Shutterstock

Stock photo, video and music library with an AI image generator. Subscriptions start around $29/month.

Reviewed Oct 28, 2026 by the Noxilo team

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Black Friday 2026 · Expected for Black Friday

Black Friday sale possible; 2024 had 25% off sitewide

No coupon code needed: the discount applies through the deal link.

Check the price →

How to get the Shutterstock Black Friday discount

Check shutterstock.com during Black Friday week
Pick a plan that matches your real downloads
Apply any code Shutterstock publishes at checkout

What is Shutterstock?

A stock library first, an AI tool second

Shutterstock is a licensed stock library for photos, vectors, video and music, with an AI image generator added on top. The old listing on this site called it an AI art tool, which gets it backwards. You buy it for a huge catalog and clear licensing, mainly as a marketer, agency or publisher who needs images that come with a license you can show a client.

What you pay

Shutterstock's own pricing page could not be loaded for this review, so these numbers come from third-party reviews and may be stale. Most sources put the entry image subscription near $29 per month, with higher tiers around $39 and $99 and no-contract versions costing more per month. Annual billing is reported as cheaper, with one source citing up to 40% off compared to monthly options. AI generation is reported as a separate plan or add-on, with sources disagreeing on its price.

The practical point is that subscription downloads expire each month, so unused downloads are wasted. Pay-per-image packs exist for occasional users and cost more per image.

Black Friday 2024

For 2024, a deal blog reported 25% off from 2024-11-29 to 2024-12-02 using the code BFCM24. A second source described the same dates but said the discount applied to selected products such as video footage licenses, so the sitewide claim is disputed. Shutterstock has also run a 20% off spring sale in earlier years. We do not have a confirmed 2026 offer.

Shutterstock versus free alternatives

If you only need decent photos for a blog, free libraries cover most needs at no cost. Shutterstock earns its price when you need volume, video, music, or indemnity-style licensing for client work. An AI generator alone is cheaper elsewhere; the draw here is the licensed library alongside it.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you need two or three images a month: pay-per-image or a free library is cheaper. Skip it if you want a pure AI art tool with deep style control; image generators built for that do it better.

Decision rule: count the images you need per month. If it is above ten and you need licensed commercial use, an annual plan makes sense; wait for the November sale if your date allows.

Key features

Licensed photo, vector and illustration library
Stock video and music
AI image generator
Monthly subscription tiers by download count
On-demand image packs
API access

Pros & cons

👍 Pros

Large licensed catalog
Photos, video and music in one account
Regular sales events

👎 Cons

Subscription downloads expire monthly
Pricing varies by source and plan
AI generator pricing unclear across reviews

Use cases

Agency client work needing licensed images
Blog and ad creative
Video editing with stock footage
Presentations

Shutterstock pricing

As of October 2026, Shutterstock's own pricing page could not be loaded for verification. Third-party reviews report image subscriptions from about $29 per month, with higher tiers near $39 and $99, no-contract options costing more, and annual billing cheaper. Treat these as approximate and confirm on shutterstock.com/pricing.

Shutterstock deal history

Black Friday 2026 outlook: Shutterstock ran a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale in 1 of the years we tracked (2024). The discount was 25%. The sale usually opened about -7 days before Black Friday. At least one year needed a coupon code.

Year	Sale	Offer	Dates	Code
2024	Black Friday	25% off during Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend [source]	Nov 29–Dec 2	`BFCM24`

Best time to buy Shutterstock

Highlighted months had a Shutterstock sale in at least one past year we tracked.

Frequently asked questions

Does Shutterstock have a Black Friday deal in 2026?

It is expected. Black Friday sale possible; 2024 had 25% off sitewide. Expected for Black Friday.

Is there a Shutterstock coupon code or promo code?

No code is needed right now. The discount is applied automatically when you open the deal link and pick the discounted plan.

What was the Shutterstock Black Friday deal in 2024?

25% off during Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend.

How much does Shutterstock cost?

Third-party reviews report image plans from about $29 per month, but check the official pricing page since tiers and prices vary.

Does Shutterstock have a free trial?

Shutterstock has offered free image trials in the past. Check the current offer on its site.

Do unused Shutterstock downloads roll over?

On standard monthly subscriptions, unused downloads generally do not carry over. Check your plan terms.

Is Shutterstock's AI generator commercially safe?

Shutterstock positions its generator around licensed training data. Read the license terms for your plan before commercial use.

Shutterstock or Adobe Stock?

Both are paid libraries with similar catalogs. Compare download allowances and prices for your monthly volume.

How we researched Shutterstock

We checked Shutterstock's own website, its pricing page and the sources below (October 28, 2026). Prices change often: the vendor's checkout is always the final word. Deals are re-checked as Black Friday gets closer.