Comparison

Shutterstock Contributor vs ProxyPics

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

Head to head
About

Shutterstock Contributor

Empower visual artists and photographers to monetize their creative work globally. Upload images directly from your phone, track earnings, and gain insights into customer behavior and market trends to optimize your content strategy.

Highlights
  • Upload images from phone
  • Monitor sales and portfolio performance
  • Access customer insights and data
  • Discover trending creative content
  • Submit work on the go
Features
Read full description

Visual artists, photographers, and content creators- earn money in your creative field no matter where you are in the world. This is the Shutterstock Contributor app. We can't wait to showcase your incredible content, so you can earn money through your creative work. Made exclusively for approved Shutterstock artists, upload new images to the platform directly on the app to earn money through your craft. Access the app to see how potential customers interact with your portfolio and uploaded content. Educate yourself on what's trending in the creative content world, and what visuals you should be creating and selling next. Image Submission Made Easy Upload and submit images straight from your phone. It's that easy to earn money on the go! Earnings & Activity Monitor your sales, as well as the performance of your creative portfolio and work. Customer Insights & Data See what's being downloaded from your portfolio, get notified when your images are being looked at, and see what customers are purchasing around the world. The more you know, the better! Not on Shutterstock yet? Visit submit.shutterstock.com to apply now. We can't wait to have you be a part of our creative community.

About

ProxyPics

This app connects users needing location-specific photos with local individuals willing to take them. It's a quick and affordable way to get timely images from anywhere in the world, or to earn money by fulfilling photo requests.

Highlights
  • Location-specific photo requests
  • Marketplace for photo takers
  • In-app map for job posting
  • GPS alerts for nearby jobs
  • Fixed pricing for affordability
  • Earn cash by taking photos
Features
Read full description

ProxyPics is the first-of-its-kind on-demand system for getting the location-specific pictures you need from wherever you are. Our simple-to-use app features an online marketplace, matching users needing location-based photos with local users, ready to take snapshots. Never before has it been quicker, cheaper, or simpler to get timely images from anywhere around the world. NEED A PHOTO OF A SPECIFIC LOCATION, ASAP? Enter an address, a few details about the job, and submit. Your order is instantly posted to users at the location. Within minutes, you’ll receive a photo taken just for you. Pay the low one-time fee and save the photo to your camera roll. WANT TO TAKE PHOTOS AND EARN EXTRA CASH? ProxyPics will notify you when photo assignments are available near your current location. Accept any nearby jobs, take the pic, submit, and get paid! Work whenever it’s convenient for you, wherever you are. FEATURES • The built-in map makes posting jobs easy and accurate. • GPS and notifications alert you to nearby jobs, wherever you are. • Online payments ensure fast delivery of funds. • Fixed pricing finally makes on-the-spot photography super affordable. USES • Need a photo of a house for real estate purposes? ProxyPics users can provide the latest peek at a property. • Want to know how long the line is for that new phone release? Let ProxyPics show you if it’s worth getting out of bed for? • Teaching a class about Roman architecture? Can’t find a decent photo of that perfect arch? Have a local send you the precise picture from across an ocean. • And more! The possibilities are endless. If you can point to it on a map, you can have an up-to-date photo in minutes. We are actively working on new features and improvements to bring you a better experience.

Screenshots

Shutterstock Contributor4 screens
ProxyPics4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ProxyPics at 87% against Shutterstock Contributor's 36%. ProxyPics also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Shutterstock Contributor's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ProxyPics holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.6K and 9.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Shutterstock Contributor's written reviews are positive against 87% of ProxyPics's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Shutterstock Contributor versus ProxyPics: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShutterstock ContributorProxyPics
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (8.6K ratings)4.8 (9.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.3% of reviews87.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.6K9.5K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB150 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShutterstock Inc.Proxy Pics, Inc

Customer experience

Shutterstock Contributor

All ratings8,560 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral5.0%
Negative10.6%
Written reviews910 reviews
Positive36.3%
Neutral9.8%
Negative54.0%

ProxyPics

All ratings8,577 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews769 reviews
Positive87.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative10.3%

User reviews

Shutterstock Contributor

From 8.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 📱 Convenient mobile app
  • 💰 Potential to earn money
  • 📊 Useful for tracking sales and portfolio

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Strict and inconsistent review process
  • 💸 Low payouts for contributors
  • 🤖 Automated rejections without clear feedback
  • 📤 Difficulty uploading and managing content
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with required personal information

ProxyPics

From 9.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💰 Good pay
  • 🚀 Straightforward instructions
  • 👥 Responsive customer service
  • 📸 Enjoyable photography work

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app glitches
  • 🗺️ Limited job availability in some areas
  • 🕰️ Lengthy review/approval process
  • 💳 Issues with payment/payout

Bugs and requests

Shutterstock Contributor

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and glitches
  • Inconsistent upload and review status updates
  • Incorrect or misleading rejection reasons

Requested features

4 requests
  • Batch editing and uploading capabilities
  • More detailed analytics and sales reporting
  • Ability to edit and manage portfolio within the app
  • Support for video uploads and tracking

ProxyPics

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes or crashes during use
  • GPS/location issues affecting job completion
  • Problems with logging in or resetting password

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand job radius beyond 30 miles
  • Add sound alerts for new job postings
  • Improve photo upload and submission process
  • Provide more transparency on job status and review

In-app purchases

None

Shutterstock Contributor

No in-app purchases

None

ProxyPics

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shutterstock Contributor free?
Shutterstock Contributor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ProxyPics free?
ProxyPics is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shutterstock Contributor or ProxyPics?
ProxyPics is rated higher. Shutterstock Contributor averages 4.4 out of 5 from 8.6K ratings, while ProxyPics averages 4.8 from 9.5K ratings.
Do Shutterstock Contributor or ProxyPics have ads?
Neither Shutterstock Contributor nor ProxyPics shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shutterstock Contributor or ProxyPics?
Shutterstock Contributor ships an update monthly, and ProxyPics monthly. Most recently, Shutterstock Contributor was updated on September 24, 2026 and ProxyPics on September 23, 2026.

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