RP Staff on June 17, 2025, 12:38 am

9 Must-Try Stock Photography Sites For Creators

Explore the best stock photography websites for creators. From free to premium, these top nine platforms offer high-quality, diverse visuals to boost your creative projects.

Top 9 Stock Photography Sites for Creators

Close shot of a happy young woman

Every creator knows that good content is nothing without a good image. The right photo can elevate your work, just as a bad one can ruin it. This is why choosing a reliable photography source is essential.

If you want your image to stand out, here are nine of the best stock photography sites available online. From free to premium, these platforms offer a wide range of high-quality pictures to suit all your creative needs.

Best paid stock photography sites

1. Depositphotos

With over 310 million files, Depositphotos is one of the biggest and most popular stock photo sites on the web. There, you will find everything you need to bring your creative projects to life—royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, music tracks, and sound effects. What’s more, the platform offers thousands of free files for those on a budget.

To make image search easier, Depositphotos offers advanced filters and AI-powered search. You have over ten different sorting options to choose from, including image orientation, point of view, number of people, color, season, time of day, and more. But if you have a specific photo, you can use the Reverse Image Search feature to find a similar, licensed picture in the library.

What makes Depositphotos so special is their unwavering commitment to quality and unique approach to content curation. Their team carefully selects image and video files to create thematic stock content collections for their clients. Depositphotos also contributes to the creative community by publishing seasonal color trend reports and annual creative trend forecasts.

2. Alamy

Alamy ranks second among top stock image sites due to its large visual library and user-friendly platform. It offers over 400 million stock files, including photos, illustrations, 360° panoramic images, vectors, and videos.

In 2023, the platform signed an exclusive agreement with the Associated Press, giving customers in the UK and Ireland access to 18 million contemporary and archive news images. From culture and sports to news and current events, Alamy users have the opportunity to purchase photographs from Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers.

3. Vecteezy

Content creators interested in bundle and collection downloads often choose Vecteezy. It’s not the biggest stock image site on the web, but it still offers a wide selection of high-quality content for graphic designers and other content creators. On Vecteezy, you’ll find 50 million stock files, including photos, vectors, PNGs, templates, videos, and motion graphics.

Top free stock photography websites

1. Unsplash

If you don’t have a budget for visual material, you don’t have to hunt for alternatives to stock photography. Many stock photo sites offer free content, with Unsplash being one of the most popular options. It is the largest free stock photo site, featuring over six million curated photos and illustrations suitable for commercial and non-commercial purposes.

Although Unsplash encourages its users to credit the authors of images, it is not required. However, you’re responsible for checking whether the pictures you use contain any logos or trademarks that may require permission from the owner.

2. Pexels

Pexels is another noteworthy stock image website offering high-quality content for a variety of creative needs. It contains over three million stock photos and videos, all free to use for both personal and commercial projects.

Since the platform focuses exclusively on photography and video, it’s a great fit for content creators, including bloggers, influencers, and marketers who need ready-made visual solutions. That said, it’s not ideal for designers looking for illustrations, vector graphics, or 3D elements, as those types of assets aren’t available on the site.

3. Pixabay

Last but not least, Pixabay—a well-known stock content platform with a diverse library of royalty-free files. It offers photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, music tracks, sound effects, and even GIFs for free. What’s more, these creative assets can be used in your personal and commercial work.

With no licensing fees or attribution required, Pixabay is a convenient option for anyone looking to add visuals to their project. You can choose from over five million files and download them in various sizes to suit your creative needs.

Best stock content sites with premium stock images

1. Death to Stock Photo

Death to Stock Photo offers premium stock photography you won’t find on typical stock sites. Their 10,000 photo and video collection is thoughtfully curated and includes unique, artist-driven visuals. Access to the company’s stock content is available through a monthly subscription, making it a great option for those who value originality over volume.

2. Haute Stock

Haute Stock is a premium stock photography site built specifically for women entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners. It contains over 11,000 exclusive stock photos and high-quality stock footage. You’ll also find thousands of design assets and marketing templates on Haute Stock.

Haute Stock’s visuals are known for their clean, modern, and feminine aesthetic. As such, they will be suitable for companies that focus on lifestyle, wellness, coaching, fashion, design, and e-commerce content.

3. Creative Market

Creative Market is a stock content marketplace that offers a vast selection of premium stock photos and high-quality design assets. It serves as a hub for graphic designers, marketers, and content creators looking for various visual resources, from photos, illustrations, and vectors to fonts, templates, and 3D assets.

Contributors on Creative Market can set their own prices and keep 70% of each sale, making it one of the highest-paying stock photo sites. Despite the high price, this platform is worth the investment for those looking to elevate their projects with premium visuals. This aligns with a Venngage report, which found that 34% of marketers say stock photos are their top-performing visual content.

Closing notes

No matter your visual style or budget, these nine stock photography sites will help bring your biggest ideas to life. So, be sure to check them all out to find the perfect images for your next project.