The Difference Between Commercial and Editorial Stock Photos. The main difference between commercial and editorial stock photos is that commercial stock photos can be used for advertising, while editorial stock photos can only be used for newsworthy stories or to illustrate an article. There are significant differences between royalty-free creative and Editorial-exclusive licenses. Where a royalty-free license allows just about any marketing or commercial use depending on the license, Editorial licenses have much stricter photo use rights. Editorial content is generally available for use only in non-commercial ways (news stories, magazine articles, documentaries, etc.). However, Shutterstock may be able to work with the contributor and any rights holders to acquire commercial use rights in certain cases. In select cases, Shutterstock offers Asset Assurance™. y4VG0Z.

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