Explore one kind of earning

Photos & stock licensing: what to check before you start.

Stock sites pay when customers license accepted work. Uploading a portfolio does not guarantee sales. Quality review, intellectual property rules and model or property releases can be as important as the royalty percentage.

Your first three checks

  1. Check ownership and release requirements before submitting.
  2. Compare commission tiers, exclusivity and cleared-balance rules.
  3. Keep creation costs and time separate from royalty revenue.

Options to investigate

3 sites match your search

Showing 1–3 · Alphabetical, not an earnings ranking

Suggest a site

Adobe Stock

contributor.stock.adobe.com

Official programme found

Submit eligible creative assets for review and earn royalties when they are licensed. An accepted portfolio can have uneven or no sales.

What kind of work?
Build a small business
Costs to read first
Standard royalties are 33% for photos, vectors and illustrations, and 35% for video, under the reviewed terms.
Payment conditions
An eligible payment-provider account and tax setup are needed. Country-specific restrictions must be checked.

Sources checked 28 Oct 2026
Sign-up, work availability and payments not tested.

Read the site guide →

Alamy

alamy.com

Official programme found

License images through a stock marketplace. Use the current contract and commission table rather than an older summary of contributor tiers.

What kind of work?
Build a small business
Costs to read first
The current four tiers pay contributors 15%, 20%, 40% or 50% under the qualifying rules. New contributors start in Silver at 20%; Platinum has exclusivity conditions.
Payment conditions
The help page describes PayPal or funds transfer in USD, GBP or EUR. Monthly processing begins on the first working day; funds can take up to nine working days.

Sources checked 28 Oct 2026
Sign-up, work availability and payments not tested.

Read the site guide →

Shutterstock Contributor

submit.shutterstock.com

Official programme found

License original photos, video and other accepted assets. Royalties depend on the licence, customer plan and contributor earnings level.

What kind of work?
Build a small business
Costs to read first
Royalties vary with the licence, plan and contributor level; do not treat a percentage as a sales forecast.
Payment conditions
PayPal, Skrill and Payoneer are documented options. A current tax form and eligible receiving account are required.

Sources checked 28 Oct 2026
Sign-up, work availability and payments not tested.

Read the site guide →

A useful starting point, with the limits in view.

Read the conditions

We use public provider information and link the pages behind our notes. A source-check date means we reviewed documentation; it does not mean we opened an account or received a withdrawal.

Compare the effort

Occasional participation, skilled client work and running a shop need different levels of time, preparation and money. None of these listings promises income or regular work.

Why aren’t there thousands of listings yet?

Each new listing needs a clear earning model, useful eligibility and cost notes, and primary sources. We do not publish bulk domain imports as researched recommendations. Coverage is incomplete and a missing site is not a judgement about it.

Does a listing mean a site is safe or accepting new users?

No. A public programme can exist while local intake is closed, tasks are unavailable or payments have problems. Check the official domain, local agreement and payment setup yourself. We have not independently tested these new programmes.

What is outside this directory?

We focus on work, research participation, creative products and licensing. Deposit-to-unlock tasks, gambling and guaranteed investment-return schemes are outside this directory’s scope. Business income can still involve costs, refunds and tax obligations.