Shutter showdown: Stock vs. AI photos

August 13, 2025

By Kim Komando

I love making AI-generated pics. I’ve spent hours tinkering with prompts to see what I can dream up. But here’s the big question I get from business owners: Do AI images or good old-fashioned stock photos work better in marketing? Let’s put them head-to-head.

🙋‍♀️ Clicks love a human face

When we compare ad performance, stock photos win out on:

• Clicks: Stock photos hit a 0.53% CTR vs. 0.49–0.52% for top AI versions.
• Conversions: Real people boost conversions by up to 45%.
• Trust: Genuine images got lower bounce rates and higher engagement.

Why the gap? Our brains know when a face looks almost real but not quite right. That’s the “uncanny valley” effect. Stock gives you the real deal.

💸 When “free” costs you

Sure, AI is a budget-friendly shortcut. But let’s break down the real costs:

• Adobe Firefly: Included with Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, starting at $54.99 a month.
• ChatGPT Teams: Runs $25 to $30 a month, with limits on AI image generation.
• Midjourney: A basic plan starts at $10 a month, up to $120 a month for pro-level features.

Free-tiers only let you generate a handful of visuals each day. Not exactly unlimited creativity. 

On top of that, sell-through rates favor traditional photos: 13% of stock images make at least one sale vs. 9% for AI. Those wasted impressions can cost you more than a stock photo subscription.

🛡️ Keep your brand safe

Bad visuals aren’t just awkward. They hurt your bottom line. AI-generated content can sneak in extra fingers, weird shadows, distorted text or inconsistent lighting. Not the look you want for your brand.

Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, plus Pinterest, are already flagging overly processed AI images. That could tank your ad’s quality score.

🖼️ The smart bet for ad campaigns

Start with stock photos. I recommend Dreamstime for their top-notch images. Their catalog is just that good.

Every photo is vetted for quality and comes with solid licensing. Dreamstime even indemnifies you for up to $10,000 on each royalty-free use. That’s peace of mind you’ll never get with AI pics that look like real people but have zero model release behind them.

Need 10-15 matching images for your website or carousel ad? Dreamstime’s collections have consistent lighting and style. Perfect for multi-channel marketing. That saves you the hassle of patching together random AI stills.

👉 Click here to check out Dreamstime’s library. The visuals you need are waiting for you.