Dreamstime vs Flaticon
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Regular buyers of stock photos who want the lowest per-image cost through a monthly subscription, Bloggers and small businesses sourcing occasional files through pay-as-you-go credit packs
Read the full Dreamstime reviewBest for: UI/UX designers who need consistent interface icon sets for apps, dashboards, and websites, Web developers who want icons pre-exported as SVG or CSS so assets drop straight into code
Read the full Flaticon reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Dreamstime vs Flaticon: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Dreamstime if
- You need stock photos, 4K video, and audio in one subscription
- You prefer pay-per-download credits that stay valid for a year
- You value responsive human support that resolves billing errors fast
Choose Flaticon if
- You need millions of vector icons in SVG, EPS, or PSD
- You need big daily volume, up to 2,000 downloads
Dreamstime vs Flaticon: pros and cons
Dreamstime
Dreamstime pairs a 368-million-file library with subscription pricing that drops to $0.23 per image, covering photos, 4K video, music, and vectors under one lifetime royalty-free license. Trial terms, refund conditions, and independent user reviews are hard to pin down, though. Overall, it's a practical, affordable pick for regular buyers who check the license fine print first.
Pros
- Subscriptions drop the cost to $0.23 per image, with the first week of the 15-image monthly plan free, so regular buyers know their unit cost before committing.
- Every download includes a royalty-free license with lifetime rights covering web, print, social, and commercial projects worldwide — no per-use royalties to track.
- One marketplace covers photos, editorial images, 4K footage, illustrations, vectors, music, and sound effects, with hundreds of new video and audio files added daily.
Cons
- License limits, free-trial terms, and refund conditions aren't spelled out up front — broader distribution likely requires a paid extended license, so you must read the terms of service before choosing an annual plan.
- API integration, multi-seat access, and volume pricing are reserved for corporate accounts, so small teams on standard plans can't access them.
- If you only download a few images a year, a monthly subscription may not pay off, and the plan range stretches up to $91,863/month at the high end, so larger-team costs require direct inquiry.
Flaticon
Flaticon makes sourcing icons and stickers quick, with downloads in PNG, SVG, EPS, PSD, and CSS, plus categories that keep matched sets together. It's icon-only by design, and PNGs cap at 512px, so it won't replace a full stock library. Overall, it's a solid pick for designers who need production-ready icons fast.
Pros
- Downloads span five formats—PNG up to 512px, SVG, EPS, PSD, and CSS—so one asset covers web, print, and editable workflows
- Specialized categories like Animated icons, Interface icons, and Style Packs make it fast to source matched, visually consistent sets
- The catalog is built specifically by and for designers, so organization and curation beat generic stock-site search
Cons
- PNG raster downloads cap at 512px, which is too small for large-format print or high-resolution background use
- Scope is limited to icons and stickers—no stock photos, video, or broader illustration—so many teams still need a second asset library
- Public pricing data can lag behind vendor changes, so high-volume buyers should confirm current plan tiers and download limits directly at flaticon.com/pricing
Dreamstime and Flaticon in detail
Dreamstime
Dreamstime is a stock content marketplace that's been running since 2000. It connects about 60 million users with 1.4 million contributors who add photos, editorial images, 4K video footage, illustrations, vectors, music, and sound effects daily. It suits solo bloggers buying occasional images, regular users on subscriptions, and agencies or global brands that need corporate accounts with multi-seat access and API integration.
Standout features
- One License, Lifetime Rights
- Find the Right File Faster
- Every Asset Type in One Marketplace
- Flexible Ways to Buy
- License Assets on the Go
Use cases
- Mixed-format content teams
- Agencies and global brands
- Try before you buy
Flaticon
Flaticon is a media library built specifically for sourcing vector icons and stickers. The catalog is highly organized, so users can browse specialized categories such as Animated icons, Interface icons, and Style Pack collections rather than scrolling undifferentiated results. Once an asset is selected, it is ready for immediate use and can be exported in several professional formats: PNG at sizes up to 512px for raster needs, SVG and EPS for scalable vectors, PSD for layered Photoshop editing, and CSS for direct web integration. It functions as both a search tool and a delivery mechanism for production-ready design assets.
Standout features
- Multi-Format Downloads: PNG, SVG, EPS, PSD, and CSS
- Specialized Categories: Animated, Interface, and Style Packs
- Highly Organized, Designer-Built Catalog
- Ready-to-Use Icons and Stickers
Use cases
- UI and Web Design
- Presentations and Marketing Collateral
- Brand and Print Work
- Motion and Product Demos
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Dreamstime | Flaticon |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | €19/mo Unlimited downloads | €7.50/mo Premium — 12 months |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Flat price | Flat price |
| Cost for 1 user | €19/mo Unlimited downloads plan, billed monthly | €7.50/moCheaper Premium — 12 months plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | €19/mo Unlimited downloads plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | €7.50/mo Premium — 12 months plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 10 users | €19/mo Unlimited downloads plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | €7.50/mo Premium — 12 months plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 25 users | €19/mo Unlimited downloads plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | €7.50/mo Premium — 12 months plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Plans | 8 | 2 |
| Prices checked | Checked Nov 6, 2026 | Checked Nov 6, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 15, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 1 user (billed monthly), Flaticon costs €7.50/mo vs Dreamstime at €19/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Do either tool offer refunds?
Flaticon offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you haven't downloaded icons yet. Dreamstime doesn't publish a formal policy, but reviews say support processes full refunds quickly for unused downloads.
Which is better for commercial projects?
Both support commercial use. Flaticon Premium grants a full commercial license without attribution. Dreamstime plans include lifetime licenses with unlimited online usage plus unlimited printed and electronic copies.