Shutterstock Editorial vs Storyful
Shutterstock Editorial
Editorial video and image licensing at scale
Publishers using it: 3
Storyful
Verified UGC sourcing and licensing for newsrooms
Publishers using it: 4 · incl. Reuters
Last verified Sep 19, 2026
At a glance
- Shutterstock Editorial scores 2.9/5 and Storyful scores 3.4/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent video licensing & syndication platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 9 criteria.
- The widest gaps are support & rights clearance (Shutterstock Editorial 2.5, Storyful 4.4) and editorial quality & exclusivity (Shutterstock Editorial 3.5, Storyful 4.1); they are within 0.3 on 4 of 9 criteria.
- Shutterstock Editorial is built for small, mid-market and enterprise publishers; Storyful for mid-market and enterprise.
- On total cost of ownership Shutterstock Editorial scores 2.5 and Storyful 2.1 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 3 publishers use Shutterstock Editorial and 4 use Storyful.
- Scores last verified 19 Sep 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Storyful is stronger on support & Rights Clearance (4.4 vs 2.5), editorial Quality & Exclusivity (4.1 vs 3.5), delivery & Integration Workflow (3.2 vs 2.8) and speed & Live Coverage (3.9 vs 3.5).
Which one fits
Choose Shutterstock Editorial if…
- You publish at small, mid-market and enterprise scale.
- You weight analytics & Usage Reporting, metadata & Discoverability and pricing & Licensing Models heavily — Shutterstock Editorial leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Storyful if…
- You publish at mid-market and enterprise scale.
- You weight support & Rights Clearance, editorial Quality & Exclusivity and delivery & Integration Workflow heavily — Storyful leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Shutterstock Editorial and Storyful in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.4AFP NewsAFP's platform for all AFP and partner news contentRead review
- 3.2Bloomberg Media DistributionBusiness and markets video licensingRead review
- 3.2Getty Images Editorial VideoPremium licensed editorial and archive videoRead review
- 3.3NewsflareLicensed eyewitness video marketplaceRead review
All 8 scored tools are in Best Video Licensing & Syndication Platforms for Publishers.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Head to head
| Criterion | Shutterstock Editorial | Storyful |
|---|---|---|
| Content Breadth & Licensing Rights16% of capability | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Publisher Rights & Territory Coverage14% of capability | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Delivery & Integration Workflow12% of capability | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| Editorial Quality & Exclusivity12% of capability | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| Metadata & Discoverability10% of capability | 3.0 | 2.8 |
| Pricing & Licensing Models10% of capability | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Speed & Live Coverage10% of capability | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| Analytics & Usage Reporting8% of capability | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| Support & Rights Clearance8% of capability | 2.5 | 4.4 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.3 | 3.6 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 2.5 | 3.5 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 2.5 | 2.1 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Shutterstock Editorial | Storyful |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Entry cost | 2.5 | 1.0 |
| Implementation cost | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Ongoing cost | 2.5 | 3.5 |
Shutterstock Editorial pricing
Subscription or per-asset
Storyful pricing
Subscription or per-licence
What users say
Shutterstock Editorial
1 positive · 10 neutral · 4 negative
Storyful
8 positive · 10 neutral · 5 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
Shutterstock Editorial scores 2.9 and Storyful scores 3.4 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Video Licensing & Syndication Platforms for Publishers benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/shutterstock-editorial/storyful, verified Sep 19, 2026)
Common questions
How do Shutterstock Editorial and Storyful differ?
Storyful is stronger on support & Rights Clearance (4.4 vs 2.5), editorial Quality & Exclusivity (4.1 vs 3.5), delivery & Integration Workflow (3.2 vs 2.8) and speed & Live Coverage (3.9 vs 3.5). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, Shutterstock Editorial or Storyful?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Shutterstock Editorial scores 2.5/5 and Storyful scores 2.1/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (9 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Video Licensing & Syndication Platforms for Publishers. See alternatives to Shutterstock Editorial or alternatives to Storyful.
Weighing a third option? Add a tool to this comparison.
Where to next
Four questions, and a scored stack across every benchmark — not just Best Video Licensing & Syndication Platforms for Publishers
Every scored tool in Best Video Licensing & Syndication Platforms for Publishers, with the criteria behind each number
Every category, independently scored
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads publishers look at in Best Video Licensing & Syndication Platforms for Publishers.
