Getty Images Pricing Explained (2023 update)

By Matic Broz, editor-in-chief of Photutorial covering stock media, Adobe, and design. He founded Photutorial while finishing his PhD in computational biosciences.
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Getty Images is notoriously expensive, and not every business can afford to buy their stock images in bulk. But considering the high quality and uniqueness of the photos, many still turn to Getty.

GettyImages UltraPacks

You can pay for each image separately or buy credits for images in bulk to get a discount. Packs come in sizes of a single download (each image separately), 5, and 10. They are also divided by image size and video resolution into large (4K and HD videos), medium, and small (low-res videos). Here’s the full breakdown:

USD prices:

Large images
(4K and HD videos)
Medium imagesSmall images
(Low-res videos)
Single$499 per download$375 per download$175 per download
5 pack$450 per download
($2,250)
$325 per download
($1,625)
$160 per download
($800)
10 pack$425 per download
($4,250)
$300 per download
($3,000)
$150 per download
($1,500)
Pricing of Getty Images packs in USD

EUR prices:

Large images
(4K and HD videos)
Medium imagesSmall images
(Low-res videos)
Single475€ per download335€ per download150€ per download
5 pack425€ per download
(2,125€)
300€ per download
(1,500€)
135€ per download
($675)
10 pack400€ per download
(4,000€)
280€ per download
(2,800€)
125€ per download
(1,250€)
Pricing of Getty Images packs in EUR

The prices seem to differ only based on the currency and not location. For example, different countries with the same currency still have the same pricing. To the best of our knowledge, Getty Images also seems to offers prices in USD and EUR only.

These images are available with a royalty-free (RF) license. The royalty-free Getty Images license is a type of license that offers customers the ability to use their selected images without paying additional royalties. This license comes with several key characteristics:

  1. Perpetual: The license has no expiration date, so you can use the content indefinitely without needing to renew the license.
  2. Worldwide: It grants you the right to use the content in any geographical location without territorial restrictions.
  3. Unlimited: You may use the content unlimited times without any restrictions on the frequency of use.
  4. Any and all media: This license lets you use the content across different media formats, including print, digital, and any other medium or format.
  5. Non-exclusive: Under this license, you do not have exclusive rights to use the content. Getty Images retains the right to license the same content to other customers as well. If you want exclusive rights to use royalty-free content, you’ll need to contact Getty Images to discuss a buy-out.

Some content is also available in sizes for “Web” and costs $175 for videos and $50 for images.

Cheaper than Getty Images

1 Envato Elements

Envato Elements logo
  • Cost: $11.50–$39.00/month
  • Images: 8.1 million
  • Videos: 4.2 million
  • Free trial: 12 files per month

3 Shutterstock

Shutterstock logo
  • Cost: $24.91–$249/month
  • Images: 434 million
  • Videos: 29.2 million
  • Free trial: 10, 1 video, or 2 audio

2 Artlist

Adobe Stock logo
  • Cost: $29.99–$249.99/month
  • Images: 326 million
  • Videos: 26 million
  • Free trial: 10–40 images or 3–6 HD videos

BBC Motion Gallery

The BBC Motion Gallery is a unique collaboration between Getty Images and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), granting exclusive access to an extensive collection of BBC footage. Spanning from the first broadcast in 1922 to the present day, the BBC Motion Gallery boasts over 125,000 license-ready clips and more than a million hours of footage from the BBC’s Broadcast Archive available on request.

These videos are licensed under the rights-ready license that lasts for up to 1 year and cost:

Advertising usesCostExamples
Unlimited$7,250All media (worldwide)
TV broadcast and cable$4,650TV commercial, network promotions
Out-of-home uses$1,850Cinema and theater, electronic billboards, stadium, in-flight and transit, in-store and point-of-purchase, art installations
Web and digital$999Banner ads, interstititals, pop-up ads, rich media ads, pre-roll ads, other web advertisement, digital on-air promos
Direct response and on-air promos$1,600Direct response TV commercial, infomercials, on-air promos, OTT (over the top)
BBC Motion Gallery pricing (the prices may vary for different content)

In addition, Getty Images offers many more niche offers, whose pricing is similar to the UltraPacks but might differ between collections.

Getty Images subscriptions

Getty Images offers customizable annual subscription plans for ongoing access to stock photos, videos, and music. Pricing varies based on usage needs, but increases in value as more assets are required. To get pricing details, contact a Getty Images sales representative by phone or through their website.

Buy cheaper photos

Getty Images photos are outstanding but you don’t need them for every project. More often than not, a much more affordable stock photo site will get the job done just fine for a fraction of the price.

For example, Shutterstock prices for photos range from $0.22 to $14.50, while Envato Elements offers unlimited downloads for as low as $16.50 per month ($11.50/mo for students).

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How much do Getty Images cost?

Getty Images offers on-demand UltraPacks for purchasing images and videos. Single downloads cost $499, $375, and $175 for large, medium, and small sizes, respectively. 5-pack downloads offer each image at $450, $325, and $160, while 10-pack downloads cost $425, $300, and $150 per image for the same respective sizes. The pricing is based on the selected currency, not the location of the purchaser.

How much is a Getty Images subscription?

Based on the pricing information provided, there is no set subscription price for Getty Images. Getty offers customizable annual subscription plans where pricing varies depending on the customer’s specific usage needs and number of assets required.

Why is Getty Images so expensive?

Getty Images content is expensive because the company focuses on providing high-quality, professionally produced, and often exclusive photos, videos, and music that come with licensing protections. Customers pay a premium not just for a digital file but for the reputation, reliability, and service behind the Getty brand name.
The costs of maintaining a staff of professional creators, editors, and support teams, as well as Getty’s position as an established leader in a niche stock media market with limited competition, also contribute to keeping prices high compared to general stock photo sites. In the end, Getty Images customers pay for quality, exclusivity, rights, and brand value rather than cheap, readily available content.

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