Today there are countless stock media platforms that provide royalty-free content for both individual users and teams. While having options is a good thing, you’ll want to ensure the platform you choose has the right content you need for your projects while also helping you avoid potential legal pitfalls.
This article will compare Shutterstock vs Storyblocks, taking a deep dive into their key differences and similarities. We’ll break down what you need to know about not only their libraries, but their licenses, tools, and plugins they make available for a wide variety of creative needs.
Table of contents
Overview of companies
Storyblocks is a leading stock media platform with more than 10 million high-quality, pre-licensed stock media assets in its library. Through their subscription plans, you can get access to their vast library of 100% human-made 8K, 4K and HD footage, video templates for popular editors like Premiere Pro, music, sound effects, images, and more. With their subscriptions, they also provide tools and features to help you streamline every stage of production.
Shutterstock is a stock media marketplace that first launched in 2002, giving content creators a platform to upload and license their work to customers for their creative projects. It’s primarily known for stock images, but also has different content types available. It offers an extensive library of over 600 million royalty-free assets including photography, footage, music, illustrations, and more, that users can access through both subscription plans and à la carte purchasing options.
Shutterstock vs Storyblocks: Individual plans comparison
With more of a sense of the two popular platforms in mind, next we’ll take a closer look at the subscription plans they have available for individual creators.
Storyblocks’ subscription plans include Essentials, Unlimited All Access, and Small Business.
Shutterstock offers individual asset purchases, options for buying Packs of 2, 5, or 25 asset downloads per year, as well as three different subscriptions. They have Image-only or Video-only subscription plans that give users a set number of downloads of each asset type from its library each month. Shutterstock also offers an Unlimited downloads subscription, which, as the name suggests, gives users unlimited downloads from 80 million of the assets in its library. Assets can also be purchased individually.
Licensing
The license included with a stock media library’s assets are one of the most important things to consider when choosing a provider.
Permitted usage
With Storyblocks’ individual license, users are covered for worldwide, unlimited distribution across print, digital, and production, both for commercial and personal projects. Anything downloaded or published while you maintain an active Storyblocks subscription will be covered forever and the license will never expire. Everything in Storyblocks’ library is royalty-free, meaning you won’t have to worry about tracking different licenses per asset or per project.
Storyblocks also offers a small business license, which covers one user at an organization of 50 people or less (excluding agencies, production, and broadcast companies). Assets are licensed to the organization, and can be used for print, multimedia, games, and the internet, but not broadcast or streaming use.
By comparison, Shutterstock has both standard and enhanced licenses available for its content, as well as separate licenses specifically for editorial content. Shutterstock’s standard license includes unlimited web distribution worldwide for personal, non-commercial use. Its editorial license covers one-time use in a single context, and excludes advertising or merchandising.
Indemnification
Indemnification is an important concept to become familiar with when delving into the world of stock media. It acts as insurance that the stock content you download is safe to use in commercial and personal projects.
Storyblocks’ individual plans offer indemnification for individual creators up to $20,000, protecting you from any third-party claim that content you downloaded infringes on their intellectual property rights. Storyblocks’ Small Business plan also offers indemnification up to $20,000 for businesses.
Shutterstock’s standard license comes with up to $10,000 in indemnification.
Restrictions
Content downloaded from Storyblocks can be used for client projects under individual license, however you must incorporate it into an original project in some way, or at least modify the content so it’s clearly distinct from the original.
Using Storyblocks content to create an original work which is then shared and includes the content is permitted by its license. However, its license does not permit sharing or selling the unedited, original stock assets.
Shutterstock’s standard license can be used for client projects, but it can’t be transferred to the client, and similar to Storyblocks, must be incorporated into an original project or modified in some meaningful way.
Restrictions with Shutterstock’s standard license include:
- Print volume limit of up to 500,000 copies when printing Shutterstock images on packaging.
- Web video use is allowed, provided the production budget is less than $10,000 USD and the audience doesn’t exceed 500,000.
- Does not cover video use for broadcast, cable network, OTT, in theaters or live performances with an audience over 500,000.
Content
Want to know more about the content libraries in Shutterstock vs Storyblocks? This section will have the answers you’re looking for.
Music and sound effects
Music and sound effects can elevate your projects in ways no other media can match, and both platforms have a lot of options. You’ll find over 60,000 music tracks on Storyblocks, spanning a large assortment of genres, themes, and moods, as well as 115,000+ professionally recorded sound effects.
Storyblocks also makes exclusive music available through its Storyblocks Label tracks which you can only find on the platform, making copyright strikes less of a concern. Its Essentials plan does not include access to their audio library, but Storyblocks’ ULAA and Small Business plans come with both music and SFX.
Shutterstock’s music library includes access to PremiumBeat and has over 40,000 tracks, and 15,000+ sound effects.
Video
Video is a highly engaging way of reaching your audience, with the power to evoke emotions like few other types of media can.
Shutterstock’s library contains over 13 million stock videos, including 4K and HD footage.
At Storyblocks, you’ll find over 3 million high-quality stock footage and motion backgrounds, including 8K, 4K and HD options. All of Storyblocks’ available plans give you full access to their video library along with vertical video and horizontal orientations.
Storyblocks’ video library also includes footage made through its award-winning Re: Stock initiative, which strives to improve the representation shown in stock footage libraries while telling authentic stories no AI model can recreate.
Templates
There are more than 42,000 pre-made and fully customizable templates for Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, and Apple Motion for you to explore in Storyblocks’ library, available with all of their plans.
Shutterstock has graphic design templates and 3D objects from PixelSquid’s library, but does not offer video templates.
Images
A picture is worth 1,000 words, so you can do the math on how many stories you can create between Shutterstock and Storyblocks’ image libraries.
Storyblocks offers over 2 million royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, and snapshots for stock image use. None of them are AI, because Storyblocks doesn’t accept AI-generated content in its library.
Meanwhile, Shutterstock has over 519 million stock photos, vectors, and illustrations, including AI-generated images.
Download limits
Depending on your project needs, you may need access to all the assets you can possibly get your hands on. Unlimited downloads gives you freedom to experiment and find out what works, while saving you money over time.
All of Storyblocks’ plans offer unlimited downloads.
With Shutterstock, you have 3 options for downloading assets. The first is on a pay-per-item basis, where you purchase assets individually. Next is its image packs, which can be purchased in various amounts and used to download image assets from their library with either standard or enhanced licenses.
Shutterstock also offers two subscription plans. Its image-only or video-only subscriptions, which gives users access to the respective content libraries with a set number of monthly downloads. It also offers an unlimited downloads subscription, with all-you-can-download access from a portion of their library of images, video, and music. It works out to around 14% of their total library, or 80 million assets out of a library of 575 million.
Included tools
A stock media provider’s library is only part of why one may suit your needs more than another. The plug-ins as well as apps and tools a platform makes available can be a big differentiator depending on your creative needs.
Plugins
All of Storyblocks’ plans include their Adobe Creative Cloud plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. The plugin brings its entire stock library into your editor, including on-site folder access.
Shutterstock offers plugins for WordPress, Final Cut Pro, Sketch, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Adobe Creative Cloud applications. However, based on reviews of their Adobe plugin, it appears to work inconsistently across applications and hasn’t been updated since 2018. In order to download un-watermarked assets through their plugin, you need to purchase them beforehand.
Apps and tools
Storyblocks’ individual subscription plans include access to Maker, its popular and easy-to-use video editor which comes with a number of pre-made templates and connects directly to its entire library. Conversational search gives you a new way to explore the Storyblocks library by using AI to take your description of the kind of asset you’re looking for to search and find the right options.
You can also access Storyblocks’ AI Toolkit with their plans. Their AI Video Editing tool allows you to edit and customize any footage clip in the Storyblocks library through text prompts and Runway’s Aleph model, and is available with all plans. Along with that, they also have an AI Video Generator and AI Image Generator. Their AI Voiceover tool is only available with ULAA and Small Business plans. It’s powered by ElevenLabs technology and enables you to generate professional voiceovers using text to speech, clone my voice, and voice changer features.
Shutterstock offers creative AI editing tools, basic image editing tools, and premium image editing tools. It also has tools for generating AI images and AI video that’s available as an add-on purchase to packs or plans.
Want to learn more about options for stock media subscription plans? Check out our comparison posts on Motion Array vs Storyblocks, Envato Elements vs Storyblocks, Storyblocks vs Artlist, Epidemic Sound vs Storyblocks, Storyblocks vs Adobe Stock, and Pond5 vs Storyblocks.
Final thoughts on Storyblocks vs Shutterstock
Now that you understand what these leading stock media platforms have to offer individual creators, let’s quickly recap some of the key differences and similarities.
Licensing
- Only Storyblocks offers individual creators indemnification up to $20,000. Shutterstock’s indemnification maxes out at $10,000.
- Both Storyblocks’ individual license and Shutterstock’s standard license cover personal and client use, but Shutterstock imposes more restrictions on audience and budget size.
- All Storyblocks content is covered under its individual license, while Shutterstock has separate licenses for standard content vs enhanced content, which you’ll need to keep track of.
Content
- Storyblocks offers over 10 million royalty-free, human-made stock assets including music, sound effects, footage, images, and templates for After Effects, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Apple Motion.
- Shutterstock’s library contains over 600 million stock assets, including images, footage, music, sound effects, 3D objects, and AI-generated content.
- While Shutterstock’s library is much larger, it also includes content produced by AI and varies in quality. It also doesn’t offer video templates.
- The Storyblocks library is regularly refreshed and trimmed, ensuring users always have the best options available and less bloat to sort through.
Tools
- The library plugin on Storyblocks works with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.
- Shutterstock has plugins for more software, but reviews indicate the plugins don’t always work and haven’t been updated. You also need to purchase assets beforehand to be able to download versions without watermarks via the plugin.
- Storyblocks offers a video editing tool that connects directly to its library inside of their AI Toolkit, along with a Video Generator, Image Generator, and Voiceover tool powered by ElevenLabs.
Downloads
When comparing Shutterstock vs Storyblocks, the differing options for downloads are important points to consider when evaluating both for your needs. Storyblocks offers unlimited download subscription plans from its entire library. Shutterstock’s unlimited subscription, however, can only be used with a portion of its library, otherwise you have to opt for single-asset purchases or packs.
It’s also worth noting that Shutterstock has a policy where if you cancel your subscription before the end of your 12-month term, you’ll be charged 50% of your remaining contract obligation. Storyblocks imposes no such mandates with any of its subscription plans.
Storyblocks offers a variety of subscription plans made especially for teams and individuals, ensuring you always have what you need to make your next project sing. Check out the pricing page for more information about their flexible plan options.
Shutterstock vs Storyblocks enterprise plans
So your organization or team needs a stock media subscription. Where to start? Read on to learn more about the unique offerings both platforms offer business users.
Licensing
When shopping for an enterprise stock media plan, you’ll quickly find different platforms come with different licensing restrictions. It’s a smart move to familiarize yourself with the differences to avoid running into any legal issues later. Certain licenses prohibit content from being used in certain situations, while others don’t allow certain types of sharing, or other restrictions.
Storyblocks’ business license is covered under its Enterprise plan, under which assets are licensed directly to your organization, ensuring you’re covered even if employees leave. Storyblocks’ business license includes perpetual usage for current and future projects created using assets downloaded via your Storyblocks subscription. Even better, all assets are royalty-free worldwide for use in perpetuity.
For business users, Shutterstock primarily offers its enhanced license, which also offers royalty-free worldwide use in perpetuity. They also offer custom-made licenses for Enterprise plans.
Permitted Usage
Storyblocks for Business covers unlimited distribution worldwide for any projects either internal or commercial under a license written directly to your company or organization. Its business license does NOT include a derivative work requirement, which means you aren’t required to make substantive changes to the assets you download in order to reproduce them. Storyblocks’ business plan allows users to keep any assets you download forever.
Shutterstock’s Enhanced license allows for unlimited uses for web distribution, print run copies, out of home advertising impressions, merchandising and packing, and any budget of video production. Its Enterprise license includes everything from the Enhanced license, plus the ability to transfer license ownership, sensitive use rights, and commercial rights for editorial assets.
Indemnification
Similar to a form of insurance, indemnification shields creators from legal challenges as a result from any stock media downloaded and used in projects for your business or company.
Storyblocks for Business offers up to $1 million USD in indemnification to cover users in your organization. Shutterstock’s license indemnification terms include up to $250,000 for the Enhanced license and no limit for Enterprise users.
Restrictions
Storyblocks business license forbids selling, licensing, or redistributing stock files downloaded from its library. Users also can’t create a trademark or logo based on anything in its library.
Using scripts or programs to download large volumes of stock assets is prohibited, including doing so manually. Importantly, any assets downloaded from Storyblocks cannot be used in any way that encourages violence or for any unlawful purpose.
Model- or property-released content will be marked as cleared for commercial use. But any content that doesn’t have a release indicated means you’ll need to get written permission from the model or property owner to ensure coverage applies.
Storyblocks for Business offers unlimited seats, which lets anyone in the organization use and download assets as they need them.
Because Shutterstock offers custom licenses for businesses on their Enterprise plan, they don’t have a license to reference. That means we can’t say for sure what restrictions there are, so it’s best to ask them directly.
Shutterstock’s Enhanced license restricts third-party rights transfer and sensitive use, and offers no commercial rights for editorial assets.
Types of content offered
Storyblocks for Business gives organizations and teams full access to its entire human-made stock library with over 10 million assets across a variety of media types.
Music and sound effects
Storyblocks has more than 60,000 music tracks, spanning a wide variety of genres, themes and moods. Their stock audio library also includes over 115,000 professionally recorded sound effects.
With their stock music library and Storyblocks Label tracks, you’ll get exclusive songs you won’t find anywhere else, which all but eliminates the potential for copyright strikes.
To compare, Shutterstock has over 15,000 sound effects, and its music library includes access to PremiumBeat, with over 40,000 music tracks.
Video
There are over 13 million stock videos on Shutterstock, including 4K and HD footage.
Storyblocks has more than 3 million high-quality stock video options created exclusively by humans, including 8K, 4K, and HD footage, along with motion backgrounds.
Storyblocks also places emphasis on content that actually reflects the diverse world we live in through its Re:Stock initiative. Re:Stock commissions work from artists around the globe to showcase authentic, slice-of-life footage that genuinely captures stories and emotions AI could never attempt.
Templates
Both platforms provide a great deal of template options in their libraries. Storyblocks offers over 42,000 pre-made and fully-customizable templates for several different editors, including Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, and Apple Motion.
Shutterstock offers graphic design templates and 3D objects from PixelSquid’s library.
Images
Storyblocks has over two million royalty-free photos, illustrations, vectors and snapshots available. Shutterstock has more than 575 million assets including stock photos, vectors, snapshots and illustrations, including AI-generated images. However, Storyblocks does not accept AI generated content into its library.
Download limits
Download limits could be the deciding factor in which stock media platform you choose for your business or team, Storyblocks vs Shutterstock. Storyblocks for Business offers unlimited downloads. Plain and simple. Shutterstock doesn’t spell out its download limits on its website, and limits may vary with custom plans.
Included tools
When choosing between stock media subscriptions for your business, sometimes it’s the extras that set one apart from another, depending on your team’s needs.
Plugins
The Adobe Creative Cloud plugin for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro are included with Storyblocks for Business. And the Storyblocks plugin takes its entire stock library right into your editor, complete with on-site folder access and includes exclusive business
Shutterstock, on the other hand, offers plugins for Final Cut Pro, Sketch, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Creative Cloud applications, and WordPress.
One note though, based on reviews for Shutterstock’s Adobe plugin, it appears to be inconsistent when using it across different applications. It also hasn’t been updated since 2018.
As a final annoyance, you’ll have to purchase Shutterstock assets in order to be able to download them without a watermark, no matter which plugin you use.
Apps and tools
Storyblocks’ AI Toolkit is available for businesses, offering powerful tools to help you customize and create content faster with custom credit options. It includes AI Video Editing, which lets you easily customize any stock footage in their library using text prompts and Runway’s Aleph. You’ll also get access to AI Voiceovers, powered by ElevenLabs technology, which lets you create narration using speech to text, clone my voice, and voice changer features. The last two tools in the AI Toolkit are a Video Generator and Image Generator, where you can use text prompts to bring your ideas to life.
Storyblocks for Business includes its simple editing tool, Maker for Teams. It connects directly to its full content library, and includes exclusive features for businesses. With it, you can experiment with custom branding settings that can be applied with just one click, complete with pre-set colors, fonts, timing, and even logos to ramp up your production. Also featured are numerous collaboration tools that help users share anything they create in Maker for Teams.
Storyblocks for Business also includes a useful client billing tool, shared folders, SSO, administrative tools, and download-to-cloud functionality.
Both Shutterstock’s Teams and Enterprise plans include access to creative AI editing tools, image editing tools, a tool to generate AI images, and a tool to generate AI video as an add-on. Its Enterprise plan also lets you store content on a company DAM, API integration, and a single sign-on option.
Main points to consider for Shutterstock vs Storyblocks for businesses
We’ve just taken a close look at what these popular platforms offer enterprise users. But let’s go over the differences again at a glance to help you decide which is best for your organization.
Licensing
- Storyblocks offers indemnification of up to $1 million, while Shutterstock indemnification varies based on the license type. For Enhanced licenses, you’re covered up to $250,000. Enterprise licenses are uncapped.
- Storyblocks’ Enterprise plan is available to read online in full, but Shutterstock customizes its Enterprise deal terms and is not available to read online.
Content
- Both offerings have large libraries of royalty-free stock footage, music, sound effects, and images.
- Storyblocks has a smaller library that’s highly curated quality, ultra-relevant content, and with more video templates including Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Apple Motion.
- Shutterstock may have a larger library, but quality ranges from low to very high quality, and includes AI-generated content, unlike Storyblocks.
Tools
- With Storyblocks’ AI Toolkit, you’ll get access to Video Editing, Video Generator, Image Generator, and Voiceover to create customized content to help you create videos faster and easier than ever.
- Storyblocks’ simple video editor, Maker for Teams, helps teams and businesses save time and supercharge your production process.
- Both options offer plugins for Premiere Pro and After Effects, along with administrative features for Enterprise plans.
- Shutterstock has more plugins in total, but their reviews have been negative in recent years, users claiming they don’t all work well and have not been updated in years.
If your organization or team is searching for a content library that supports production at the scale you need, check out Storyblocks for Business.
Shutterstock vs Storyblocks: Which one is right for you?
Whether you’re an individual creator or part of a team, you should know exactly what you’re getting before plunking down hard-earned cash on a stock media subscription. As this article explains, it’s not all about the size of the library. You have to consider factors like licensing, indemnification, plugins and more.
If downloading content on a per-asset basis sounds preferable, and licensing coverage options are important to you, Shutterstock is a good option because it’s primarily built to work as a marketplace. But if you need the freedom of unlimited downloads, and are seeking high-quality, authentic content with totally transparent pricing, Storyblocks is likely your better bet.
If you have any questions about any of Storyblocks’ plans for businesses or individuals, feel free to reach out or visit our FAQ page.
