Storyblocks vs Depositphotos

These two libraries answer different buying questions. Storyblocks sells footage-centred annual seats where every listed plan includes unlimited downloads of footage, templates and images, and its cheapest tier drops music and voiceover. Depositphotos sells images by the month, by the year or as prepaid packs of 3, 10, 30 or 100 downloads. Choose Storyblocks when moving pictures and sound drive the work, and Depositphotos when a still-image library you can leave after one month matters more. Both list a United States base.

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Both are reviewed in full in our stock photo sites ranking: Storyblocks and Depositphotos.

1. 01

   Seats on a card versus a sales call

   Storyblocks publishes three plans that each cover one user: Essentials, Unlimited All Access and Small Business. A team that needs organisation-wide coverage has to move to the Business plan, which is available through a quote only. Depositphotos shows its subscription and pack prices on the subscribe page we read, and that page does not mention a quote step. For a small group buying on a company card, the Depositphotos route is the more direct one.

   Edge: Depositphotos

2. 02

   Footage, music and the Maker editor

   Storyblocks describes itself as a library of stock video, templates, music, sound effects and images, with a Maker editor and an AI Toolkit on top. Depositphotos describes its catalogue as royalty-free files from contributors, and nothing in the material gathered here points to a video editor or music tools alongside it. A video editor gets more from Storyblocks, because the extra media types sit inside one subscription instead of being separate purchases.

   Edge: Storyblocks

3. 03

   What the entry plan leaves out

   The Storyblocks Essentials plan, at 18 euro a month with annual billing, excludes music, sound effects and voiceover. Unlimited All Access at 25 and Small Business at 35 add them. Depositphotos has one monthly Unlimited plan at 25 euro, and its annual option saves 24% against that. Neither entry price is a trap, but Essentials is a narrower product than its name suggests for anyone who also scores or voices video.

   Depends on the buyer

4. 04

   Leaving after one month

   Depositphotos lets you pay 25 euro for the Unlimited plan monthly and cancel at any time. Its annual option commits you for twelve months, and its prepaid packs run for a year and refill unless you cancel them. Storyblocks lists its prices on an annual basis, and its pricing page is silent on a free trial. Depositphotos offers the cleaner exit, even though its page states no trial either.

   Edge: Depositphotos

5. 05

   Indemnity, broadcast use and who stands behind the licence

   Storyblocks places a one million dollar indemnification, broadcast use and OTT use on the Business plan only, and its privacy page names Footage Firm, Inc. in Arlington, Virginia as owner and operator. Depositphotos names DepositPhotos Inc., a Delaware company in Waltham, Massachusetts, as licensor for all countries, plus a Cyprus entity for European customers and a Ukraine entity. The Cyprus entity gives European buyers a local contracting party; Storyblocks shows no such entity.

   Edge: Depositphotos

6. 06

   Catalogue size and contributor base

   Depositphotos states 334 million or more royalty-free files from over 100,000 contributors, which is a concrete figure to weigh against your needs. Storyblocks states no total file count in our notes, and describe unlimited downloads of footage, templates and images instead. A buyer who values a measured catalogue size can verify it at Depositphotos. A buyer who values uncapped downloads inside one plan gets that stated at Storyblocks.

   Depends on the buyer

Does Storyblocks put a cap on how many files I can download?

Every Storyblocks plan we read lists unlimited downloads. The cheaper plans differ in what they include, not in how many files you may take. Music, sound effects and voiceover are the pieces missing from Essentials.

Can a Depositphotos buyer pause by cancelling after one billing cycle?

Yes on the monthly Unlimited plan, which the page says can be cancelled at any time. The annual option does not work that way because it carries a twelve-month commitment.

Prepaid packs also behave differently, as they expire after a year and refill unless you cancel.

Who actually runs each of these sites?

Storyblocks says its platform is owned and operated by Footage Firm, Inc. in Arlington, Virginia. Depositphotos says its site is owned and operated by DepositPhotos Inc., a Delaware corporation. Its licence also names entities in Cyprus and Ukraine for some regions.

• Storyblocks pricing: Three single-user annual plans at 18, 25 and 35 euro a month, Business by quote, Essentials exclusions, one million dollar indemnity and no trial answer on the page.
• Storyblocks privacy policy: Owner and operator named as Footage Firm, Inc. in Arlington, Virginia.
• Storyblocks about: Product range of video, templates, music, sound effects, images, Maker editor and AI Toolkit.
• Depositphotos subscribe page: 25 euro monthly Unlimited plan, 24% annual saving, 12-month commitment, pack sizes and one-year validity.
• Depositphotos license agreement: Licensor entities in Delaware, Cyprus and Ukraine.
• Depositphotos privacy policy: Site owned and operated by a Delaware corporation.
• Depositphotos about: 334 million plus files and over 100,000 contributors.