---
title: "iStock vs Shutterstock: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, iStock or Shutterstock? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock image sites set in New Zealand. 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/nz/compare/istock-vs-shutterstock"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# iStock vs Shutterstock: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?

Which is more popular in search, iStock or Shutterstock? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Stock image sites set in New Zealand. 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 Shutterstock
- **Competitive set**: Stock image sites
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **iStock Share of Search**: 6.4%
- **Shutterstock Share of Search**: 9.1%

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

- In August 2026, Shutterstock had more branded searches than iStock among stock image sites in New Zealand. Shutterstock was estimated to have 3.3K branded searches compared to iStock’s 2.3K, and held a 9.1% Share of Search versus iStock’s 6.4%.
- Shutterstock was ahead of iStock in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, iStock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites in New Zealand moved from 7.1% to 6.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 2.3K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Shutterstock’s estimated Share of Search among stock image sites in New Zealand moved from 11.9% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5K to 3.3K.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand stock image sites in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Shutterstock lost estimated Share of Search among stock image sites in New Zealand, from 10% to 9.1%.
- In August 2026, iStock lost estimated Share of Search among stock image sites in New Zealand, from 7% to 6.4%.

## Month by month

| Month | iStock estimated searches | iStock Share of Search | iStock rank | Shutterstock estimated searches | Shutterstock Share of Search | Shutterstock rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 3K | 7.1% | 6 | 5K | 11.9% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | 3K | 7.6% | 6 | 5K | 12.6% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | 2.1K | 7.6% | 6 | 3.4K | 12.3% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | 2.3K | 7.4% | 6 | 3.4K | 11.3% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | 3.1K | 8.9% | 6 | 4K | 11.3% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | 4K | 9.2% | 6 | 4.9K | 11.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | 2.7K | 7.8% | 6 | 3.3K | 9.4% | 5 |
| May 2026 | 3.3K | 8.2% | 6 | 4.1K | 10.4% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | 3K | 7.6% | 6 | 4.1K | 10.1% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | 2.3K | 7% | 6 | 3.4K | 10% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | 2.3K | 6.4% | 6 | 3.3K | 9.1% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

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

- **iStock**: Measured on the search terms “istock”, “istock free”, “istock i”, “istock images”, “istock near me”, “istock nz”, “istock pictures” and “istockphoto com”, summed into one figure.
- **Shutterstock**: Measured on the search terms “shutterstock”, “shutterstock com”, “shutterstock contributor”, “shutterstock free”, “shutterstock images”, “shutterstock near me”, “shutterstock nz” and “shutterstock photos”, summed into one figure.

- [iStock profile](/demand/nz/brands/istock)
- [Shutterstock profile](/demand/nz/brands/shutterstock)
- [All stock image sites in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-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 Shutterstock?

In August 2026, Shutterstock had more branded searches than iStock among stock image sites in New Zealand. Shutterstock was estimated to have 3.3K branded searches compared to iStock’s 2.3K, and held a 9.1% Share of Search versus iStock’s 6.4%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "iStock vs Shutterstock: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/istock-vs-shutterstock

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