Adobe Stock pricing is simple and versatile, so it suits every customer and purpose. Still, you should know a few tricks that can save you a lot of money and nerves. This article will explain pricing for images, footage, music, subscriptions vs. credits, different licenses, and even teams.
Adobe Stock pricing summary:
- Image price: $0.26–$9.99/image
- Footage price: $7.99–$199.80/video
- Audio price: $0.26–$9.99/music track
- Subscription price: $0.26–$9.99/image
- Credit price: $8.00–$9.99/image
- Standard License price: $0.26–$9.99/standard asset
- Enhanced License price: $96.00–$119.99 (images), $64.00–$199.80 (videos)
- Extended License price: $79.99
Adobe Stock pricing explained
Adobe Stock sells all of its content with subscriptions (monthly and annual) and with credits, which you get by buying credit packs. Subscriptions are, in general, much cheaper than credits because you commit to a plan for at least a month. In contrast, credits are more expensive, giving you more freedom and flexibility.
The following table compares and summarizes how to buy and how much each type of content costs at Adobe Stock:
| Content type | Subscriptions | On-demand |
|---|---|---|
| Standard images | $0.26–$9.99/image | $8.00–$9.99/image |
| Premium images | – | $96.00–$119.99/image* |
| Videos (HD, 4K) | $7.99–$22.39/video* | $64.00–$199.80/video* |
| Templates, 3D, | $0.26–$9.99/asset | $8.00–$9.99/asset |
| Music | $0.26–$9.99/music track | – |
| Extended License | – | $79.99 |
Standard vs. Premium
The main difference between standard and premium assets is that standard assets can be purchased with subscriptions and come with the Standard License (a simple royalty-free license). In contrast, you can only purchase premium assets with more expensive credits, and they come with an Enhanced License (a broader royalty-free license).
The difference is that the standard assets are usually of slightly lower quality or have a lower added value. Therefore, they are best used for blogs, social media, personal projects, and smaller commercial campaigns.
In contrast, the premium assets are more impactful and of the highest quality but cost more. Thus, we use them for advertising and marketing, where image quality is essential.
Adobe Stock subscriptions
Adobe Stock offers four subscription plans (only three in some regions) with 10, 25, 40, and 750 monthly downloads. Subscriptions are monthly or annual, with annual commitment plans offering higher discounts per asset.
Another difference is that the smallest monthly subscription contains 3 downloads instead of 10 like the annual. Note that the price per asset decreases as the number of monthly downloads increases.
Let’s compare the subscriptions in the following table:
| Assets per month | Price | Price/asset | Free trial? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | |||
| 3 | $29.99/month | $9.99/image | ✗ |
| 25 (or 3 HD videos) | $69.99/month | $2.79/image ($22.39/video) | ✗ |
| 40 (or 6 HD videos) | $99.99/month | $2.49/image ($14.99/video) | ✗ |
| 750 (or 25 HD videos) | $249.99/month | $0.33/image ($9.99/video) | ✗ |
| Annual | |||
| 10 | $29.99/month | $2.99/image | ✓ |
| 25 (or 3 HD videos) | $49.99/month | $1.99/image ($15.99/video) | ✓ |
| 40 (or 6 HD videos) | $79.99/month | $1.99/image ($11.99/video) | ✓ |
| 750 (or 25 HD videos) | $199.99/month | $0.26/image ($7.99/video) | ✗ |
The lowest prices come with the largest plans, with 750 monthly downloads; the annual plan is 20% cheaper than the monthly. With annual plans, you also save the first month’s fee because you can use the free trial (except for the 750 downloads).
What can you download with subscriptions?
You can download all standard assets with a subscription, including high-resolution photos, vectors, illustrations, 3D, and music tracks. Alternatively, you can use your subscription downloads to get HD videos, which cost 8 downloads each.
What can you NOT download with subscriptions?
You can’t use subscriptions to download premium assets. These include premium images, HD and 4K videos, and the Extended License. You can only purchase these with credits.
How to buy subscriptions?
There are many ways or paths you can take to buy subscriptions, but the following is the easiest:
- Go to stock.adobe.com.
- Click “Pricing” in the top right corner.
- Pick a subscription plan you like (10, 25, 40, or 750 downloads).
- Pick “Annual commitment” or “Month-to-month.”
- Click “Buy Now” or “Start free trial.”
- Create your free Adobe account or log in to an existing one.
- Enter your payment information (if you use the free trial, you won’t be charged for 30 days).
- Confirm the payment.
Or watch this short video we created for your help.
We first show how to find subscriptions and credit packs, then show how to switch between monthly and annual plans, and how to choose between different credit packs. Finally, we show how to finalize the purchase (Note: we already have an account, so we didn’t have to add payment information. If you’re new, you will have to).
What happens if you don’t use all downloads?
You can roll over a year’s worth of unused licenses with the three smaller subscriptions (10, 25, and 40 downloads). This is very useful if you do not use all the downloads in a given month because this way, they will not be lost, but you can use more in the next month.
Technically, you could buy an annual plan and use all unused licenses in the final 12th month.
What happens if you use all your downloads?
If you use up all your downloads in a given month and need more, you can buy additional assets for the same price as your subscription. For example, with the 10 monthly downloads for $29.99/month, you pay $2.99 per asset. This is also the price for additional assets.
May I share the assets with others?
No, the general subscriptions are for one user. If you want to share your assets, you must buy team subscription plans, which are more expensive but allow you to share the assets.
About free trial
Adobe Stock offers a 30-day free trial with yearly subscriptions, which means you get the first month free when you buy 10, 25, or 40 monthly downloads. This also means you get up to 40 free images, which is the most generous free trial among all stock photo sites. Therefore, you save from $29.99 to $99.99 during the trial period.
Adobe Stock credits
Credits are more flexible than subscriptions because you may use them at any time, but they are also more expensive. You can buy credits with credit packs, which come in five sizes. The more credits you buy, the cheaper they get.
These are the 5 credit packs you can buy as an individual:
- 5 credits – $49.95 ($9.99/credit)
- 16 credits – $149.99 ($9.37/credit)
- 40 credits – $359.99 ($8.99/credit)
- 80 credits – $669.99 ($8.37/credit)
- 150 credits – $1,200.00 ($8.00/credit)
As you can see, buying 150 credits is 20% cheaper than buying 5 credits if you consider the price per credit.
Team credits
These are the 5 credit packs you can buy as a team:
- 5 credits – $49.95 ($9.99/credit)
- 16 credits – $149.99 ($9.37/credit)
- 40 credits – $359.99 ($8.99/credit)
- 80 credits – $669.99 ($8.37/credit)
- 150 credits – $1,200.00 ($8.00/credit)
- 500 credits – $3,999.99 ($8.00/credit)
How to spend credits?
With credits, you get access to the entire collection. You have up to one year after the purchase, after which they expire. You can spend the credits on any asset at Adobe Stock by finding the assets, clicking the download icon or button, and choosing your available credits as the buying option.
How many credits do assets cost?
Each asset has a predefined price in credits, ranging from 1 to 20 credits. Standard assets that you can also get with subscriptions cost 1 credit each. HD videos cost 8 credits, 4K videos cost 20 credits, while premium images and editorial content cost 12 or more credits.
- Standard images: 1 credit (Standard license).
- Standard templates & 3D: 1 credit (Enhanced license).
- HD videos: 8 credits (Enhanced license).
- 4K videos: 20 credits (Enhanced license).
- Premium images: 12+ credits (Enhanced license).
- Editorial: 12+ credits (Enhanced license).
How to buy credit packs?
- Go to stock.adobe.com.
- Click “Pricing” in the top right corner.
- Pick a credit pack you like (5, 16, 40, 80, or 150 credits).
- Click “Buy Now.”
- Create your free Adobe account or log in to an existing one.
- Enter your payment information (if you use the free trial, you won’t be charged for 30 days).
- Confirm the payment.
Is it better to buy subscriptions or credits?
Whether you choose subscriptions or credits depends on your needs. Before purchasing, consider:
- How many downloads do you need per month?
- How regularly do you need downloads?
- How long do you need downloads (1 month, 6 months, over 1 year)?
- What type of content do you need?
Opt for a subscription if you need regular downloads (you download a certain number of assets every month) of standard images, templates, 3D assets, or music tracks. Then, depending on how long you need the assets, choose monthly subscriptions (if you need downloads for up to 9 months) or annual subscriptions (if you need downloads for more than 9 months).
Why 9 months instead of 12?
Because annual plans are cheaper (per month) than monthly plans by about 20%, you pay more if you buy ten monthly plans than 1 yearly (12 months) plan. So, when you need subscription downloads for 9 months or more, choosing an annual subscription is cheaper, even if you don’t need it for 12 months.
Credits packs are necessary when you want to download assets that are not available with subscriptions (premium images, 4K videos) or when you don’t need standard assets regularly.
Subscriptions credits vs. credits from credit packs
These two are not the same thing and are not interchangeable. You get subscription credits with subscriptions and credits from credit packs.
Adobe Stock & Creative Cloud
Adobe Stock is an integral part of Adobe Creative Cloud, which lets you browse and download all assets without leaving the apps. As of 2022, Adobe Stock is available in 9 apps, including:
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- InDesign
- Premiere Pro
- XD
- Premiere Rush
- After Effects
- Adobe Spark
- Dimension
How to get Adobe Stock with Creative Cloud?
Existing CC users
If you already use Creative Cloud apps like Adobe Photoshop, you can purchase Adobe Stock in several ways. However, the easiest way is to go to stock.adobe.com and buy it as described above.
You can also do it from within the Creative Cloud, but you’ll be redirected to a browser anyway.
New CC users
The easiest way to start your Creative Cloud subscription with Adobe Stock is to do it all in one go. Follow these steps:
- Go to the Adobe Creative Cloud Plans page.
- Find a plan you like.
- Check the box in front of “Add a 30-day free trial of Adobe Stock.”
- Click the “Buy now” button.
- Choose a pricing option (monthly, annual, or annual prepaid).
- Click the “Buy now” button.
- Enter the email that you want to connect with your Adobe account (or log in with your account).
- Enter your payment information and confirm.
Or watch this video to see it in action:
Adobe Stock images price
Adobe Stock sells images with subscriptions and credits. Subscriptions cost $29.99–$249.99/month ($0.26–$9.99/image), depending on the size and duration of the subscription. Images purchased with credits cost between 1 and 12 (standard and premium images), which are $8.00–$9.99/standard image and $96.00–$119.99/premium image.
Frequently asked questions
How much do images cost on Adobe Stock?
The price of images at Adobe Stock depends on the buying method and the license. The Standard License images cost $0.26–$9.99 with subscriptions and $8.00–$9.99 with credits. The Enhanced License (premium) images cost $96.00–$119.99, while with the Extended License, they cost $79.99.
How much does Adobe Stock cost?
Adobe Stock costs between $0.26 and $9.99 for images, between $7.99 and $199.80 for videos, and between $0.26 and $9.99 for music. Subscriptions cost from $29.99 to $249.99 per month.
Does Adobe Stock offer student discounts?
No, Adobe Stock doesn’t offer student pricing, but you can get a 60% student discount on the Creative Cloud plan that includes Adobe Stock. However, the images will not be discounted.
Can I buy a single image from Adobe Stock?
Yes, you can buy a single image on Adobe Stock with credits. A standard image costs 1 credit ($8.00–$9.99), while a premium image costs 12 credits or more ($96.00–$119.99).
Sources
- Natalie Beaulieu. New in Adobe Stock: Introducing Stock & Marketplace plus enhanced audio & video search features. Adobe Blog. Published October 26, 2021. Accessed July 28, 2022.
- Claude Alexandre. Adobe Stock is making video more accessible and affordable. Adobe Blog. Published March 23, 2022. Accessed July 28, 2022.
- Creative Cloud Team. Creative Cloud offering and price update. Adobe Blog. Published March 22, 2022. Accessed July 28, 2022.
- Adobe Stock pricing and membership plan. Adobe Stock. Accessed July 28, 2022.
- Adobe Stock for Teams. Adobe Stock. Accessed July 28, 2022.
About your guide
Matic Broz is a multifaceted creative professional, with experience as a photographer, graphic designer, and business owner. He has a decade of experience in helping other creatives improve their craft and start their own businesses. His writing and research have been featured in notable publications such as The Guardian, PetaPixel, and USA Today. Additionally, his scientific research has been recognized with a cover feature in the prestigious MDPI-owned journal. In his leisure time, he enjoys photography, hiking, and spending time with dogs. Read more
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