UPDATE April 2018: Thinkstock has announced it will close in mid-2019, and has already discontinued its annual plans. Find the best alternatives to Thinkstock here!
Shutterstock and Thinkstock are two long standing stock photo agencies that are in the top six recommended and used stock photo options for design and publishing professionals. But what is the difference between these two agencies? Many businesses have to pick one over the other as financial demands do not allow for a full year subscription at both stock photo agencies. So why would you consider Shutterstock over Thinkstock or visa versa?
The difference really comes down your needs, not prices, and in many cases not photos. Both agencies have large image libraries, both agencies offer competitive pricing. But there are some fundamental differences between Shutterstock and Thinkstock that could make one stock photo agency work for you better than the other.
iStock Subscription Offer: Get 15% OFF on monthly subscription for all customers
The basics about Shutterstock and Thinkstock – Comparison Table
| Stock Agency | Max. Downloads / Day | JPG (Photo) | EPS (Vector) | Video | Audio | Lowest Prices Image US$ | File Size | Min. Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shutterstock | 25 | yes | yes | yes | yes | $0.28 | all | 1 month |
| Thinkstock | 25 | yes | yes | no | no | $0.40 | all | 1 month |
Both companies are dedicated to providing quality images to professionals who need great quality photos. Both companies are dedicated to multiple languages, international images and providing fast downloads to their customers. Both companies offer subscriptions and on demand image packs.
So what makes Shutterstock so different?
Shutterstock Subscription Prices
What makes Thinkstock so different?
Thinkstock coordinates their library of images with Getty images, iStockphoto, Jupiterimages and more. You get access to all of these stock photo agency images in one location. Thinkstock provides one image size that you can re-size to fit your needs. Their prices are not image size specific which makes life easier in many cases and you do not have to determine in advance what image size you may need.
Anual and Monthly Prices of Thinkstock
Image Packs of Thinkstock
What are your Stock Image needs?
Before you make your decision, outline what you need for images, determine what your design needs are daily, monthly, annually and then review the differences. Once you know this, the decision is actually quite easy. Based on your needs which stock photo agency would you choose? Is your choice based on budget or is it based on image flexibility?
Compare Thinkstock and Shutterstock with our Comparison Table
| Stock Agency | Max. Downloads / Day | JPG (Photo) | EPS (Vector) | Video | Audio | Lowest Prices Image US$ | File Size | Min. Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shutterstock | 25 | yes | yes | yes | yes | $0.28 | all | 1 month |
| Thinkstock | 25 | yes | yes | no | no | $0.40 | all | 1 month |
Don't forget to read our Shutterstock review and check out Thinkstock now! Save now up to 10% with our exclusive Shutterstock Coupon Code
Image © Ingimage.com
Amos Struck
I am a publisher and entrepreneur in the stock imagery field. I focus on providing knowledge and solutions for buyers, contributors and agencies, aiming at contributing to the growth and development of the industry. I am the founder and editor of Stock Photo Press, one of the largest networks of online magazines in the industry. I am the founder of Microstock Expo, the only conference dedicated to the microstock segment. I created several software solutions in stock photography like WordPress plugins. Plus I am a recurrent speaker at Photokina Official Stage, and an industry consultant at StockPhotoInsight. I am passionate about technology, marketing and visual imagery.
Hi Amos, nice comparison of the two agencies. It looks like your 2 custom charts have errors in it. The max dl per day is 25 for both agencies. And I’m not sure why you have ‘min dl per day’ in there.
Thanks Steven, have fixed them now!