9 Best Stock Photo Sites in 2024 (Paid and Free!)

Stock photo sites are a godsend whether you are starting your own business or need a single image to spice up a document. You don’t have to worry about setting up your own photoshoot! Even if you only need something simple, stock image websites save you a ton of time and effort.

This article looks at the best stock photo sites from the point of view of contributors and buyers. With a contributor’s eye, we examine how beneficial the sites are for photographers looking to make money.

And with a buyer’s eye, we show you which sites are best for those wanting to purchase stock images. 

Shutterstock tops our list of the best stock photo websites. Fair commission rates make it a good option for photographers. And a massive media library and reasonable prices make it a good choice for buyers. 

What is the Best Stock Photo Sites?

If you’re a contributing photographer, the best stock photo sites gives you a real opportunity to make money. They should be easy to sign up too, offer decent commissions, and provide extra information to help you compete on busy platforms. 

Buyers need a stock site with a big, varied media library and fair subscription fees. They also need to find a site that offer the style of photography they need for their content. Sites that offer other stock media, such as video and audio, might also be a priority. 

Before we look at all the best stock photo websites in detail, here’s a quick rundown of our selection. You can also see the best free stock sites towards the end of the article. 

Best Paid Stock Photo Sites

Now we look at all the best paid stock photo websites in more detail. We look at each from both a contributor’s and buyer’s perspective, so you can find out which is the best site to suit your needs. 

Shutterstock is a mammoth stock image site. It’s the most extensive stock photo site, with over one billion images to search through. This is because they were one of the first stock photo sites around.

Their catalog relies on contributions from over one million different stock photographers. With this in mind, you can find an image to suit your needs. But because there is so much content, you may spend a while looking for your perfect picture.

For Contributors

Becoming a Shutterstock contributor is a good way to supplement your income as a photographer. 

Shutterstock claims to have paid out over $1 billion to its contributors over the last 15 years. That’s a lot of money. However, Shutterstock has one of the largest contributor lists of any stock site. And over a 15-year time frame, that $1 billion is spread pretty thin. 

The payment plans for users are quite generous to buyers, which is great if you’re looking for images. But it means a seller’s commission on a single photo can be as low as $0.50. You have to sell a lot of images at that rate to make a living. 

However, Shutterstock has far more buyers than contributers. And because they’re paying for a subscription, all the users are actively buying images, which means there are millions of potential buyers.

343K subscribers might not sound like much, but user activity equals incredible amounts of daily traffic on the sight. 

Contributors also have access to helpful material, like intel on trending topics, video workshops, and blogs by successful contributors.

The Shutterstock contributor app is a great tool for sellers. It allows you to upload images from your smartphone while monitoring activity and earnings on the go. 

For Buyers

You’ll have no shortage of image options if you’re a Shutterstock subscriber. And it’s not just images. You also have access to a whole library of videos, music, templates, and 3D models.

Shuttershtock even has an AI image generator. Users input word prompts and the robot gives them an original image. It’s pretty impressive and helps buyers find exactly what they want. 

The contributors are not happy, however. With buyers generating their own AI images, there’s less demand for real photographs. We’re not happy about it, but unfortunately, this is the way the industry is going.

You can get access to their site through a subscription or on-demand package. Monthly subscriptions start at $29 for three images and go up to $499 for 750, depending on how many you want.

Their yearly subscriptions offer better deals, starting at $29 per month (10 images) and up to $199 per month (750 images). There are also savings available if you pay upfront for the whole year.

Their on-demand packages begin at $29 for two images and go up to $575 for 250 images. Take advantage of Shutterstock’s free trial and enjoy 10 free image downloads. You can check Shutterstock’s pricing and save 15% with our code EXPERTPHOTO.

Of course, it makes sense for this imaging software giant to create its own database. And who wouldn’t want stock photo integration with every Adobe product? This is particularly useful for designing brochures or websites with Adobe software.

For Contributors

In theory, Adobe Stock gives you the best opportunity to get your work viewed and purchased. The site has 26 million users, which should mean there are 26 million potential buyers. 

This number is a bit misleading, however. The 26 million includes everyone with an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, and many of them won’t use the stock library. But even a small percentage of 26 million is a lot, so it does offer an opportunity to make money.

Adobe Stock isn’t limited to still photos. It has the most eclectic media library, with videos, illustrations, graphic art, and 3D models. That means anyone in the creative industry can generate an include selling on Adobe Stock. 

The commission rate is decent but not overly generous to contributors. You get 33% commission on image sales and 35% on video sales. 

All contributors get access to Adobe Portfolio, which allows you to build a professional-looking website to display your work. You can use your presence on Adobe Stock as a funnel to your personal portfolio website. This could lead to direct sales or commissioned work. 

For Buyers

For buyers, the site offers images, vectors, videos, audio, set templates, and 3D options. Searching is easy thanks to its refined advanced search feature. It even has the option to search images by their depth of field!

I’m a bit fan of the user interface. It’s easy to navigate and displays the stock photos with no distractions. Adobe offers 10 free stock images and a 30-day trial. But beyond that, you need to pay for their services.

Their monthly subscriptions include “standard assets.” This includes standard images, templates, 3D, and music tracks. Subscriptions start at $29.99 (annual, monthly paid) for 10 standard monthly assets and 500 generative AI credits.

There are other plans for 25, 40, or 750 assets (or 3, 6, or 25 HD videos) a month. For 750 standard assets, shell out $199.99 monthly on a yearly commitment (otherwise, $249.99 monthly). Beyond the first tier, you get savings if you opt for yearly rather than monthly payments.

If you want premium content or video, Adobe Stock offers “credit packs” that start at $49.95 for 5 images. Other tiers go up to 150 standard images for $299. These prices are about average when looking at the top end of the best stock photo sites.

iStock is the sister brand of the giant Getty Images database. This database was created in 1999, making it the first stock photo website! With stock image databases, the longer they exist, the more content they offer. This means they have a wide range of images to fit the bill.

For Contributors

With such a large user-base, and many corporate clients among them, iStock offers a good opportunity to have your work seen.

The image library isn’t quite as big as Shutterstock’s, but it’s still massive. There is a chance your images could get lost in the crowd. But if you follow the trends using the insider information they provide, you can make sales and generate income. 

Most image licenses are “royalty free.” This means if a user buys your image, they can use it as many times as they like after a one-time purchase.

However, top-performing contributors can negotiate licenses with royalties, allowing them to sell images on a per-use basis. 

The commission rate for royalty-free content is between 15% and 45%. It varies depending on the type of content and the type of subscription plan help by the buyer. 

iStock isn’t just a photo library. Contributors can sell illustration and video as well as still photos. It’s a host for thousands of creatives of all types. 

For Buyers

They offer royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, and videos. They even have a video editor you can use. This is helpful for someone who wants to make simple video edits but doesn’t have the software or time to do so.

iStock offers three types of subscriptions—basic, premium, and premium + video. The monthly rate starts at $29 and goes up to $333, depending on what and how much content you want to download.

They also offer pay-as-you-go credit packs. You can buy three credits for $12 and up to 300 for $2400. And there are other offers in between, with bigger savings if you buy more.

One credit goes toward one high-quality, budget image. Three credits buy you unique, signature iStock images. Videos need more—6 and 18 credits, respectively.

Check out their pricing page to see which package is best for you. Their prices can be hefty, but you’re guaranteed high-quality content because they are partners with Getty.

Depositphotos is one of the best stock photo sites I have come across. The breadth of the database offers you a range of stock photo options. There’s everything from stylized shots to more playful and simple images. They also provide royalty-free videos, music, templates, and special effects.

For Contributors

Joining Depositphotos as a contributor is very easy, but there is a vetting examination. This involved uploading your best images so their team can review them. They’re basically checking the quality is good enough and that it doesn’t breach any of their guidelines. 

Depositphotos has a unique level system for their contributors. You start at Level 1, which allows you 499 file uploads. You can climb to Level 5 with 150,000 uploads. The more images you sell, the higher you climb. 

You also get bigger commissions at higher levels. It’s a 30% commission when you’re on Level 1, which increases to a max of 38% when you’ve reached Level 5. 

The commission rates for videos are the same as for images. But audio files earn 34% on Level 1 and 42% on Level 5, so it pays to have a bit of musical ability. 

For Buyers

I enjoy the way it lets you refine your search. So will people who know what kind of images they want. Depositphotos also has a refined search bar that lets you browse by camera angle!

After you choose your image, you select the size and quality you want. Under your photo, they give you similar photo options that may better suit your needs.

Depositphotos also has a bunch of tools you can take advantage of. They offer features that can remove a background or upscale your image. This is useful for people who aren’t highly skilled at editing.

Depositphotos offers both monthly and pay-on-demand options. The cost is about average among stock photo sites.

They have multiple monthly payment rates. Ten images per month will cost you $9.99, while 750 images will cost you $299. You get extra savings if you go with the yearly plans and even more if you pay upfront!

Each photo above your allotted amount costs $1 each on all plans. And their on-demand options start at $29 for five images and go up to $219 for 125.

Founded in the year 2000, Dreamstime is one of the oldest stock sties out there. It isn’t the first name that springs to mind when your think of stock sites, but it has one of the biggest media libraries and millions of active users. 

For Contributors

The sheer number of users makes Dreamstime one of the best places for photographers to sell their stock photos. As a contributor, you will have a lot of company. But the number of buyers vastly outnumbers the contributors. 

Registering as a contributor is also an easy process. It’s free to register, and all you need to enter is your email address and your full name.

Then upload your images using their guidelines. You can add descriptions and tags to help users find your work. And you can attach contracts and release forms using the integrated software. 

The contributor commissions are some of the best of any stock photo website. The lowest is 25%, and this can go as high as 50%. Commission percentages and prices depend on the file type, file size, and the licensing agreement the files are under. 

Commercial and editorial are the two main types of images licenses available to Dreamstime contributors. Dreamstime has model release form templates and info on how to fill them out.

For Buyers

Dreamstime has an incredibly large media library, with images covering practically every subject you can think of. Whether you want wildlife, architecture, or season-specific images, this site has you covered. 

As well as your standard stock images, Dreamstime has one of the best libraries of editorial images. It’s constantly updated, so you can find images of the latest news events or the hottest celebs. 

Buyers need to sign up to a subscription plan. They have monthly options offering anything between 5 and 750 downloads a month. They also offer a yearly subscription that gives you 750 monthly downloads. 

They have separate subscription plans for video and audio downloads. And there’s an all-in-one plan that gives you access to every type of media, though this is the most expensive.

Best Free Stock Sites

Free stock websites are a godsend if you need images but have a tight budget. They offer thousands of images that are completely free to use, allowing you to illustrate your content without heavy outgoings. 

But there are problems with free sites, which is why we promote paid stock websites. Firstly, the media libraries are much smaller than on paid sites. Even popular sites like Unsplash have just a fraction of what Shutterstock offers. 

This also means many people are likely to use the same images. There’s a high chance you might use the same images as some of your competitors, making your content look unoriginal. 

Free sites are also less beneficial to photographers looking to generate an income. Because they give their images away for free, contributors don’t get paid. The only thing you get back in return is exposure. That’s OK for amateurs, but professionals need that cold, hard cash. 

Here are a few of our free stock photo website recommendations. 

Unsplash

Unsplash is a free stock photo site you can’t avoid. It’s quick and easy to select and download the images you want. This is ideal for people who work with images where sourcing them is not a worry.

For a free stock photo site, the quality of the images is excellent. This is why they earn their spot as one of the best free stock photo sites. Of course, they don’t have the range that the paid services do. But over five million high-resolution images for free isn’t bad at all.

From its humble beginnings as a Tumblr blog, Unsplash has grown tremendously. The UN and other global organizations now use them. The only thing I have trouble with is their search engine. It is not as refined as others. You have to adjust your search occasionally.

You also get premium options on each search. This is done with independent photographers and Getty Images (iStock).

Pexels

Pexels is another one of the best free stock photo sites. Their search engine makes finding the perfect image a breeze. The search bar auto-fills suggestions as you type the same way Google does. In this same section, you can access your recent searches. They also suggest collections of images related to the search terms you use.

Pexels is one of the databases with an excellent curation of free stock photos. You won’t have to scroll through junk to find classy images. Also, Pexels is one of the only free services that give you access to free videos!

A nice feature is that they display the licensing terms. This clarity can be helpful for people who don’t know the details about copyright. You can see what you can use the images for and in what ways.

Pixabay

Pixabay offers the broadest range of materials for free. This includes free stock photos, illustrations, vectors, video, music, and sound effects.

I hadn’t heard of them before researching for this article. But after seeing their stock, I will use them in the future. Their database is vast, with over 4.2 million assets to choose from.

A nice feature that makes them unique is that some images display their metadata. If you’re using stock image websites, you probably don’t care too much about the photo’s information. But it adds a nice touch to some of the images, almost giving you the feel of more authority over them.

Like Unsplash, Pixabay links to premium site photos from iStock. But after browsing their catalog, I doubt you will even need to pay for this service.

Burst

Shopify powers burst. Shopify is an online platform that lets people set up stores and sell their products. Unsurprisingly, they have dipped their toes into the world of royalty-free stock photos.

I am a fan of their straightforward design. It takes nothing away from the images they present. The only downside is they do not have a dedicated advanced search feature.

I also think that their free stock photos aren’t as refined as others. But, it is different. The free stock photos here are not on any other stock image sites.

Another great feature is their “search by business ideas.” This is great for people starting a new business or Shopify account. Type in your business idea, and this feature suggests collections of related images. This can be helpful if you aren’t great at using the search bar to find specific photos.

Conclusion: The Best Stock Photo Sites

If you’re a buyer, the best stock sites offer a wide range of high-quality images at a reasonable price. For contributors, stock photo sites should provide high commissions and other services to help your business grow. 

That’s why Shutterstock tops our list. It’s one of the original stock photo websites, which is why it has one of the most extensive media catalogs. Buyers can find anything they need. They are also fair with their contributing photographers, as they can make good money with the right stock photography strategy.

Free sites are also great for improving content, but they are far more limited than paid sites. They can’t offer the same number of images, and contributors get little more than a bit of publicity. That’s why we recommend going to a paid site if you want top-quality stock photographs.