Adobe Stock Pricing and Plans (2024 Guide) (2024)

Adobe Stock is one of the best stock photo sites on the market. With four subscriptions, on-demand plans, and a free trial, there are several options from which to choose, depending on your needs.

In this guide, we’ll break down Adobe Stock pricing, including plans, key features, and alternative stock photo sites, so you can decide which option is best for you.

How much does Adobe Stock cost?

• Adobe Stock subscriptions ($29.99–$249.99/mo): Best for consistent image, HD videos, templates, audio, and vector downloads. The cheapest way to download from Adobe Stock.
• Credit packs ($49.95–$1,200): Best for occasional, on-demand downloads or to get content you cannot get with subscriptions, Premium assets, and 4K footage.
• Single file download: The most expensive option, but the best one if you need only one file every now and then.

Adobe Stock pricing is simple and versatile, so it suits every customer and purpose. Still, you should know a few tricks that can save you a lot of money and nerves.

Adobe Stock pricing overview

To download an asset from Adobe Stock, like an image, you need to get a subscription or credit packs and use those to download it (you can get premium images as single files).

Although you will always get assets as part of your plan, here’s the overview of how much each asset is going to cost you. I calculated it as the fee paid divided by the number of downloads.

For example, a subscription for 10 standard assets per month costs $29.99/month with an annual commitment. This means one standard asset will cost you $2.99.

Standard vs. Premium assets

Adobe Stock offers two types of assets: Standard and Premium. “Standard” refers to the “Standard License” you get with these assets, while “Premium” refers to the higher quality.

• Standard assets are a good option for most users. They are high-quality assets that are suitable for a wide range of uses. Standard assets include photos, illustrations, vectors, templates, and audio.
• Premium assets are a curated collection of high-end assets that are perfect for projects that require the best possible quality. Premium assets include photos, illustrations, vectors, and templates.

Here is a table summarizing the key differences between Standard and Premium assets:

Which type of asset is right for you?

The best type of asset for you will depend on your specific needs. Standard assets are the go-to choice if you’re looking for versatile, high-quality visuals that are suitable for most purposes.

On the other hand, if you’re seeking top-tier assets to take your project to the next level of creativity and impact, then Premium assets are the way to go.

Adobe Stock subscriptions

Adobe Stock offers four subscription plans (only three in some regions) with 10, 25, 40, and 750 monthly downloads. When you pick a subscription, you will pay a fixed fee and get a certain number of downloads each month.

Each subscription is also available with monthly or annual commitment. The annual plans are 20% cheaper than the monthly plans, on average. The only exception is the smallest plan—the smallest monthly subscription contains 3 downloads instead of 10 like the annual.

Here’s a complete breakdown of subscriptions:

The lowest prices come with the largest plans, with 750 monthly downloads; the annual plan is 20% cheaper than the monthly. With annual plans, you also save the first month’s fee because you can use the free trial (except for the 750 downloads).

How to buy subscriptions

There are many ways or paths you can take to buy subscriptions, but the following is the easiest:

1. Go to stock.adobe.com.
2. Click “Pricing” in the top right corner.
3. Pick a subscription plan you like (10, 25, 40, or 750 downloads).
4. Pick “Annual commitment” or “Month-to-month.”
5. Click “Buy Now” or “Start free trial.”
6. Create your free Adobe account or log in to an existing one.
7. Enter your payment information (if you use the free trial, you won’t be charged for 30 days).
8. Confirm the payment.

Or watch this short video we created for your help.

I first show how to find subscriptions and credit packs, then show how to switch between monthly and annual plans, and how to choose between different credit packs. Finally, I show how to finalize the purchase (Note: we already have an account, so we didn’t have to add payment information. If you’re new, you will have to).

Free trial

Adobe Stock offers a 30-day free trial with yearly subscriptions, which means you get the first month free when you buy 10, 25, or 40 monthly downloads. This also means you get up to 40 free images, which is the most generous free trial among all stock photo sites. Therefore, you save from $29.99 to $99.99 during the trial period.

Team subscriptions

Team subscriptions work exactly like the regular ones but with the caveat that everyone on your team may share the assets.

The Team subscriptions are not more expensive than the individual ones. That’s uncommon among most stock photo sites, which generally price them higher or charge per team member.

Unlimited downloads

For a team of five members or more, Adobe Stock also offers unlimited download subscriptions. It’s basically an enterprise plan and can also include Creative Cloud apps.

Credits

Adobe Stock credits are more flexible than subscriptions because you may use them at any time, but they are also more expensive. You can buy credits with credit packs, which come in five sizes. The more credits you buy, the cheaper they get.

These are the 5 credit packs you can buy as an individual:

• 5 credits – $49.95 ($9.99/credit)
• 16 credits – $149.99 ($9.37/credit)
• 40 credits – $359.99 ($8.99/credit)
• 80 credits – $669.99 ($8.37/credit)
• 150 credits – $1,200.00 ($8.00/credit)

As you can see, buying 150 credits is 20% cheaper than buying 5 credits if you consider the price per credit. They are valid for up to one year after the purchase and expire afterwards.

Team credits

These are the 5 credit packs you can buy as a team:

• 5 credits – $49.95 ($9.99/credit)
• 16 credits – $149.99 ($9.37/credit)
• 40 credits – $359.99 ($8.99/credit)
• 80 credits – $669.99 ($8.37/credit)
• 150 credits – $1,200.00 ($8.00/credit)
• 500 credits – $3,999.99 ($8.00/credit)

How to spend credits

With credits, you get access to the entire Adobe Stock collection, including premium assets and the Extended License. You can spend the credits on any asset at Adobe Stock by finding the assets, clicking the download icon or button, and choosing your available credits as the buying option.

How many credits do assets cost

Each asset has a predefined price in credits, ranging from 1 to 50 credits.

• Standard images:1 credit (Standard license).
• Standard templates & 3D:1 credit (Enhanced license).
• HD videos:8 credits (Enhanced license).
• 4K videos:20 credits (Enhanced license).
• Premium images:12–50 credits (Enhanced license).
• Premium 3D:2–10 credits (Enhanced license).
• Editorial:12+ credits (Enhanced license).
• Extended license: 7 credits

How to buy credit packs

1. Go to stock.adobe.com.
2. Click “Pricing” in the top right corner.
3. Pick a credit pack you like (5, 16, 40, 80, or 150 credits).
4. Click “Buy Now.”
5. Create your free Adobe account or log in to an existing one.
6. Enter your payment information (if you use the free trial, you won’t be charged for 30 days).
7. Confirm the payment.

Is it better to buy subscriptions or credits?

Deciding between a subscription or purchasing credits depends on your needs. Before buying, consider:

• How often will you download assets each month?
• How regularly do you require new assets?
• What timeframe do you need access (1 month, 6 months, 1+ years)?
• What types of assets are you seeking?

Subscription credits versus credits from credit packs are different and not interchangeable. You receive subscription credits with a subscription plan and credits from packs as one-time purchases.

Pick subscriptions if: you need regular downloads (a consistent number each month) of standard images, templates, 3D models, or music tracks. Choose monthly subscriptions for access for up to 9 months or annual subscriptions if you need access for longer than 9 months.

Why 9 Months? Annual subscriptions provide around a 20% discount compared to month-to-month plans. So, if you need a subscription for 9 or more months, an annual plan ultimately costs less, even if you cancel before the full 12 months.

Pick credit packs if: you want to download premium assets not included with subscriptions (like high-res photos or 4K video) or if you don’t need regular downloads each month.

Adobe Stock & Creative Cloud

Adobe Stock is an integral part of Adobe Creative Cloud, which lets you browse and download all assets without leaving the apps. As of 2022, Adobe Stock is available in 9 apps, including:

• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• InDesign
• Premiere Pro
• XD
• Premiere Rush
• After Effects
• Adobe Spark
• Dimension

How to get Adobe Stock with Creative Cloud?

Existing CC users

If you already use Creative Cloud apps like Adobe Photoshop, you can purchase Adobe Stock in several ways. However, the easiest way is to go to stock.adobe.com and buy it as described above.

You can also do it from within the Creative Cloud, but you’ll be redirected to a browser anyway.

New CC users

The easiest way to start your Creative Cloud subscription with Adobe Stock is to do it all in one go. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Adobe Creative Cloud Plans page.
2. Find a plan you like.
3. Check the box in front of “Add a 30-day free trial of Adobe Stock.”
4. Click the “Buy now” button.
5. Choose a pricing option (monthly, annual, or annual prepaid).
6. Click the “Buy now” button.
7. Enter the email that you want to connect with your Adobe account (or log in with your account).
8. Enter your payment information and confirm.

Or watch this video to see it in action:

How Adobe Stock pricing compares

In terms of pricing structure, Adobe Stock pricing is the most similar to Shutterstock pricing structure and to some extent also to iStock and Depositphotos. All four offer relatively similar subscriptions and credit packs, with Extended Licenses sold separately.

Of course, the full picture is a lot more nuanced. There are also differences in the quality and number of images, licensing terms, and customer support. At a glance, here are the differences in pricing:

If you’re looking for budget alternatives, I recommend you pick an unlimited downloads subscription. These let you download any number of assets (usually capped at 100/day) for a fixed monthly fee.

The best option for images and videos is Envato Elements, which starts at $11.70 per month. If you need 8K footage, though, Artlist is a better option.

Frequently asked questions

Get Adobe Stock 30-day free trial

Sources

1. Natalie Beaulieu. New in Adobe Stock: Introducing Stock & Marketplace plus enhanced audio & video search features. Adobe Blog. Published October 26, 2021. Accessed July 28, 2022.
2. Claude Alexandre. Adobe Stock is making video more accessible and affordable. Adobe Blog. Published March 23, 2022. Accessed July 28, 2022.
3. Creative Cloud Team. Creative Cloud offering and price update. Adobe Blog. Published March 22, 2022. Accessed July 28, 2022.
4. Adobe Stock pricing and membership plan. Adobe Stock. Accessed July 28, 2022.
5. Adobe Stock for Teams. Adobe Stock. Accessed July 28, 2022.