the fine print with this company. They still refused to issue a refund, so now I've paid two months and haven't used their service a single time.

They are scam artists. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Great images and I did appreciate using them several years ago (but no longer). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I used iStock in the past and it used to be a legitimate service. No longer, and I wish I checked the reviews before I tried them again. They will take your money and give you a terrible scam-like feeling toped by terrible customer service. If you are reading this, look for more reviews online...they have 1 star in most places and my experience echos many of the scam-like experiences others describe. I feel bad for the artists represented by them. Not that they care about their reviews obviously, but I will never use this service again and if I was smart like you (checking reviews BEFORE I signed up) I would have stayed clear of istock this time around! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like their selcection of conent for videos and images. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I do not like their customer service and no refund policy and them not making it clearer that the bundel I bought which said I get 10 downloads, only applies to image downloads.

After paying the $40 and figuring this out after, they will not do anything to rectify it or refund. I did not use the product or download anything.

It fells like I was tricked into paying for a service I did not want. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Photo quality and variety are useful. When you are an active user, the interface is easy enough to use if you're familiar with these types of sites. The Customer Support is lacking but present. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

They are not transparent and proactive about providing positive customer experiences by providing alerts about free trials and associated fees. You have to read all the fine print and they do not partner with you the way Shutterstock does, for example, to ensure you have a positive experience. They do not warn you when your trial is ending, they require a $70 fee to cancel your account. When I accept this fee to cancel, they didn't follow through and charged me again the following month. I got the run around and they tried to charge me another $70 to cancel and remove my credit card information. They even tried to say I used my account since the "cancellation" though apparently they did NOT cancel my subscription and I sent screenshots to show my account had no activity since before the alleged cancellation. If you want to cancel, be sure to confirm payment, that your information was removed, and that your account is closed. You have to go above and beyond to ensure they do what they say, but they don't help you in the same way. They "can't" help with cancellations on the phone, but email chains are largely scripted and are not helpful. You also can't remove any information like billing info or cancel on the website yourself. They do not partner with their customers and are focused only on getting their money. I wll not recommend this site to anyone. Every step was frustrating and full of friction. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I do not like anything about iStock at all. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Pricing and subscription details are ambiguous. The website said $70 per year but it turns out that is a per-month charge. Customer service is bottom-of--the-barrel poor, and unwilling to compromise on anything. If you cancel they will charge a $70, non-refundable "administrative fee." The images are not unique - the same or very similar images can be found through free services. My business now pays for and Adobe Stock subscription that is fantastic and 1/2 the price. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The search feature is excellent. I have an idea of what to search on and the system offers suggestions to help narrow down the results. Then when I find a photo I like, there are multiple options for that same style or photo session. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I wish the price was a little bit lower. I don't need the monthly subscription. I currently have about 100 photos that I haven't downloaded yet and don't want to waste the photos I haven't downloaded yet by canceling it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Neat photos that will lead you to a scam. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

This company will scam you into buying a $700 yearly membership without your consent and no ability to cancel. I reached out to them letting them know I have no use for this and didn't even use it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Service and support override anything remotely positive about iStock Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Downloaded 1 image during free 7 day subscription, which lapsed by 1 day - they charged my $93. When contacted to explain that I was not ready to use service and it was a genuine lapse in my 7 day free period and also I only downloaded ONE image - refused refund.

Abosolutely zero customer service and empathy! Wont be using again. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.