---
title: "iStock vs Pexels: Which is searched more?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, iStock or Pexels? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock image sites 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/istock-vs-pexels"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# iStock vs Pexels: Which is searched more?

Which is more popular in search, iStock or Pexels? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock image sites 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**: iStock and Pexels
- **Competitive set**: Stock image sites
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **iStock Share of Search**: 4.9%
- **Pexels Share of Search**: 29.7%

## Which is more popular in search, iStock or Pexels?

- In September 2026, Pexels had more branded searches than iStock among stock image sites worldwide. Pexels was estimated to have 2.2M branded searches compared to iStock’s 368K, and held a 29.7% Share of Search versus iStock’s 4.9%.
- Pexels was ahead of iStock in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, iStock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide moved from 5.1% to 4.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 550K to 368K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels’ estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide moved from 25.2% to 29.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7M to 2.2M.

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

- In September 2026, iStock gained estimated Share of Search among stock image sites worldwide, from 4% to 4.9%.
- 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.

## Month by month

| Month | iStock estimated searches | iStock Share of Search | iStock rank | Pexels estimated searches | Pexels Share of Search | Pexels rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 550K | 5.1% | 5 | 2.7M | 25.2% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 550K | 5.5% | 5 | 2.7M | 27.5% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | 450K | 4.8% | 5 | 2.7M | 29% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | 450K | 4.8% | 5 | 2.7M | 29% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | 450K | 4.9% | 5 | 2.7M | 30% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 450K | 4.3% | 5 | 2.7M | 26.4% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | 450K | 4.9% | 5 | 2.7M | 30% | 1 |
| May 2026 | 368K | 4.1% | 5 | 2.7M | 30.3% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | 368K | 4.4% | 5 | 2.2M | 26.9% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | 368K | 4.8% | 5 | 2.2M | 29.4% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | 301K | 4% | 5 | 2.2M | 29.7% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | 368K | 4.9% | 5 | 2.2M | 29.7% | 1 |

## How each brand is measured

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

- **iStock**: Measured on the search term “istock”.
- **Pexels**: Measured on the search term “pexels”.

- [iStock profile](/demand/global-en/brands/istock)
- [Pexels profile](/demand/global-en/brands/pexels)
- [All stock image sites worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/stock-image-sites): The set both shares are measured inside, 6 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, iStock or Pexels?

In September 2026, Pexels had more branded searches than iStock among stock image sites worldwide. Pexels was estimated to have 2.2M branded searches compared to iStock’s 368K, and held a 29.7% Share of Search versus iStock’s 4.9%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "iStock vs Pexels: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/istock-vs-pexels

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/istock-vs-pexels. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.