---
title: "Pexels vs Shutterstock: Which is more popular by branded search?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, Pexels or Shutterstock? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock footage 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/pexels-vs-shutterstock"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Pexels vs Shutterstock: Which is more popular by branded search?

Which is more popular in search, Pexels or Shutterstock? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock footage 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**: Pexels and Shutterstock
- **Competitive set**: Stock footage libraries
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Pexels Share of Search**: 47.8%
- **Shutterstock Share of Search**: 26%

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

- In August 2026, Pexels had more branded searches than Shutterstock among stock footage libraries worldwide. Pexels was estimated to have 2.2M branded searches compared to Shutterstock’s 1.2M, and held a 47.8% Share of Search versus Shutterstock’s 26%.
- Pexels was ahead of Shutterstock in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Pexels’ estimated Share of Search among stock footage libraries worldwide moved from 39.6% to 47.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7M to 2.2M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Shutterstock’s estimated Share of Search among stock footage libraries worldwide moved from 32.4% to 26%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 1.2M.

## How did search popularity change for stock footage libraries worldwide in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Pexels gained estimated Share of Search among stock footage libraries worldwide, from 45.4% to 47.8%.
- In August 2026, Shutterstock gained estimated Share of Search among stock footage libraries worldwide, from 24.7% to 26%.

## Month by month

| Month | Pexels estimated searches | Pexels Share of Search | Pexels rank | Shutterstock estimated searches | Shutterstock Share of Search | Shutterstock rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 2.7M | 39.6% | 1 | 2.2M | 32.4% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 2.7M | 43.7% | 1 | 1.8M | 29.2% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | 2.7M | 43.8% | 1 | 1.8M | 29.3% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | 2.7M | 44.6% | 1 | 1.8M | 29.8% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 2.7M | 47.2% | 1 | 1.5M | 25.8% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | 2.7M | 43% | 1 | 1.8M | 28.7% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | 2.7M | 47% | 1 | 1.5M | 25.7% | 2 |
| May 2026 | 2.7M | 47.8% | 1 | 1.5M | 26.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | 2.2M | 42.8% | 1 | 1.5M | 28.7% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | 2.2M | 45.4% | 1 | 1.2M | 24.7% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | 2.2M | 47.8% | 1 | 1.2M | 26% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

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

- **Pexels**: Measured on the search term “pexels”.
- **Shutterstock**: Measured on the search term “shutterstock”.

- [Pexels profile](/demand/global-en/brands/pexels)
- [Shutterstock profile](/demand/global-en/brands/shutterstock)
- [All stock footage libraries worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/stock-footage-libraries): The set both shares are measured inside, 5 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, Pexels or Shutterstock?

In August 2026, Pexels had more branded searches than Shutterstock among stock footage libraries worldwide. Pexels was estimated to have 2.2M branded searches compared to Shutterstock’s 1.2M, and held a 47.8% Share of Search versus Shutterstock’s 26%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Pexels vs Shutterstock: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/pexels-vs-shutterstock

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