Brandwave

How popular isPexels in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 2.2M branded searches for Pexels worldwide which is down 18.2% over the last 12 months. Pexels holds 29.7% estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide and is ranked 1st 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 Pexels?

Pexels 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 Pexels and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Pexels

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

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Pexels worldwide fell from 2.7M to 2.2M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels’ estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide increased from 25.2% to 29.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels’ estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide peaked at 30.3% in May 2026 and was lowest at 25.2% in October 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels rose from 2nd to 1st among stock image sites worldwide.

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 Pexels compete?

Pexels 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 sites1st of 629.7%Shown above
Stock footage libraries1st of 552.9%Show ranking

How is Pexels measured?

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

1 branded search term

  • pexels

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

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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