Overview

Bigstock combines more than 50 million royalty-free photos and illustrations with HD stock video clips. Image downloads include JPGs in small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes, plus vector files in AI or EPS format. That range can serve both web and print workflows, while the standard license’s 250,000-copy aggregate print limit means large runs need a different license.

Founded in 2004 as BigStockPhoto in Davis, California, the company was acquired by Shutterstock in 2009 and renamed Bigstock in 2010. It is headquartered in New York, NY.

Key features

Images, vectors, and video: The mix is useful for teams sourcing several kinds of creative assets, though the listed subscription quotas focus on image downloads.
Standard and extended licensing: Standard content is royalty-free and its license does not expire, with a 250,000-copy aggregate print limit per image. Merchandise for sale or use beyond that limit requires an extended license at $99.00 or 50 credits, a material added cost for products and large print campaigns.
API access: API access gives developers a route to work with Bigstock programmatically. A Bigstock image page also offers saving a preview to Google Drive.
Account and support basics: Google reCAPTCHA at login is intended to protect accounts and reduce malicious-bot downtime. Support hours are 9am–5pm EST, Monday through Friday, with contact and help pages.

Pricing

Subscriptions are quota-based, and unused downloads do not roll over. The $79.00 per month 5 images/day plan allows 150 images/month; the $99.00 per month 10 images/day plan allows 300 images/month. These daily plans fit steady production, but a day’s unused allowance cannot be saved for a later rush. A separate $79.00 per month 50 images/month plan has no daily limit, making it a better match for uneven workloads that stay within 50 monthly downloads.

For a shorter commitment, 5 Images/Day — 1 month costs $79.00 per month for 150 total images, while 10 Images/Day — 1 month costs $99.00 per month for 300 total images. Three-month options are $199.00 once for 5 Images/Day — 3 months and 450 total images, or $269.00 once for 10 Images/Day — 3 months and 900 total images. These packages provide a defined allowance for a project period rather than an ongoing monthly term.

Credit packs suit buyers who prefer not to take a subscription: 10 credits cost $35.00 once, 25 cost $49.00 once, 100 cost $169.00 once, 250 cost $339.00 once, and 500 cost $495.00 once. Credits must be used within one year, and the number needed varies by image size, so the pack size does not translate into a fixed number of downloads.

Bigstock has a free plan and periodically offers image and video subscription trials. Trial enrollment automatically bills a subscription afterward unless canceled, and each customer can use one image trial and one video trial. The video trial page advertises seven days with up to 35 royalty-free video clips for new users. That is a meaningful short evaluation window, but cancellation timing matters.

Platforms

Bigstock is available on the web and through an API. This covers browser-based asset selection as well as programmatic access, without a broader set of listed client platforms.

Who it's for

Bigstock is a sensible choice for publishers, designers, and production teams that need recurring access to mixed image and video content and can plan around fixed quotas. It is less suited to sporadic buyers who may not use a monthly allowance, or to merchandise and high-volume print work that requires an extended license.

Pros and cons

Pro: Photos, illustrations, vectors, and HD clips in one marketplace reduce the need to source each asset type separately.
Pro: Multiple image sizes and AI or EPS vector downloads give users output choices for different creative requirements.
Con: Daily and monthly download caps, with no rollover, can leave subscribers paying for unused capacity or constrained during a spike.
Con: Merchandise and print use above 250,000 copies per image require an extended license costing $99.00 or 50 credits.
Con: Credit requirements vary by image size, complicating download budgeting.

Alternatives

For a broader stock photo websites comparison or a focused look at stock illustration websites, compare options by asset type and licensing needs. Choose Rawpixel instead if a free tier with 10 creative assets per day, 100 MB of cloud storage, and unlimited Public Domain downloads better fits the job; its Creative plan is $11.00 per month.

Ouch! by Icons8 is an illustration-focused option with free illustrations that require attribution; its Ultimate plan has monthly billing. Consider Adobe Stock when its standard-asset plans, which include rollover credits, better match your workflow. Yay Images offers a 50-credit option for $50.00 per month as a one-time payment. IllustCenter is another option for free transparent PNG illustrations, capped at 20 at a time, or 30 for registered official X users.

Pixabay is the alternative to consider when a free media library is the priority; full-resolution photo and video downloads require sign-up. SuperStock offers students with a valid .edu email 30 images and 10 videos per month for student and personal non-commercial projects. Blush is another illustration option, with thousands of free illustrations and unlimited downloads on its free plan.

Verdict

Choose Bigstock if your work regularly needs a mix of photos, vectors, illustrations, and video, and its subscription quotas fit your pace. The breadth of asset types and multiple image formats are its strongest reasons to buy; look elsewhere if you need flexible carryover, mainly occasional downloads, or frequent merchandise and high-volume print licensing.

	Bigstock	Colourbox
Free plan		No
Free trial	Yes
Paid from	$53.25/mo
Platforms	api, Web	api, Web
Free plan	No	No
Paid from	$79/mo
Vector assets	Yes	Yes
Illustration assets	Yes	Yes
Editorial assets	Yes	Yes
Monthly downloads	50 /mo
API access	Yes	Yes

Bigstock vs Colourbox

Bigstock

Colourbox