Shutterstock and Beyond: Exploring the Best in Stock Photography

In my career as a video production professional, I require and use a ton of stock photos and stock video footage in projects.

I decided to compile this list of the top Shutterstock alternatives you can use for royalty free stock images and stock video in your projects.

Quick Top Choices:

Here are the Top Shutterstock Alternatives:

Envato Elements

About Envato Elements:

Envato Elements is a creative marketplace that offers royalty free photos, graphics, templates, and more.

It is an excellent Shutterstock alternative.

The company is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

Due to the excellent search bar, the pricing, and the huge variety of the image library, I think Envato Elements is the best Shutterstock alternative out there.

Why I like Envato Elements:

Envato Elements has a wide variety of high-quality royalty free stock images and stock video footage.

The site offers a royalty free license and unlimited downloads.

The stock video clips have a huge variety, as well as the vector graphics templates.

The site is easy to use and has a great search function. Envato Elements is likely my favorite subscription stock footage site. Included are Royalty Free Stock Images, Royalty Free Vector Graphics, Stock Photography, Royalty Free Stock Music, Graphics Templates, and more!

I particularly like the massive collection of outdoor images and people centric photos and I download their images and videos for both personal and commercial purposes.

Envato Elements Pricing:

Envato Elements offers a subscription plan for $29 USD per month. I think it's the best stock photo service.

Envato Elements Pros:

• Wide variety of high-quality royalty free imagery and stock video footage
• Easy to use website, rises above many other stock photo websites
• Great search function
• Affordable subscription plan

Envato Elements Cons:

• None that I can think of!

iStockPhoto

About iStockPhoto:

iStockPhoto is one of the more popular stock photo websites, founded in 2000. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. iStockphoto was acquired by Getty Images in 2006 for $50 million USD.

Why I like iStockPhoto:

iStockphoto has a wide variety of high-quality royalty free media and stock video footage. The site is easy to use and has a great search function.

iStockPhoto Pricing:

iStockphoto offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $12 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.25 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

iStockPhoto Pros:

• Wide variety of high-quality royalty free media and video footage
• Easy to use website
• Great search function
  
  iStockPhoto Cons:
• More expensive than some other alternatives
  

Pond5

About Pond5:

Pond5 is a stock media website founded in 2006. The company is headquartered in New York City, New York, United States.

Why I like Pond5:

Pond5 has a wide variety of high-quality royalty free imagery and stock video footage. The site is easy to use and has a great search function.

Pond5 Pricing:

Pond5 offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $19 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.25 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Pond5 Pros:

• Wide variety of high-quality royalty free photos and stock video footage
• Easy to use website
• Great search function

Pond5 Cons:

• More expensive than some other alternatives
  

Adobe Stock

Why I like Adobe Stock:

Adobe Stock is a great alternative to Shutterstock because it offers high-quality royalty free photos and stock video footage. The site is easy to use and has a great search function. Its included Creative Cloud Tools integrate well with my pro photo and video apps.

Adobe Stock Pricing:

Adobe Stock offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $29.99 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.99 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Adobe Stock Pros:

• High-quality royalty free photos and stock video footage
• Easy to use website
• Great search function

Adobe Stock Cons:

• More expensive than some other alternatives
  

Dreamstime

About Dreamstime:

Dreamstime is a stock media website founded in 2000. The company is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

Dreamstime Pricing:

Dreamstime offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $0.20 USD per image for the subscription plan and $0.25 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Dreamstime Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free photos
• Easy to use website

Dreamstime Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  
  

Depositphotos

About Depositphotos:

Depositphotos is a stock photography website founded in 2009. The company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.

Depositphotos Pricing:

Depositphotos offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $0.25 USD per image for the subscription plan and $0.49 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Depositphotos Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free photos
• Easy to use website

Depositphotos Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

CanStockPhoto

About CanStockPhoto:

CanStockPhoto is a stock photography website founded in 2004. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

CanStockPhoto Pricing:

CanStockPhoto offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $19.99 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.25 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

CanStockPhoto Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free photos
• Easy to use website

CanStockPhoto Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

Bigstockphoto

About Bigstockphoto:

Bigstockphoto is a stock photography website founded in 2004. The company is headquartered in New York City, New York, United States. Bigstockphoto was acquired by Shutterstock in 2009 for $50 million USD.

Bigstockphoto Pricing:

Bigstockphoto offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $0.25 USD per image for the subscription plan and $0.15 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Bigstockphoto Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free photos
• Easy to use website

Bigstockphoto Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

Veer

About Veer:

Veer is a stock photography website founded in 2005. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, United States. Veer was acquired by Getty Images in 2009 for $50 million USD.

Veer Pricing:

Veer offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $49.99 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.50 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Veer Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free photos
• Easy to use website

Veer Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others

Getty Images

About Getty Images:

Getty Images is a stock photography website founded in 1995. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States.

Getty Images Pricing:

Getty Images offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $49.99 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.33 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Getty Images Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free photos
• Easy to use website

Getty Images Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

123RF

About 123RF:

123RF is a stock photography website founded in 2005. The company is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

123RF Pricing:

123RF offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $49.99 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.25 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

123RF Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free imagery
• Easy to use website

123RF Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

Death to the Stock Photo

About Death to the Stock Photo:

Death to the Stock Photo is a stock photography website founded in 2013. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Death to the Stock Photo Pricing:

Death to the Stock Photo offers a subscription plan for $15 USD per month.

Death to the Stock Photo Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans
• Wide variety of royalty free imagery
• Easy to use website

Death to the Stock Photo Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

Pixabay

About Pixabay:

Pixabay is a stock photography website founded in 2010. The company is headquartered in Germany. Pixabay is a free stock photos website.

Pixabay Pricing: Free

Pixabay Pros:

• Free stock photos website
• Wide variety of royalty free images
• Easy to use website

Pixabay Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  

Alamy

About Alamy:

Alamy is a stock photography website founded in 1999. The company is headquartered in Reading, England, United Kingdom.

Alamy Pricing:

Alamy offers both subscription plans and credit packs. Prices start at $49 USD per month for the subscription plan and $0.33 USD per credit for the credit pack option.

Alamy Pros:

• Affordable subscription plans and credit packs
• Wide variety of royalty free images
• Easy to use website

Alamy Cons:

• Some images are of lower quality than others
  
  

Stock Photos FAQ

Is there a better alternative to Shutterstock?

There are a number of great Shutterstock alternatives, each with their own unique selection of stock photos, videos, and music. I personally use a variety of different sites depending on the project I’m working on and what kind of content I need.

Is there a free alternative to Shutterstock?

There are a number of free stock photo sites that offer high-quality images. I often use Unsplash for my personal projects. For commercial projects, I tend to use paid sites like Shutterstock or iStockPhoto.

Other free Shutterstock alternatives include : Pexels, Pixabay

What is the best stock photo agency?

There is no one “best” stock photo agency. Each agency has its own unique selection of photos, videos, and music. I suggest trying out a few different agencies to see which one best suits your needs.

Is iStock cheaper than Shutterstock?

iStock is a cheaper alternative to Shutterstock, with prices starting at $0.33 per credit. However, Shutterstock offers a wider selection of stock images and stock videos.

Is iStock or Shutterstock better?

iStock and Shutterstock are both great stock photo agencies. I personally use a variety of different sites depending on the project I’m working on and what kind of content I need.

What is the best free stock photo site?

There are a number of great free stock photo sites, each with their own unique selection of photos, videos, and music. I often use Unsplash for my personal projects. For commercial projects, I tend to use paid sites like Shutterstock, iStockPhoto, and Envato Elements.

Other free stock photo sites include: Pexels, Pixabay, Freeimages

Is there anything better than Shutterstock?

There are a number of great Shutterstock alternatives, each with their own unique selection of stock photos, videos, and music. I personally use a variety of different sites depending on the project I’m working on and what kind of content I need.

Which is better Shutterstock or Getty Images?

Shutterstock and Getty Images are both great stock photo agencies. I personally use a variety of different sites depending on the project I’m working on and what kind of content I need.

Is Getty Images better than Shutterstock?

Shutterstock and Getty Images are both great stock photo agencies. I personally use a variety of different sites depending on the project I’m working on and what kind of content I need. I might give Getty Images the edge due to the fact that there are over a million royalty free images and they hire paid professional photographers with stunning images captured.

Where can I get high resolution images for free?

There are a number of great free stock photo sites that offer high-resolution images. I often use Unsplash for my personal projects. It is one of the best free shutterstock alternatives.

Where can I find free stock photos?

There are a number of great completely free stock photo sites that offer high-quality images. I often use Unsplash for my personal projects. Unsplash is one of the best free shutterstock alternatives.

Some of the other best free Shutterstock alternatives: Pexels, Pixabay, Freeimages. All of these offer a premium version as well as their totally free photos.

Which is better Shutterstock or iStock?

iStock is a cheaper alternative to Shutterstock, with prices starting at $0.33 per credit. However, Shutterstock offers a wider selection of stock images and stock videos.

Is Shutterstock or Adobe Stock better?

Shutterstock and Adobe Stock are both great stock photo agencies. I personally use a variety of different sites depending on the project I’m working on and what kind of content I need.

Can I legally use Shutterstock images?

Yes, you can legally use Shutterstock images as long as you comply with the terms of the Shutterstock Standard License.

Can I use Shutterstock images forever?

Yes, you can use Shutterstock images forever as long as you comply with the terms of the Shutterstock Standard License.

Can I sell Shutterstock images?

No, you cannot sell Shutterstock images. However, you can license them for commercial use.

What is the best stock photo site for contributors?

There are a number of great stock photo sites for contributors. I often use Shutterstock and iStockPhoto.

Is contributing to Shutterstock worth it?

Yes, contributing to Shutterstock is definitely worth it. The site has a large audience and you can earn a good commission on each sale.

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In conclusion, these are the top Shutterstock alternatives and best free Shutterstock alternatives you can use for your royalty free media and stock video needs in 2021-2022. I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!