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Bigstock Review (2023)

Is it worth it?

Bigstock isn’t the best at anything. The prices are low, but only if you buy lots of images, the license is very narrow, and the number and quality of images aren’t great. In addition, customer support is almost non-existent.

Pros

  • Low images prices with 50 image/day subscription
  • Affordable videos

Cons

  • No legal coverage
  • Only 250,000 copies with the standard royalty-free license
  • Affordable prices only with insanely large subscriptions
Bigstock logo
2.5
Photutorial Score
Photutorial Score = 2.5/5

Photutorial scores are objectively determined by our editorial team. Our scoring formula weighs several factors consumers should consider when choosing creative products and services.

Websitebigstockphoto.com
Images115 million
Pricing$0.16–$21.00/image
Extended license$49.50–$175
Free trialYes (35 images)
LicensesRoyalty-free
Best overall & quality

1 Shutterstock

Shutterstock logo
Three image subscription sizes with three commitments and a FLEX25 subscription for downloads of images, videos, and music.
Best budget

2 Envato Elements

Envato elements logo
Unlimited downloads of over 10 million assets at a very low price, making it ideal for entrepreneurs and developers.
Best for designers

2 Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock logo
The best stock image subscriptions for designers, with Creative Cloud integration and download of all standard assets.

Pricing

Bigstock sells photos with subscriptions and on-demand with credits. The subscription plans come with the best price per photo and are the best for you if you have consistent image needs. On the other hand, on-demand packs offer a lot of flexibility but are as a tradeoff more expensive.

Daily subscription

In our review, we found that daily subscriptions aren’t as practical as monthly subscriptions. With a daily subscription, you get a set number of downloads each day, regardless of your actual needs. This doesn’t always align with how people use images, which is why we recommend opting for a monthly subscription instead. Both Shutterstock and Adobe Stock offer monthly options, and Envato Elements even offers unlimited downloads.

Number of downloadsPlan DurationTotal ImagesCost per ImageTotal Cost
5 Images/Day1 month150$0.53$79
5 Images/Day3 months450$0.44$199
5 Images/Day12 months1,825$0.35$639
10 Images/Day1 month300$0.33$99
10 Images/Day3 months900$0.30$269
10 Images/Day12 months3,650$0.27$969
20 Images/Day1 month600$0.28$169
20 Images/Day3 months1,800$0.26$459
20 Images/Day12 months7,300$0.22$1,589
50 Images/Day1 month1,500$0.22$329
50 Images/Day3 months4,500$0.21$929
50 Images/Day12 months18,250$0.16$2,879
Bigstock daily subscriptions

Monthly image subscriptions

While Bigstock does offer monthly image subscriptions, their pricing may not be as competitive as other options on the market. For instance, Shutterstock offers a 20% discount on their annual plans and a 32% discount on annual prepaid plans, making their price per image significantly lower at $0.22 compared to Bigstock’s $0.94. If you’re considering a long-term commitment, it may be worth exploring other options that offer discounts on their subscriptions.

Number of downloadsPlan DurationTotal ImagesCost per ImageTotal Cost
25 Images/Month1 month25$2.76$69
50 Images/Month1 month50$1.58$79
100 Images/Month1 month100$0.99$99
200 Images/Month1 month200$0.94$189
Bigstock monthly subscriptions

Video plans

Bigstock’s video subscriptions are reasonably priced, but the minimum subscription option of 50 videos per month may be more than most creatives need. However, if you do require a large number of videos each month, Bigstock could be a good option for you. Just keep in mind that the quality of their videos may not be as high as that of dedicated stock video sites.

Number of downloadsPlan DurationTotal VideosCost per VideoTotal Cost
5 Videos/Day1 month150$0.53$79
10 Videos/Day1 month300$0.33$99
50 Videos/Month1 month50$1.58$79
Bigstock video plans

Image credits

We found that credit packs can be a good alternative to subscription plans for those who want more flexibility. With credit packs, you’re not bound to any contract and can choose from 5 different options that vary in size. While the larger credit packs are more cost-efficient, the smaller ones come with a steep price increase up to $3.50 per credit. It’s worth noting that the largest credit pack offers 500 image credits at $0.99 per credit, so you may want to consider this option if you need a larger number of credits.

Number of creditsPricePrice/credit
10$35.00$3.50
25$49.00$1.96
100$169.00$1.69
250$339.00$1.36
500$495.00$0.99
Price of credit packs

Using credits, you can then purchase images, which differ in price based on size and license.

SizeResolutionCredits
Small900×600 px1
Medium1600×1066 px2
Large2800×1866 px4
X-LargeHighest available6
Extended licenseHighest available50
Image price in credits

License

Bigstock offers two types of licenses for its images: a royalty-free standard license and a royalty-free extended license. The royalty-free license allows for standard uses such as printing on items like posters and business cards, as well as web and electronic purposes like social media posts and videos. The license is single-user only and has a reproduction limit of 250,000 copies.

The extended license offers more flexibility, but comes at a higher cost. It removes the reproduction limit, but has limitations on use, time, and geographic location. For full details on the usage agreement, please click here.

Overall, Bigstock’s license is more limited than others; for one, it allows only 250,000 copies, whereas others allow up to 500,000 copies (unlimited with the extended). In addition, Bigstock doesn’t provide any legal coverage (indemnity) on its license, which is usually set at $10,000–$250,000.

Free trial

Bigstock runs a 7-day free trial during which you can 35 download images for free. In comparison to other free trials, such as Shutterstock or Adobe Stock, that offer 10 free images, Bigstock’s trial is surprisingly generous. To start a free trial, click here and enter your email address.

Bigstock review - Free trial

You will be redirected to a new page, where you need to choose between Image free trial or Video free trial.

Bigstock review - Free trial left or right

Upon selection, you will receive an email prompting you to confirm your account. After you successfully do that, you can start your free trial.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Bigstock worth it?

With over 115 million images in the library and one of the lowest prices ($0.16/photo) among stock photo agencies, Bigstock is a viable option. However, with a very limited license and low image quality, we wouldn’t buy it ourselves.

How does Bigstock work?

To purchase Bigstock photos, you need to create an account first. Then, you can choose between subscription plans of 1, 3, and 12 months or credit packs, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Once you decide on purchase plan, you can start downloading images.