Are you in need of high-quality stock footage for your next video project? Are you trying to find a good source for b-roll for your productions? Look no further! We have compiled a comprehensive list of the top 20 best stock video sites that you can access today. Whether you’re a filmmaker, advertiser, or editor, these sites offer a wide range of stock footage options to meet your creative needs.
For your convenience we provide a quick overview of each site, explain their pros and cons, and provide their pricing model. Our list includes both: paid and free stock footage sites. Scroll down and take a look at the best video libraries out there. Choose what’s best for your project and budget.
Contents
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a well-known name in the stock video world and is an excellent option for finding high-quality stock footage. With a vast library of over 29 million clips, Shutterstock offers a great variety of footage in both HD and 4K resolutions. Their intelligent search engine allows you to easily find videos that match your specific criteria. Pricing options include a la carte purchases or video bundle packs for frequent users.
In terms of pricing, Shutterstock offers ondemand prices for stock video (from $79 per clip) to the all-in-one subscription that supposes that you buy credits and use these credits across the multiple asset types like images, videos, music.
Pros:
- Huge video library with over 20 million clips
- Intelligent search engine for easy navigation
- Video search by image
- Over 15 million video clips in 4K
Cons:
- Credit pricing may be confusing
Getty Images
Getty Images has been an industry leader for over 25 years and is one of the top choices for those seeking a wide selection of traditional media. In addition to their partnerships with a lot of small stock video sites worldwide, Getty also collaborates with renowned brands like National Geographic and Time Magazine. They offer both commercial and editorial licenses, allowing for a range of usage rights. You should also know that Getty’s premium quality comes at a higher price point compared to some other sites.
Pros:
- Offers both commercial and editorial licenses
- Wide selection of premium-quality footage
- Simple user interface
Cons:
- Higher purchase rates compared to other sites
- No video subscription available
Pond 5
Pond5 is an excellent budget-friendly option for video producers. With over 4 million high-quality video clips available, Pond5 offers a vast library of footage in various styles, themes, and formats. Their flexible royalty-free license allows for multiple uses of footage with one payment. While they don’t offer extended licenses for additional rights, Pond5 provides monthly and annual subscription plans that offer great value for frequent users.
Even though Shutterstock acquired Pond5 in 2022, the site is functioning as a standalone entity with its own pipeline of contributors. Plus, the pricing model is different from Shutterstock’s.
Pros:
- Vast video library with over 4 million clips
- Reasonable pricing and licenses
- Includes royalty-free licensing
Cons:
- No extended licenses available
Adobe Stock
For filmmakers already using Adobe products, Adobe Stock is a seamless option. Integrated with Adobe’s creative cloud resources, Adobe Stock allows you to search, license, and download content directly into Adobe’s video editing apps. All of their content is HD quality and available for a flat fee. Adobe Stock offers a range of enhanced licenses that provide users with access to the material they buy forever, without distribution limits.
Pricing wise, the more videos you consume per month, the less expensive it gets per clip. See below.
Pros:
- Can search directly in Adobe software
- Range of enhanced video licenses
- Good selection of video footage
Cons:
- Basic search function, difficult to find what you need.
iStock
iStock, a subsidiary of Getty Images, is a well-known stock photography website that also offers a vast library of stock video footage. With a range of payment options available, including subscriptions, single-fee purchases, and credit packs, iStock caters to a wide range of customers. Their licensing options allow for both commercial and private use of the video clips, with extended licenses available for additional rights. New customers get a discount!
Pros:
- Owned by reputable Getty Images
- Range of payment methods, including subscriptions
- Multiple licensing options
Cons:
- Unlimited plan is a little expensive
Storyblocks
Storyblocks is a great option for content creators, particularly YouTubers, who need access to a variety of video elements. In addition to a vast library of video clips, Storyblocks offers templates, transitions, and animated backgrounds that can enhance video productions. Their subscription plans provide unlimited access to video downloads, making it a cost-effective option for those who require frequent access to high-quality footage.
Pros:
- Includes Adobe After Effects templates
- Range of subscription and licensing plans
- Unlimited access subscriptions available
Cons:
- Price for business use is not readily available
Filmsupply
Filmsupply stands out in the cohort of stock video sites due to how it sources its stock footage. This site works directly with filmmakers and allows to license not only clips but entire films. All the video content is cinematic in 4K and even 6K. RAW/LOG is also available. With this high production value, the price is also higher than elsewhere.
Pros:
- Cinematic footage
- You can license an entire film
- Footage available in rare formats
Cons:
- More expensive footage
- No video subscription available
Artlist.io
Artlist.io is a go-to place to get creative assets at a low cost. They don’t focus only on stock videos, but rather give an all-in-one experience for creatives. For one low monthly fee you can get access to royalty-free music, SFX, stock footage as well as templates.
If you only need Footage, the price is affordable, but the plans are all annual (billed for 12 months upfront).
Pros:
- All-in-one packages including video
- Unlimited video subscription
Cons:
- Less variety in the video library
- Non-intuitive video search (no custom filters)
Envato Video
Envato Elements, a spinoff of the popular Envato Marketplace for Creatives, is probably the best place for cost efficiency when it comes to creative stock assets. Only free sites can beat Envato’s pricing model. From $17/month you can have access to the wealth of the Envato world, including stock footage. Currently, the library has close to 3 million video clips. The majority of the clips are in 4K.
Pros:
- Solid selection of stock videos
- Intelligent search engine for easy navigation
- Great selection of 4K videos
Cons:
- Unfriendly interface
- The quality of the videos may not be the best at times
Motion Array
Motion Array is a popular site that was mostly focused on motion graphics in the past. These days you can also find a solid stock video library on this site. Motion Array offers unlimited video subscriptions at an affordable price. The majority of their stock footage are in 4K.
Pros:
- Solid video library divided by themes
- Great selection of 4K footage
- Unlimited video subscription available
- Affordable
Cons:
- No intelligent video search on the site. Custom filterning not available.
Videezy
Videezy is a free stock video website that offers a wide range of clips for beginner producers. But you can also get more from their library when you go with their Pro subscriptions. With a user-friendly website and a good mix of high-quality videos and photographs, Videezy is a helpful resource for artists working with a limited budget. The content on Videezy is protected under Creative Commons, making it free to use without the need for attribution to the original creator. The Pro plans allow more for commercial use.
Pros:
- Affordable Pro plans
- Easy-to-use website
- Good variance of clip categories
Cons:
- Footage lacks variety
- No 4K footage available in the Free tier
Motion Elements
Motion Elements offers a vast library of over 2 million video clips, making it a great platform for creative video making. Their collection includes stock footage, motion graphics, and music tracks, providing content creators with a wide range of options to enhance their videos. Motion Elements also offers effects and templates for Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects, allowing for easy integration into existing projects. They don’t have any complex pricing models. You can get access to their library for one low monthly fee.
Pros:
- Large library of over 2 million clips
- Motion graphics and music tracks available
- Easy-to-use website
Cons:
- No extended licenses available
Dissolve
Dissolve is a stock video website that caters to high-end video production. With a large library of 4K clips and a user-friendly interface, Dissolve provides content creators with access to high-quality footage. Their licensing options include standard, plus, and rights-managed licenses. This allows for different levels of usage rights. While Dissolve’s pricing may be higher compared to some other sites, the quality of their videos makes it worthwhile for those seeking premium content.
Pros:
- Large library of 4K clips
- User-friendly interface
- Range of licensing options
Cons:
- Higher prices compared to some other sites
Videvo
Videvo is a free stock video website that offers over 500,000 clips, as well as motion graphics and music tracks. With an easy-to-use website and a variety of clip categories, Videvo is a great resource for beginner producers looking to experiment with creative videos. While attribution to the original creator is required for free clips, Videvo also offers premium subscription plans for those who want to remove the attribution and access additional features.
Pros:
- Over 500,000 clips available
- Motion graphics and music tracks included
- Easy-to-use website
Cons:
- Clips must be attributed
- Footage lacks variety
Pixabay
Pixabay offers a vast library of free stock videos, images, and music tracks. With a simple search function and a wide range of categories, Pixabay makes it easy to find the content you need for your projects. All of their content is released under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, allowing for unrestricted use without the need for attribution.
Pros:
- Free stock videos, images, and music tracks
- Simple search function
- Released under Creative Commons Zero license
Cons:
- Footage lacks variety
Mixkit
Mixkit is a free stock video website that offers a variety of high-quality clips in different categories. Their content is free to use, even for commercial purposes, without the need for attribution. With a simple search function and a user-friendly interface, Mixkit makes it easy to find and download the footage you need for your projects. We analyzed Mixkit’s content and find it useful if you are not a sophisticated creator.
Pros:
- Free stock videos
- No attribution required
- Simple search function
Cons:
- Limited content compared to some other sites
- Very popular, which means its free videos may be overused
Coverr
Coverr is a free stock video website that provides beautiful, high-quality footage for use in commercial projects. Their library is updated regularly with new videos, covering a wide range of categories. With a simple search function and a user-friendly website, Coverr makes it easy to find the perfect footage for your projects.
Pros:
- Free stock videos for commercial use
- Regularly updated library
- Simple search function
Cons:
- Limited content compared to some other sites
- 4K not available under the Free tier
Mazwai
Mazwai is a curated collection of free stock videos that offers a unique selection of visually stunning footage. Their library includes a wide range of categories, from nature and landscapes to lifestyle and technology. While their collection may be smaller compared to some other sites, Mazwai provides high-quality videos that can add a touch of elegance to your projects.
Pros:
- Curated collection of visually stunning videos
- Wide range of categories
- High-quality footage for free
Cons:
- Limited content compared to some other sites
Freepik
Freepik is another free site that decided to expand its reach by providing stock footage to the creative community. The site offers a combination of free videos and unlimited subscription at a low price. For now their stock video library is relatively small, only 30 thousand clips, but it’s growing.
Pros:
- Affordable price
- Wide range of categories
- High-quality footage
Cons:
- Very limited content
- Poor video search
123RF
123RF is a well-known stock image library. They also have a productive stock footage section on the site. You have access to over 3 million video clips in their video library. There are over 1 million clips in 4K. The site does not have a video subscription, so you can only license videos through their credit packs.
Pros:
- Good selection of 4K footage
- Good video search with custom filters available
Cons:
- No video subscription
- Lack of fresh footage in the mix
Conclusion
In conclusion, these top 20 stock video sites offer a wide range of options for finding high-quality footage for your video projects – paid and free. Whether you’re looking for budget-friendly options, seamless integration with your NLE, or a vast library of clips, there’s a site on this list for you. Explore these sites and find the perfect stock videos to enhance your creative work. Our pro tip: Remember to check the licensing options and choose the one that best suits your needs.