It is no longer as profitable now, as it has been heavily impacted by free stock image sites. In the past, a single 3D rendered image on a site like iStock could be priced over $100, even up to $500. Complex illustrations were also selling at high prices. That’s why I started creating highly detailed illustrations, hoping they would sell for a premium. But that is no longer the case. Even sites like Shutterstock, which used to be a go-to platform for many Indonesian designers, have changed their sales system.

If you join any microstock groups on Facebook or elsewhere, you’ll find many people complaining about the sales systems implemented by various microstock sites now. This is because the microstock world has been devastated by sites like Freepik and similar platforms.

While the entry barrier used to be high, as not all images could be sold on iStock (they avoided low-quality images), Shutterstock seemed more lenient, though you still needed to have 20 images analyzed by the admin to get approved in the beginning. In the past, people had to purchase even for personal use on websites or articles (under an editorial license). But now, for personal use, people can still download for free, although the daily download limit is very restricted.

I initially joined Twenty20, where even amateur photos taken with a prosumer camera could sell for $2 per image. But after it was acquired by Envato, many photographers moved away, as the per-click download rate dropped to around $0.25, compared to the $2 we needed 8 images to sell. And with so much competition, you have to upload thousands of photos to earn a few hundred dollars, which is then further reduced by taxes. It’s truly depressing.

However, there are now many design sites that work like contest platforms, where you can potentially earn a minimum of $100 if your design wins. But I wouldn’t rely on microstock sites anymore. In fact, one of the admins of the microstock group I’m in has started selling designs on Shopee.

But who knows, maybe what doesn’t work for me might still work for you. As long as you can consistently produce thousands of images, there’s a chance you could still find success in this field.