9+ Best Stock Photo Sites (Free & Paid)

We all need to use photos and illustrations at one point or the other in our lives. Pictures are known to grab the attention of people without spending much time. They fascinate and arouse the interest of viewers in reading what is narrated on the photos. In short, they show and tell people what they need within the blinking of the eye.

What are Stock Photos?

Stock images are specific types of provisions that allow you to get costless and high standard illustrations to use for different purposes such as blogs and articles. These photos are available on various most popular stock photo websites, premade and ready for use.

By choosing to use the images, you do not risk violating copyright laws since the pictures have granted access for use. In this article, I will give a brief description of different topics aligned to the stock images.

Best Premium Stock Photo Sites

Premium stock photo websites are types of sites that offer illustrations that are of exceptional standards as compared to other resources on the Internet.  But, all those provisions come in various payable options.

They include the following sites:

1. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is one of the famous paid business stock photo sites around serving millions of followers around the globe. With 17 years of stay in the Image industry, this company provides you with unique quality images that show and explain what you need to tell.

The review process for uploading images is strict and hence the great quality of images available for users. You do not need to worry about language barriers because sites like Shutterstock provides different languages that you can understand.

Key Features of Shutterstock

• Shutterstock provides different templates that are predesigned.
• Shutterstock allows you to personalize the offered templates.
• With Shutterstock, you can integrate emblems to customize your work.
• Shutterstock allows you to preserve your photos for use whenever you need them.
• The tool gives you editorial rights; thus, you can manipulate your images as much as you need.
• The tool grants you the ability to publicize your design straight to different social media platforms.
• It gives you the option to crop and change the sizes of the images that you make.

Pros

• Websites like Shutterstock has a strict approval process for its image vendors; hence you are assured of getting the best services.
• Shutterstock has a secure user system that allows you to navigate smoothly, finding what you need.
• A fantastic and ready to help customer care panel is available to help you out anytime.
• Shutterstock gives you premade templates that you can customize to fit your tastes.
• The site allows you to search for keywords depending on the type of images that you need.

Cons

• Shutterstock is expensive as compared to other sites.

Shutterstock Pricing

• A free-trial provides 10 free Shutterstock images.
• Ten photos monthly run at $49 payable each month or $29 payable each year
• Fifty photos regularly run at $125 payment each month or $99 when billed yearly.
• Three hundred and fifty photos monthly run at $199 payment each month or $169 when billed yearly.
• Seven hundred and fifty photos monthly run at $249 payable each month or $199 when billed yearly.

2. iStock

Did you know that iStock has been in the image industry for the last twenty years? Formerly iStock photo, this company boasts of billions of followers, making it a stiff competitor to the other key players. Getty Images is part of iStock’s success enabling it to provide enhanced images via the categorized image system.

Key Features of iStock

• iStock has an enhanced keyword search system.
• iStock uses credit systems for accessing photos.
• A categorized image system is available.
• iStock moves un utilized transposes from one month to the other.
• Team enrollments that permit many users to share an account.

Pros

• iStock has an enhanced experience in the industry.
• You get access to more than seven million illustrations on the site.
• The user splashboard is easy to understand and navigate.
• All the credits you purchase via the site never become outdated; hence you can use them whenever possible.
• iStock provides you with photos, illustrations, sound, and vectors suites all under a single payment option.
• The company gives access to a costless transposition of one image during the weak to every subscriber.

Cons

• The customer care is inconsistent in their replies.
• The evaluation period for the photos you upload could take a long time.
• Little pay for the image creators and collaborators.
• The credits are somehow expensive as compared to other sites.
• Once your enrolled package is depleted, you cannot re-transpose your photos again.

iStock Pricing

Depends on the type of iStock you choose:

• iStock Essentials runs at $199.00, giving you 250 transposes each month.
• iStock Essential yearly paid subscription runs at $1999, giving you 750 transposes each month.
• iStock Signature runs at $499 payable monthly giving you 250 transposes each month.
• iStock Signature yearly subscription runs at $3999, giving you 750 transposes each month.

3. Adobe Stock

With close to fifteen years of experience in the image industry, Adobe Stock boasts of a large mass of followers worldwide. The image service is a product of the photo and editorial guru, the Adobe editing suite launched in the year 1982.

However, this photo tool functions separately from the mother website allowing you to access quality images and products. For you to obtain images from Adobe Stock, you have to subscribe to their services by paying.

Key Features of Adobe Photo Stock

• You have access to a costless trial period for a month.
• Adobe images are of super quality.
• Adobe Stock has mass storage of images and videos more than any other image site.
• It has two different classes of services available for all the enrollers, that is the standard and premium classes.
• It has an excellent user splashboard that allows for easy navigation.

Pros

• Adobe has a costless trial period available for one month.
• The significant number of images and videos available for use on Adobe is a plus.
• You are guaranteed of exceptional standards of deliverables on Adobe Stock.
• Due to the enhanced search engine, you cannot miss what you need.
• Adobe has an easy to use splashboard.
• With the program, you can reuse your previous transposes because it saves them for you.

Cons

• Adobe stock is a bit costlier than other parties in the industry.
• Adobe does not give out a costless weekly image like other companies.
• You could end up losing your products in Adobe if you do not renew your enrollment.

Adobe Stock Pricing

Adobe stock payment packages begin as low as $29 payable each month and extend to an annual package of $199.

4. 123rf

123rf has been around for close to fifteen years. It has established its different self-serving types of people all over different continents. The company is an imaging vendor that deals with photos that do not require individual permissions for use. These guys also have a mobile device application that allows you to browse their catalog for your desired products.

Key Features of 123rf

• An enhanced search engine that allows you to spot what you need.
• The company offers you an onsite image manipulator.
• A mobile application is available for all devices.
• An optimized user splashboard that is simple to navigate is available.
• Categorized system their products is available.

Pros

• An extra easy user splashboard is available for use.
• The company provides great quality images for you.
• The company offers a costless trial with five images.
• The availability of a mobile application is a plus.
• It has an enhanced search engine that spares your time on searches.

Cons

• The costless version limits you to five images only.
• There are fewer high standards of editorial images available.
• The credits become outdated once you do not use them regularly.
• It has lots of copied images from other image sites.
• 123RF is more expensive than other companies in the industry.

123rf Pricing

The cost is based on Credits and enrollment plans. But you can buy photos at $1 each. That means that if you wish to have 1000 images, you have to pay $1000 to grab all the desired images.

5. Alamy

Empowering creatives since 1999, Alamy started small with big ambitions to bring you a space to harness great ideas and bring them to life with the right imagery.

Tap into their unedited library for access to the world’s most diverse stock photo library. With 150,000 images uploaded every day, find fresh local and global content for your next project. See more with Alamy.

Key Features of Alamy

• You don’t have to register to buy from Alamy.
• But if you want to buy in bulk, you can make use of Alamy image packs.
• Free content research: send Alamy your brief, and they’ll send you a tailored selection of content, on brand and on time.
• Free hi-res downloads: test hi-res, unwatermarked images in your concepts, and only pay for the images you choose to use.
• Preferential rates: 20% off as standard and bespoke rates on request.

Pros

• World-leading customer service team with multilingual support giving you all the help you need.
• A breathtakingly eclectic library with imagery sourced from all around the world while remaining localized.
• Create your mood boards with Alamy Lightboxes and share them with your team so you can collaborate on what images to use in your next project.
• As well as photos, you can also get access to vectors, illustrations, video, and 360-degree panoramic imagery.

Alamy pricing

You don’t need to register to buy from Alamy, and prices start from as little as £9.99; no upfront costs or hidden catches. Buying in bulk is possible with image packs.

Best Free Stock Photo sites

Although different players in the image market charge different amounts for their images, several free stock imagery sites give you quality content. But, please understand that free sites come with limited features and functionality. If you do not possess the needed provisions to buy those images from the paid sites, then the free stock sites are for you.

1. Pexels

(Royalty-Free Images)

With six years in the image industry, Pexels provides you with free, quality images that you can use on your content. The company offers its services to various parties such as bloggers and artists all over the world for free.

Their images extend to different topics such as spirituality, technology, and many others. With an excellent, enhanced search option, you do not have to waste your time browsing over millions of irrelevant images because the site gives you what you need instantly.

Key Features of Pexels

• A robust search engine is available to help you out.
• Pexels avails high standard quality images.
• The user dashboard is easy to understand and use.
• Different image topics are available all for you.
• Pexels gives a manipulation option for images via editing.
• Photo competitions to encourage uploading of content.

Pros

• A simplified user splashboard is available.
• Pexels is free of charge for use.
• Pexels has a reliable search option for all users to look for what they need.
• The website is arranged in a manner that you can look at the hottest pictures available.
• Pexels images are available for monetary generation purposes as long as they are not sold.

Cons

• Pexels has poor quality in some of the videos.
• Pexels lacks a community compared to other free sites for images.

Pexels Pricing

Pexels is free.

2. Unsplash

Free Stock Images

Unsplash has been in the image industry for the last seven years. It boasts of decorated images uploaded by talented photo experts and photojournalists from all over the world.

Compared to other sites, Unsplash offers a few photos, but the arrangement is unique. The image vendor has an application for IOS users providing them with great content at the palm of their hands. Once you set up an account for free with Unsplash, you can craft your image suite.

Key Features of Unsplash

• Unsplash allows you to see what other users on board.
• Unsplash offers alerts to its users for different activities.
• It grants users the ability to tell more about their images.
• An advanced search option is available.

Pros

• An enhanced search engine availed.
• The signup process is fast and simplified.
• Unsplash offers free resources.
• The quality of images is excellent.
• The content provided comes from real photo enthusiasts and experts.

Cons

• Unsplash nags you to give some credit.
• It provides fewer images compared to other sites.
• Unsplash images are the same size.
• It is limited to the niches it handles.

Unsplash Pricing

The cost is free.

3. Pixabay

Royalty-Free Photos

With close to ten years in the vending image industry, Pixabay provides not only images but also vector representations and drawings with over a billion users worldwide. This site accepts the uploading of content to its internet site from anyone.

However, they possess an excellent editorial team that critiques the material to ensure that quality is adhered to and is law-abiding. They provide their services on different topics and critical wordings, offering a large pool of products that their users can use.

Key Features of Pixabay

• Pixabay offers the ability to skim over images.
• Pixabay allows you to like button for images.
• Pixabay has a secure user dashboard.
• Pixabay has a great search option.
• Pixabay has a direct transposition button.

Pros

• Pixabay is free for use by all users.
• Pixabay has a mobile application available.
• Pixabay has a simple user splashboard for everybody.
• The services offered by Pixabay are of the best quality.
• Pixabay offers images on different topics to fit your needs.
• Pixabay has an editorial team consisted of professionals.

Cons

• Pixabay takes a long duration to update their catalogs.
• Not all image niches are available on Pixabay.
• You have to wait for some days after loading your content on Pixabay due to the reviewing process.

Pixabay Pricing

Pixabay is Free.

4. Stocksnap

Have you heard about the famous Snappa tool? Stocksnap is created by the same guys behind the brilliant Snappa idea. This site grabs the attention of millions of users by giving the latest images on various topics.

The high standards of images provided serve as a bait to a large number of users available.

Key Features of Stocksnap

• Stocksnap has a great search option.
• Stocksnap offers the ability to skim over the images.
• Deep analysis options to look at views and transposes made.
• Stocksnap social media availability status icon is available.
• Contact data for the user is available.

Pros

• Stocksnap offers free images.
• Stocksnap offers high standards of images.
• Stocksnap has a simple to use dashboard.
• Stocksnap gives the ability to carry out an in-depth analysis of the transposes made on your uploaded content.
• It offers the ability to access the image crafter.

Cons

• Looking for exact images on a particular topic can be exhausting.
• Stocksnap is not a good idea for commerce centered articles.

Stocksnap Pricing

Stocksnap is free.

How to Find the Best Stock Photos for your website?

Does locating the best image for your online site prove to be a tremendous uphill? Imagine an online site where there are no images, and the web appears dull and outdated. Photographs are a great way of gaining followers by grabbing their interests within the blink of an eye. Below, I explore different guidelines to help you out in locating the best illustrations for your site. They include the following:

1. Examine the Quality of Images available on Stock sites

We all wish to make massive traffic on our websites, but we need good images to act as a bait to seduce people to our content. When skimming over different stock images, it is critical to consider models fully furnished, bearing the highest standards. You do not want to appear like an amateur hence the need to evaluate the quality carefully. Don’t just pick the cheap stock photos blindly. Preferably, paid sites offer better variety than any other company.

2. Find Unique Images on Stock Sites

We all have come across images that are ‘too common’ that give the viewer first-hand notice that the image is a stock picture. Try finding something that is not used by many people because pictorials used so much lose their uniqueness. The result is that no feelings are evoked hence little traffic for your site. Consider paying for original content on premium image sites that perfectly align with your wishes.

3. Evaluate the type of effect you want to arouse

Every image serves the purpose of showing and telling what you want it to demonstrate. Most people make the mistake of choosing models that do not align with the target effect. If you wish to arouse a feeling of pity via your content, choose an image showing merciful situations.  Likewise, if you want to create a celebration effect, select an image that depicts a happy environment.

4. Select Images that provoke your followers into taking action

Do you wish that your followers could partake in an individual action? Seduce them into doing what you want through your pictures. An excellent example of this is seen via the companies offering different delicacies. They often create an image that makes customers purchase the meals they offer. That is what an action provoking image does, and thus you ought to have considered images that evoke your clients to take action.

5. Use Images related to your site

Different types of industries use different types of images. Ensure that you select the model that relates to your products. For example, if you deal with motor vehicles, do not choose a photo of clothing apparel. Selecting images not related to your site and products is a huge turn off to possible clients. Compelling images have the magic of creating trust between you and your customers, hence the reason you need to have them.

Stock Images FAQ

 

Conclusion

There you have it, friends! All that you need to comprehend about the stock image industry. Note that images are a great way of gaining people’s attention. Therefore, you need to have the best pictures that align excellently with your needs. The decision entirely depends on your tastes, passions, and aims.

It’s time to get up and craft up that fancy image to get your content rolling. Consider all that I have showcased above to help you with your skill. Let’s rock and roll and drive massive traffic to our sites using the catchy stock image secret. Good luck!