--- title: "123RF vs Pexels: Which is searched more?" description: "Is 123RF or Pexels more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock photo libraries set worldwide. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/123rf-vs-pexels" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # 123RF vs Pexels: Which is searched more? Is 123RF or Pexels more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock photo libraries set worldwide. 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. ## Key facts - **Compared**: 123RF and Pexels - **Competitive set**: Stock photo libraries - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **123RF Share of Search**: 0.86% - **Pexels Share of Search**: 25.4% ## Is 123RF or Pexels more popular in search? - In September 2026, Pexels had more branded searches than 123RF among stock photo libraries worldwide. Pexels had about 2.2 million branded searches, while 123RF had 75,700. Pexels made up 25.4% of all stock photo library searches we track, and 123RF accounted for 0.86%. - Pexels was ahead of 123RF in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, 123RF’s share of searches among stock photo libraries worldwide moved from 0.99% to 0.86%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 112K to 75.7K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels’ share of searches among stock photo libraries worldwide moved from 24.3% to 25.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7M to 2.2M. ## Top stock photo libraries in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Pexels was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. 123RF did not appear in any of the five answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Unsplash | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Pexels | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Getty Images | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | iStock | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Pixabay | 5th | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Alamy | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Depositphotos | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | 123RF | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about stock photo libraries - Asked ChatGPT "Which stock photo library should I use?": 1. Unsplash, 2. Getty Images - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best stock photo libraries?": 1. Getty Images, 2. Unsplash, 3. Pexels, 4. iStock, 5. Alamy, 6. Depositphotos, 7. Pixabay - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best stock photo library for creative projects?": 1. Unsplash, 2. Pexels - Searched Google, AI Overview "royalty free photos": 1. Unsplash, 2. Pexels, 3. Pixabay - Searched Google, AI Overview "stock photos for websites": 1. Unsplash, 2. Pexels, 3. iStock, 4. Pixabay, 5. Getty Images Not named in any answer: 123RF. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for stock photo libraries worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Pexels lost share of searches among stock photo libraries worldwide, from 28.3% to 25.4%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for 123RF worldwide fell 32.2% over 12 measured months, from 112K to 75.7K in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | 123RF estimated searches | 123RF Share of Search | 123RF rank | Pexels estimated searches | Pexels Share of Search | Pexels rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 112K | 0.99% | 7 | 2.7M | 24.3% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | 91.8K | 0.83% | 7 | 2.7M | 24.8% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | 91.8K | 0.88% | 7 | 2.7M | 26.2% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | 91.8K | 0.87% | 7 | 2.7M | 26.1% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | 92.2K | 0.94% | 7 | 2.7M | 28.1% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | 166K | 1.5% | 7 | 2.7M | 24.1% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | 75.2K | 0.72% | 7 | 2.7M | 26.1% | 2 | | May 2026 | 91.5K | 0.94% | 7 | 2.7M | 28.3% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | 75K | 0.85% | 7 | 2.2M | 25.4% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | 61.6K | 0.75% | 7 | 2.2M | 27.4% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | 61.7K | 0.78% | 7 | 2.2M | 28.3% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | 75.7K | 0.86% | 7 | 2.2M | 25.4% | 2 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using 123RF’s and Pexels’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **123RF**: Measured on the search terms “123 rf”, “123rf”, “123rf app”, “123rf images”, “123rf photos” and “123rf stock photos”, summed into one figure. - **Pexels**: Measured on the search term “pexels”. - [123RF profile](/demand/global-en/brands/123rf) - [Pexels profile](/demand/global-en/brands/pexels) - [All stock photo libraries worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/stock-photo-libraries): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is 123RF or Pexels more popular in search? In September 2026, Pexels had more branded searches than 123RF among stock photo libraries worldwide. Pexels had about 2.2 million branded searches, while 123RF had 75,700. Pexels made up 25.4% of all stock photo library searches we track, and 123RF accounted for 0.86%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "123RF vs Pexels: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/123rf-vs-pexels This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/123rf-vs-pexels. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.