Adobe Stock vs Storyblocks Comparison 2026
Adobe Stock meters access by credits, $29.99 a month for 10 of them on an annual commitment, and licenses assets straight inside Premiere and Photoshop. Storyblocks flips that model: one flat subscription, from $21 a month billed annually, with no credits to count and unlimited downloads of footage, images and templates. The choice is really about volume: a heavy week costs the same as a quiet one on Storyblocks, while Adobe charges by the asset and has the larger library to search when you need something specific.
Stock assets that open straight into Adobe apps
Unlimited stock downloads on one subscription
At a glance
- Storyblocks starts cheaper, at $21.
- Neither has a free tier.
Side by side
Adobe Stock | Storyblocks | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $29.99 | From $21 |
| Pricing model | Paid subscription | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Annual only | Annual only |
| Free trial | 7 days | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
Adobe Stock
Stock assets that open straight into Adobe apps
Adobe Stock is worth its premium only if you already work in Premiere or Photoshop, where a comp drops onto the timeline and licenses in place without a download step. The library is one of the largest anywhere. Credits expire, the annual plan charges a cancellation fee, and both facts are on the page rather than hidden.
Only on this side
- Covers design & graphics
Storyblocks
Unlimited stock downloads on one subscription
Storyblocks charges a flat subscription and lets you download as much as you want, which is the opposite of the credit model everywhere else and much easier to budget against. Footage, music, images and templates all sit under the same plan. The library is smaller than Shutterstock's and you notice it on anything specific.
Only on this side
- Covers music licensing
Why people weigh these two
- Storyblocks instead of Adobe Stock
- Storyblocks is another unlimited-download subscription at $21, under Adobe Stock's $29.99, whose credits expire.
- Adobe Stock instead of Storyblocks
- Adobe Stock opens straight into Premiere or After Effects without exporting first, starting at $29.99, the much larger library for when Storyblocks search comes up empty.
Which one should you pick
Choose Adobe Stock if you need a particular shot or image from an enormous library, over 900 million assets, and the Creative Cloud licensing workflow is worth the premium. Credits expire and the annual plan charges a cancellation fee of up to half the remaining commitment after 14 days, so budget for a full year before signing.
Choose Storyblocks if you cut several videos a week and want to stop counting credits altogether. The entry tier is $21 a month billed annually for unlimited footage, images and templates, and Unlimited All Access at $30 adds music and sound effects, both plainly cheaper than Adobe once volume climbs. The library is smaller than Shutterstock's, and you notice it the moment you need one specific shot rather than any shot that will do.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper for someone downloading constantly?
- Storyblocks. Its flat subscription, from $21 a month billed annually, allows unlimited downloads of footage, images and templates, so a heavy month costs the same as a quiet one. Adobe Stock charges by the credit, 10 for $29.99 a month, and running through them fast means buying more.
- Does either include music?
- Both do, on different tiers. Adobe Stock's 10 monthly credits can be spent on music same as images or footage. Storyblocks holds music and sound effects back from its $21 entry tier and requires the $30 Unlimited All Access tier instead.
- Which library is larger?
- Adobe Stock, at over 900 million assets. Storyblocks does not publish a comparable count and is openly smaller than Shutterstock's library, a gap that shows up when you need one exact, specific shot rather than something that fits generally.
- Can I use either without leaving Premiere?
- Yes, both have a Premiere plugin. Adobe Stock's licensing happens on the timeline as part of Creative Cloud. Storyblocks offers its own Adobe plugin to search and drop assets without a browser and a download folder in between.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.