MicrostockGroup

is that comparison on all the same size image?  just checking.

Just did a quick search and drilled down to a popular photo, and for XS through L, iStock was the cheapest out of the 4 agencies. Sure didn't expect that. And $11 for a XS on dreamstime?

Not sure how accurate that comparison really is though - if you take one example, the one of the woman in a spa by Yuri, we see that the Canstock one at XL size is indeed $5 (see http://www.canstockphoto.com/young-female-at-the-day-spa-1756563.html) but the iStock one at the same size would normally be 25 credits (though it's on sale just now at 20 credits) - see http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-5635221-young-female-at-the-day-spa.php - the actual price would depend on the credit package, but I would have thought it would normally be less than $38, even at regular prices.

It's also strange to me that, if the iStock one is so expensive, it has sold more than 500 times while the Canstock one has only been downloaded once?  I guess buyers just don't look around as much as I would expect them to!

Note too that the contributor would make more, even at 15%, from the iStock one (if it cost $38) than the buyer actually pays for the image on Canstock!

Makes me wonder why anyone would upload to Canstock really... but perhaps that image isn't typical.

But it doesn't take into account (presumably) the prices of credit bundles at iStock, which as we know can be much lower even than their stated "credits as low as ..."
Maybe the other sites also have bulk discounts or some other deviance from a flat rate.
I guess iStock isn't that interested in one-off buyers (though today's one-off buyer may be a bulk buyer further down the line).
Can that comparison site take bulk discounts etc into account? not to mention all the 20% offers etc thrown out by iStock and presumably also by rival sites?

The perception of buyers is getting to be that prices are too high at istock, even if they aren't always. Vetta and Agency aren't helping with the high-priced perception. Few buyers know about or use tools like SpiderPic to shop around.



I sell vectors, so the price differences from one site to another usually aren't so extreme. I also don't sell at CanStock. But if buyers did flock to another site I sell at, in most cases it would be a good thing for me. Buyers moving to sites like StockFresh and GraphicLeftovers would put more money in my pocket with each sale.

Besides, we both know buyers won't move in any large enough numbers to make a difference to either of us. Despite the high prices, a lot of people will stick with istock. Much as I say I'd like to see some istock traffic shifted to some of the other sites, you and I both stay in business because buyers tend to be creatures of habit. If they weren't and all went to CanStock, we'd all be looking for new jobs.
 

Poking your nose into others business could be somewhat dangerous.

I don't think he's that rich. Looks like he really does love to shoot stock, especially on beautiful locations, so he's on a constant holiday with his job.