Brandwave

How popular isiStock in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 384K branded searches for iStock worldwide which is down 35.1% over the last 12 months. iStock holds 4.9% estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide and is ranked 5th of 6 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. Pexels29.7%
  2. Adobe Stock24.3%
  3. Shutterstock21.1%
  4. Unsplash19.9%
  5. iStock4.9%
  6. Getty Images0.16%
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Which stock image sites compete with iStock?

iStock against stock image sites worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Pexels, Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Unsplash, iStock. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthPexelsAdobe StockShutterstockUnsplashiStockGetty Images
Oct 202525.2%25.2%24%20.6%5.1%0.07%
Nov 202527.5%22.5%22%22.5%5.5%0.08%
Dec 202529%23.7%23.2%19.3%4.8%0.05%
Jan 202629%23.7%23.2%19.3%4.8%0.06%
Feb 202630%24.5%20.4%20%4.9%0.09%
Mar 202626.4%26.4%21.2%21.6%4.3%0.06%
Apr 202630%24.5%20.5%20%4.9%0.06%
May 202630.3%24.7%20.6%20.2%4.1%0.06%
Jun 202626.9%26.9%23.4%18%4.4%0.33%
Jul 202629.4%24%21.9%19.7%4.8%0.16%
Aug 202629.7%24.2%22.1%19.9%4%0.13%
Sep 202629.7%24.3%21.1%19.9%4.9%0.16%

  1. 1.Pexels

    29.7%

    Held 1st. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  2. 2.Adobe Stock

    24.3%

    Held 2nd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. 3.Shutterstock

    21.1%

    Held 3rd. 1.6M estimated branded searches, -4.9% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.

  4. 4.Unsplash

    19.9%

    Held 4th. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.iStock

    4.9%

    Held 5th. 368K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +0.9 points.

  6. 6.Getty Images

    0.16%

    Held 6th. 12.1K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between iStock and its closest rivals

Every comparison with iStock

How has branded search demand for iStock changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for iStock worldwide fell from 591K to 384K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, iStock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide peaked at 5.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 4% in August 2026.

How did search popularity change for stock image sites worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, iStock gained estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 4% to 4.9%.

  2. In September 2026, Shutterstock lost estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 22.1% to 21.1%.

  3. Pexels’ estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 26.9% to 29.7% in September 2026.

  4. Unsplash’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 18% to 19.9% in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Getty Images worldwide rose 49.4% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 12.1K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Adobe Stock worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 2.7M to 1.8M in September 2026.

Where does iStock compete?

iStock is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of SearchRanking
Stock image sites5th of 64.9%Shown above
Stock photo libraries2nd of 522.4%Show ranking

How is iStock measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using iStock’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

5 branded search terms

  • istock
  • istock app
  • istock images
  • istock software
  • istock stock images

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns iStock?

iStock is owned by Getty Images. Brandwave also tracks Getty Images, owned by the same company, worldwide.

Do you work for iStock? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

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