One of the major sources of stock photos is stock image websites like Pixabay.
Pixabay offers you over 400,000 images. Also, content on the platforms is released under the Pixabay license. Hence, you don’t have to worry about giving credit or attribution in printed or digital form.
Although Pixabay has become popular with creatives, you might have reasons to look for alternatives. Hence, this article reviews the 12 best Pixabay alternatives to help you access even more image options.
Best Pixabay Alternatives (Free & Paid)
1. Unsplash
First on the list is Unsplash, which eCommerce entrepreneurs find as an essential stock image website. Unlike Pixabay, Unsplash allows you to upload your images.
Also, the platform updates its data with ten royal-free images every ten days. This way, you get access to high-quality images that fit into numerous marketing campaigns and eCommerce stores.
Features
Unsplash has an inventory where you can search for stock images. You can also subscribe to the ten new photos that the site uploads every ten days.
Photos published and submitted on this platform all fall under the Creative Commons Zero license. Hence, you can use images for both commercial and personal use. Also, you can distribute, copy, and edit photos without crediting the photographer or the website itself.
Additionally, Unsplash has over one million images and a monthly update of over 60,000 new ones. Even more, the platform has a large community of over 100,000 photographers.
Images available on Unsplash are high-resolution and are suitable for different websites regardless of their interests or niche.
Also, the platform has a list of categories like nature, texture and patterns, wallpapers, architecture, health, fashion, travel, animals, and lots more. The platform also groups photos by textures, colors, mood, and theme in a section called Collections.
Pricing
This website is free.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Unsplash
- Images are free
- You don’t have to have an account to download images
Limitations of Unsplash
Users are not required to credit photographers. This is a disadvantage if you’re a creator.
2. StockSnap
StockSnap is another place you can find free stock photos. Like Pixabay, images found on this website don’t need attribution and are copyright free.
However, what makes StockSnap distinct is that it updates its database with high-resolution photos daily. Hence, you can always find something new every day.
Features
StockSnap allows you to filter images by the number of views and the date they were uploaded. The website also has a stream of trending images, giving you access to most sought-after photos on the platform.
Additionally, images on StockSnap are under the CCO license. Hence, you can use photos for both commercial and personal use.
The long-term goal of this site is to build a vibrant community of photographers that want to showcase their art to people around the world.
More so, StockSnap uploads images from specific photographers within its community and also curates images from around the web. This gives you a repository of high-resolution stock images.
StockSnap also has numerous categories to search from. These categories include beach, business, wallpaper, love, and much more.
Pricing
This website is free.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About StockSnap
- Images available on StockSnap can be used for online publications
- The site updates its database daily
Limitations of StockSnap
- StockSnap may not have enough free options.
3. Flickr
Flickr is another reliable source of stock photos.
What differentiates this website from Pixabay is that, unlike Pixabay, Flickr has eight different license categories. Hence, you can’t use all the images on the site the same way. You need to know what CC license is attached to the images you choose.
Features
Though Flickr has eight license categories, there is a Free Use Photos section that anyone can access and are not required to credit the creator. Users on Flickr post images on this group for free use.
Also, the free photos on this site are uploaded by creators and artists, and have been inspected and handpicked by the Flickr team. You can find these images on the creative commons page by going to the explore section. Even more, this section contains numerous lists with photos under that category.
Flickr also has an Attribution License section with images that can be used by anyone. However, the user has to attribute the creator’s credentials, ID, and name with images whenever they are used.
The site also has numerous categories with different levels of usage restrictions and conditions. But, you can also categorize photos based on the creator’s name, credentials, and license type. This makes it easy for you to find the right image.
Pricing
You can register and download images from this website for free. However, there is a Flickr Pro section that comes with three pricing plans. These include:
- Monthly plan – $6.99 per month
- Annual plan – $5 per month, billed yearly
- 2 Year Pro – $4.92 per month, billed every two years
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Flickr
- A Flickr Pro account comes with unlimited storage
- The website allows you to create photo sets and edit and include image titles and tags
- Flickr resizes images for web use
- It also has third-party tools for working with images
Limitations of Flickr
- You have to contact photographers directly to buy images.
4. Pexels
Pexels provide you with free, high-quality stock images with CC0 license. Images on this website are searchable and tagged. Plus, unlike Pixabay that focuses on just images, Pexels has a discovery page for finding videos.
Features
Pexels gives you access to tons of high-resolution stock photos within a wide range of topics and niches. The website also has a search function that is easy to use and comes with multiple search parameters. Even more, Pexels has a library of aesthetically pleasing photos that can be used as backdrops for eCommerce stores.
Additionally, the platform has over 30,000 stock images and updates its database with ten new photos daily. These images are handpicked by the Pexels teams from photos curated from free image sites and those uploaded by users. This ensures that images are licensed under CC0 and are of high-quality.
Pexels also provides a lot of exposure for photographers by featuring their images on the platform’s first page. More so, you can discover images by directly searching for them or choosing from a browse section containing the leaderboard, other popular searches, and popular images.
The platform also has a follow feature that lets you follow creators. This way, your homepage would contain recently uploaded images from these creators.
Pricing
This website is free.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Pexels
- Pexels allows you to search for videos
- A lot of images come in larger sizes
- It has an intuitive interface
Limitations of Pexels
The platform is a tad bit limited when it comes to representations or abstractions.
5. Gratisography
Created by Ryan McGuire, Gratisography is another free stock photo website. On the site, you have access to royalty-free images taken by the founder himself.
What sets this site apart from Pixabay is that Gratisography supports music and audio content. Also, content from the website can be used by eCommerce entrepreneurs for online stores and other commercial purposes.
Features
Gratisography offers you a database of numerous quirky and creative images. More so, the site has a strict curation process. This ensures that only high-quality photos are available on the website.
Also, Gratisography showcases free images handpicked by the team. Hence, you have access to the wittiest images from a long list of photos. However, the platform also offers sponsored images by Shutterstock.
Each category of images on the site has a different style of pictures. Even more, Gratisography has a catalog of more than 400 unique images. These images are only published after ensuring that they set various precedents.
Pricing
The platform is free. However, there’s a $5 per bundle pricing if you want to download in bundles.
However, the pricing for this website may change over time. Visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Gratisography
- Gratisography offers quirky images
- Images are of high resolution
Limitations of Gratisography
- Vector images are not available
- Some photos may have complex borders, making them hard to use
6. Burst
As a subdomain of Shopify.com, Burst is another free stock photo website aimed mainly at entrepreneurs.
Also, the site has a modern and easy-to-use interface. However, compared with Pixabay, Burst has a section for tech-related images.
Features
Burst allows artists to create and contribute images to its database. Images that are approved by the Burst team are then published online. Even more, these images are divided into categories and are updated regularly.
The platform also has a Business Ideas section specifically for eCommerce entrepreneurs. Images within this section are dedicated to certain eCommerce stores like enamel pins and yoga products.
Burst by Shopify also offers you numerous free stock images that fit your niche. More so, there are also ideas for new products that you can try out.
Additionally, there’s a New Photos section where you can discover the latest additions. Also, you can browse popular images to find the one that fits your needs.
Pricing
The website is free.
Please refer to the website for any changes in pricing.
What Users Love About Burst
- Burst has Creative Commons licensing
- The platform has a variety of creative images for eCommerce stores
- You can also upload images
Limitations of Burst
The platform is a bit limited when it comes to image themes.
7. Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons gives you access to royalty-free media content in your preferred language. While Pixabay offers images, Wikimedia Commons acts as a media file repository for images, videos, and sounds.
The platform acts as a repository for numerous projects of the Wikimedia Foundation. However, you don’t have to be a member of any of the projects to use the platform. More so, this media repository is managed and built by volunteers and not paid archivists.
Features
Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia are governed with the same wiki-technology. Plus, the platform can be edited by anyone. Also, you can embed content uploaded to the site on all Wikimedia project pages without having to upload them individually.
Additionally, the platform allows anyone to modify, use, and copy files freely. However, you need to adhere to the conditions specified by the authors. You can find these license conditions on the description page of each media file.
Asides downloading for offline use, you can also use media content from this platform on other Wikimedia projects like Wikinews, Wikisource, Wikispecies, Wikibooks, Wiktionary, and Wikipedia.
Pricing
This website is free.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Wikimedia Commons
- Files can be improved on after being uploaded
- No monetary costs
Limitations of Wikimedia Commons
This site is not appropriate if you hope to have commercial gain from your content.
8. Freeimages.com
Freeimages is another stock image platform with a wide range of high-quality photos uploaded by users.
The platform has over 300,000 licensed media content ready to be used on product packaging, newspaper, brochures, printed materials, television productions, advertisements, film, social media, and other personal uses.
With a wide range of collections, Freeimages has a better search feature than Pixabay.
Features
One of the noticeable features of Freeimages is that every image is tagged according to their relevance. Hence, users can easily use the search bar to discover images using relevant tags.
Even more, the website categorizes images and cross-links them with tags, allowing users to search for appropriate queries using these tags.
Additionally, the platform has multiple categories that you can browse to find images. You can modify, edit, broadcast, synchronize, copy, or reproduce these media content. However, you need to sign in to download images.
Content published on this website is under CC0 license. Hence, you do not have to credit images used for commercial purposes. However, you have to include a credit if the photos are being used for editorial purposes.
Also, you can scroll through collections of images and download an Editor’s pick. Plus, you can download pictures in numerous sizes.
Freeimages.com also has a lightbox feature that allows you to build a custom list of favorite images. This list is publically available. Hence, other users can view it.
Moreover, this platform also allows contributors to upload their original photos. These photos are then reviewed to ensure that they follow the contributor’s guide and meet the platform’s criteria. More so, Freeimages.com does not allow contributors to sell images.
Pricing
The platform is free. But, you have to sign in to download images.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Freeimages.com
- Freeimages.com has an extensive database of photos, clip arts, and illustrations
- You can search for images by color, camera type, resolution, orientation, most downloaded, most recent, and most viewed
- The platform gives you image details like ISO, exposure levels, time taken, reviews, ratings, and so on
Limitations of Freeimages.com
- Could be difficult differentiating between ads for paid images and free images
- You need to create an account to download content
9. Photogen
Photogen is another platform that provides free stock images in a carefully categorized database. Also, the website as multiple categories like technology, places, arts, construction, animals, culture, nature, and business.
However, unlike Pixabay, Photogen does not support audio uploads.
The major aim of this website is to build a visual resource for bloggers, designers, and anyone looking to enhance their prints, presentations, or website with high-quality images.
Features
Photogen has an intuitive search bar you can use to search for appropriate photos. The platform also has easy navigation methods that help you discover the right photo.
Also, Photogen has a simple, effective interface that newbies would have no issues navigating through. More so, the platform updates its collection with new images regularly. Plus, you have access to a search facility containing categories like animals, places, nature, and objects.
Pricing
The platform is free, and you do not have to register to download images. However, there are some Terms of Use that you need to adhere to.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Photogen
- The website has an easy-to-use interface
- Photogen updates its database regularly
- You do not need an account to download images
Limitations of Photogen
The platform has some restrictions when it comes to image usage.
10. Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a premium stock photo website with an image library of graphics, illustrations, and royalty-free stock images. Compared to Pixabay that is free, you need to pay before downloading images on Shutterstock.
Features
The platform updates its database daily with up to a thousand new high-quality photos. More so, Shutterstock allows you to download images in bundles rather than individually.
Shutterstock also has a built-in editing tool like film grain overlays, neon animated typeface, grunge brushes, and so on. After purchasing an image, you can resize and edit the image without having to leave the site. The website also has a collage maker and file converter.
With this website, you get access to royalty-free photos, music tracks, stock footage clips, icons, illustrations, and vectors. Even more, you can browse through images by category like vintage, abstract, healthcare, food, and so on.
Pricing
Shutterstock has different pricing plans depending on your requirements. The prepaid or on-demand image packs include:
- $49 – Five images
- $229 – 25 images
Shutterstock also has pricing plans for individuals. They include
- $49 – 10 images per month
- $125 – 50 images per month
- $199 – 350 images per month
- $249 – 750 images per month
The platform also has a Team pricing plan.
- Two users – $379 per month
- Three to ten users – $479 per month
For more than 11 users, you would need to contact the Shutterstock team for pricing.
Pricing for this website may change with time. For more information, kindly visit their pricing page.
What Users Love About Shutterstock
- You have access to celebrity photos, editorials, and more
- The website has multiple subscriptions
- Shutterstock accepts submissions from users
- Email and phone support
- Shutterstock has an Android, iPad, and iPhone app for you to search and download images
Limitations of Shutterstock
- It has high pricing fees
- Users have complained of poor customer service
11. LibreStock
Librestock is an indexing platform that searches for free photos online and generates results when users place a query. The website is optimized for discovering free photos online, which makes it different from Pixabay that depends on a database of images.
Features
LibreStock offers you results from several other image-sharing sites like Shutterstock, Pexels, and Flickr. Also, the website has a simple interface with recently added images displayed on its front page.
Search results on this website differ depending on the content available on platforms with CC0 licensing, as well as users’ queries.
Pricing
This website is free.
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About LibreStock
- Librestock allows you to search through different stock image sites at the same time
Limitations of LibreStock
- There’s no user account system
- You can’t track your downloads
12. Freepik
Freepik has, over time, become a popular stock image website. Also, unlike Pixabay, which is completely free, Freepik runs a freemium model. The site has a Free and Premium subscription plan.
Features
Freepik prides itself on adding a modern tone to images on the site. You can quickly discover images related to productivity, career advice, and digital marketing.
Also, the platform has an easy-to-navigate interface that gives you access to PSD, vectors, and photos.
Pricing
Freepik has two pricing plans. These include:
- Free plan
- Premium plan – 9.99 EUR per month
Pricing plans for this website may change over time. Please visit their pricing page for more information.
What Users Love About Freepik
- Freepik offers you high-quality PSD and vector illustrations
Limitations of Freepik
- Users have complained of poor customer service
- Some images on the site are not free
Wrap Up: What’s The Best Pixabay Alternatives
So, we’ve reviewed the 12 best Pixabay alternatives for sourcing stock images. However, we need to pick the best from the list.
We feel the best Pixabay alternative is Unsplash.
Unsplash has a database of over one million free high-quality stock images curated by a vibrant community of over 100,000 photographers. Also, the platform hand-selects these images. Hence, you can rest assured that you’re getting the best photos.
Moreover, Unsplash has a growing community of photographers. Also, the website’s API powers platforms like Trello, Squarespace, Buzzfeed, and more. Hence, you have better accessibility to the Unsplash library.
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