Stock photos are a great way to enhance your graphic designs. Whether you're using unlimited graphic design or project contracts, photos allow you to paint a clear picture on your audiences' minds without having to spend time, effort, and energy at a photo shoot every time you need a new visual.
If you're looking for the best stock photo sites, you've come to the right place. Here are the stock photo providers that we at Servicelist, came up with after scouring the net for the most awesome options.
First on our list of the best stock photo sites is Pixabay. First of all, this platform takes pride in having over 2.3 million stunning free photos. In addition to that, it offers not only music but also videos as shared by its community.
Pricing: It’s free to download images from this platform. Also, there are no fees to join the community.
Pros:
- Photos are free. As a result, you won’t have to shell out anything.
Cons:
- Options may be limited, especially for consumer marketing images.
Sample stock photos:
This platform is one of the best free stock photo sites in 2021 and is a part of the Getty Images family of companies. In fact, the website takes pride not only in its unique hand-picked photos but also in offering editable vectors, among many others.
Pricing: iStock's pricing is based on the number of credits. For instance, three credits cost $33, while 60 credits will be $520.
Pros:
- The website offers a wide range of visuals, including vectors.
Cons:
- Though the platform offers a wide range of photos, some users may find the pricing range expensive.
Sample stock photos:
Unsplash is another great online resource to get free stock photos. In fact, it's a go-to website for anyone looking for generic images for graphic design. Whether you need a quick photo for a slide presentation or images that tell a story for a campaign, you can find them in Unsplash. However, you’ll need to sort well through their collection to be on the safe side.
Pricing: Unsplash photos are free to use.
Pros:
- The platform offers a wide range of image options.
Cons:
- Many images may seem too generic. That said, it's best to select photos that haven't been used too many times by other brands.
Sample stock photos:
Shutterstock is not only one of the best stock photo sites but also one of the oldest in the industry. In fact, it’s been around for almost two decades, after having been founded in 2003.
Pricing: A Shuttershock subscription costs $29 per month for ten images. However, it’s crucial to note that the price swells up as the number of images increases per month.
Pros:
- The website offers a vast range of options.
Cons:
- In contrast to the benefit of having a vast array of collections, users may find free websites to be a more practical option. For example, if the type of photo they’re looking for isn’t hard to find, the free websites might be better to use.
Sample stock photos:
Pexels offers free stock photos and videos that are free and don’t need attribution. From free subject-focused photos to backgrounds and nature images, the website offers not only a wide range of options but also good quality ones at that. In fact, Shopify endorses it as a resource for its clients.
Pricing: Pexels images are free to use.
Pros:
- The photos are high-resolution. And as mentioned earlier, they’re of good quality.
Cons:
- As with other go-to stock photo platforms, it's best to choose images that aren't overused yet.
Sample stock photos:
If you’re already using Canva’s design templates, going for Canva Pro images is a practical option.
Pricing: Canva Pro offers two pricing options. First is the annual billing, which at $9.99 per user per month is billed annually. Monthly billing, on the other hand, costs $12.99 per user per month. If you’re using the free plan, premium stock photos are available for a price.
Pros:
- The photos are already integrated into the design. As a result, the process can be more convenient and time-efficient.
Cons:
- Paying for images per piece can be pricey if you need a lot of stock photos.
Sample stock photos:
This platform offers free high-resolution photos for both personal and commercial use. In addition to that, the website also fosters a feeling of community from photographers around the world, making it an artistic hub.
Pricing: Photos are free to use with certain limitations.
Pros:
- The platform recognizes photographers through a program. As a result, those building a portfolio are encouraged not only to join but also to contribute their beautiful works.
Cons:
- The website doesn’t allow mass distribution. As a consequence, users can only repost a limit of 10 images without needing written consent from the platform.
Sample stock photos:
As one of the biggest stock image sites online, Getty Images is a great resource. In fact, it's often used not only by brands but also by editorial outfits.
Pricing: The price range of photos from Getty Images depends on the size of the product. For instance, standard editorial rights of a photo of a celebrity costs around $450.
Pros:
- A great resource for both stock photos and those related to current events.
Cons:
- The pricing can be a bit steep for smaller organizations.
Sample stock photos:
Adobe Stock photos allow users to explore curated collections of high-quality stock assets that are royalty-free. From premium stock photos to vectors, you’ll surely find it on this platform. If you’re using Adobe apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign, you can also access and manage the photos directly.
Pricing: There are two pricing options for the platform. The first is through credit packs that allow you to buy images per credit. The second way is the subscription option that sets standard assets per month.
Pros:
- The website is well organized and the categories allow users to find what they’re looking for while discovering other good options. You can also preview the photos first in any Adobe app.
Cons:
- Because it’s an affordable platform for paid photos, you need to select images carefully to ensure that you’re not using the same photos as other brands.
Sample stock photos:
Last but not least of our best stock photo sites is Photocase. With a "Photos That Reflect Your Reality" branding, this platform offers photos that look candid. Nevertheless, each piece looks artistic - akin to art images.
Pricing: Photocase offers pricing depending on the size and number of photos. For example, five credits for small web-size photos cost $15. Ten credits for medium print-size photos, on the other hand, cost $30. Despite these graduated rates, the website also offers discounts. For instance, 25 credits cost $61 - that's with a 20 percent discount.
Pros:
- This platform offers unique images hard to find elsewhere.
Cons:
- Despite the unique photos, the pricing can be complicated and, at the same time, expensive. As a result, some may choose to opt for subscription options instead.
Sample stock photos:
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