10 Impressive Stock Photo Websites in 2021 (Paid + Free)
Quality images are an essential part of any digital marketing campaign. Whether you are a writer, a graphic designer, or a business owner, you always need pictures to visually portray your brand. However, you may not always have the means to produce unique and custom imagery for all your projects.
In this case, stock photographs are an excellent option!
What Are Stock Photographs?
Stock photographs are a collection of ‘readily available’ pictures that you can download for commercial and personal projects. Apart from photos, stock photography websites also offer vectors, illustrations, motion graphics, music clips, and video footage.
The best thing about stock pictures is that they save marketers tons of time and effort that goes into sourcing original visuals. They are also easy on the budget as many of the stock photo websites offer pictures for free. However, you can also purchase stock photos for better-quality resources. This will also give you a license to utilize the pictures with more freedom and creative flexibility.
In this guide, let’s take a look at some of the best stock photo sites. We categorized them according to paid and free versions so you can choose the one fitting your needs.
Free Stock Photo Sites
Let's look into the list of some of the best free stock photo sites out there. These resources offer watermark-free pictures for free. They also don’t require users to attribute the photographer. However, credits are always appreciated.
1. Unsplash
Key Features
● Fresh collection of photos
● Artistic collection
Unsplash is a unique photo site that offers images you may not find elsewhere. And to make things better, you are free to do whatever you want with these pictures.
While their library is jam-packed with over 2.5 million assets, they continue to keep adding new pictures for the benefit of their user base. So keep regularly checking if you are always in need of good quality photos.
Unsplash also offers an iOS app and a Chrome extension.
2. Pixabay
Key Features
● Great search filters
● Option to use Android and iOS app
Pixabay gives you rights to use images, illustrations, vectors, music, and video clips for free, in line with a Creative Commons Zero license. This means that you can use them any way you want without the need to credit the original photographer.
The site is straightforward to use. You can simply download any picture you want without signing up. However, making an account does give you access to Pixabay’s community portal, where you can leave comments. You will also get the chance to download high-resolution photos.
Another feature we really like about Pixabay is the donations option. If there is any photographer whose work you really like, you can donate to them via PayPal, credit card, or bank transfer. You can also show your appreciation for their work by thanking them through their Instagram account.
3. Pexels
Key Features
● Great options to ‘discover’ photos
● Simple user interface
Pexels is another great site that lets you download pictures for free. The collection is backed by a Creative Commons Zero license as well.
Each image offered on this database is conveniently tagged and searchable. Thanks to that, you can easily find the pictures you require with minimal effort. You can also create collections and organize your work for different projects.
You get several options of size when you download the picture you like. You can also set it to custom size and enter the required dimensions to cut down on the editing part after downloading.
4. Reshot
Key Features
● Access to thousands of quality images
● A latest and unique collection
Reshot is another favorite site of creative individuals for their free source of stock photos. With these pictures, you can add much-needed visual appeal to your content and layout.
The platform has a pretty exclusive collection as their photos are often unused and less cliche than others. You can search by collection or themes easily using the search filters.
Their library of pictures here may not be as vast as some of the other sites we mentioned in this article, but for the exchange of quality - the site is worth your time!
Paid Stock Photo Sites
Now that we have covered some free stock photo sites, let’s take a look at some of the top stock photography sites that offer images for an inexpensive price. In case you are looking for legally safe licensed images for commercial use, these are the sites to go for.
5. DepositPhotos
Key Features
● Extensive library of stock photos, music, and video
● Trusted by international companies
● A fresh and modern collection
DepositPhotos boasts a database of royalty-free stock photos that allows you to use their collection after paying a one-time, flat fee. They have over 218 million files of pictures, illustrations, music, and video clips.
They have a simple user interface that allows you to filter your required file through options like categories, orientation, size, color, and more. You can also search by image and find similar resources to the one you like.
When it comes to pricing, DepositPhotos offers flexible payment plans. You can choose from varying subscription plans and select to be billed monthly or yearly. They also have on-demand packs that give you life-long rights for the images.
6. Envato Elements
Key Features
● Collection of creative imagery
● Packed with a unique collection
● Integrated with the tutorials at EnvatoTuts+
Envato Elements is another excellent resource of over 56 million assets. These include pictures, fonts, musical tracks, video templates, 3D elements, and WordPress themes. The search filters are easy to comprehend and allow you to narrow your search according to niche, orientation, background, and color.
For pricing, Envato Elements has individual plans that start from $16.50 per month. You can also unlock membership for more users with their budget-friendly team pricing. A student plan is available as well that gives a 30% discount to members.
They have a cancel at any time policy for all members that lets you eliminate membership at any time - without any liability.
7. StockPhotos.com
Key Features
● A vast collection of assets
● A thoroughly curated collection by experts
● Great pick for social media and blog posts
Stockphotos.com is another excellent platform to purchase stock photos. The website has over 7 million budget-friendly images, vectors, illustrations, and fonts. The best feature is that each image is carefully selected by experts in the industry, so you will get nothing less than premium quality work here.
Besides an extensive collection of images, stockphotos.com boasts several resources to support buyers. Here, you will find everything you need to know about stock imagery, the licenses, and how-to guides. All written by visual imagery professionals.
The pricing plans provided by stockphotos.com are pretty budget-friendly. You can also get your hands on special coupon codes and deals here.
8. Shutterstock
Key Features
● Pioneer of stock photography
● Huge collection
● Integrated editing tools
Shutterstock is famous for having one of the largest libraries of stock media on the internet. They have everything you need for your next project, from images and videos to 3D models and editorial content. They are also the ones responsible for introducing the concept of stock pictures that has evolved across many industries.
Besides accessing it from the website, you can download pictures on the go via your mobile device through apps available for both - Android and iOS. A chrome extension is also there to match any picture you choose from the web with images on Shutterstock.
The pricing plans of Shutterstock are suitable for individuals and teams. You can choose between on-demand packs and subscription plans. A free trial is also there to let you try out the collection.
9. Getty Images
Key Features
● Exclusive content from international events
● Huge library of stock assets
● Contains images, videos, and editorial content
Getty Images is a prestigious library of stock photos. They started being a conventional company and later on evolved into the online platform they are known for today. Their site features a mix of everything, including photos, videos, and music clips for creative and editorial content.
Just like Shutterstock, Getty Images has mobile apps dedicated to their service. You can also use the platform with Creative Cloud apps, WordPress, chrome plugins, and Dropbox.
Getty Images has a strict vetting policy. This is the reason why you may find pictures a little on the expensive side. However, they have a lineup of international photographers and cover some of the most exclusive events. So if you are looking for something that has not been promoted before, this is the place to check!
10. Getty Images
Key Features
● Powerful meta-search finds photos across several services
● Combination of free standard stock photos and paid premium photos
● Constantly updated collection of photos
ChamberofCommerce.org’s FindAPhoto uniquely combines and aggregates several stock photo sources in an easy-to-search database that helps business owners and non-business owners alike. You can search for a general theme or try honing in on one specific kind of photo, all via one powerful meta-search.
Finding the right photo for blogs, businesses, research, or news articles is, essentially, just a few clicks away.
Final Words
And there you have it! Our pick of the 10 best stock photo sites available on the internet today! Don’t neglect the importance of visual content by uploading content without media files. Instead, take it upon yourself and find some beautiful stock photos to match your brand from the above sites. Good luck!
Article by Ivy Atti.
