Depositphotos Review: Your Alternative to Shutterstock

Published on 9 June 2017 | Updated on 2 November 2020

In our original Depositphotos Review in 2012, we said that they were a great surprise for us. They tended to grow rapidly, and what was most important, we had sales from the very beginning. Not too much, but you could expect payout every 2 months.

Most sales on Depositphotos are based on subscription plans (similar to these offered by Shutterstock). Some images also sell for Credits, which obviously provide you with higher royalties.

Depositphotos website design and layout looks professional, navigation is easy and all tools are clearly accessible. To start selling your photos you need to register a free account. Visit Depositphotos Registration Page, pass brief examination and submit a few sample images for inspection. Once approved, you can start uploading.

Inspection times here are one of the fastest in the industry ranging from a couple of hours to 1-2 days. Their staff is very professional and helpful.

How Much You Can Earn on Depositphotos?

As mentioned above, most photo sales are made via subscription. Your compensation starts at $0.30 for contributors on Green Level, with $0.01 extra for each level above (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum). You jump to the next level once you reach 500 downloads (comparing to Shutterstock where you have to reach sales of $500).

For files purchased via pay-as-you-go credits you receive 34% (comparing to 44% before September 1, 2015) on Green Level. It will increase by 2% for next levels as above. You can become Depositphotos Exclusive Contributor with royalties starting at 50% or $0.31 for credit or subscription purchases respectively.

For full understanding of Depositphotos Royalty Rates and Contributor Levels please see the tables below:

New Royalty Rates implemented on September 1, 2015

Previous Royalty Rates (before September 1, 2015)

Royalty Rates for subscription sales

Contributor Level Structure

Bear in mind that each sale via credits counts as 1 download, while each subscription sale counts as 1/3 download. It means that you need 3 such sales to be accounted as 1 download.

Depositphotos offers many tools for their contributors:

• If you are a top contributor with large portfolio and high quality content you can take part in the Contributor Promotion Program – once you are selected, Depositphotos will pay you $0.10 for every image accepted for their collection.
• Depositphotos have recently introduced Clashot mobile application (available for both iOS and Android devices). It allows you to create, upload, comment and sell images directly from your mobile device. If you like taking pictures with your smartphone and sell them via the app visit this page. For more details on Stock Photo Mobile Applications from other stock agencies read our Go Mobile article.

For Stock Photo Buyers

We have our special exclusive Coupon Codes for all Stock Photo Adviser readers to save on All Subscription Plans and On-demad Purchases. Simply visit Depositphotos Registration Page, sign up for a free account and use the following PROMO CODE to get your Special Discount.

To learn more on how to use the Coupon Code read our Step-by-step Guide.

Stock Photo Search

If you do not want to leave our website, use Depositphotos Integrated Search to find perfect stock photos for your projects.

Depositphotos Review: Our verdict

Depositphotos should be considered by any stock photographer with strong quality and attitude for success so visit Depositphotos Contributor’s Page and register your free account today.

Depositphotos Details