Best place to buy photos or graphics
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Spend your money reasonably on photos or graphics!
It's time to look into microstock agencies not as a seller, but this time as a buyer because i think that a lot of people today use these microstock agencies to buy photos or graphics. Some time ago i bought pictures from shutterstock myself so i think it's important to know how to reasonably spend your money on photos or vector illustrations and which microstock agency to choose. In this post i will review seven biggest microstock agencies shutterstock, dreamstime.com, istockphoto.com, fotolia.com, 123rf.com, bigstockphoto.com, crestock.com. I will write about advantages and disadvantages of every agency and introduce prices. So i start with the biggest agency.
The biggest one
shutterstock
It already has about 14 million images, has a lot of duplicate content and much of the images have no use, because this agency accepts a lot of rubish.
You can order these subscription plans:
For one month - 249$;
For three months - 709$;
For six months- 1349$;
For one year - 2559$.
The important thing is that when you order one of these subscriptions you will have to download 25 images a day, not more. More often you will donwload less and you will lose these not downloaded photos. For example if you order subscription plan for 249$ you could download 750 images for that price but i doubt that you will. If in one day you donwload only 10 images from 25 available, the other 15 you could have downloaded will be wasted and the other day where will be new 25 photo limit. 0.25$ goes to shutterstock's pocket for one not downloaded photo as you have already payed for it, but you dont download it and shutterstock dont have to pay to photographer. From my experience i can tell you that downloading 25 pictures a day is not easy,
The other payment plan - on demand.
You spend 49$ and you can download 12 low resolution images or 5 high resolution images or vector illustrations.
Or you can pay 229$ and download 60 small or 25 high resolution images.
Not very flexible ways to buy i think. If there would be credit system in this agency it would be possible to buy individual images.
It already has about 14 million images, has a lot of duplicate content and much of the images have no use, because this agency accepts a lot of rubish.
You can order these subscription plans:
For one month - 249$;
For three months - 709$;
For six months- 1349$;
For one year - 2559$.
The important thing is that when you order one of these subscriptions you will have to download 25 images a day, not more. More often you will donwload less and you will lose these not downloaded photos. For example if you order subscription plan for 249$ you could download 750 images for that price but i doubt that you will. If in one day you donwload only 10 images from 25 available, the other 15 you could have downloaded will be wasted and the other day where will be new 25 photo limit. 0.25$ goes to shutterstock's pocket for one not downloaded photo as you have already payed for it, but you dont download it and shutterstock dont have to pay to photographer. From my experience i can tell you that downloading 25 pictures a day is not easy,
The other payment plan - on demand.
You spend 49$ and you can download 12 low resolution images or 5 high resolution images or vector illustrations.
Or you can pay 229$ and download 60 small or 25 high resolution images.
Not very flexible ways to buy i think. If there would be credit system in this agency it would be possible to buy individual images.
The next big one
dreamstime.com
Writing a review for this agency i would have to type at least twice as much text as there is about shutterstock (because there is much more possibilities here), so i will try to shorten this review as much as possible.
This agency has more than 10 million images.
This one has credit system. You can buy credit packages: 8, 13, 25, 52 or 108 credits. The more credits you buy the bigger discount you will get. For example for 8 credits you would pay 9.99$ and for 108 credits - 99$. Also you are able to order any number of credits as long as it is not less that 110. You cannot buy one credit. More credits - bigger discount.
There is also subscription method where you can order subscriptions for 1, 3, 6 months or for one year. Prices here varies from 0.43$ to 0.20$ per one picture. You get cheapest images when you order longest subscriptions. The advantage of subscription model is that you can download any size image. No matter if you would like to download smallest or biggest photo it counts only as one download. With credit system you have to choose carefully what size you want because bigger size requires more credits besides that images have levels and you will pay more for higher level image.
This agency is far more flexible than shutterstock. so it's more cost effective to buy pictures on dreamstime.com than shutterstock. Also dreamstime has photographers working exclusively only with this agency so you may find here images that you wont find anywhere else.
Writing a review for this agency i would have to type at least twice as much text as there is about shutterstock (because there is much more possibilities here), so i will try to shorten this review as much as possible.
This agency has more than 10 million images.
This one has credit system. You can buy credit packages: 8, 13, 25, 52 or 108 credits. The more credits you buy the bigger discount you will get. For example for 8 credits you would pay 9.99$ and for 108 credits - 99$. Also you are able to order any number of credits as long as it is not less that 110. You cannot buy one credit. More credits - bigger discount.
There is also subscription method where you can order subscriptions for 1, 3, 6 months or for one year. Prices here varies from 0.43$ to 0.20$ per one picture. You get cheapest images when you order longest subscriptions. The advantage of subscription model is that you can download any size image. No matter if you would like to download smallest or biggest photo it counts only as one download. With credit system you have to choose carefully what size you want because bigger size requires more credits besides that images have levels and you will pay more for higher level image.
This agency is far more flexible than shutterstock. so it's more cost effective to buy pictures on dreamstime.com than shutterstock. Also dreamstime has photographers working exclusively only with this agency so you may find here images that you wont find anywhere else.
Third agency
istockphoto.com
This is one of the first microstock agencies. It's the most popular and gets most visitors. Prices here are higher than on other agencies because this website has a lot of exclusive photographers and illustrators.
This one has about 8 million pictures. It sells photos, vector art, flash templates and designs, audio and video files.
Credits here are more expensive than on dreamstime. Smallest package you can buy is 12 credits and it costs 15,75 euros (about 20$). Prices here varies from 1,31 eur/credit to 0,80 eur/credit. Photos here are worth from 1 credit (smallest size) to 15 credits (biggest size). Exclusive photos are even more expensive - from 5 credits (for smallest) to 30 credits (for biggest).
Istockphoto has website "cousin" where you can buy photos by subscriptions payment plan. Prices are from 199 euros (for month) to 1999 euros (for years). You can download 25 images a day.
This is one of the first microstock agencies. It's the most popular and gets most visitors. Prices here are higher than on other agencies because this website has a lot of exclusive photographers and illustrators.
This one has about 8 million pictures. It sells photos, vector art, flash templates and designs, audio and video files.
Credits here are more expensive than on dreamstime. Smallest package you can buy is 12 credits and it costs 15,75 euros (about 20$). Prices here varies from 1,31 eur/credit to 0,80 eur/credit. Photos here are worth from 1 credit (smallest size) to 15 credits (biggest size). Exclusive photos are even more expensive - from 5 credits (for smallest) to 30 credits (for biggest).
Istockphoto has website "cousin" where you can buy photos by subscriptions payment plan. Prices are from 199 euros (for month) to 1999 euros (for years). You can download 25 images a day.
Fourth
fotolia.com
Sells photos, vector illustrations and video clips.
Has more than 11 million uploads (about 100000 videos clips and 1 million vector illustrations).
You can buy credit packages form 26 credits to 3200 credits or you can buy any number of credits starting from 10 (10 credits minimum). Prices varies from 1.15$/credit to 0.75$/credit (more you buy biggest discount you get). Photos are worth from 1 credit to 10 credits (depends on size). It is strange but vector illustrations are very cheap here - only 4 or 6 credits for vector format. I dont get it's logics a bit because you can download vector illustration in jpg format (15 megapixels size) for 10 credits while vector eps format (the biggest size possible) for the same illustration is worth only 4 credits. You should grab this offer.
Subscription here is like on the other agencies - from one month to one year. Photo download limit per day - 25 or 250.
Sells photos, vector illustrations and video clips.
Has more than 11 million uploads (about 100000 videos clips and 1 million vector illustrations).
You can buy credit packages form 26 credits to 3200 credits or you can buy any number of credits starting from 10 (10 credits minimum). Prices varies from 1.15$/credit to 0.75$/credit (more you buy biggest discount you get). Photos are worth from 1 credit to 10 credits (depends on size). It is strange but vector illustrations are very cheap here - only 4 or 6 credits for vector format. I dont get it's logics a bit because you can download vector illustration in jpg format (15 megapixels size) for 10 credits while vector eps format (the biggest size possible) for the same illustration is worth only 4 credits. You should grab this offer.
Subscription here is like on the other agencies - from one month to one year. Photo download limit per day - 25 or 250.
Fifth
123rf.com
Has about 8 million pictures.
You can buy credit packages from 15 to 1200. For 15 credits you would pay 15$, for 1200 - 1000$. Photos are worth from 1 credit (small size) to 10 credits (for big XXL TIFF). Vector format is worth 5 credits.
Has about 8 million pictures.
You can buy credit packages from 15 to 1200. For 15 credits you would pay 15$, for 1200 - 1000$. Photos are worth from 1 credit (small size) to 10 credits (for big XXL TIFF). Vector format is worth 5 credits.
Sixth
bigstockphoto.com
Has about 6 million images.
Credit packages from 5 to 700 credits. 5 credits costs 15$, 700 - 630$. Images are worth from 1 credit to 6 credits for jpg format and 6 credits for vector format. It looks like it's quite cheap, but if you buy small package of credits you would pay 3$ for one credit. And if you would like to buy one vector illustration 5 credits would be not enough. You would have to buy 12 credits and it would cost you 29$.
Has about 6 million images.
Credit packages from 5 to 700 credits. 5 credits costs 15$, 700 - 630$. Images are worth from 1 credit to 6 credits for jpg format and 6 credits for vector format. It looks like it's quite cheap, but if you buy small package of credits you would pay 3$ for one credit. And if you would like to buy one vector illustration 5 credits would be not enough. You would have to buy 12 credits and it would cost you 29$.
Seventh
crestock.com
I could'nt find how much images this agency has. If it doesnt declare this i guess that it has less than other agencies. I think it has about 4 million.
In this agency you can buy pictures in three ways:
1. You can buy single pictures, 1 credit costs 1$. Photos in JPG format are worth from 1 to 25 credits depending on size. Vector format is worth 15 credits.
2. Credit packages - from 5 to 1000 credits. It doesnt matter if you buy 5 or 50 credits you wont get any discounts, 1 credit costs 1$ so 50 credits costs 50$. Discounts start form 100 credits, which costs 90$ and for 1000 credits you would pay 750$.
3. Subcription model. You can download 20 picture a day using this model. 1 month - 179$, 3 months - 499$, 6 months - 959$ and one year - 1799$.
I could'nt find how much images this agency has. If it doesnt declare this i guess that it has less than other agencies. I think it has about 4 million.
In this agency you can buy pictures in three ways:
1. You can buy single pictures, 1 credit costs 1$. Photos in JPG format are worth from 1 to 25 credits depending on size. Vector format is worth 15 credits.
2. Credit packages - from 5 to 1000 credits. It doesnt matter if you buy 5 or 50 credits you wont get any discounts, 1 credit costs 1$ so 50 credits costs 50$. Discounts start form 100 credits, which costs 90$ and for 1000 credits you would pay 750$.
3. Subcription model. You can download 20 picture a day using this model. 1 month - 179$, 3 months - 499$, 6 months - 959$ and one year - 1799$.
If you want to buy only one photo!
For example if you would like to buy only one photo in JPG format and in high resolution.
shutterstock - at best you would have to pay 49$, because there is nothing cheaper here. Of course you could download 4 images more so it's 10$ for photo. But if you need only one photo it's not worth buying here because you would have to pay 49$.
dreamstime.com - Level 1 photo would cost you 7 credits, level 2 - 10 credits, level 3 - 13 credits, level 4 - 15 credits and level 5 - 17 credits. So at best it would cost you 10$ (if you order 8 credits package), worst case - you would have to buy package of 25 credits, for it you would get level 5 photo and you would have 8 credits left for level 1 photo which you may not need.
istockphoto.com - simple high resolution photo is worth 15 credits, exclusive photo - 30 credits. So if you find what you need for 15 credits you will have to buy 26 credit package for 43$ because 12 credit package is not enough. And even 12 credit package would cost you much more than on other agencies - 20$. So the price of one photo and 11 unnecessary credits is 43$.
fotolia.com - There is photo levels on this agency too. The more photographer has sales the more expensive his photos are. Price of high resolution photo varies from 10 to 40 credits. Here you can choose any number of credits starting from 10. 10 credits would cost you 15$. In worst case you would have to spend 60$ for one 40 credit photo.
123rf.com - high resolution photo is worth 5 credits. You would have to buy 15 credit package for 15$. So one photo would cost you 15$ plus you get 10 unnecesary credits.
bigstockphoto.com - high resolution photo is worth 6 credits but there is no 6 credits package here. The smallest package is 12 credits and it cost 29$.
crestock.com - - there is no need to buy credit packages in this agency. You can buy just one single XXL photo for 15$.
To summarise, if you need only one photo it's best to buy in these agencies (the best is at the top):
1. dreamstime.com
2. fotolia.com
3. 123rf.com
4. crestock.com
5. bigstockphoto.com
6. istockphoto.com
7. shutterstock
shutterstock - at best you would have to pay 49$, because there is nothing cheaper here. Of course you could download 4 images more so it's 10$ for photo. But if you need only one photo it's not worth buying here because you would have to pay 49$.
dreamstime.com - Level 1 photo would cost you 7 credits, level 2 - 10 credits, level 3 - 13 credits, level 4 - 15 credits and level 5 - 17 credits. So at best it would cost you 10$ (if you order 8 credits package), worst case - you would have to buy package of 25 credits, for it you would get level 5 photo and you would have 8 credits left for level 1 photo which you may not need.
istockphoto.com - simple high resolution photo is worth 15 credits, exclusive photo - 30 credits. So if you find what you need for 15 credits you will have to buy 26 credit package for 43$ because 12 credit package is not enough. And even 12 credit package would cost you much more than on other agencies - 20$. So the price of one photo and 11 unnecessary credits is 43$.
fotolia.com - There is photo levels on this agency too. The more photographer has sales the more expensive his photos are. Price of high resolution photo varies from 10 to 40 credits. Here you can choose any number of credits starting from 10. 10 credits would cost you 15$. In worst case you would have to spend 60$ for one 40 credit photo.
123rf.com - high resolution photo is worth 5 credits. You would have to buy 15 credit package for 15$. So one photo would cost you 15$ plus you get 10 unnecesary credits.
bigstockphoto.com - high resolution photo is worth 6 credits but there is no 6 credits package here. The smallest package is 12 credits and it cost 29$.
crestock.com - - there is no need to buy credit packages in this agency. You can buy just one single XXL photo for 15$.
To summarise, if you need only one photo it's best to buy in these agencies (the best is at the top):
1. dreamstime.com
2. fotolia.com
3. 123rf.com
4. crestock.com
5. bigstockphoto.com
6. istockphoto.com
7. shutterstock
If you want to buy few vector illustrations!
It's best to buy at fotolia.com or 123rf.com. The price of vector illustrations on these two agencies are just funny - 4-6 credits (4$-6$). For exmaple at istockphoto.com you would have to pay up to 45$ for one vector illustration. dreamstime.com prices start at 15$ for one illustration (worth 14 credits).
Which subscription model is the best?
If for example you want to subscribe for one month it's best to choose:
1. 123rf.com - 0.29$ per photo;
2. crestock.com - 0.30$ per photo, but there is much less photos on this agency compared to other.
3. dreamstime.com - 0.32$ per photo;
4. shutterstock - 0.33$ per photo;
5. fotolia.com - 0.45$ per photo.
1. 123rf.com - 0.29$ per photo;
2. crestock.com - 0.30$ per photo, but there is much less photos on this agency compared to other.
3. dreamstime.com - 0.32$ per photo;
4. shutterstock - 0.33$ per photo;
5. fotolia.com - 0.45$ per photo.
by Roberis
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