Brandwave

How popular isUnsplash in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 1.5M branded searches for Unsplash worldwide which is down 33% over the last 12 months. Unsplash holds 19.9% estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide and is ranked 4th 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 Unsplash?

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

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

Compare search popularity between Unsplash and its closest rivals

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

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Unsplash worldwide fell from 2.2M to 1.5M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Unsplash’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide decreased from 20.6% to 19.9%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Unsplash’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide peaked at 22.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 18% in June 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.

How is Unsplash measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Unsplash’s 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

  • unsplash

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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Is Unsplash your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.