Comparison

Pexels vs Instant Studio

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pexels

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
Read full description

The Pexels app gives you unlimited access to over 3 million free, high-resolution photos and videos. Our beautiful library is donated by a global community of talented photographers who share their work for everyone to use freely. And you can be part of that community. Use Pexels photos and videos as wallpapers, in presentations, on social media, or wherever you choose! The most diverse free photos and videos Powered by an algorithm and curated by our team, you’ll find inclusive, diverse and true photography with every search. We’re constantly improving our results and library, so if we missed the mark, let us know and we’ll fix it. A daily dose of inspiration With fresh, new photos and videos added every day, find your inspiration by browsing the top trending images or curated collections. Pexels is for everyone Grab your phone or camera and join us. Upload your photos to reach millions and see the positive impact your work can have. Not only can you track your success as your photos get viewed and downloaded, you’ll also get to hear from the people using your imagery all around the world—from major publications to meaningful non-profits. Plus, we’ll connect you with the global community of Pexels photographers to help you level up your skills and stay inspired. Give back to artists After downloading, choose to support the photographers who make Pexels possible by donating to their PayPal or saying thanks on social media. Create a collection Organize and share your favorite photos and videos with the collect tool. With a Pexels account, you can save your work on both mobile and desktop.

About

Instant Studio

Features
Read full description

Instant Studio: AI Product Photography for Sellers Turn one phone snap into scroll-stopping, studio-quality product photos in seconds. Instant Studio is the AI photo studio built for ecommerce sellers: Shopify and Etsy stores, Amazon FBA brands, dropshippers, and social sellers who need professional images without the cost of a photographer, a studio, or a model. Upload a single photo of your product and let AI place it in a clean studio scene, on a real-looking model, or in a lifestyle setting that fits your brand. No lightbox, no backdrop paper, no editing skills required. Why sellers love Instant Studio - Studio-quality results on your very first try - Put any product on the perfect model: pick gender, ethnicity, pose, and styling - Swap backgrounds instantly, from clean studio sweeps to real-life scenes - Generate multiple angles and shots from a single upload - Save your best setups as presets and reuse a winning look on any product in one tap - Keep every shot for life in your personal studio gallery - Built and shaped with real ecommerce brands Better than a generic AI chat tool - Purpose-built for product photography, not a blank chat box you have to fight with - No prompt writing required: tap your model, background, angle, and style and you are done - Your product stays accurate, with guardrails that protect its shape, colour, and detail instead of reinventing it - Consistent, repeatable results across your whole catalog, not one-off lucky generations - Tap-to-create controls a chat window simply cannot give you Better than other photo tools - One upload becomes a finished, ready-to-post shot, not a rough draft you still have to edit - Real on-model results, not just background removal or basic filters - Presets let you lock a look once and apply it to every new product instantly - A gallery that keeps every shot organized, so nothing gets lost - Fast enough to shoot a full catalog in an afternoon Made for every catalog Fashion and apparel, footwear, accessories, packaged goods, beauty, electronics, home, and handmade. Whatever you sell, Instant Studio gives you consistent, on-brand imagery that looks like it came from a professional shoot. Perfect for - Shopify, Etsy, eBay, and Amazon listings - Product pages and online stores - Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook ads - Email campaigns and lookbooks - Marketplace and reseller catalogs How it works 1. Snap or upload a photo of your product 2. Choose your model, background, angle, and style, or load a saved preset 3. Generate and watch a polished studio shot appear in seconds 4. Save it to your gallery and download in full quality Great product photography is the single biggest driver of clicks, conversions, and trust, and now it takes seconds instead of days. No expensive gear, no booking a studio, no waiting on an editor. Download Instant Studio and create your first professional product shot today.

Screenshots

Pexels4 screens
Instant Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pexels at none against Instant Studio's 3. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Instant Studio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Pexels asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pexels ships an update every 2 weeks, Instant Studio fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Pexels versus Instant Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPexelsInstant Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (37K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings37K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB42 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCanva Germany GmbHKheir studio Limited

Bugs and requests

Pexels

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

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

Instant Studio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Pexels

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Instant Studio

Subscriptions3
  • Starter Plan$4.991 Month
  • Pro Plan$12.991 Month
  • Studio Plan$24.991 Month

Questions

Is Pexels free?
Pexels is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Instant Studio free?
Instant Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pexels or Instant Studio have ads?
Neither Pexels nor Instant Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pexels or Instant Studio?
Pexels ships an update every 2 weeks, and Instant Studio fortnightly. Most recently, Pexels was updated on October 25, 2026 and Instant Studio on October 16, 2026.

Other comparisons