Alamy
London stock and editorial image library owned by PA Media Group, selling creative images by subscription pack or single licence
Quick Overview
| Company | Alamy Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | Stock Photos |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1999 |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom (Europe, non-EU) |
| Data Location | Not stated on the pages reviewed; the privacy policy names Alamy Limited as controller |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Creative images, vectors and illustrations, editorial and live news images, 360 degree images, video, subscription packs, single licences, API, lightboxes |
| Pricing | Alamy Open subscription packs of 15, 25 or 50 image downloads per month, shown in euros as EUR 139, 169 and 239 per month on the pricing page (taxes may apply); single licences priced per image |
| Best For | Teams that need creative and editorial images from one library with a subscription they can share across unlimited seats |
| Replaces | Shutterstock, Getty Images, Adobe Stock |
Detailed Review
Alamy is a stock image library that sells creative photos, vectors and illustrations next to editorial, news and sports images. Its about page says it was founded in 1999 and works with more than 150,000 contributors, and the site counter shows roughly 296 million images, vectors, 360 degree images and videos.
The contracting party in the website terms is Alamy Limited. Its privacy policy gives a registered office in Paddington, London and company number 3807789. Companies House lists The Press Association Limited as the only person with significant control since February 2020, and Alamy describes itself as part of PA Media Group, a UK news and information business.
Subscription and licences
The Alamy Open plans give 15, 25 or 50 creative image downloads per month with unlimited seats, one month of rollover for unused assets, and the Standard Commercial and Editorial licence. Editorial-only images are excluded from the packs and are licensed separately.
Higher licence needs, such as enhanced licensing add-ons, are quoted individually, and the site also offers image packs, an API and a rights and clearance service.
What the library covers
Beyond creative stock, Alamy sells editorial content including live news, sports and entertainment, plus an archive. A buyer who needs both a hero image and a documentary photo of a news event can use one account for both.
The site is available in English, German, French and Italian, and the AI training page and the Digital Services Act transparency reports sit in the legal footer.
Where it differs from a mass-market subscription
Alamy does not position itself as the cheapest per image: the euro packs on its pricing page work out at roughly EUR 5 to 9 per asset depending on pack size. Its value is the size and variety of the archive and the licence flexibility rather than a flat all-you-can-download plan.
Limitations to Consider
Alamy is owned by PA Media Group in the UK, which is European but outside the EU, so GDPR protection rests on the UK regime and EU adequacy decisions. Editorial-only images are not covered by the subscription packs. Prices vary by currency and licence, and the per-image cost is higher than free libraries.
Who Should Use Alamy
Marketing, publishing and agency teams that want a large European-owned library with both creative and editorial content.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very large archive with creative and editorial images
- Subscription packs with unlimited seats
- Unused downloads roll over for one month
- Contracting entity and owner visible in public registers
- Site and legal pages in four languages
Cons
- UK, not EU, jurisdiction
- Editorial images excluded from packs
- Per-image cost above free libraries
- Enhanced licences need a quote
Alternatives to Alamy
Other European stock photos worth comparing before you decide:
Freepik
Spain · Spanish stock library with AI image and video generation in one subscription
Colourbox
Denmark · Danish library with one price per photo, vector or video download
mauritius images
Germany · Owner-led German agency, about 70 million RF and RM images
Shotshop
Germany · Berlin agency selling single royalty-free photos without credits or subscription
See all European stock photos or compare them directly against Shutterstock on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alamy Limited is a UK company. Companies House shows The Press Association Limited as its only person with significant control, and Alamy's own about page says it was acquired by PA Media Group in February 2020.
Creative images in the Alamy Open packs come with the Standard Commercial and Editorial licence. Images marked editorial-only are excluded from the packs and are for editorial contexts.
Alamy Limited is a UK company in a UK-owned group, so it passes the Europe test used on this site. It is a library of similar scale, with a stronger editorial and news side.