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Stock image sites:Which are searched most?

In September 2026, Pexels was the most searched among stock image sites worldwide, with an estimated 2.2M branded searches and 29.7% estimated Share of Search within this set. 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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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the stock image sites teams use. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Share of Search among 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%

This month’s ranking, September 2026

  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 leading brands

Which brand is most popular in search among stock image sites worldwide?

In September 2026, Pexels was the most searched among stock image sites worldwide, with an estimated 2.2M branded searches and 29.7% estimated Share of Search within this set. Adobe Stock is in 2nd place, 5.4 percentage points behind at 24.3% Share of Search.

Global stock image sites, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
Pexels25.2% → 29.7%30.3%May 202625.2%Oct 20252nd → 1st
Adobe Stock25.2% → 24.3%26.9%Jun 202622.5%Nov 20251st → 2nd
Shutterstock24% → 21.1%24%Oct 202520.4%Feb 20263rd
Unsplash20.6% → 19.9%22.5%Nov 202518%Jun 20264th
iStock5.1% → 4.9%5.5%Nov 20254%Aug 20265th
Getty Images0.07% → 0.16%0.33%Jun 20260.05%Dec 20256th

Each finding as a sentence

  • 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, Adobe Stock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide decreased from 25.2% to 24.3%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shutterstock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide decreased from 24% to 21.1%.
  • 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, 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, Adobe Stock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide peaked at 26.9% in June 2026 and was lowest at 22.5% in November 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shutterstock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide peaked at 24% in October 2025 and was lowest at 20.4% in February 2026.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels rose from 2nd to 1st among stock image sites worldwide.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Adobe Stock fell from 1st to 2nd among stock image sites worldwide.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, iStock and Getty Images held steady: their estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

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.

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