Shutterstock vs. Substack

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Shutterstock
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Shutterstock is a global technology company headquartered in New York, offering a creative platform boasting high-quality assets, tools and services. With it, users can license images, video, music, and editorial assets -- as well as custom content tailored to a brand’s needs. Shutterstock offers a variety of plans for individuals, teams, and enterprise customers as well as creative editing and collaboration capabilities.
$379
per month (2 users)
Substack
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Substack is a subscription-based newsletter publishing platform.N/A
Pricing
ShutterstockSubstack
Editions & Modules
Single User - 10 Images
$29 ($49)
monthly, annual contract (no contract)
On-Demand Packs - Standard License
$29, $49, $299
number of images (2, 5, 25)
Single User - 50 Images
$99 ($125)
monthly, annual contract (no contract)
Single User - 350 Images
$169 ($199)
monthly, annual contract (no contract)
Single User - 750 Images
$199 ($249)
monthly, annual contract (no contract)
On-Demand Packs - Enhanced License
$199, $449, $1,699
number of images (2, 5, 25)
Teams (750 images per month)
$379
per month (2 users)
Teams (750 images per month)
$479
per month (3-10 users)
Teams (750 images per month)
Contact Sales
per month, 11+ users
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ShutterstockSubstack
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ShutterstockSubstack
Best Alternatives
ShutterstockSubstack
Small Businesses
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
Adobe Express
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
ShutterstockSubstack
Likelihood to Recommend
9.8
(3 ratings)
8.7
(6 ratings)
User Testimonials
ShutterstockSubstack
Likelihood to Recommend
Shutterstock
It is best suited for medium enterprises who get a lot of workload for their video productions and have many clients but lack of creative individuals. because it is a bit expensive than other competitors, but for some studios having good budget and looking for improving their work quality then shutterstock is the best platform with very good quality and quantity of graphics, photos and videos. for small studios who are just starting out i think it is bit costly you can even go for some subscription based platforms which offer unlimited downloads but their is a bit downside you will have to compromise with quality of work. so in short if you have a decent budget then shutterstock is best for your creative needs.
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Substack Inc.
I think Substack is better for people who want to set up a personal-facing branded website vs people who just want to post random musings every so often. Monetization is better there than any other collective publishing platform as well as organic reach via email. Substack also allows you to build direct relationships with your readers via emails and own them 100% which is great long-term if you use it to pivot to another site or another form of writing/content creation. Substack would be less helpful for someone wanting to write as a part of a group, not individually, or someone who's unwilling to put their personal brand behind their content. It's less optimized for SEO (which other platforms allow you to do) and can be harder to curate content based on your interests (you really have to go in knowing what you want vs finding it on the fly).
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Pros
Shutterstock
  • Stock Imagery
  • SVG and Vector Assets
  • Video Footage
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Substack Inc.
  • Because it has a very high Domain Authority ranking relevant backlinks in a published article will help make my store more searchable.
  • Substack is very easy to work in. The toolset they provide may not be as extensive as other platforms but it is certainly enough to create a meaningful, interesting post.
  • Substack is very focused on creating a community of writers that support each other. They run an ongoing email campaign that reinforces their focus on building a community of writers.
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Cons
Shutterstock
  • The editing tool has recently been updated and it doesn't seem to be working properly right now. But I trust they'll get it resolved quickly
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Substack Inc.
  • editor is on the primitive side - it's wysiwyg, but missing some embed options
  • integrate with google analytics
  • percentage cut that Substack takes can become a burden as your revenue grows. Problems scaling.
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Usability
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is easy to use. The UI is intuitive. Queries produce applicable assets. My only major gripe with the program is that there are sometimes "preimum assets" that are in queries that I wish there was a way to filter those out as they do not come with my subscription
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Substack Inc.
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Shutterstock
Shutterstock library and pricing is better than Adobe Stock also the preview is far better than Adobe Stock that's why i am still using shutterstock rather than Adobe Stock, their have a huge collections of images, videos than Adobe Stock. also the user interface of shutterstock is easy than Adobe Stock
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Substack Inc.
Medium is not so good for running newsletter. I find the mail that a user gets is very easily readable. Also as a creator it's very easy for me to track the analytics and monetise my blogs unlike Medium. Blogger is a very old technology. The kind of integrations and the support for Markdown / different media is very great in Substack.
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Return on Investment
Shutterstock
  • Allows me to provide more comprehensive marketing services to my clients
  • Saves time hunting for images
  • One-stop shop for all my image needs
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Substack Inc.
  • I haven’t made any money from it
  • Can be disheartening when you realise you’re putting in maximum effort for minimum audience
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ScreenShots