Stock video marketplaces for contributors · Comparison
iStock Contributor vs Storyblocks 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 | Storyblocks 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 reachAdd your existing footage to a subscription library of everyday creators and business customers, without giving up the right to sell it elsewhere. |
| Overall score | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan |
| Card to start | –Not measured | –Not measured |
| Getting access | Approval wait | Approval wait |
| Starter priceCheapest paid plan | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Usage-based | Usage-based |
| Pricing page | Public prices | Prices hidden |
| Video royalty (new non-exclusive seller) | 20% on every channel, at any download count | Not stated as a percentage; a monthly share of a revenue pool, split by downloads |
| Highest video royalty | 45% exclusive on istock.com (from 45,675 downloads a year); 25% exclusive elsewhere | Not stated; video is non-exclusive only, with no exclusive rate |
| Dollar earnings per download published | No, a percentage of the license fee after deductions | No; the agreement says per-download earnings are not disclosed |
| Per-download minimum | $0.10 minimum price per istock.com subscription file ($0.02 at 20%, computed) | Not stated |
| Payout minimum | $100 | $10 on Payoneer; not stated for other methods |
| How payouts are made | Automatic, monthly on the 25th | Automatic, monthly on the 15th; you can hold payments |
| Payout methods | Payoneer, PayPal (USD only) | Payoneer, PayPal, direct deposit, wire, check, eCheck ($0 to $25 fee per payout) |
| Joining | Application with six non-AI samples (no fee listed) | Free, by application with a portfolio review; under 5% of artist applications accepted |
| Removing clips | Only for a valid legal reason, or by ending the whole video agreement (30 days’ notice, removed within 90 days) | By request, with 30 days’ notice |
| 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 | Covered by the agreement; AI revenue share at a rate Storyblocks sets; no opt-out described |
| AI-generated video | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Bulk upload and metadata | No FTP or CSV upload on the public pages | sFTP and CSV metadata (Shutterstock and Pond5 CSVs accepted); 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, Storyblocks Contributor is an application-only, non-exclusive video library with well-documented payouts and useful bulk tools. Pay is a share of a pool whose size is not published, and the agreement covers AI dataset use with no opt-out described. |
Evidence: iStock Contributor: facts checked 2026-10-15 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Storyblocks 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.
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
- Storyblocks ContributorSolicited WorkPer contractWork-for-hire under a contract arranged with a Storyblocks representative; payment amounts and dates are listed in the contract terms
- Content is exclusive to Storyblocks
- Also earns in the Partner Program
Prices as listed on each pricing page, in USD per month, excluding tax. Observed: iStock Contributor 2026-10-15, Storyblocks Contributor 2026-10-15.
Which one fits
- If you need to start today without a sales call
- NoneNone of these is self-serve: iStock Contributor (Approval wait) and Storyblocks Contributor (Approval wait).
- Highest overall score
- iStock Contributor and Storyblocks Contributor4.7/10 (Fair). 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
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