Finding captivating and high-quality photographs to showcase your company is essential for marketers. Thankfully, there are several top online stock photo websites available nowadays that let us choose from a wide range of visual resources. This enables a marketer to improve their advertising campaigns while staying within their budget.
In this article, we’ll look at the top 9 stock photo websites that advertisers can utilize to acquire eye-catching images and, as a result, produce aesthetically appealing campaigns. We will examine each stock photo website in depth and go over both its benefits and drawbacks so that you can choose wisely for your brands.
So here goes our list of the 9 best stock photo sites for marketers:
1. Stock Photos
Stockphotos.com offers a huge selection of pictures just for advertising. To meet every visual demand, the website also includes high-quality photographs, vector images, illustrations, vehicle templates, typefaces, and icons. To ensure you obtain the intended effect on the chosen visuals, the website is also connected to a variety of digital applications, like Upscaler and Canva.
Pros
- Brings together all your marketing needs related to visuals under one website.
- They have over 8 million images to choose from.
- They also provide fonts that allow you to designate a style, particularly for your campaign.
Cons
- Their stock images come with a price tag, meaning you cannot avail their content for free.
2. Shutterstock
A multinational corporation in the technology sector is Shutterstock. This website offers a creative platform with top-notch resources, tools, and services. Users of Shutterstock can purchase music and video rights to use in their marketing materials in addition to photos. Additionally, the resources are modifiable, allowing you to make sure the information is specially matched to the requirements of your brand.
Pros
- Various plans are available for individuals, teams, and enterprise customers.
- You get an option to choose from 200,000 visual resources.
- They also have a small collection of images that are free to download.
- A 30-day free trial is available.
Cons
- Expensive for personal use.
- The search filters can be improved.
3. Unsplash
Online community Unsplash offers cost-free stock images. Marketing professionals can receive free images for their campaigns and commercials, making it a cost-effective alternative. Over 3 million high-quality images are available for customers to select from and utilize in both private and professional projects. They also have a wide range of categories, so users can choose from options for any subject.
Pros
- Despite being free, their images are of high resolution.
- A wide variety of images in their database.
- Images for every niche are available, so you are bound to find something for your brand.
Cons
- Since they are free, your images might come across other brand campaigns losing their uniqueness.
- Reviews have shown a bad user experience.
4. Getty Images
For huge companies and enterprises, Getty Images is an excellent source for stock photos. Since it has been on the market for more than 20 years, the visual library has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable sources in the sector. Even if the business has occasionally had setbacks, it is nonetheless renowned for offering sizable editorial photo collections.
Pros
- Their image quality is top-notch.
- They have very broad licensing terms.
- API integration.
Cons
- Their services come with an expensive price tag.
- There is no option for a free trial.
5. Pexels
Pexels, a 2014 startup, offers 3.2 million free stock images and movies in its database. It is owned by Canva, a well-known website for graphic creation. Using the user-friendly search criteria, you can browse through their extensive collection of photographs pertaining to numerous categories and discover the one that best represents your company.
Pros
- The global network of photographers and videographers means that you will find pictures from a wide number of cultures.
- Suitable for those brands which are just starting out and on a tight budget.
Cons
- Being a free repository means your selected images from Pexels will not be exclusively used for your campaigns.
- Often images on Pexels have been modified to achieve an aesthetic style. This makes it challenging for users to add their own edits.
6. Depositphotos
A large selection of stock images, video clips, and vector graphics are available on Depositphotos. Images of numerous niches are available for marketers working on various brands. There is a good chance that you will find the ideal image for your campaign on this website, regardless of the industry you work in. The website also provides a reverse image search option. By making it easier for consumers to locate websites using the same image previously, the possibility of duplication is reduced.
Pros
- Unlimited daily downloads.
- Excellent customer support.
- They have a collection of free images as well.
Cons
- The availability of custom packs is limited to large companies.
- Lacks on-demand option.
7. Canva Pro
You may produce flyers, posters, newsletters, and a variety of other materials for your marketing campaigns using the visual design platform Canva. Additionally, it has a big bank of stock images that you may utilize when creating your content. The capabilities make it incredibly straightforward for consumers to create the design of their choice, especially when used in conjunction with Canva’s drag-and-drop tool.
Pros
- After selecting the image, you can create content for your marketing campaigns right from their platform.
- The format of the pictures can be changed before downloading.
- Ideal for novice users.
Cons
- Their pricing model is higher compared to other stock photo sites.
8. Dreamstime
Dreamstime has approximately 15 years of experience in the field. They established a solid reputation for themselves as early participants in the microstock market and are now regarded as some of the leading contributors to the sector.
Pros
- They offer a library of over 85 million royalty-free stock images.
- You can customize a monthly or annual plan according to your specific download needs.
Cons
- The price per download is not clear, making it difficult for users to estimate the cost of images that they need to download.
- Images available under trial are watermarked.
9. 123RF
123RF is the last recommendation we have for you. Although it might not be the finest recommendation, we decided to include it because they offer services that are comparable to those of the stock picture websites we previously mentioned. However, 123RF has assisted individuals and brands in telling their stories in an effective manner.
Pros
- The subscription plans offer unlimited downloads.
- Stock images cost very cheap.
Cons
- Their customer support is not very responsive.
- The website has a doubtful policy.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many stock image websites available to marketers. Here, it’s crucial to take into account your budget, the kinds of images you need, your niche, and the kinds of visuals that draw in your target audience. In the end, the stock photo website that you like the most will successfully support your objectives and digital marketing strategy.