Brandwave

How popular isShutterstock in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 1.6M branded searches for Shutterstock worldwide which is down 39.1% over the last 12 months. Shutterstock holds 18.6% estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide and is ranked 3rd of 6 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. Pexels26.2%
  2. Adobe Stock21.4%
  3. Shutterstock18.6%
  4. Unsplash17.5%
  5. Getty Images11.8%
  6. iStock4.5%
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Which stock image sites compete with Shutterstock?

Shutterstock against stock image sites worldwide, by month

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

View monthly share of search table
MonthPexelsAdobe StockShutterstockUnsplashGetty ImagesiStock
Oct 202522.6%22.6%21.5%18.4%10.1%4.9%
Nov 202524.9%20.3%20%20.3%9.2%5.3%
Dec 202526.1%21.3%20.9%17.4%9.6%4.7%
Jan 202626.1%21.3%20.9%17.4%9.6%4.6%
Feb 202626.9%22%18.4%18%9.9%4.7%
Mar 202623.6%23.6%18.9%19.3%10.6%4.2%
Apr 202626.9%22%18.4%18%9.9%4.8%
May 202627.2%22.2%18.5%18.2%10%3.9%
Jun 202624%24%20.9%16%11%4.2%
Jul 202625.9%21.2%19.3%17.4%11.7%4.5%
Aug 202626.7%21.8%19.9%17.9%9.9%3.8%
Sep 202626.2%21.4%18.6%17.5%11.8%4.5%

  1. 1.Pexels

    26.2%

    Held 1st. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.

  2. 2.Adobe Stock

    21.4%

    Held 2nd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  3. 3.Shutterstock

    18.6%

    Held 3rd. 1.6M estimated branded searches, -4.9% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.

  4. 4.Unsplash

    17.5%

    Held 4th. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.

  5. 5.Getty Images

    11.8%

    Held 5th. 1M estimated branded searches, +21.5% vs prior month. Share +1.9 points.

  6. 6.iStock

    4.5%

    Held 6th. 384K estimated branded searches, +21.2% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.

Compare search popularity between Shutterstock and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Shutterstock

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

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Shutterstock worldwide fell from 2.6M to 1.6M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shutterstock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide decreased from 21.5% to 18.6%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shutterstock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide peaked at 21.5% in October 2025 and was lowest at 18.4% in April 2026.

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

  1. In September 2026, Getty Images gained estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 9.9% to 11.8%.

  2. In September 2026, iStock gained estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 3.8% to 4.5%.

  3. In September 2026, Shutterstock lost estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 19.9% to 18.6%.

  4. In September 2026, Pexels lost estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 26.7% to 26.2%.

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

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Unsplash worldwide fell 33% over 12 measured months, from 2.2M to 1.5M in September 2026.

Where does Shutterstock compete?

Shutterstock is ranked in three 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 sites3rd of 618.6%Shown above
Stock footage libraries2nd of 530.4%Show ranking
Photography services1st of 646.2%Show ranking

How is Shutterstock measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Shutterstock’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.

2 branded search terms

  • shutterstock
  • shutterstock contributor

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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