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12 Best Pexels Alternatives for Mac in 2026

Explore 12 alternatives to Pexels — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

Our 12 top Pexels alternatives at a glance

Quick answer

Here's the shortlist of Pexels alternatives: Adobe Stock, Shutterstock and StockPhotoAI.net. Adobe Stock leads on SpotScore (-1) with a 3.1★ rating. All 12 are compared on score, rating, and price below.

When Pexels no longer matches how your team works, the right swap makes a big difference. These 12 stock photos websites alternatives are the strongest candidates, ranked by SpotScore (real-user satisfaction plus market presence), ratings, and pricing. Each is editor-vetted. Use the table to compare at a glance, then read the breakdowns.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
Adobe StockLimitless creativity at your fingertips.★★★☆☆ 3.1(233)Freefrom $29.99teams of all sizes
ShutterstockUnlock your creative potential with Shutterstock.★★★★★ 5(2)Freefrom $29/moteams of all sizes
StockPhotoAI.netElevate your designs with compelling, personalized stock photos.Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
PatternedAIUnleash your creativity with AI-powered patterns.Not yet ratedQuotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Stockimg.AIUnleash creativity effortlessly with AI-powered design solutions.Not yet ratedFreeFreemium · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
VectorGroveUnleash your creativity with worry-free vector graphics.Not yet ratedOne-time license · Subscriptionsmall businesses
iStockUnleash creativity with unparalleled quality at flexible rates.Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
PixaBayUnleash your creativity with stunning royalty-free visuals.★★★★ 4.4FreeFreemiumteams of all sizes
UnsplashWhere creativity thrives and beauty knows no limits.★★★★★ 4.8Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
DepositphotosUnleash your creativity with limitless visual assets.★★★★ 4.3FreeFree Trial · One-time license · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
UnlimPhotosUnleash your creativity with limitless stock photos.Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
IngimageUnleash your creativity with curated stock images.Not yet ratedQuotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
Adobe Stock - New SaaS Software

Adobe Stock

Limitless creativity at your fingertips.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Adobe Stock?

Adobe Stock is a powerful creative Cloud platform with incredible quality content. With this service, users can access an immense library of 4K, HD stock videos, as well as motion graphic templates and loops ideal for any type of project. Easily test and adjust the watermarked images inside ...

Read more about Adobe Stock
Free TrialTry Free →·

Adobe Stock offers custom pricing plan

Shutterstock - Stock Photos Websites

Shutterstock

Unlock your creative potential with Shutterstock.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is Shutterstock?

Introducing Shutterstock: a cutting-edge SaaS platform that empowers your creativity. With a global reach, we offer a plethora of premium assets and innovative editing and collaboration tools for individuals, teams, and enterprises. Our passionate community of independent thinkers, ...

Read more about Shutterstock
Free Trial·

Shutterstock offers custom pricing plan

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StockPhotoAI.net

StockPhotoAI.net

Elevate your designs with compelling, personalized stock photos.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is StockPhotoAI.net?

StockPhotoAI.net uses AI to generate custom portrait stock photos tailored to user specifications for presentations, websites, and digital or print media. Each image is unique, removing the need to search standard stock photo libraries for off-the-shelf content.

Read more about StockPhotoAI.net
Free Trial·

StockPhotoAI.net offers custom pricing plan

PatternedAI

PatternedAI

Unleash your creativity with AI-powered patterns.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

See Plans & Pricing

Add to compare

What is PatternedAI?

PatternedAI is revolutionizing the way professionals create patterns with its cutting-edge AI technology. This seamless pattern maker offers a user-friendly interface packed with a range of features that empower users to unleash their creativity like never before. By leveraging AI capabilities, ...

Read more about PatternedAI

Starts from $8.00/month when Billed Yearly

Stockimg.AI

Stockimg.AI

Unleash creativity effortlessly with AI-powered design solutions.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

Add to compare

What is Stockimg.AI?

Stockimg.AI uses AI to generate book covers, stock images, wallpapers, and posters from text prompts in seconds. All outputs are royalty-free, and users can start from templates or customize results to fit their project needs.

Read more about Stockimg.AI

Starts from $15.83/month when Billed Yearly, also offers free forever plan

VectorGrove

VectorGrove

Unleash your creativity with worry-free vector graphics.

Best for: SMB teams

See Plans & Pricing

Add to compare

What is VectorGrove?

Introducing VectorGrove, the ultimate destination for an extensive collection of free vector images that come with worry-free licensing for both personal and commercial use. VectorGrove is your go-to resource for premium vector graphics that can be seamlessly integrated into a wide range of ...

Read more about VectorGrove

Starts from $0.78/Image when Billed Yearly

iStock

iStock

Unleash creativity with unparalleled quality at flexible rates.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is iStock?

Introducing iStock - an exceptional stock content platform offering unparalleled quality at flexible rates. With the tagline "Incredible Stock. Flexible Pricing," iStock is your go-to destination for original royalty-free assets, ranging from captivating photos and illustrations to dynamic ...

Read more about iStock
Free Trial
PixaBay

PixaBay

Unleash your creativity with stunning royalty-free visuals.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

4.4

Add to compare

What is PixaBay?

Pixabay is a library of over 4 million royalty-free images, videos, and illustrations released under the Creative Commons CC0 license, making them usable in any project without attribution. Photographers and videographers can contribute content to the platform, and community members provide ...

Read more about PixaBay
Unsplash

Unsplash

Where creativity thrives and beauty knows no limits.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Get Pricing Details

4.8

Add to compare

What is Unsplash?

Unsplash is a free stock photo platform offering a large library of high-resolution images contributed by photographers worldwide. Photos are free to use without attribution, covering a wide range of subjects and styles for commercial and personal projects. The community model allows ...

Read more about Unsplash

Unsplash offers custom pricing plan

Depositphotos

Depositphotos

Unleash your creativity with limitless visual assets.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.3

Add to compare

What is Depositphotos?

Depositphotos is a leading platform offering a vast array of royalty-free vector images, illustrations, and graphics to enhance your creative projects. With a diverse and thematic collection of stock photography, as well as access to a library of stock videos and music, Depositphotos is your ...

Read more about Depositphotos
Free Trial
UnlimPhotos

UnlimPhotos

Unleash your creativity with limitless stock photos.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

What is UnlimPhotos?

Introducing UnlimPhotos, your ultimate destination for high-quality free stock photos. With a vast collection sourced directly from 18,000 photographers across 145+ countries, UnlimPhotos provides a diverse range of royalty-free images at your fingertips. This comprehensive platform offers ...

Read more about UnlimPhotos
Free Trial·

Starts from $8.25/month when Billed Yearly

Ingimage

Ingimage

Unleash your creativity with curated stock images.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

See Plans & Pricing

Add to compare

What is Ingimage?

Ingimage is a curated stock imagery platform that provides access to millions of high-quality photos, vector graphics, fonts, and videos tailored for creative professionals, agencies, and marketing teams. Designed to support a wide range of visual projects—from advertising campaigns to social ...

Read more about Ingimage

Starts from $180/year when yearly

What each Pexels alternative is good at

Adobe StockBest for teams of all sizes

Extensive multimedia library

Watch for: Subscription costs can add up

ShutterstockBest for teams of all sizes
StockPhotoAI.netBest for teams of all sizes
PatternedAIBest for teams of all sizes
Stockimg.AIBest for teams of all sizes
VectorGroveBest for small businesses
iStockBest for teams of all sizes
PixaBayBest for teams of all sizes
UnsplashBest for teams of all sizes
DepositphotosBest for teams of all sizes
UnlimPhotosBest for teams of all sizes
IngimageBest for teams of all sizes

Ingimage focuses on delivering professionally vetted assets that meet the high standards of designers and marketers seeking consistent brand visuals.

Watch for: Ingimage doesn't offer native integration with popular content platforms or ad tools, requiring manual asset downloads and uploads.

Why teams look for a Pexels alternative

Most people weighing a Pexels alternative are reacting to the same handful of pain points:

  • Limited premium content
  • Quality varies by contributor
  • Search functionality can be improved
  • Not all content is free

How to choose among Pexels alternatives

A quick data read across all 12 stock photos websites alternatives: 8 offer a free tier; paid plans run $29–$29.99, with Shutterstock the cheapest entry point; and Shutterstock is the highest rated at 5 across 2 reviews.

How positions are set.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to Pexels are Shutterstock (5.0★), Unsplash (4.8★), PixaBay (4.4★). Compare all 12 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to Pexels, prioritize: Image Management, Search, Free Stock Photos, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Pexels is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend shortlisting 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

How to settle on the best Pexels alternative

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Adobe Stock, Shutterstock and StockPhotoAI.net let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: Shutterstock has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: Adobe Stock has the highest Spotsaas Score (-1) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

How to cut over from Pexels

Before switching off Pexels, run the checks that prevent headaches later. Export your data, verify the import, and confirm feature parity for your must-have workflows. Pilot the new tool free, then migrate, leaving Pexels active until you're done.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].