Compare Icons8 and iStock Photo Comparison
Icons8 Icons8 provides you with all the apps you need to take care of all your print, web, and graphic design projects. Find out more Signup now	iStock Photo Find the perfect royalty-free image for your next project from the world's best photo library of creative stock photos, vector art illustrations and stock images. Find out more Get it now
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Icons8

Icons, illustrations, photos, music, and design tools

Icons8 is an online platform that provides a wide range of icons and graphic design resources for use in web and software design.

They offer a variety of icon sets in different styles and categories, as well as other design elements such as illustrations, templates, and UI kits.

Their icons are available in various formats, including PNG, SVG, and EPS, and can be used for commercial or personal projects.

Icons8 also offers a number of tools and resources for designers, including an icon search engine, icon maker, and design courses

If you need a simple subscription for all your icons, music, stock images and other design tools, then look no further. For a simple monthly (or annual fee) you can get the entire Icons8 suite of creative tools.

Who needs Icons8?

Icons8 is primarily aimed at designers and developers who need high-quality icons for their projects.

Icons8 provides a wide range of icons that can be used in various contexts, including websites, mobile apps, and desktop software.

In addition to designers and developers, Icons8 could also be useful for other individuals or organizations that need icons for their projects, such as marketers, educators, and small businesses.

For example, someone creating a marketing campaign might need icons to represent different products or services, or a teacher might need icons to use in a presentation or lesson plan.

Free Icons 959,400 free icons that match each other. Large icon packs of over 10k icons, so you can find visually consistent icons for all your designs.
Graphic Design Software Lunacy is an amazing Graphic design software with built-in assets by the Icons8 team.
Pichon Free desktop app with all Icons8 icons and other illustrations.
Smart Upscaler Enhance image resolution with AI.
Background Remover Remove the background from any photo.
Free Illustrations Vector illustrations from top Dribbble illustrators.
3D Illustrations Set of incredible 3D styles.
AI-Powered Photos Generate faces with AI.

iStock Photo

• High-quality, royalty-free images: iStock offers a wide selection of high-quality, royalty-free images that can be used for any purpose.
• Affordable pricing: iStock offers competitive pricing for its images, making it an affordable option for businesses and individuals.
• Easy to use: iStock's website is easy to navigate and makes it easy to find the perfect image for any project.
• Wide selection: iStock offers a wide selection of images, from stock photos to illustrations and vectors.
• Exclusive content: iStock offers exclusive content that can't be found anywhere else.
• Search filters: iStock's search filters make it easy to find the perfect image for any project.
• Downloadable files: iStock offers downloadable files in a variety of formats, making it easy to use the images in any project.
• Customer support: iStock offers customer support to help customers find the perfect image for their project.

Your project deserves the perfect stock photo. Your budget deserves straightforward royalty-free pricing that lets you use an image just about anywhere, as often as you want.

Help & Support

Should I get credits or a subscription?

If you have one-off or hard-to-predict image needs, credits are a great option. Buy just enough for the images and video clips you need or stock up and save on future downloads. The more you buy, the less they cost. 

If you download as few as four images (photos, illustrations, and vectors) or two videos in a month, you'll get the best value with an iStock subscription. With monthly and annual plans available and download limits ranging from 10 to 750 assets a month, you can enjoy huge savings without making a huge commitment.

If I change my mind, can I get a refund for my purchase?

Credit pack refunds

iStock will gladly refund credit pack purchases made within 14 days of your invoice date, provided you haven't used any credits from the credit pack.

Subscription refunds

You can request a refund for a subscription within 14 days from your initial purchase, as long as you haven't downloaded more than five files and haven't made use of any downloaded content.

Can I share my subscription with my teammates?

The standard subscriptions are built for a single user, which means the same person has to sign in, download and use the files licensed with their subscription.

If I upgrade my subscription, will I have to pay for the full plan value upfront?

If you're upgrading to a Premium + Video subscription from an existing plan, your payment method and billing schedule will reflect the choices you made when you first subscribed:• If you're currently billed monthly or quarterly, your payments will continue on that schedule.
* If you made a single payment, you'll be charged upfront for the total cost of the upgrade.

Pricing will be determined by how much time is remaining on your current subscription.

If I choose an annual subscription, will I be charged monthly or for the total amount?

At checkout, you'll be able to choose between three billing schedule options:

• Monthly (12 payments)
• Quarterly (4 payments)
• Single payment

The total amount will be the same, regardless of the billing schedule you choose.

I have an existing iStock subscription. Can I upgrade to a different plan?

If you have an existing Basic or Premium annual plan, you can upgrade to the Premium + Video subscription online. Sign in to your account and go to your profile page, then simply click or tap the "Upgrade to Premium + Video" button. Pricing will be determined by how much time is remaining on your current subscription.

Do my licensed image and video downloads ever expire?

There is no expiration date on your rights to use files downloaded during your subscription period.

Files licensed with credits can also be used in as many projects you like for as long as you want. Credits never expire as long as you sign into your account at least once a year.

How can I download files not available with my subscription?

If you need a file that isn't available for download with your subscription, you can always download it with credits. 

This is a great way to supplement a Basic subscription with premium Signature collection content or video clips.

What happens if I don't use all of my subscription downloads each month?

Your subscription gives you access to a set number of downloads each month. You can rollover up to 250 unused downloads month to month if you've got an annual subscription or a subscription with auto-renew enabled. If auto-renew is disabled when your subscription term ends, you will lose all rollover downloads that you've accrued.

How do I know if I need a standard or extended license?

Every file downloaded on iStock comes with a standard license that lets you use it in a wide variety of ways. From social media ads to billboards, PowerPoint presentations to feature films, you're free to modify, resize and customize every asset on iStock to fit your projects. With the exception of "Editorial use only" photos (which can only be used in editorial projects and can't be modified), the possibilities are limitless. Just make sure your modifications don't violate the content license agreement. 

If, however, you require over 500,000 prints, create products for resale, or share files with multiple users, you'll need to add an extended license to your credit purchase. The cost of an extended license is 18 credits for images and 21 credits for videos, in addition to your standard license. 

Learn more

How long are my credits valid for?

Credits never expire as long as you sign into your account at least once a year.

What’s the difference between the Essentials and Signature collections?

Every file on iStock falls into one of two collections. The Essentials collection gives you the everyday content you need, while the Signature collection features millions of premium handpicked stock files that you can only get from us. All content can be purchased with credits, or with a subscription. 

The credit cost to download a file with our standard license depends on the file type and collection it belongs to:

• Essentials photo, vector or illustration – 1 credit (view sample images)
• Signature photo, vector or illustration – 3 credits (view sample images)
• Essentials video clip – 6 credits (view sample clips)
• Signature video clip – 18 credits (view sample clips)

Why do I need to pay for stock images and videos if they are royalty-free?

The word "free" in royalty-free doesn't mean that images and videos are free to use, but rather that after you pay for a license once, you can use the content as often as you want, without paying the copyright holder a royalty each time you use it.

You get the right to use the file—with a legal guarantee that protects you for up to $10,000—and contributors get paid for the great work they do. It's a win-win, and it's why everything on iStock is only available royalty-free.