Dreamstime
Stock photos websites
Stock media software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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Pay-as-you-go
Free TrialFree version
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Medium
Large
- Construction
- Energy and utilities
- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
What is Dreamstime
Dreamstime is a stock media marketplace that provides royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, and video clips for commercial and editorial use. It serves designers, marketers, publishers, and small businesses that need licensed creative assets for websites, ads, and content production. The platform combines a searchable library with contributor uploads and offers multiple licensing and purchasing options (e.g., subscriptions and credit packs).
Broad royalty-free asset library
Dreamstime offers a large catalog of stock photos and other media types such as vectors, illustrations, and video. This supports common creative workflows where teams need multiple asset formats from a single source. Search and filtering help users narrow results by media type and licensing needs.
Multiple purchase and license options
The service supports different buying models, including subscriptions and credit-based purchases, which can fit varied usage patterns. This flexibility helps occasional users avoid committing to a high-volume plan while enabling frequent users to standardize procurement. Licensing options cover typical commercial use cases and provide documentation for asset usage.
Contributor marketplace model
Dreamstime operates with a contributor ecosystem that continuously adds new content. This can improve coverage across niches and regional subjects compared with libraries that rely on a smaller set of producers. Contributor participation also enables a mix of styles and subject matter for creative teams.
Content quality can vary
As with many contributor-driven marketplaces, asset quality and consistency can vary across contributors and categories. Teams may need additional time to review results, check releases, and validate suitability for brand standards. This can be a drawback for workflows that require highly curated collections.
Licensing details require diligence
Users must pay close attention to license terms, permitted uses, and any restrictions that differ by asset type or license tier. Editorial-only content and model/property release status can affect where and how an asset can be used. Organizations with strict compliance requirements may need internal review steps before publishing.
Fewer integrated creative tools
Dreamstime primarily focuses on asset discovery and licensing rather than providing extensive built-in design, video editing, or end-to-end content production tools. Users often rely on external creative software to edit and assemble final deliverables. This can add steps compared with platforms that bundle creation and asset management more tightly.
Plan & Pricing
Subscription plans (selected tiers):
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 images (monthly) | $25 USD/month | 5 downloads per month; unused downloads roll over while subscription is active; lifetime license; automatic renewal. (Standard image subscription). |
| 10 images (monthly) | $39 USD/month | 10 downloads per month; standard image subscription. |
| 15 images (monthly) | $25 USD/month | 15 downloads per month; standard image subscription. |
| 25 images (monthly) | $39 USD/month | 25 downloads per month; standard image subscription. |
| 200 images (monthly) | $94.99 USD/month | 200 downloads per month; standard image subscription. |
| 750 images (monthly) | $219 USD/month | 750 downloads per month; also available as annual plan. |
| 750 images (annual) | $2,028 USD/year | 750 downloads per month billed annually (annual plan). |
| Extended-license subscriptions | Starting at $59 USD/month | Subscriptions that permit Extended Licenses (multi-seat, unlimited printed & digital distribution depending on tier). |
| Video subscriptions (base) | Starting at $20 USD/month | Monthly video download packages (multiple volume/resolution tiers available). |
| Audio subscriptions (base) | $19.99 USD/month | Monthly audio download packages (multiple volume tiers). |
| Unlimited downloads plan | $40 USD/month | Unlimited downloads (images & audio) from specified collection (level 0 images & audio). |
| Essential – Web size (15 images) | $19.99 USD (one-time/monthly option shown) | 15 images (size M) for web projects. |
| Essential – Print ready (15 images) | $24.99 USD | 15 images optimized for printing. |
Usage-based (credits / pay-as-you-go):
Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go (credit packs) Free tier/trial: N/A for credits (see site free images / trial below) Credit packs (selected official prices):
- 3 credits — $14.99 USD (photos, videos & audio)
- 4 credits — $17.99 USD
- 8 credits — $34.99 USD
- 16 credits — $68.99 USD
- 33 credits — $124.99 USD
- 71 credits — $250 USD
- 140 credits — $470 USD
- 275 credits — $900 USD
- 550 credits — $1,750 USD
Notes: Credits are site currency, credits valid for 1 year from purchase, can be used for RF and EL images, videos and audio; prices vary by media size/level/format/license and should be checked on the item page before purchase.
Seller details
Dreamstime
Brentwood, Tennessee, United States
2000
Private
https://www.dreamstime.com/
https://x.com/dreamstime
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dreamstime/
