# Shutterstock AI Image Generator vs X-Design (now Zawa AI)

Shutterstock AI Image Generator records 47,855,171 monthly visits with +3.2% month-over-month growth and Paid pricing. X-Design (now Zawa AI) records 2,902 monthly visits with -62.2% growth and Freemium; paid plans and enterprise on request pricing.

| Metric | [Shutterstock AI Image Generator](https://openaitools.app/tool/shutterstock-com) | [X-Design (now Zawa AI)](https://openaitools.app/tool/x-design) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Website URL | https://www.shutterstock.com/ai-image-generator | https://zawa.ai |
| Categories | AI Image Generator, AI Design Generator, AI Photo Editor | AI Photo Editor, AI Marketing, AI Background Remover, AI Image Enhancer |
| Pricing Model | Paid | Freemium; paid plans and enterprise on request |
| Monthly Visits | 47,855,171 | 2,902 |
| MoM Growth Rate | +3.2% | -62.2% |
| Primary Market | United States | Türkiye |
| Direct Visits | 12,470,325 | 1,170 |
| Review Score | 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Saved Count | 45 | 6 |
| Supported Platforms | Website | Website |

## Shutterstock AI Image Generator

Unlike standalone consumer text-to-image generators where copyright hygiene and commercial usage rights remain legally murky, the Shutterstock AI Image Generator is built specifically for businesses, marketers, and agencies that require clear licensing paperwork. Rather than relying solely on a single proprietary model, Shutterstock evolved its generator into a unified multi-model workspace: users can manually pick from frontier image engines—including OpenAI's GPT Image 2, Google's Imagen 4 Ultra and Gemini 3.1 Flash, and Runway Gen-4—or let Shutterstock's built-in AI Model Recommender select the optimal engine for a given prompt.

Every image downloaded from the generator ships with a Shutterstock Standard License and up to $10,000 in legal indemnification coverage, while Enterprise and Business customers can request on-demand human compliance review for full contractual indemnification and private team generations. Shutterstock also addresses ethical sourcing head-on through its Contributor Fund, which pays royalties to stock artists whose licensed works were used in training datasets, while keeping contributor-uploaded AI art out of its traditional 625-million-asset library. Note that by default on individual plans, AI images generated on the platform are added to Shutterstock's public catalog for other customers to license unless your organization is on a Business/Teams plan with private generations enabled.

In 2026—following the July 7, 2026 termination of the proposed Getty Images merger—Shutterstock sharpened its hybrid Stock + GenAI subscription lineup and launched a Claude connector (August 2026) alongside its existing ChatGPT app. Creators who only need AI visuals can subscribe to the standalone GenAI plan at $15/month billed annually ($180/year) or $29/month month-to-month for 100 monthly generation credits. For teams blending authentic photography with synthetic graphics, Unlimited Images ($29/month billed yearly) bundles unlimited downloads from 83M+ curated stock photos with 50 AI credits/month, while Unlimited Plus ($69/month billed yearly) unlocks 100M+ stock images, videos, music, and SFX alongside 100 monthly AI credits.

**Pricing & Plans:** New users get 2 free trial generations, after which the standalone GenAI subscription costs $15/month billed annually ($180/year) or $29/month with no contract for 100 AI generation credits per month. AI generation credits are also bundled into stock subscriptions, including Unlimited Images ($29/mo billed yearly with 50 AI credits/mo) and Unlimited Plus ($69/mo billed yearly with 100 AI credits/mo), alongside custom Teams and Business indemnification plans.

- **Multi-Model Selector & AI Model Recommender:** Provides single-dashboard access to leading third-party visual models—including OpenAI GPT Image 2, Google Imagen 4 Ultra, Gemini 3.1 Flash, and Runway Gen-4—with an automated recommender that matches prompts to the best engine.
- **Standard Commercial License & $10,000 Indemnification:** Attaches a commercial Shutterstock Standard License and $10,000 legal indemnification to every downloaded AI image, with full human-reviewed indemnification available on Enterprise and Business tiers.
- **AI Image Editor & Generative Outpainting:** Includes browser-based inpainting, magic object erasure, background removal, image reference guidance, and aspect-ratio canvas expansion that routes royalties directly to the original contributor when editing stock photos.
- **Unified 625M+ Stock & GenAI Search with Claude/ChatGPT Apps:** Displays stock photos, vectors, 3D assets, and AI generation options in one workflow, complemented by official ChatGPT and Claude connectors for conversational asset discovery.
- **Ethical Contributor Fund Compensation:** Compensates hundreds of thousands of human photographers and illustrators via Shutterstock's AI Contributor Fund while enforcing strict DE&I and brand-safety guardrails.

**Strengths:** Every downloaded AI image includes a clear commercial Standard License backed by $10,000 legal indemnification; Aggregates top frontier models (GPT Image 2, Imagen 4 Ultra, Gemini 3.1 Flash, Runway Gen-4) under one $15/mo annual plan; Seamlessly combines 625M+ authentic stock assets with generative AI tools and ChatGPT/Claude assistant connectors; Ethically compensates human artists through the Contributor Fund and pays direct royalties on AI-edited stock photos

**Limitations:** Images generated on individual plans are added to Shutterstock's public library and are not exclusive unless on a Business/Teams plan; Unused monthly generation credits (50 or 100/month) expire at the end of each monthly billing cycle; Experimental AI Video Generator outputs do not yet carry commercial licensing coverage, limiting them to previsualization

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/shutterstock-com.md)

## X-Design (now Zawa AI)

X-Design has become Zawa AI. Visiting x-design.com now redirects to zawa.ai, where the platform introduces itself as a brand kit generator and editor formerly known as X-Design, operated by Starii Technology Pty Ltd. The underlying product is the same AI design platform, repositioned around a clearer promise: an on-brand AI agent for social and marketing content.

The organising idea is the brand kit. Rather than generating one-off images and restyling them by hand, you store your logo, palettes, typography, and usage rules once. Zawa then applies them automatically whenever it produces a poster, social post, menu, flyer, packaging mockup, or product shot, so a café's cups, menus, and event posters look like they came from the same designer. A full brand guide — palettes, typography, and usage rules — can be generated alongside the assets.

The media coverage is broad. On the image side there is enhancement, upscaling, extending, object and background removal, AI background generation, photo editing, logo generation, image remixing, bulk photo editing, and product photography that turns phone shots into usable marketing imagery. The video side covers enhancement, watermark and background removal, text-to-video, image-to-video, product and promo videos, video ads, UGC and avatar videos, reels, and TikTok or YouTube formats, powered by a roster of frontier models including GPT-Image, Seedream, Seedance, MiniMax, Google Veo, and Sora. Reviews on the site come from restaurant, café, and bar owners who emphasise speed — reportedly around 90 seconds from brief to asset — and consistency across everything the brand publishes.

**Pricing & Plans:** Zawa AI, formerly X-Design, uses a freemium model: you can start for free without a credit card, with free tiers on both the image and video tools. Paid plans unlock higher limits and premium model access, and enterprise options are available on request. Because credit consumption varies sharply between a single image edit and a longer generated video, confirm current plan allowances on the pricing page before relying on it for heavy video production. Exact figures were not confirmed during this review.

- **Brand kit and brand memory:** Store your logo, colour palette, typography, and usage rules once in a locked-in brand kit, and every subsequent generation applies them automatically so designs stay consistent from the first click.
- **Logo design and mockups:** Generate a polished logo in seconds rather than weeks, then produce one-click mockups across menus, posters, packaging, and other physical touchpoints of your brand.
- **AI product photography:** Turn basic phone photos of products into clean, professional-looking shots, placed into realistic natural settings without a studio setup.
- **Social and print creative:** Produce social media posts, flyers, menu and poster designs, and food photography visuals built for restaurants, cafés, and retail, with fully editable layered output.
- **AI video generation and cleanup:** A full video suite covering enhancement, watermark and background removal, text-to-video, image-to-video, product videos, video ads, promo videos, UGC and avatar videos, reels, and TikTok or YouTube formats.
- **Multiple frontier AI models:** Access leading image and video models in one place, including GPT-Image, Nano-Banana Pro, Seedream, Seedance, MiniMax, Google Veo, and Sora, without juggling separate subscriptions.

**Strengths:** Brand kit memory keeps every generated asset visually consistent without manual restyling; Covers images, video, and social creative in one platform instead of several subscriptions; Frontier models such as GPT-Image, Seedream, Seedance, Veo, and Sora are accessible in one place; AI product photography and mockups remove the need for studio shoots for small sellers

**Limitations:** The X-Design brand is being retired in favour of Zawa AI, so older links, guides, and tutorials refer to a name that no longer matches the product; The toolset is very broad, and some AI models and video features are gated behind higher tiers; Video generation and advanced image models consume credits quickly, so heavy users will outgrow the free allowance; Positioning has shifted toward small-business brand kits, so power users may find some advanced controls less deep than dedicated design suites

[Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/x-design.md)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do Shutterstock AI Image Generator and X-Design (now Zawa AI) compare in monthly traffic?

Shutterstock AI Image Generator has 47,855,171 monthly visits, while X-Design (now Zawa AI) has 2,902. Traffic estimates describe audience size, not product quality.

### How do their growth rates compare?

Shutterstock AI Image Generator has a month-over-month growth rate of +3.2%; X-Design (now Zawa AI) has -62.2%.

### How does pricing compare?

Shutterstock AI Image Generator: Paid. New users get 2 free trial generations, after which the standalone GenAI subscription costs $15/month billed annually ($180/year) or $29/month with no contract for 100 AI generation credits per month. AI generation credits are also bundled into stock subscriptions, including Unlimited Images ($29/mo billed yearly with 50 AI credits/mo) and Unlimited Plus ($69/mo billed yearly with 100 AI credits/mo), alongside custom Teams and Business indemnification plans. X-Design (now Zawa AI): Freemium; paid plans and enterprise on request. Zawa AI, formerly X-Design, uses a freemium model: you can start for free without a credit card, with free tiers on both the image and video tools. Paid plans unlock higher limits and premium model access, and enterprise options are available on request. Because credit consumption varies sharply between a single image edit and a longer generated video, confirm current plan allowances on the pricing page before relying on it for heavy video production. Exact figures were not confirmed during this review.

## Alternatives

| # | Tool Name | Monthly Visits | MoM Growth Rate | Pricing Model | Summary | Profile (Markdown) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | [Adobe Firefly](https://openaitools.app/tool/adobe) | 396,998,213 | -8.6% | Freemium | Commercially safe generative AI studio with built-in copyright indemnification and native stock asset ecosystem integration. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/adobe.md) |
| 2 | [Photoroom](https://openaitools.app/tool/photoroom) | 18,213,872 | -2.8% | Freemium, Free Trial, Contact for Pricing | E-commerce focused visual editor specializing in product photography background removal and generative scenes. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/photoroom.md) |
| 3 | [Picsart](https://openaitools.app/tool/picsart) | 16,511,620 | +3.8% | Freemium, Free Trial | All-in-one AI creative studio for images, video, and design | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/picsart.md) |
| 4 | [Midjourney](https://openaitools.app/tool/midjourney) | 8,609,446 | -0.9% | Freemium | Industry-leading image generator producing higher-fidelity visuals, though lacking native stock asset libraries and commercial indemnification. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/midjourney.md) |
| 5 | [123RF AI Search Engine](https://openaitools.app/tool/123rf-ai-search-engine) | 6,259,718 | +3.7% | Free Trial, Paid, Contact for Pricing | Stock photo platform combining traditional licensed media search with native AI image generation capabilities. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/123rf-ai-search-engine.md) |
| 6 | [Depositphotos AI Image Generator](https://openaitools.app/tool/depositphotos-ai-image-generator) | 5,804,983 | -2.8% | Freemium | Stock media platform offering text-to-image generation backed by commercial licensing support. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/depositphotos-ai-image-generator.md) |
| 7 | [Design.com](https://openaitools.app/tool/design-com) | 3,970,422 | -0.7% | Freemium | AI design platform for logos, websites, and every brand asset | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/design-com.md) |
| 8 | [PosterMyWall](https://openaitools.app/tool/postermywall) | 2,662,519 | +1.3% | Freemium, Free Trial, Free | AI design, social and email marketing for small businesses that have no time | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/postermywall.md) |
| 9 | [Imagine Ai Art Generator](https://openaitools.app/tool/imagine-ai-art-generator) | 2,459,527 | +15.6% | Free | Generate images, video and audio at scale with 50+ AI models | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/imagine-ai-art-generator.md) |
| 10 | [Lovart](https://openaitools.app/tool/lovart) | 2,116,942 | -9.7% | Free Trial | The AI design agent that turns a prompt into a full brand campaign | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/lovart.md) |

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Source: https://openaitools.app/compare/shutterstock-com-vs-x-design

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