The short answer is yes.
Whether it’s worth the time it takes to upload, title, tag and organise everything is something only you can decide.
Over the past two and a half years I’ve been consistently publishing stock photos and videos to platforms such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Envato, iStock (Getty Images), Lightstock and a handful of others. Some months I upload a lot, other months hardly anything at all. Regardless, the work continues to sell.
In this article I’m going to break down exactly how much money I made from stock photography and stock video sales in 2025, which platforms performed best, what types of imagery actually sold, and whether selling stock content is still worth your time heading into 2026.
This isn’t a get-rich-quick story. It’s a realistic look at how stock content fits into a working photographer or videographer’s workflow.
Ways to Monetise Your Photos and Videos in 2026
Before we even get into stock websites, it’s worth saying that selling stock imagery is just one way to squeeze value out of your existing content.
In 2026, your digital assets can be used in a few different ways:
- Recycle footage and photos for future client projects
B‑roll, cutaways and generic visuals often come back around. - Publish to stock photo and video websites
The most obvious option, and the focus of this article. - Create tailored packages and sell directly to clients
Niche libraries for agencies, brands or publications.
If you’re already shooting regularly, there’s a good chance you’re sitting on content that could be earning money instead of living on an external hard drive.
Which Stock Photo and Video Websites Should You Sell On?
Once you get into a rhythm, uploading to stock platforms doesn’t take as long as people think. The hardest part is getting started and finding your flow.
Learning how to write decent titles, descriptions and tags, while also staying within each platform’s rules and submission policies, can feel like a slog at first. Every site has its own quirks, approval standards and submission limits.
That said, if you’re going to invest time uploading content, you want to know it’s actually worth it.
From my own experience, Shutterstock and Adobe Stock consistently outperform every other platform I contribute to.
Below is a full breakdown of my stock earnings for 2025, along with the number of assets I had live on each platform.
Stock Photo and Video Earnings Breakdown (2025)
- Adobe Stock
$1,564.36 USD
2,500 photo assets / 470 video assets - Shutterstock
$662.51 USD
2,700 photo assets / 470 video assets - Lightstock
$191.21 USD
1,730 photo assets / 330 video assets - Envato
$153.09 USD
390 photo assets / 42 video assets - iStock (Getty Images)
$90 USD
590 photo assets / 120 video assets - Depositphotos
$2.50 USD
320 photo assets / 110 video assets - Pond5
$0.57 USD
230 photo assets / 30 video assets - Alamy
$0 USD
675 photo assets
Looking at this data makes it very easy to see where my time is best spent. And where it probably isn’t.
Platforms Worth Prioritising
Based purely on return versus effort, the platforms I actively focus on are:
- Adobe Stock
- Shutterstock – Click here to start selling
- Lightstock (depending on subject matter) – Click here to start selling
These sites have consistent buyers, decent reporting tools, and reasonable approval processes once your account is established.
A Platform I’m Still Trying to Get Onto: Artlist
One stock platform I haven’t yet been accepted onto is Artlist.
From speaking to other contributors, I’ve heard that artists on Artlist often earn more per year than all other platforms combined. Obviously results vary, but it’s enough for me to keep applying and refining my submissions.
If and when I’m accepted, I’ll update this article with real numbers.
What Types of Stock Photos and Videos Actually Sell?
Across all platforms, my best‑selling imagery in 2025 fell into three main categories:
- Cars
- Motorbikes
- Farm animals
Together, these made up almost 50% of my total stock income for the year.
Other consistently selling subjects included:
- Sports equipment (golf balls, rugby balls, fishing rods)
- Travel photos and video clips from various locations
- Surfing imagery
- Generic outdoor lifestyle visuals
None of this content was staged for stock specifically. Most of it was shot either for personal projects or while travelling.
Many stock websites also provide insight into trending content, top‑selling contributors and popular themes. Keeping an eye on this can help guide what you upload, without blindly chasing trends.
How Much Do You Make Per Photo on Shutterstock or Adobe Stock?
These figures are accurate at the time of writing, but they do change.
This is where the two platforms differ quite dramatically.
I generally sell more images on Shutterstock, but the minimum payout per photo can be as low as:
- Shutterstock: $0.10 USD
- Adobe Stock: $0.30 USD
These lower figures usually come from large subscription packages, where customers download high volumes of content at a reduced rate.
However, not every sale pays the minimum.
Depending on the licence type, a single image can sell for significantly more. Enhanced licences regularly pay over $20 USD, and I’ve had individual photo sales exceed $30 USD.
Those higher‑value sales are less frequent but they do happen.
How Much Do Stock Videos Pay?
Video is where stock platforms really start to make sense.
On Adobe Stock, my minimum video payout in 2025 was $2.80 USD, with most sales landing between $4.20 and $7+. With my most valuable video sale being upwards of $86 USD.
On Shutterstock, the lowest video payout I received was around $4.40 USD. On the other end of the scale, my highest single video sale paid over $80 USD.
Those bigger sales are rare, but even consistent £3–£6 equivalents add up surprisingly quickly.
Making Money From Stock Datasets and AI Training in 2026
This is something many photographers still aren’t paying attention to.
With the rise of generative AI, most major stock platforms now license imagery for data training and content generation, alongside traditional downloads.
Both Shutterstock and Adobe Stock pay contributors when their images are used within dataset or catalogue programmes. Including tools like Adobe Firefly.
Almost every month I receive additional payments unrelated to standard photo or video downloads.
For example, my Shutterstock data catalogue payment last month exceeded $110 USD.
It’s not something you can directly control, but it’s another revenue stream that didn’t really exist a few years ago.
Stock Photo and Video Websites I’ll Be Avoiding in 2026
All of the platforms mentioned here are legitimate businesses with long histories.
That said, based on my own numbers, the sites I won’t be actively uploading to in 2026 are:
- Alamy
- Depositphotos
- Pond5
You may get different results depending on your niche or content style, but for me the return simply isn’t there.
Summary: Is Selling Stock Photos and Videos Worth It in 2026?
Almost every day I wake up to money earned while I was asleep.
It’s not enough to quit my day job, but it is enough to cover software subscriptions, fund new kit purchases and justify time spent organising my archive.
Stock photography and videography is a numbers game. The more relevant content you upload, the more opportunities you create for sales.
If you’re already spending evenings scrolling on your phone or watching TV, I’d strongly recommend using some of that time to upload unused photos and video clips in 2026.
Why let them sit there collecting dust when they could be working for you?
On top of that, it’s really interesting to see where your work ends up. Reverse image searches using tools like Google Lens reveal placements I’d never have known about otherwise.
If you’re thinking about selling stock photos and videos in 2026, feel free to use my affiliate links below to get started.
Get started on ShutterStock – Click here
Get started on Lightstock – Click here
