Adobe Stock vs Pexels:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Adobe Stock had more branded searches than Pexels among stock image sites in New Zealand. Adobe Stock had about 7,630 branded searches, while Pexels had 4,440. Adobe Stock made up 20.4% of all stock image site searches we track, and Pexels accounted for 11.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about stock image sites, Adobe Stock and Pexels each appeared in four of the five answers. Adobe Stock was mentioned before Pexels in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Adobe Stock, about 72% more searches than Pexels
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Adobe Stock, named ahead of Pexels in 3 of 5 answers
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Top stock image sites in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Adobe Stock was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the 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. Adobe Stock was listed before Pexels in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Unsplash1st- Adobe Stock2nd
Shutterstock3rd
Pexels4th- Truestock5th
Pixabay6th
iStock7th
Getty Images8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Shutterstock5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Unsplash4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Adobe Stock4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pexels4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- iStock3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Pixabay2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Truestock2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Getty Images1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about stock image sites
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which stock image site should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best stock image sites in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best stock image site in New Zealand for marketing images?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“stock photos nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“royalty free images”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Adobe Stock or Pexels more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Adobe Stock and Pexels by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight stock image sites we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Adobe Stock, Pexels. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Unsplash | Adobe Stock | Pixabay | Pexels | Getty Images | Shutterstock | iStock | Truestock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.4% | 23.9% | 14% | 11.8% | 10.8% | 10% | 6.2% | 0.83% |
| Nov 2025 | 18.8% | 24.2% | 17.5% | 11.8% | 10.2% | 10.3% | 6.3% | 0.84% |
| Dec 2025 | 19% | 24.4% | 14.3% | 11.9% | 12.5% | 10.6% | 6.6% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 22% | 23% | 11% | 13.7% | 13% | 10% | 6.7% | 0.64% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.2% | 23.2% | 13.8% | 11.4% | 10.9% | 9.8% | 7.9% | 0.82% |
| Mar 2026 | 21.1% | 22.3% | 16.1% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 7.9% | 0.77% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.5% | 23.7% | 14% | 11.6% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 6.9% | 1% |
| May 2026 | 23.2% | 20.1% | 17.8% | 12% | 10.3% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 0.86% |
| Jun 2026 | 24.1% | 20.9% | 15.1% | 12.5% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 6.9% | 0.89% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.7% | 21.1% | 14.9% | 12.4% | 10.9% | 8.8% | 6.3% | 0.88% |
| Aug 2026 | 25.6% | 18.3% | 19.4% | 13.1% | 9.7% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 0.77% |
| Sep 2026 | 23.5% | 20.4% | 17.6% | 11.9% | 10.9% | 8.6% | 6.1% | 1% |
How has the Adobe Stock and Pexels comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Adobe Stock was ahead of Pexels in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Adobe Stock’s share of searches among stock image sites in New Zealand moved from 23.9% to 20.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 11.3K to 7.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pexels’ share of searches among stock image sites in New Zealand moved from 11.8% to 11.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.5K to 4.4K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand stock image sites in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Adobe Stock overtook Pixabay to rank 2nd among stock image sites in New Zealand, with 20.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Pexels lost share of searches among stock image sites in New Zealand, from 13.1% to 11.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Adobe Stock’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.
Adobe Stock
3 branded search terms
- adobe stock shot
- adobestock
- adobestock images
Pexels
2 branded search terms
- pexels
- pexels images
Other head-to-heads among stock image sites
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