10 Best photo stocks for your brand level boosting in 2023
Learn about photo stocks that you can use for brand promotion. The best stock photography sites with a slew of free and paid images.
H1 10 BEST PHOTO STOCKS FOR YOUR BRAND LEVEL BOOSTING IN 2023
Any person who wants to promote a brand can find suitable visual materials on stock photography sites within 10-15 minutes. On paid resources, you have to spend from $0,2 to $50 for 1 file. Such cost fluctuations are mainly dependent on the professionalism of a photographer or illustrator.
There is a general tendency to search for particular visual content on stock photography sites for brand boosting rather than create such materials from the sketch. The main reasons for such a situation are the following:
It's faster: no need to search for locations, conduct castings, select equipment, spend time taking images and editing them, or explaining to other specialists what you want to get;
It is cheaper: there is no need to invest in equipment or pay a salary to a freelancer;
It is more convenient: as a rule, all works are divided into categories, many stock photo sites have filters for quick search, and you can download images in 1-2 clicks.
H2 1. Shutterstock – More than 1 Billion Photos
Key Features:
· Lots of images
· Various subscription options
· Secure trial
· Accurate AI search
· Commercial-ready content
Shutterstock is one of the largest and oldest stock photography sites. It contains over 1 billion images, so you are sure to find a photo that fits your current branding task. The materials collected here have been submitted by more than a million photographers from around the globe. Of course, you can navigate the website looking for a particular photo or use a convenient search to expedite the process.
As for the pricing, a monthly fee starts at $29 for 10 images. The price gets higher if the number of downloads increases. There are also pre-paid photo packs that are a good variant for one-off projects. The company also offers a free trial but it is valid only in certain regions. With it, you get only 10 free downloads.
H2 2. Pexels - Completely Free
Key Features:
· All images are CC0 licensed
· Handy search
· Neat collection of 1 000 000+ photos
· Free app
· Pexels leaderboard
Pexels is one of the best photo stocks if you want a beautiful picture free of charge. The variety of images is truly astounding and the collection keeps growing. All photos are tagged, so it takes several seconds to find the needed content.
Some pictures are hand-picked from other reliable sources, including Pixabay, Gratisography, and Little Visuals. They have been scanned and approved, so you won’t face any security issues. Once you locate a suitable photo, you can choose from a list of available sizes or even indicate dimensions that coincide with your requirements. The downloading process is very quick. An interesting feature of this site is that you can like photos.
H2 3. iStock – Fantastic Search by Image Function
Key Features:
· 10 free images in a trial period
· Top-notch pictures
· Extensive integrations (Adobe CC, Dropbox)
· Flexible royalty-free licensing
· Well-developed search
iStock contains high-quality royalty-free pictures, illustrations, and videos. It is owned by Getty Images but works as a separate resource with lots of loyal users. The highlight of this website is the “Search by Image” feature. Thus, you can upload a reference photo and run a search to detect similar images on this platform.
The results are always accurate thanks to advanced photo recognition technology. A creative team behind this platform regularly informs contributors about trendy themes and styles, so the collection of pictures is constantly expanded with popular content.
You can start with a free trial and download 10 images without spending money. After that, you can choose a paid subscription (0.22–$4.00/image) and get 10, 25, 50, or 750 monthly downloads for $29–$199/month. Opting for Basic subscriptions, you will get access to Essential images only, which are rather generic.
H2 4. Adobe Stock – 30-Day Free Trial
Key Features:
· CC integration
· AI-based search
· 800K free assets
· Manifold pictures
· A free trial with 40 free downloads
Visiting Adobe Stock, you will find not only images but also vectors, videos, audio files, templates, and even 3D options. Finding a specific element is a no-brainer task thanks to an advanced search system. In fact, you can even run the search for a photo based on the depth of field. The interface is straightforward and distraction-free.
The company offers a 30-day trial but major services are paid. Monthly subscriptions include “standard assets” – basic images, templates, audio, and 3D models. The minimum subscription fee is $29.99 for 10 standard assets/month. If you want to get as many as 750 standard materials, you will have to spend $199.99/month.
H2 5. Depositphotos – Many Curated Collections
Key Features:
· 200 million photos
· Precise search and filtering
· You can mark images as Favorites
· Limitless daily downloads
· Responsive support
If you are on the lookout for stock photo sites with varied content, you should definitely visit Depositphotos. Here you can also find royalty-free videos, soundtracks, templates, and special effects. Once you find a suitable photo, you can choose its size and quality. Besides, every picture is complemented with similar shots displayed below it.
The company offers multiple monthly payment options. For instance, you can download 10 photos per month for $13 or perform 750 downloads for $299. If you transcend a monthly download limit, every next picture costs $1. Besides, you can take advantage of on-demand offers – 3 images for $42 or 100 photos for $299.
H2 6. Getty Images – Straightforward Website
Key Features:
· Impeccable reputation for about 25 years
· High -quality visuals
· Flexible licensing system
· Personal photographers and API
· Rich filtering options
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Getty Images is one of the most reliable stock photography sites with a very long history. It started out as a stock agency and then transformed into an online platform with the development of the Internet. The website abounds with numerous free images for personal projects, as well as editorial pictures and even content licensed under Rights Managed.
Thus, you can receive a bespoke photo that is fully in line with your present-day branding task. Moreover, there is an integrated editor that you can use to turn an image into a print.
The cost of provided videos and pictures varies from $150 to $499, depending on the resolution and package (1, 5, or 10 items). You may use packages with varied combinations of images, videos, and editorial pictures.
H2 7. Unsplash – Creative Commons Zero License
Key Features:
· More than 2mln curated photos
· Different photo bundles
· Possibility to submit images
· Users can share and download content
· It is possible to choose image size and dimension
Unsplash is among those stock photo sites where you can find not just common pictures but arresting art pieces submitted by photographers from all over the world. The overall collection currently amounts to 2 million high-res photos that are totally free.
The biggest advantage of this service is that you can find a perfect photo for your personal, commercial, and editorial projects and download it absolutely for free. The notable feature is the availability of a unique license, which is called a Creative Commons Zero license. Its main purpose is to prevent the unauthorized use of Unsplash native content on other sites.
H2 8. FOCA – With an Embedded Photo Editor
Key Features:
· Free downloads
· User-friendly website
· Intuitive search
· Photo editing tools
· Materials for personal and commercial needs
If you are looking for the best photo stocks with high-resolution photos, this one may fit the bill. Images here are provided by Jeffrey Betts and are CC0-licensed. You can download them for free and use for commercial purposes. The highlight of FOCA is its integrated editor, where you can improve pictures, add captions & objects, and remove the background.
All images are divided into groups based on the subjects. So, you can find collections with nature shots, cityscapes, macro photos, and more.
H2 9. JumpStory – Wix and WordPress Integrations
Key Features:
· Top-notch AI-driven search tool
· AI text match
· Personal assistants can find photos in 2 hours
· Pre-approved, high-res images
· International licenses
JumpStory stands out from other popular stock platforms with its advanced security mechanisms. Thanks to the usage of international licenses and unique global insurance, the team ensures all files on the site are safe to download and share.
Besides, there is a unique AI algorithm that analyzes photos and deleted mediocre ones. This is a really helpful feature considering that stock websites are frequently scammed with low-quality content.
JumpStory also appeals to users with its rich compatibility. For instance, you can access Wix and WordPress right from this website. All these goodies are available for a reasonable cost. You need to pay $39 for a single month or choose a yearly subscription and save $19/month.
H2 10. Free Images – Amazing Search Filter Options
Key Features:
· Understandable UI
· Pro-level photos
· Varied visuals
· Section with Popular Photos
· Intuitive search
In fact, this is a free repository of images submitted by people from different countries. The collection includes both amateur photos as well as images taken by seasoned photographers. If you want, you can add content to your favorites, rate it, follow particular authors, and sign up for a newsletter.
To download images, you need to register. Search is very customizable – you can look for popular, new, viewed, most downloaded, liked, and highly rated images. Anyway, you are sure to find a suitable picture for your promotional campaign.