Best Stock Image Websites

Are you in the process of designing or updating your website? Are you looking for some quality images that you will be able to use without paying royalties? A stock image site can help you find the perfect images to add to your site or other documents.

To help you find the best stock image site to meet your needs, we have reviewed five of the top options. Read through our reviews, then you should be able to choose the site that will work best for you.

Top 5: Stock Image Site Reviews

Product Image & Rating (Out Of 10)

Product Name

Contact

Shutterstock

9.9

Depositphotos

9.7

Alamy

9.6

iStock

9.4

Gettyimages

9.1

Recommendation #1

Shutterstock

9.9

Recommendation #2

Depositphotos

9.7

Recommendation #3

Alamy

9.6

Recommendation #4

iStock

9.4

Recommendation #5

Gettyimages

9.1

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a well-known resource for finding stock images on the internet. You'll be able to use the photos, illustrations, and other images you find on this site without paying royalties.

Shutterstock has a huge collection of images, so you'll be able to find exactly what you're looking for. Each day thousands of additional images are added to the site.

Shutterstock

If you are looking for the perfect image for your website, a poster, a brochure, or some other purpose, you can browse through the different images categories to find something that will work. Or, if you have a specific item in mind, you can perform a search using a keyword.

In addition to images, Shutterstock also offers a large collection of music and video clips. These can also be used royalty-free, so they could be the perfect addition to a website or presentation.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock offers a variety of monthly plans. You can choose the best plan option based on the number of images you'll want access to each month. When you sign up for a monthly plan, you'll also gain access to Shutterstock Editor.

You can use the Shutterstock Editor to customize the images you find to meet your needs. If you are using them for your business, you can add a logo. You can also add text, other designs, or filter the image.

Pros

  • There are numerous photographs, illustrations, and other images available on this site.
  • You can search using a keyword or browse through the product categories.
  • There are also videos and music you can use royalty-free.

Cons

  • If you want access to numerous images each month, the plans can get expensive.
Depositphotos

Depositphotos can help you find the images you need for your websites and projects. The website contains more than 130 million images and videos that you can use without paying royalties. Some of the images you can find include photographs, vector art, illustrations, and backgrounds.

When you visit this site, you can search for the specific image you are looking for. Or, if you don't know exactly what you're looking for, you can look for some inspiration by browsing through one of the many categories on the site. A few of the category options include animals, people, place, medicine & health, technology, interiors, and travel.

Depositphotos

In addition to finding images when you are working on your computer, there is also an app you can download on your mobile devices. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Depositphotos offers different plans for you to choose from. You can choose the best plan for you based on how many photos you'll want to download each month. You can choose a monthly plan, or save money by choosing a yearly plan.

Depositphotos

If you have any questions or issues while using the website, you can reach Depositphotos' customer support team. They have a live chat option that can help you receive an instant answer to your question. You can also call or email with your questions.

Pros

  • The per image price for their plans is cheaper than some other options.
  • They offer a live chat option when you need to get in touch with customer service.
  • They offer different plans depending on how many images you will want to download each month.

Cons

  • If you want to be able to download videos, your subscription plan will cost much more money.
Alamy

Another stock image site with a huge arsenal of images available is Alamy. You'll find over 170 million images, videos, vectors, and more on this site.

Photographers from all over the world sell their images to Alamy. This allows Alamy to offer these images to you royalty-free. Alamy prides themselves on their very diverse collection of images that will help you find exactly what you are looking for.

Alamy

You can browse through the many image categories that Alamy uses to organize its content. Some of these categories include vectors and illustrations, lifestyle, historical, families, architecture, love, and food.

When you are using the site or searching for images, you'll be able to reach out to Alamy's customer service team if you experience any issues. Their team can be contacted using their live chat service, over email, or on the phone.

Alamy's pricing varies based on how you are planning to use the image and the license type you will want to buy. Sometime, the file size you'll need will also impact the cost of an image.

Pros

  • Alamy has a diverse collection of photographs and other images contributed by people from all over the world.
  • There are more than 170 million images available.
  • You can search for a specific image or browse through the various categories.

Cons

  • Image prices can vary depending on how you'll use them, the image size you'll need, and other factors.
iStock

iStock offers a large collection of photographs, illustrations, videos, and audio clips that you can access royalty-free.

When you sign up for a plan, you'll also be able to use the iStock Editor. The Editor will allow you to make adjustments to the images you choose to meet your specific needs. You will be able to resize images, add a business logo, apply various filters, and more.

iStock

There are lots of different plan options that you can choose from. You can make a one-time payment and purchase credits to use when you have a need for a stock image. You can purchase as few as three credits or as many as 300 credits at a time.

Or, if you will need regular access to images, you can sign up for a monthly plan. You can choose from a plan that allows you access to all the images on the site, or only allows access to the "Essentials" images.

iStock

The plans vary in price depending on how many images you want access to and whether you want to sign up for a year or a month.

Every week, iStock photo chooses a photo from their Signature Collection to offer for a free download. They also offer free illustrations and video clips each month.

Pros

  • Each week a new "Signature" photo will be free to download.
  • You can choose to pay for a monthly plan, a yearly plan, or buy credits to download images as you need them.
  • The iStock Editor will allow you to tailor the images you choose to your specific needs.

Cons

  • Purchasing credits works out to be more expensive than paying for a plan. However, you may not want to sign up for a plan if you don't want to continue to use the service.
Gettyimages

Gettyimages has a large selection of images, videos, and music that can help you design your website, create a poster, make a presentation, and more.

Finding the image you're looking for is easy with Gettyimages. You can search for keywords related to your topic in the search bar. Then, you'll be able to choose from a large number of photos or images that match what you're looking for.

Gettyimages

In addition to searching using a keyword, you can also look through the various image collections that Gettyimages offers. They have an editorial collection that contains content related to sports and entertainment. They also have a creative collection that has more inspired and artistic content.

Gettyimages structures their plans a little differently than most other companies. All of the plans allow you to choose from a mix of images, videos, and editorials. The cost of each plan varies based on the image size, video quality, and number of downloads.

Gettyimages

With Gettyimages, there are no limits placed on the number of images you'll be able to download. If you are looking for something very specific, you can also request a commission or customized content. If you want to secure the commercial usage rights for an image, video, or movie clip, you will be able to make a request with Gettyimages.

Pros

  • Gettyimages does not place any limits on how many images you can download.
  • You can request commissions if you are looking for something very specific.
  • The editorial and artistic collections offer a wide variety of images to choose from.

Cons

  • Since you have to pay for a pack of images and videos, this isn't the best site to use if you are only looking for a few images.

Buying Guide

A stock image site can help you find royalty-free images you can use for a variety of purposes. You'll be able to find the perfect photographs or illustrations to add to your website, marketing materials, projects, or other uses. Before choosing a stock image site to use, take a few moments to consider the different features and options of the sites you are considering.

One thing you'll want to consider is the number of images on the site. Be sure to pick a website that is well-established and has numerous images for you to choose from. This will make it much easier for you to find the perfect image to meet your needs.

You should also consider how easy to navigate the website is and how easily you'll be able to find what you're looking for. Choose a website that will allow you to browse through different categories of images, but will also allow you to perform a search using a specific keyword.

You may also want to consider finding a stock image site that offers an image editor. This will allow you to crop the images and make modifications to meet your needs. You'll also be able to add text or company logos to the images you choose.

If you think you'll want to find videos or music to use for websites or presentations, there are some stock image sites that offer these other forms of media as well. Look for one of these options if you think it is something you'll use.

Finally, consider the cost of using the site. Do you have to pay a set fee to access the images, or will you need to pay for each image. Considering this can help you find the site that will best meet your needs.

Top Pick

Shutterstock is our favorite stock image site. This website offers a seemingly endless supply of images for you to choose from. Plus, they keep adding more images each day and increasing their inventory.

After signing up for a plan, you'll be able to enjoy access to the images on the site without paying royalties. They also offer collections of videos and music that would be the perfect addition to a website, presentation, or numerous other uses.

Shutterstock

When you sign up with Shutterstock, you'll be able to use the Shutterstock Editor. The editor will help you to personalize your images and modify them to meet your needs. You'll be able to crop them, add text, designs, or even your company logo.

They offer many different plan options based on how many images you'll want access to each month. You can choose the option that works best with your budget and needs.

You'll find Shutterstock to be an incredible asset for all of your products that needs photographs or illustrations. Sign up for a plan now, so you can start finding the images you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Images Can I Use on My Website for Free?

There are many websites that offer stock photos. Most of these images can be used for free on a website.

What Is a Stock Photography Site?

Stock photo sites contain many images that you can use without paying royalties. You are free to use these photographs on your webpages or other documents without needing to give credit to the photographer or illustrator. They may also offer other images that you will need to pay to be able to use.

How Do I Choose the Right Image for My Website?

When designing your website, it is important to take time to choose the right images. The images on your site will be the first thing your customers see. You want to make a good first impression, so be sure to choose quality images that you want associated with your site. Finding original images that represent your audience is also important.

REFERENCE & RESOURCES


Official Top 5 Review Team
Official Top 5 Review Team

The Official Top 5 Review team is dedicated to testing and researching the top products available for many different industries. We do the research and testing so that you don't have to! We welcome you to provide your feedback on your experiences with any products that you have experience with.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Official Top 5 Review
Logo