Comparison

Shutterstock Contributor vs Pexels

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

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.

Screenshots

Shutterstock Contributor4 screens
Pexels4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pexels at 76% against Shutterstock Contributor's 36%. Pexels also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Pexels holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.6K and 37K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Shutterstock Contributor's written reviews are positive against 76% of Pexels's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shutterstock Contributor ships an update monthly, Pexels every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Shutterstock Contributor versus Pexels: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShutterstock ContributorPexels
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (8.6K ratings)4.9 (37K ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.3% of reviews76.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.6K37K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB74 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperShutterstock Inc.Canva Germany GmbH

Customer experience

Shutterstock Contributor

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

Pexels

All ratings36,528 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews1,106 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral5.2%
Negative18.8%

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

Pexels

From 37K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

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

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

In-app purchases

None

Shutterstock Contributor

No in-app purchases

None

Pexels

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shutterstock Contributor free?
Shutterstock Contributor 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, Shutterstock Contributor or Pexels?
Pexels is rated higher. Shutterstock Contributor averages 4.4 out of 5 from 8.6K ratings, while Pexels averages 4.9 from 37K ratings.
Do Shutterstock Contributor or Pexels have ads?
Neither Shutterstock Contributor nor Pexels shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shutterstock Contributor or Pexels?
Shutterstock Contributor ships an update monthly, and Pexels every 2 weeks. Most recently, Shutterstock Contributor was updated on October 17, 2026 and Pexels on October 18, 2026.

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