In-Depth Look at Shutterstock and Alamy: Licensing, Pricing and Royalties
In the digital age, high-quality stock imagery is essential for various projects, creating opportunities for photographers and artists to license and monetize their work on stock photo agencies. Among the leading stock photo services, Alamy and Shutterstock stand out for their reputation, quality of service, and unique offerings. This article aims to provide a thorough examination of these platforms, highlighting their features, pricing, earning potential, and user experiences on both platforms to help you make an informed choice on where to sell your images.
Platform Overview
Alamy is based in England and has been in business for twenty-five years. It is celebrated for its vast library, which includes millions of images, illustrations, and videos. It caters to users seeking authentic and diverse content, often featuring niche subjects that are hard to find elsewhere. Its business model is on the edge between traditional stock photography and microstock. Here, you can read our Alamy review.
Shutterstock is based in the United States and has been operating for over twenty years. It is a household name in the stock photography realm, known around the world for its user-friendly interface and a massive selection of high-quality visuals that appeal to a broad audience. It's one of the original and top microstock agencies. Read our full Shutterstock Contributor review here.
Next, we’ll see a full comparison of Alamy and Shutterstock, including pros and cons, pricing, and user satisfaction, among other aspects.
One important note is that both marketplaces present a good opportunity to make passive income. Your expectation should be a side revenue stream to supplement your main income, not a way to make a living; no stock photo agency can realistically be that today.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Alamy | Shutterstock |
|---|---|---|
| Image Library Size | Over 380 million images | Over 450 million images |
| Pricing Structure | Pay-per-download and on-demand pack options | Subscription and image pack pricing |
| Royalty Rate | 20% to 60% | 15% to 40% |
| Image Quality | High-resolution images with a focus on authenticity | High-quality images with a wide range of styles |
| Licensing Options | Royalty-Free and Rights Managed, individual and teams licenses | Royalty-Free, standard and enhanced licenses |
| User Experience | Intuitive search features, though it may feel overwhelming | User-friendly interface with advanced search filters |
Understanding Royalty Rates
Understanding the royalty rate structure is crucial for evaluating potential earnings when selecting a stock photo platform to contribute to.
Alamy’s artist commission scheme is complex, ranging between 20% and 60% of each sale. The royalty rate is determined primarily by the image’s status (if it’s exclusive to the platform or curated into a premium collection, among other possibilities) and the licensing options—royalty-free, rights managed, individual, or for a team—and there are also variations depending on whether the sale comes from the agency’s own website or from a distribution partner.
Shutterstock operates a much simpler royalty rate structure with contributor levels ranging from 15% to 40% commission per sale. Artists start at the bottom line and climb up the level ladder based on the number of sales they accumulate in one calendar year, which gives artists more control over their level of commissions and is much easier to track. Pricing Models and Potential Earnings
As you’ll earn a percentage per sale on either website, you need to consider the amount each sale may report to make an educated guess regarding potential income from these outlets.
Alamy is closer to a traditional stock photography service than a microstock agency; its images are available on demand only and the price points are significantly higher than Shutterstock’s. For example, with an individual license, images cost between $45 and $120 each buying by the unit and from $8.88 to $22.40 with prepaid packs. If you add that they pay royalties of 20-60%, the earning potential seems decent. However, Alamy is not as popular as Shutterstock within the buyer community and has overall a much lower sales volume.
The latter is a typical microstock business, and its offer shows it. Image packs at Shutterstock reduce picture prices to $9.16 to $9.80 each, and there is no single-image purchase available; the minimum is two images. Subscriptions greatly reduce the per-download cost, taking each photo to be just $0.22 to $4.90. In practice, this means some sales may report you commissions of just a handful of cents each. Still, this is a big-selling platform with millions of active customers that has paid over $1 Billion in royalties to its more than one million contributors over time. Hence, the chances of making sales regularly are exponentially higher.
Image Quality and Content Style
Both platforms excel in delivering high-quality images, but they cater to different audiences. Alamy's strength lies in its collection of unique and authentic images, making it an excellent choice for those producing distinct visuals. With its extensive library, Shutterstock offers a broader selection of styles and subjects, appealing to a more general audience and focusing on commercial appeal; it’s perfect for photographers who create marketing-oriented imagery.
User Experiences and Customer Support
When choosing a stock photo platform, user experience and customer support are critical factors for the overall sales potential. Both Alamy and Shutterstock have their strengths in these areas, but they cater to different preferences.
Alamy User Experience
Alamy's interface is designed to be intuitive, allowing users to search for images easily. However, some users have reported that the vast number of images can be overwhelming, making it challenging to find specific content quickly. Customer support is generally responsive, with a dedicated help center and email support available.
Shutterstock User Experience
Shutterstock is known for its user-friendly interface, which includes advanced search filters that help users narrow down their options effectively. The platform also offers a mobile app for on-the-go access. Customer support is robust, with live chat, email support, and a comprehensive help center available to assist users with inquiries.
Pros and Cons
These are the main positive and negative points to consider about these marketplaces from a photographer’s perspective.
| Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Alamy | Library focused on unique content Higher royalty rates and potential commission per sale Less competition | Higher price points and the overwhelming interface can detract buyers The complex licensing structure makes it harder to understand how your work will be used |
| Shutterstock | Massive catalog of images in various themes and styles User-friendly interface with advanced search lures buyers Affordable pricing also encourages sales | Lower royalty rates and smaller commissions per sale High level of competition for sales |
Top Points to Consider Before Selling Images
We suggest you consider the following aspects before deciding which platform to submit your photos to:
- Content Style: If you specialize in or would like to produce niche or hard-to-find images, Alamy may be the better choice. If you create advertising-like imagery, you’ll excel at Shutterstock; this is also a good place to monetize leftover shots from your photoshoots, for example.
- Licensing Details: If you’re happy to allow people to use your work commercially and with great flexibility under a royalty-free license, Shutterstock is the best way forward. Alamy also offers RF licenses, so you could consider contributing to both. If you prefer greater control over the way in which your images are used, Alamy and its Rights Managed licenses may be a better fit.
- Value of Your Work: Consider how much you think your pictures are worth and how much you are willing to license them for. Neither agency lets you set up your own prices, so you must evaluate which one’s offers meet your standards.
As a final observation, these agencies aren’t mutually exclusive for artists, meaning you can easily submit content to both –with the exception of images you enable to be distributed by Alamy exclusively, of course. Still, comparing Shutterstock's microstock approach vs Alamy's more traditional business can serve to define which pictures to contribute to which and what to expect from each site.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between Alamy and Shutterstock to sell your photos ultimately depends on your specific characteristics and preferences. Alamy offers high royalty rates and sells images for a higher price, making it ideal for those who want to label their images as premium and don’t mind a lower volume of sales as long as it means a higher commission. With its slightly lower royalties and super low prices per image but a significantly higher volume of sales, Shutterstock is perfect for artists who prioritize high visibility for their work and trust in their work’s appeal to sell repeatedly over time.
By considering the earning potential and user experiences on both platforms, and all other factors outlined in this article, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your goals. Whether you opt for Alamy or Shutterstock, both platforms provide a valuable outlet for you to monetize your work.
