Stock video marketplaces for contributors · Comparison
iStock Contributor vs Shutterstock Contributor
2 products compared side by side: what you pay for with each one first, then the five access facts, entry prices, recorded plan limits and the bottom line of each review. The evidence note under the table says how each product was checked.
Side by side
| Metric | iStock Contributor | Shutterstock Contributor |
|---|---|---|
| What you're paying for | Built-in reachPut your footage in front of iStock and Getty Images buyers through one non-exclusive agreement, at 20% per video license from the first sale. | Built-in reachPut your footage in front of Shutterstock’s buyers and partner channels for free, while you keep selling the same clips anywhere else. |
| Overall score | 4.7 | 7.7Best |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan |
| Card to start | –Not measured | No card needed |
| Getting access | Approval wait | Self-serve |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Public prices |
| Video royalty (new non-exclusive seller) | 20% on every channel, at any download count | 15% for the first 10 video licenses a year; 22% average over 100, computed |
| Highest video royalty | 45% exclusive on istock.com (from 45,675 downloads a year); 25% exclusive elsewhere | 40% over 25,000 video licenses a year; no exclusive program |
| Dollar earnings per download published | No, a percentage of the license fee after deductions | No, a percentage of the price received |
| Per-download minimum | $0.10 minimum price per istock.com subscription file ($0.02 at 20%, computed) | $0.10 at every level |
| Payout minimum | $100 | $25 (you can set it up to $2,000) |
| How payouts are made | Automatic, monthly on the 25th | Automatic, monthly |
| Payout methods | Payoneer, PayPal (USD only) | Payoneer, PayPal, Skrill (no bank transfer, wire or check) |
| Joining | Application with six non-AI samples (no fee listed) | Open and free; tax form needed; every file reviewed |
| Removing clips | Only for a valid legal reason, or by ending the whole video agreement (30 days’ notice, removed within 90 days) | Delete one or many at any time |
| AI training use of your clips | Not stated for clips: Getty’s AI model is trained on still images; its data-licensing page offers video datasets with no contributor pay or opt-out stated | Data licensing at a 20% average share; video opt-out |
| AI-generated video | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Bulk upload and metadata | No FTP or CSV upload on the public pages | FTPS and CSV metadata; web upload of up to 100 files |
| Bottom line | From its public pages, iStock offers two Getty storefronts and partner sites through one application, a flat 20% non-exclusive video share and 30 days’ notice of changes. The $100 payout minimum, no single-clip removal and unstated AI terms for clips are the main things to weigh. | From its public pages, Shutterstock Contributor is a free, open, non-exclusive outlet with paid and optional data licensing and automatic monthly payouts. The share starts at 15% and resets every January, and a few pages disagree on payout details. |
Evidence: iStock Contributor: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Shutterstock Contributor: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.
When to pick each
In the words of each review, with the date its facts were checked.
From our iStock Contributor review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick iStock Contributor when
- You want 20% from the first video license with no yearly reset, 30 days’ notice of changes and an exclusive track.
- Pick Shutterstock Contributor when
- You want open sign-up, a $25 payout minimum you can raise, FTPS and CSV upload, and paid data licensing you can opt out of.
From our Shutterstock Contributor review
Checked Oct 15, 2026- Pick Shutterstock Contributor when
- You want open sign-up, a $25 payout minimum, FTPS and CSV uploads, and an opt-out from AI data use.
- Pick iStock Contributor when
- You want 30 days’ notice of rate changes and an exclusive track that pays 25% to 45% on istock.com.
Entry price
Baseline: each product's cheapest paid plan, per month. Included usage differs, so read the line under each price.
- iStock ContributorExclusive (video)$0/mo25% to 45% per video license on istock.com by yearly downloads; 25% on gettyimages.com and other platforms
- 30% from 420, 35% from 2,625, 40% from 6,090, 45% from 45,675 downloads a year; download totals reset January 1, and the year-end total sets the next year’s starting rate
- $0.75 (Essentials) or $10.00 (Signature or Signature+) minimum price per istock.com subscription file
- Separate application by support ticket; normally around 50 files in your portfolio
- No royalty-free video sales anywhere else
- Shutterstock ContributorVideo Level 2$0/mo20% per video license, 11 to 50 video licenses this year
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: iStock Contributor 2026-10-15, Shutterstock Contributor 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- Shutterstock ContributorSelf-serve sign-up, no card needed; the only one here you can use right after signing up.
- If you want to try it without entering a card
- Shutterstock ContributorFree plan, no card needed; scored 7.7/10.
- Highest overall score
- Shutterstock Contributor7.7/10 (Good). The review shows the score breakdown and the run behind it.
Picked by fixed rules from the table above, not by hand. How we score
Full reviews
More in Stock video marketplaces for contributors
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