If you’re a customer to stock photo agency Thinkstock, we have some not-so-good news for you: they are closing in 2019. Parent company Getty Images has already informed all users about the closing, and their annual subscriptions are no longer available as of now. So it's time to find some good alternative to Thinkstock!
You don't have to go very far: we have three really good Thinkstock alternatives ready for you! Parent Getty Images and older sister iStock, plus our StockPhotoSecrets Shop, all have awesome deals that are comparable to Thinkstock, and even better, in terms of pricing, buying options and image quality. Plus, they're all top stock photo agencies included in our big fat list of the Best Stock Photo Websites!
Learn all details about these alternatives to Thinkstock and make the switch to continue enjoying awesome royalty-free images at low cost!
Thinkstock Alternatives Quick Roundup
Check this table for quick info on the three best alternatives to Thinkstock compared:
Subscription Plan |  |  |  |  |
Monthly | 25 images/day $299 | 750 images/month $199 | On-demand Ultrapacks: $575 to $9500 (no expiration date!) | Club Easy 200 images/year $99 a year |
Annual | 50 mages/month -$1668 a year - $139 monthly | 50 mages/month $89 monthly | Tailored plan - exclusive benefits | Club Plus $199 a year |
Annual | 25 images/day -$2498 a year -$208 monthly | 750 mages/month $159 monthly | Tailored plan - exclusive benefits | Club Ultimate $299 a year |
Why is Thinkstock Closing?
Thinkstock (originally Thinkstockphoto) is a stock photo agency offering royalty-free images at affordable rates. They were owned by leading stock photo agency iStock (previously iStockphoto), and later on they were both purchased by, rebranded and put under the umbrella of the very prestigious, traditional stock photography company Getty Images.
For many years Thinkstock has been a successful and reliable agency (you can read our full Thinkstock review here), aiming mostly at widening pricing range and purchasing options from both iStock and Getty Images. They have image packs to buy on demand, and subscriptions with daily or monthly download limits, billed per month or per year.
Thinkstock's Subscription Plans – Annual options are no longer available
However the website has not been updated nor pushed in a while, and it seems the parent company decided it’s better to close it, and offer their customers to get a better and improved experience on their other outlets. The site will be officially shut-down in 2019, but the customer migration process has already started, and their long-term plans are no longer available for purchase.
Hence why this is the best time to start finding a Thinkstock alternative!
The Best Alternatives to Thinkstock
Getty Images is logically suggesting customers to opt for any of their two main outlets as their new image provider, and they're really great, reputable and convenient stock photo services. For customers after new image subscriptions and flexible plans they are suggesting iStock, and those with annual subscriptions and a wish for high-end content, large volume downloads and multi-seat accounts are invited to Getty Images. Let's check them out:
iStock: A Flexible Thinkstock Alternative
iStock is a microstock agency, a pioneer company with great reputation and famous for their dedicated curation process and collection of exclusive images (read more in our full iStock review). They have very affordable prices and flexible buying options that include credit packs for on demand purchases, as well as monthly and annual subscriptions.
Their plans for Essentials collection (packed with millions of high quality, non-exclusive, budget images) all come with monthly download limits –with various volume options– and can be hired month-to-month, or annually (yet are always billed monthly). Plans start at just 10 images for $29 and go all the way up to 750 downloads for $199. If you're looking for multiple download limit options, they sure have them. Here's how to switch from Thinkstock to iStock wisely:
Month-to-Month Subscription
If you like Thinkstock's month-to-month subscription, which gives you 25 downloads a day for $299 a month, you'll love iStock's Essentials monthly plan: 750 downloads per month for $199! Note that:
- It gives you the same number of images per month, but with more flexible download limit
- It's $100 cheaper!
- iStock also has month-to-month plans with 10, 25 and 50 downloads limit, which logically come at lower prices
Annual Subscription
If you're a customer to Thinkstock's annual Flex subscription, which gave you 50 downloads a month for $1668 a year (billed in 4 payments or at $139 a month), you can switch to iStock's Essential Annual plan: 50 downloads a month for a year, for just $89! Why?
- It's exactly the same amount of images, with the same level of download flexibility
- It saves you $600 compared to Thinkstock!
- All other iStock plans also have an annual option, and they all save you more compared to month-to-month prices.
If you preferred Thinkstock's annual Pro plan, which had 25 downloads a day for $2496 a year (billed in 4 payments or at $208 per month), you should try iStock's Essentials Annual subscription: 750 images a month for a year, for just $159 monthly! Makes sense because:
- You get just as many images, but with monthly download cap instead of daily
- It costs $588 less in the long run!
- You also have more annual plans with lower number of photos and cheaper prices
So there you go! iStock is certainly a good alternative to Thinkstock, so you should totally sign up for free at iStock to check their collections and offers. Plus, you can use our exclusive iStock Coupon Code and grab any of these deals with up to 15% off!
Getty Images: The Absolute Premium Thinkstock Alternative
Getty Images is one of the most renowned and prestigious stock photography brands in the world, and their catalog is full of high-end, exclusive and unique imagery (learn more in our full Getty Images review). This is the cream of the top of stock photos: their prices represent it, and their images are worth it.
Getty Images is certainly a great choice if you want high-end photos that are unique, exclusive, often times impossible to find anywhere else, be them editorial or commercial-use. As for a Thinkstock alternative, it's also convenient if you are after a multi-seat plan (which gives you access to multiple users in one account, perfect for creative teams), and it makes more sense if you want an annual deal.
Getty Images Annual Plan
If you had a multi-seat subscription with Thinkstock and were client to any of their annual offers, Getty Images Annual service can be a good fit for you. While Thinkstock's annual deals cost between $1668 and $2796, at Getty you need to request a demo of the service, and you'll receive a tailored plan priced according to your needs. This will include:
- Annual download limit, up to unlimited downloads
- Access to all Getty Images collections
- Multi-seat access for all the users you require
Getty Images Ultrapacks
A way to get premium content at more affordable rates is using Getty Images' Ultrapacks. These are on-demand image packs (just like those of Thinkstock) where you buy a number of downloads in advance, to use whenever you want. You can read all details in our Ultrapacks review. Here's what they do:
- Priced according to 3 options for resolution, coming in 4 different volume sizes
- Price range between $575 and up to $9500
- Access to all Royalty Free images and videos, plus a selection of editorial stills
- Saves up to 33% from individual download prices
Getty Images offers a premium service and it's priced as such, at a much higher cost than Thinkstock's. Of course the quality and variety of the images reflects that too. If you're ready to spend and want a top class experience in stock photography, do check out Getty Images! Ask for your annual plan, or work on demand with the convenient Ultrapacks!
Stockphotos.com: The Unbeatable Alternative to Thinkstock
Now, this is an alternative you might not have thought of, and the one you definitely should know about.
Stockphotos.com is designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses needing great and affordable imagery. It has amazing plans that not only compare but also beat Thinkstock. Check out all the info in our Stockphotos.com review.
To use Stockphotos.com as a Thinkstock alternative the smart way, know their comparable products and how to switch from your old Thinkstock deals to the most convenient Stockphotos.com offer:
Club Easy: Affordable Option in Stock Photos
If you want to spend as little as possible and have gone for a monthly plan at Thinkstock (25 downloads a day for $199/mo), then Stockphotos.com has the best possible offer for you: their Club Easy membership that gives you 200 image downloads per year for only $99.
This deal has a yearly download limit, meaning you can use up your allowance whenever you want across the 12 months of active plan. You can download your choice of images from a rich library with 8 Million+ files and up to XXL size at no added cost. It's amazing!
- The total downloads are fewer, but you have up to one year to use them
- You spend 100 bucks less in a whole year versus Thinkstock's monthly option
- Stockphotos.com gives you 100 extra downloads in your first year for free, for a grand total of 300 images for $99
- Plus, several other free added perks
As if this wasn't enough, our exclusive Stockphotos.com coupon will add 10 free image downloads on top of your subscription!
Club Plus: Alternative to Thinkstock Flex
If you had Thinkstock's annual Flex plan (50 downloads a month for a year, for $1668), you are going to love the Club Plus plan: 500 image downloads a year for only $199!
All images come up to XXL size at no added cost, and there is no daily or monthly download cap. You pay $199, and you can download 500 of your choice of over 8 Million high res photos, vectors and fonts, whenever you want within a year. Not only that, but during the first year of subscription you'll get extra 250 downloads at no added cost, among other great bonuses! Get more details on the plan on our Stockphotos.com review. The reasons to love this deal are crystal clear!
- It gives you almost the same amount of downloads but with an annual download limit: flexibility at its best!
- It's a real bargain: it saves you a whopping $1469 cheaper than Thinkstock!
- You only pay once a year!
- You have lots of bonus files and services included!
Do I have to say more? The difference is abysmal!
Get the Club Plus offer right here. Hurry up before it expires! And remember to use our Stockphotos.com coupon for 10 free extra downloads!
Club Ultimate: Perfect Alternative for Large Number of Downloads
If you were under Thinkstock's Pro subscription (25 images a day for $2498) you'll be pleased to learn about the Club Ultimate subscription: 1,000 downloads a year, at just $299 the year!
With this plan, you can get any image you want from the library with over 8 Million files (and hundreds of thousands more added monthly) in up to XXL size for the same price, up to 1,000 of them per year. You pay annually, at just $0,20 per photo—a great deal in cheap stock photos and a good alternative to Thinkstock.
- It gives you fewer images in total but adds flexibility with a yearly download cap
- You get a bonus of 500 extra downloads on your first year, totaling 1,500 images for just $299, an unbeatable deal
- Per-image price is $0,07 cents lower, and the total yearly price saves you a lot of money (over $2k) compared to the Thinkstock pro plan
Stockphotos.com is great as an alternative to Thinkstock: it has flexibility, affordability, and quality all at once! Visit Stockphotos.com right now and explore beautiful imagery.
Activate your Club Easy membership right now!
Grab your Club Plus plan quickly while it's still available!
Get your Club Ultimate subscription right now!
Keep up the Great Designing with our Thinkstock Alternatives
Thinkstock has been around for a while and is a very decent stock photo service. It’s sure sad to see them go, especially if you’re their customer.
But good news is you have great alternatives to continue buying stock photos at not only comparable but even cheaper prices, without neglecting quality of images nor service!
Check out Stockphotos.com and its star plans as a Thinkstock Alternative:
- If you were on Thinkstock's monthly offer, go for the Club Easy membership
- If you were on Thinkstock’s Flex plan, try the exclusive Club Plus deal
- If you were on Thinkstock’s Pro plan, choose the Club Ultimate subscription
Enjoy your Thinkstock alternatives and keep on designing at low cost!
