Shutterstock in 9 slides
One of the largest stock content marketplaces, with open contributor sign-up for photos, vectors, video, and music. Contributors earn royalties every time their work is licensed.
- Stock content marketplace
- Stock marketplaces
- Based in New York, United States
What you do on Shutterstock
How the money is made: selling digital products
- Make it once
- Upload and list it
- Buyers download it
- Royalties paid out
One of the largest stock content marketplaces, with open contributor sign-up for photos, vectors, video, and music. Contributors earn royalties every time their work is licensed.
Founded 2003 · next to 16 other stock marketplaces
Work and topics
Good for
What Shutterstock takes
Royalties 15%-40% by contributor level
From the published fees, before payment-processing, currency or withdrawal charges. Work out your own amount →
How the money reaches you
From sign-up to payout
- Sign upFree
- Quick profile or ID review
- Do the work
- Earnings clearMonthly, paid between the 7th and 15th
- First payout30+ days
Time to your first payout
$35
3 ways to withdraw
Can you join?
Yes, if you are 18 or older and live almost anywhere.
You need a tax ID number. Your profile is reviewed before you start. First payout: 30+ days.
What you need
- 18 or olderMinimum age
- A tax ID number
- Free to joinSign-up cost
- Quick profile or ID reviewHow sign-up works
Open in 200 of 200 countries and territories
What people actually earn
Shutterstock's five highest-earning contributors together accounted for less than 4% of downloads in 2025, per its annual report (Form 10-K).
Source: sec.gov ↗How it scores
Strong on access and track record. Weaker on fees.
- Fees1.5
- Getting paid2.8
- Access5.0
- Track record5.0
- Proof of earnings2.5
- Open worldwide
- Free to join
- Clear fees
- Top 10K website
- 10 years running
- 20 years running
- Public company
- Fully documented
How much we know
We have 12 of the 17 things we track for every platform. Fees, payouts, join rules, countries and real earnings count most.
What we have
- What kind of platform it is
- Year founded
- Headquarters
- Fees
- Minimum payout
- How fast you get paid
- Withdrawal methods
- Join requirements
- Countries it accepts
- Real earnings figures
- Wikipedia or reference page
- Support channels
Still missing
- Plain-English overview
- Payment protection
- Review ratings
- Mobile apps
- Social accounts