# Unsplash vs Pexels

The clearest difference is monetization model: Pexels at free against Unsplash's free with in-app purchases. Pexels also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Unsplash against 4.9 for Pexels. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 36K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Unsplash's written reviews are positive against 76% of Pexels's.

Unsplash ships an update every 3 weeks, Pexels every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Unsplash | Pexels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unsplash/id1290631746/reviews) | [4.9 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pexels/id1434330413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13K | **36K** |
| Positive reviews | 74.6% of reviews | **75.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 23 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Unsplash Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1165050870) | [Canva Germany GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434330412) |

## What reviewers say

### Unsplash

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unsplash/id1290631746)

Access over 7 million free, high-resolution images contributed by a global community of photographers. Discover new photos daily for any project and easily save and access your favorites across devices. Anyone can contribute, regardless of equipment.

**Highlights:** Millions of free high-resolution images, Daily curated new photos, Collect and access photos across devices, Drag & drop functionality on iPad, Contribute your own photos, Used for presentations, artwork, mockups

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent quality photos
- 🎨 Inspiring and creative content
- 🔍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💰 Completely free to use
- 🌐 Wide variety of images from around the world

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔒 Lack of account integration and personalization
- ⏱️ Slow loading times and performance issues
- 🔀 Difficulty navigating back to previous screens

**Reported bugs**

- Clear all history feature not working
- Downloading images causes app to crash
- Widget not functioning as expected
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Inability to login or create an account

**Requested features**

- Add ability to follow photographers and see their full portfolios
- Implement a dark mode option
- Improve search functionality with more filters and tags
- Allow users to upload and share their own photos
- Provide detailed photo metadata and exif data


### Pexels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pexels/id1434330413)

Access over 3 million free, high-resolution photos and videos donated by a global community. Discover diverse and inclusive imagery for any project, from social media to presentations. Upload your own work to inspire others and connect with fellow photographers.

**Highlights:** Unlimited access to 3M+ free photos and videos, Diverse and inclusive photography, Daily inspiration with trending images, Upload and share your own work, Organize favorites into collections, Support photographers through donations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🌟 High-quality content
- 💰 Free to use
- 👍 Smooth operation
- 🎨 Great for creators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Difficult navigation and search
- 🔀 Inconsistent user experience
- 🔑 Login/account problems
- 📥 Download failures

**Reported bugs**

- Repeated log-out issues
- Freezing and white screen problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between app and website
- Slow or failed downloads
- Search not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit/delete collections
- Filtering options (e.g. orientation, aspect ratio)
- Improved video functionality
- Multilingual support
- Better integration with other platforms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Unsplash free?

Unsplash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pexels free?

Pexels is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Unsplash or Pexels?

Unsplash and Pexels are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13K and 36K ratings respectively.

### Do Unsplash or Pexels have ads?

Neither Unsplash nor Pexels shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Unsplash or Pexels?

Unsplash ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pexels every 2 weeks. Most recently, Unsplash was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pexels on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*