The problem is that I applied for the unlimited plan but got no response and I am not in it. I understand Duck not doing it but for me it's grabbing all the money before this whole microstock comes to an end. But it feels a bit unfair some people get this unlimited plan oppurtunity and others not, even if you applied for it. Wonder what the qualifications are, honestly.
And can someone share what this unlimited plan inclusion actually brings them at the end of the month? In relation to their normal sales that is.

I'm in the same situation, I'm not qualified for the Unlimited program either.
I also contacted support about this. As expected, I only got the usual corporate boilerplate response, saying that I can "express interest" via a form. I did that as well — it led nowhere.

From what I can see, it looks like accounts with very large amounts of content are the ones being selected. I personally have around 4,000 images and 1,000 videos, all carefully produced over 15 years. This isn't mass content, it's a curated portfolio built long-term.

At my peak, I was earning $150–250 per day on Shutterstock. Now it's a few dollars

In my opinion, Unlimited downloads have a impact on the algorithms, and being included seems important mainly to feed those algorithms with constant activity. If there's no traffic and no signals on an account, it simply starts to die in search and visibility.

At its peak, I used to get $6000 a month on Shutterstock. Now I'm lucky if I break $500.

Same for me!

Quote from: Stockhome Syndrome on January 24, 2026, 17:24
At its peak, I used to get $6000 a month on Shutterstock. Now I'm lucky if I break $500.

Are you included in the unlimited plan?

Quote from: danielvisuals on January 25, 2026, 00:12
Are you included in the unlimited plan?

Yes.

i have made more $ today on AS than the entire month at SS.  it took 2 more days to get to level 2 than last year and i have 1000s more assets now.  currently for jan AS is 23.15x what SS is.  not sure how much more abuse i can take.

Quote from: yuriy on January 26, 2026, 18:12
i have made more $ today on AS than the entire month at SS.  it took 2 more days to get to level 2 than last year and i have 1000s more assets now.  currently for jan AS is 23.15x what SS is.  not sure how much more abuse i can take.

Just to confirm what you're saying: over 10 years in microstock, AS has never outperformed SS in any month until now. Historically, SS usually delivered about double the performance of AS. This month is the first time AS is performing roughly 20% better than SS. SS is clearly dropping fast even tho I'm halfway to level 5 for pictures, and it's quite strange to see such a sharp decline from one month to the next.

For me, AS occasionally exceeded Shutterstock monthly earnings up until 2024 but, since then, Adobe has mostly been the leader by a small margin each month.

However, this month is shaping up to be the lowest earnings on Shutterstock since 2009, with Adobe currently at nearly 4 times higher than Shutterstock.

I'm not sure what's going on at Shutterstock, but it feels as if the wheels have finally come off.

In 2025, the AS and SS comparison ended in a tie. Each agency was the top agency for six months, but SS finished the year with about $600 more.

This year, Adobe Stock is also ahead in January for me, with 50% more earnings, even though SS has about 100 more downloads. The first few days of January for SS had a really low RPD.

In terms of downloads, I reached level 4, one day later than 2025.

At this rate of sales on SS, I will lose about 15% of downloads compared to 2025 at the end of the month. Today was also a bad day; I made over 30 sales, but the highest didn't reach $1. 

Same here. Not that Adobe is doing better then last year but SS took a nose dive.

From my own experience, Shutterstock has clearly dropped. Downloads are still coming in, but the money is tiny, mostly subscription sales with cents. You can keep uploading and growing your portfolio, but income barely moves. Contributor levels feel disconnected from reality, the content is being used, but it doesn't really benefit the author. At the same time, Adobe looks more stable, fewer sales, but the earnings per sale actually make sense. It feels like Shutterstock is squeezing the subscription model as hard as possible, and contributors are left with scraps. For me, this doesn't look temporary anymore, it feels like the new normal.
Are you seeing the same thing or is it different for you?

Do you also have to wait a long time for your editorial photos to be reviewed? I'm wait a month.

Quote from: Fotograf on January 28, 2026, 15:17
Do you also have to wait a long time for your editorial photos to be reviewed? I'm wait a month.

Personally, all reviews of any images, have been very slow the last few months. Also some strange rejections that went straight to data licensing.

Quote from: Micha91 on January 16, 2026, 17:21
I've been a Shutterstock contributor since 2012.
My best period was 2019, when I was getting 200–300 downloads per day and could comfortably make a living from it.

Since 2019, my earnings have been declining exponentially. Today, 10–30 downloads per day is the norm, and my earnings this month are around $140.
Yes — $140.

At this point, I'm honestly starting to wonder whether I've been shadowbanned. My suspicion is that the unlimited plan has completely distorted the algorithms. Since I'm not included in unlimited licensing, I'm not generating those "internal" sales signals, and my files are likely being pushed further and further down in search results.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that I cannot participate in unlimited sales at all, despite being a contributor for over a decade and having achieved strong results in the past.

At this stage, the only thing I feel toward Shutterstock is embarrassment and disappointment.

To be honest, the only reason I'm still in microstock at all is Adobe Stock and iStock, both of which have performed significantly better for me recently.

Pretty much the same experience. It's like they radically changed the algo to the point of feeling shadowbanned

Quote from: thx9000 on January 29, 2026, 08:57

Quote from: Micha91 on January 16, 2026, 17:21
I've been a Shutterstock contributor since 2012.
My best period was 2019, when I was getting 200–300 downloads per day and could comfortably make a living from it.

Since 2019, my earnings have been declining exponentially. Today, 10–30 downloads per day is the norm, and my earnings this month are around $140.
Yes — $140.

At this point, I'm honestly starting to wonder whether I've been shadowbanned. My suspicion is that the unlimited plan has completely distorted the algorithms. Since I'm not included in unlimited licensing, I'm not generating those "internal" sales signals, and my files are likely being pushed further and further down in search results.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that I cannot participate in unlimited sales at all, despite being a contributor for over a decade and having achieved strong results in the past.

At this stage, the only thing I feel toward Shutterstock is embarrassment and disappointment.

To be honest, the only reason I'm still in microstock at all is Adobe Stock and iStock, both of which have performed significantly better for me recently.

Pretty much the same experience. It's like they radically changed the algo to the point of feeling shadowbanned

I am not sure if SS "POND5'd me" but January sales are at $58. Usually $200 ish.  So far in Jan I'm goose egged on P5 and very low on SS and 2/3 gone on Envanto (also a SS owned company).  It's not coincidence.  Whatever they are doing may be benefitting others but all three agencies are face down next to a 6-foot hole in the ground with a big pile of dirt next to the hole for me.

Only have to go back to 2023 when I averaged over $470 a month with a considerably smaller port (though I no longer contribute anything to Shutterstock now).

This month January 2026 - $24.24.

Have to go back almost 5 years to February 2021 the last time I had a month lower. 

It's just pathetic $59 actually for this month.

The last time I finished under $100 was in June 2011 (I start in December 2010).

I am a small fish compard to you guys, but my experience is the same, just on a smaller scale:

January 2026 so far (port of around 3500 assets):

SS - $39.75 (lowest result since January 2024)
AS - $181,03 (already my 2nd best month ever at AS)

Quote from: Mantis on January 29, 2026, 11:36

Quote from: thx9000 on January 29, 2026, 08:57

Quote from: Micha91 on January 16, 2026, 17:21
I've been a Shutterstock contributor since 2012.
My best period was 2019, when I was getting 200–300 downloads per day and could comfortably make a living from it.

Since 2019, my earnings have been declining exponentially. Today, 10–30 downloads per day is the norm, and my earnings this month are around $140.
Yes — $140.

At this point, I'm honestly starting to wonder whether I've been shadowbanned. My suspicion is that the unlimited plan has completely distorted the algorithms. Since I'm not included in unlimited licensing, I'm not generating those "internal" sales signals, and my files are likely being pushed further and further down in search results.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that I cannot participate in unlimited sales at all, despite being a contributor for over a decade and having achieved strong results in the past.

At this stage, the only thing I feel toward Shutterstock is embarrassment and disappointment.

To be honest, the only reason I'm still in microstock at all is Adobe Stock and iStock, both of which have performed significantly better for me recently.

Pretty much the same experience. It's like they radically changed the algo to the point of feeling shadowbanned

I am not sure if SS "POND5'd me" but January sales are at $58. Usually $200 ish.  So far in Jan I'm goose egged on P5 and very low on SS and 2/3 gone on Envanto (also a SS owned company).  It's not coincidence.  Whatever they are doing may be benefitting others but all three agencies are face down next to a 6-foot hole in the ground with a big pile of dirt next to the hole for me.

Let's put it this way. Not so long ago SS used to bring more than Adobe. This month it's 6:1 in favor of Adobe. Yeah, this bad

Seeing so many similar reports. They must've done something really drastic to s***w so many people the same way. I refuse to believe their sales have fallen so badly compared to the other agencies

Yes, either they are stealing and hiding our sales or customers really left en masse SS. Both are believable. Grabbing and customers, that are not stupid, and go shop somewhere else. But since I do only the three big ones and IS is falling just as hard as SS while AS not making up for the loss in revenue (allthough it is improving in relation to last year) where did the customers go? Or is it just not reporting the sales to us from SS?

We all have different experiences. Mine has been that SS has really really dropped from its peak. However this happened well over a year ago, while others reported things hadn't changed. I attributed that difference perhaps to where contributors were located geobraphically. Seems now, others who have been doing well are now seeing a significant decline. Who knows.

Quote from: Mantis on January 29, 2026, 11:36

Quote from: thx9000 on January 29, 2026, 08:57

Quote from: Micha91 on January 16, 2026, 17:21
I've been a Shutterstock contributor since 2012.
My best period was 2019, when I was getting 200–300 downloads per day and could comfortably make a living from it.

Since 2019, my earnings have been declining exponentially. Today, 10–30 downloads per day is the norm, and my earnings this month are around $140.
Yes — $140.

At this point, I'm honestly starting to wonder whether I've been shadowbanned. My suspicion is that the unlimited plan has completely distorted the algorithms. Since I'm not included in unlimited licensing, I'm not generating those "internal" sales signals, and my files are likely being pushed further and further down in search results.

What makes this even more frustrating is the fact that I cannot participate in unlimited sales at all, despite being a contributor for over a decade and having achieved strong results in the past.

At this stage, the only thing I feel toward Shutterstock is embarrassment and disappointment.

To be honest, the only reason I'm still in microstock at all is Adobe Stock and iStock, both of which have performed significantly better for me recently.

Pretty much the same experience. It's like they radically changed the algo to the point of feeling shadowbanned

I am not sure if SS "POND5'd me" but January sales are at $58. Usually $200 ish.  So far in Jan I'm goose egged on P5 and very low on SS and 2/3 gone on Envanto (also a SS owned company).  It's not coincidence.  Whatever they are doing may be benefitting others but all three agencies are face down next to a 6-foot hole in the ground with a big pile of dirt next to the hole for me.

I know people like to blame the Algo but it's not just you. Both agencies, with very few individual exceptions, have become dead. The income has dropped to a point where what we made in a day, is now a month. This isn't personal and not about the search or someone is getting a favorite placement. Sales Are Dead. P5 and SSTK are trying to survive and merge. That's a sure sign, like other trendy new businesses. Boom, breaking, leaving, consolidation, and finally, the last that will stay, are all that's left.

Getty, Adobe, Alamy, the way I see it.

Apple, Microsoft, Chromebook...  GM, Ford, Chrysler (and Stellantis bought Chrysler) Mars Wrigley Confectionery (because they are chocolate, gum and candy), Ferrero Group / Nutella, Mondelez (Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone and Milka.) Nestle S.A. and The Hershey Company. Consolidation, mergers, and extinction. Coke, Pepsi, Red Bull.

I think that covers the future of Microstock.

Quote from: SimonSays on January 29, 2026, 18:42
Yes, either they are stealing and hiding our sales or customers really left en masse SS. Both are believable. Grabbing and customers, that are not stupid, and go shop somewhere else. But since I do only the three big ones and IS is falling just as hard as SS while AS not making up for the loss in revenue (allthough it is improving in relation to last year) where did the customers go? Or is it just not reporting the sales to us from SS?

Maybe the answer is that customers are just saving money... once upon a time, for $100 you bought 20 images; now you buy 100 images.

Please note: I have no data to support this claim; this is just my guess.

Sites like Envato, Canva, and Motion Array are literally giving away images and videos at ridiculous prices ($0.01/$0.03).

I refuse to accept sites with unlimited downloads where I can opt out.

I'm not on Canva or Motion Array, and a small part of my portfolio (15%, the worst images) on Envato. I've also opted out of Shutterstock Unl.Down., and I have to say I'm pretty happy with how it's performing in January. On SS, I'm losing very little, about 10-15% compared to 2025.

My January 2026 earnings on Adobe is 20.32 times more than Shutterstock.