--- title: iStock Reviews meta_title: 'iStock Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 117 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how iStock works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 3.5 review_count: 117 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-08-04' parent_category: name: Stock Media url: https://www.g2.com/categories/stock-media --- # iStock Reviews **Vendor:** Getty Images **Category:** [Stock Photos Websites](https://www.g2.com/categories/stock-photos) **Average Rating:** 3.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 117 ## About iStock Founded in 2000, iStock created the crowd-sourced stock industry and became the original source for user-generated stock photos, vectors and illustrations, and video clips. For more than 15 years, we've given our artists a platform to make money with their passions by licensing their stock content to businesses and individuals around the world for use in a wide variety of projects. Today we remain an industry leader and key destination for creative business professionals who want to make a big impact without breaking the bank. We believe that imagery has the power to move the world. We also believe that our customers deserve the very best stock content - that's why we're proud to offer millions of bold, unique stock images you can only get from us. iStock is part of the Getty Images family of companies. ## iStock Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users appreciate the **vast library of high-quality stock images** on iStock, making it easy to find fitting content. (4 reviews) - Users appreciate the **exceptional quality** of iStock's vast library, finding it reliable for diverse use cases. (3 reviews) - Users value the **high-quality stock content** from iStock, finding it reliable and extensive for various needs. (2 reviews) - Users appreciate the **vast library of high-quality images** from iStock, making it easy to find the perfect fit. (2 reviews) - Users appreciate the **much higher quality images and videos** offered by iStock, enhancing their creative projects. (1 reviews) - Collection Quality (1 reviews) - Content Abundance (1 reviews) - Ease of Finding (1 reviews) - Ease of Use (1 reviews) - Easy Download (1 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users find the **cost of iStock** to be high, with concerns over pricing and subscription models leading to dissatisfaction. (5 reviews) - Users find iStock to be **expensive** , often regretting the subscription costs and lack of valuable content. (5 reviews) - Users express frustration over **poor customer support** , particularly when seeking refunds and resolving subscription issues. (5 reviews) - Users report serious **payment issues** with iStock, including unexpected charges and poor cancellation policies. (4 reviews) - Users criticize the **high pricing and deceptive billing practices** of iStock, feeling misled by subscription terms. (3 reviews) - Users express frustration over **high subscription costs** and poor refund policies leading to unexpected charges. (3 reviews) - Users express frustration with **account setup issues** , including difficult subscriptions, charging practices, and language changes. (2 reviews) - Financial Constraints (2 reviews) - Limited Resources (2 reviews) - Not Free (2 reviews) ## iStock Reviews ### 1. Basically the Walmart of photography **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 19, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** Selection, quality, usually find what you want. **What do you dislike about iStock?** The Koch Brothers recently made a large investment and are now part owners of Getty Images. **Recommendations to others considering iStock:** You can negotiate with their sales reps! **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** We use Getty mostly for editorial (news) photos which we use on our website. ### 2. Great photos, at a cost. **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Joshua S. | Owner, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 09, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** One of the largest high quality stock photos collections out there! **What do you dislike about iStock?** Would be nice if costs were not as high. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use iStock photos for web design and marketing. ### 3. Everything you need **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Telecommunications | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 21, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** Getty gives you so many options. It is so rare that I don't find what I'm looking for. **What do you dislike about iStock?** Sometimes there are too many photos to cost from. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** We don't have time to do all our own art. ### 4. The place you can find what you want **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Furniture | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 14, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** I use istock a lot for my work because sometimes we cant originally take a photo of something. I like the feature that you can upload the picture of what you want to find and get a similar style of photo. That's cool. **What do you dislike about iStock?** The quality and the style of the image are sometimes poor and not artistic. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** A quick solution for artwork. ### 5. Great stock image site **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Entertainment | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 28, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** massive library of images and videos that makes it easy to find images that you need for whatever project you are working on! **What do you dislike about iStock?** Can be a bit on the pricey side and if you have the wrong plan, the costs add up! **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Our company uses a lot of stock images in our work and its been easy to just send the graphics department links to the files that we need. ### 6. Getty images **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tae N. | Fashion Stylist, Apparel & Fashion, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 19, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** I like that I have a wide selection of stock photos to choose from **What do you dislike about iStock?** I don't think there's anything to dislike about Getty images **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** There's high quality photos for every occasion & situation. ### 7. Easy to use and find photos you need **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Commercial Real Estate | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 18, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** It is quite easy to find any photo you need for advertisements or other business venture. Easy to use, and very easy to navigate. **What do you dislike about iStock?** The prices can be steep for any given picture and the watermarks are not removed until payment. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** We were able to save money by not hiring a photographer and saved labor by not having to take these photos ourselves. ### 8. Best stock image website **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Internet | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** Extremely easy to use and the quality of the images is great. Their search feature is easy to use and navigate and unlike other sites, I find what I’m looking for shortly after my search. **What do you dislike about iStock?** This service can be a bit pricey sometimes. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Finding stock images has never been easier! They also cover usage rights which is nice to know about. ### 9. Images on Demand **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Broadcast Media | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 14, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** Istock sells royalty free photos online at low prices with a minimum payment requirement. They have an extensive catalog of exclusive images . **What do you dislike about iStock?** Sometimes running into issues with purchasing . Could be a website glitch **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Istock provides photos on demand for last minute press releases or coverage ### 10. Great software **Rating:** 2.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** rubin h. | The Right Way Construction, Construction, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 15, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** This is good when i design ny photos so it's cool **What do you dislike about iStock?** It's not really to much that I dislike about it **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** None ### 11. Great site to get copyrighted images for good prices **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 18, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** I like the diversity and ample options surrounding the choices of imagery you are given on the site. **What do you dislike about iStock?** Sometimes the prices are not reflective of the quality that should be offered **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** They allow for quick, paid-for images that can be applied in a large amount of business needs. ### 12. Not user friendly **Rating:** 2.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Primary/Secondary Education | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 18, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** The extensive areas of images to choose from **What do you dislike about iStock?** The groupings of images and how cumbersome it is to search for usable images **Recommendations to others considering iStock:** None **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** I have not solved any business issues with Getty Images since all images have to be approved internally by my company before use ### 13. Great Variety of Images **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Banking | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 18, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** Love the variety of images. Less canned options and more slice of life imagery. **What do you dislike about iStock?** Can be costly. Particularly if you want longer timeframe or multiple usage. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** More brand-oriented imagery with less run of the mill visuals. ### 14. Great Photos **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Construction | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 15, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** I love how this site provides royalty free photos for me to use. **What do you dislike about iStock?** I can't always find exactly what I am looking for. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Whenever I need an image to use on social media I go to Getty. ### 15. Getty images **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Arts and Crafts | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 19, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** The captivating representation of people and the world. **What do you dislike about iStock?** So far I am unable to find anything I dislike. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Adding an aesthetic feel to my company ### 16. Getty images review **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Marketing and Advertising | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 18, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** The accessibility to images is unmatched. **What do you dislike about iStock?** At times some images can be categorized incorrectly. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Getty helps us to verify legitimate clients before forging partnerships ### 17. Awesome experience using getty images **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Software | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 20, 2019 **What do you like best about iStock?** Awesome experience using getty images. Relevant and great quailty images available. **What do you dislike about iStock?** Nothing much as per my own expereience. **What problems is iStock solving and how is that benefiting you?** Getting images using keywords ## iStock Discussions - [What is the best software for inventory management?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-best-software-for-inventory-management) - 1 comment - [View iStock pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/getty-images-istock/reviews?page=3§ion=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-08-07+07%3A10%3A08+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=90730e94-3f37-422e-a446-cf9724f74da8&secure%5Btoken%5D=a9347a5525c4f6ba3010afeabd877400fbdd4822ae1bc0c49095ab4bd1ed9e09&format=llm_user) ## iStock Features **Pricing** - Free Footage - Pay Per Image - Subscription **Media** - Sounds Effects - Genre Tagging **Media** - 360/VR - Animation - 4K High Definition **Pricing** - Royalty Free - Pay Per Track - Subscription **Agentic AI - Stock Footage** - Cross-system Integration **Agentic AI - Stock Music** - Cross-system Integration ## Top iStock Alternatives - [Shutterstock](https://www.g2.com/products/shutterstock-shutterstock/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (643 reviews) - [Storyblocks](https://www.g2.com/products/storyblocks/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (424 reviews) - [Adobe Stock](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-adobe-stock/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (191 reviews)