New 2024 Approved Say Goodbye to Stock Photo Fees Free Commercial Image Alternatives

Isabella Lv12

2024-04-29 12:49:30 2024-04-29 12:49:30 Created 2024-04-30 12:49:30 2024-04-30 12:49:30 Updated

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Say Goodbye to Stock Photo Fees: Free Commercial Image Alternatives

Did you know that some of the world’s most iconic advertisements use stock images for commercial use? For example, AlamapBBDO, a Brazilian ad agency, used stock photos from Getty Images to create their Endless Possibilities campaign in 2016. The advertising campaign combined photos of random people’s faces to recreate portraits of famous people such as the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis.

Most creative agencies prefer altering stock images in most of their work. This is because it allows them to create campaigns for different companies much faster at affordable costs. Keep reading to find out how to get free images for commercial use in your next project.

Part 1: Download images in loyalty-free sites

Several sites offer free images for commercial use as part of their services. In addition, you do not need to register an account to download the images. The sites typically rely on user contributions and content teams to ensure their databases are fresh and maintain consistent quality. Furthermore, all creative assets they offer fall under the creative commons zero license or a variation of it. Here are some of the sites that offer you images for commercial use for free.

1. Pexels

Pexels.com is a free-to-use provider of high-resolution photos and videos for aspiring creators. The German-based website was started in 2014 by two brothers and has been under the Canva umbrella since 2018.

Currently, the website hosts over 3.2 million images and videos from over 250,000 active contributors. In addition, all the material you find in its library is under the Pexels license, which slightly varies from the creative commons zero license model. Some of the restrictions it enforces include:

You can only use pexels images for commercial use after making alterations to the original image. For example, you can use part of an image to create a collage for your commercial branding.
Furthermore, you cannot use any of the website’s content to promote political ideologies and explicit content, especially if the images contain identifiable subjects.

Pexels is available through the following channels:

Your web browser by typing the URL pexels.com.
The Android and iOS app.
A plugin for other content creation software such as Google Slides and MS Office.
An extension on your Chrome browser.
You can also access the database using the official Canva app.

2. Unsplash

Another website that offers free images for commercial use is Unsplash, a subsidiary of Getty Images since 2021. The website is a favorite among creators boasting over 16 billion photo impressions monthly. In addition, the database consists of over 3.48 million photos from more than 265,000 unique contributors, all under the Unsplash license.

The Unsplash license restricts the sale of its creative assets without incorporating new creative elements, including using them in print media and physical goods such as mugs and caps.

You can access Unsplash from your web browser or request API integration for your application from the site’s owners. In addition, the site also hosts photo walks across different cities, where Unsplash guides show you the best photo locations around the city and the best camera techniques for your work. Some cities to host the event include Boston, Montreal, Tokyo, and Toronto.

3. Freerange

Freerange Stock is an online resource for photos, illustrations, and textures you can download and use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Since 2007, the site has continued to provide high-quality images to its community of over 800,000 registered users.

Unlike the previous examples, all content on Freerange falls under the website’s Equalicense. It grants you broad commercial rights of its stock images while allowing the contributors to retain control of their copyright, image resale, and distribution. As such, you cannot use the images for bulk distribution or print-on-demand works.

Freerange Stock maintains its steady supply of images for commercial use via the following methods:

It has an in-house team of professional photographers who upload images across the different categories on the website.
Freerange Stock also purchases image rights or directly commissions photos from independent creators.
You can also contribute to the website’s library by voluntarily submitting your work to the platform. Kindly note that you will need a verified account to enable this function.
The website also works directly with photographers through a licensing and distribution model, providing them extra exposure on the site.
Finally, Freerange stock aggregates public domain images from other sources, including similar sites and government institutions. It does so by acknowledging the image owner and sometimes lists the image source when the owner is unknown.

Freerange Stock is accessible through your web browser or as an API integration on your app.

4. Vecteezy

Vecteezy is an extensive online library of free stock images for commercial use. Some of the site’s highlight features include the following:

A best-in-class search engine that incorporates multiple filters to ensure your results are extremely accurate. For example, you can sort images by color, style, number of people, and age of the subjects, something other free stock websites do not provide.
All images, videos, and vector illustrations are free for personal and commercial uses. It does so through a property sign and release model with its extensive network of contributors, which protects users from any legal liabilities.
Finally, it employs a content team that manually reviews each photo submission to ensure consistent quality standards for its offerings.

In addition, you can also purchase design resource bundles by subscribing to its Vecteezy pro for as little as $9 monthly. Some of the resources available include the Ultimate Text Effects Layer Styles Bundle for Photoshop, which costs $39 stand-alone or $4.50 when you subscribe to pro.

Part 2: Buy from stock providers

Another way to get images for commercial use is by buying them from stock providers. Some of the benefits of buying images from stock providers include:

You get a wide selection of unique photos from top-tier photographers. Stock providers always seek collaborations with the industry’s finest to edge out the competition.
You receive exemplary customer service with your purchase. Selecting the right image can be confusing for amateur creators. As such, stock image providers have customer support channels to help you throughout your creative process.
Stock images reduce your delivery times significantly. Buying images from a stock provider eliminates the need to invest in photography equipment and the time you need for post-production. As such, you can deliver projects in a fast and cost-effective way.

Despite the above positive, here are some challenges that buying stock images may present:

Not all stock image providers will have the creative assets you need.
Image overuse is likely since every creator will rush for the most popular contributor.

Below are some of the stock image providers you should consider.

1. iStock

iStockphoto.com is an online database of creative resources, including royalty-free photos, videos, audio, illustrations, and clip art you can use in your creations. The website is a Getty Images subsidiary based in Calgary, Canada. In addition, contributors earn royalties depending on how often users download their content.

2. Alamy.com

Alamy.com is a British-owned stock image provider with contributions from photographers and agencies in 173 countries. It compensates its contributors by offering higher than average payouts every time users download their creations. Some popular brands to use Alamy’s services include M&C Saatchi, Microsoft, and The Economist.

Part 3: Shot a Photo by yourself or create one with editing tools

Alternatively, you can get images for commercial use by shooting them yourself or creating them with editing tools such as Figma and Wondershare’s Filmstock. Here are some benefits of using this method:

You get exactly what you want, provided you have the required skills and equipment. Sometimes, getting the right image for your commercial purpose can be challenging. As such, shooting an original photo may be the only option.
You have full ownership of the image.

Unlike obtaining images from stock photography websites, you are free to use the image in whatever capacity you please without any restrictions. For example, sites such as Unsplash do not allow you to use their images in political statements, a restriction you can bypass when using your own creations.

However, you should also consider the following factors when using this method.

It requires a substantial investment

Getting high-quality images for commercial purposes requires specialist equipment. For example, the Panasonic LUMIX GH6 camera, which has 4K resolution capability, costs $2,197 on Amazon. This makes it extremely expensive for amateur creators.

There is a steep learning curve

Becoming a professional photographer takes time and effort. Unless you are creating as a hobby, it will be a while before you can start generating income from your creations.

Part 4: FAQs

1. Do you need a contributor account to get images for commercial use?

Not necessarily. Stock image sites like pexels.com allow you to download images from their website without creating an account. You will only need one if you want to showcase your work on the platform.

2. Can you use your smartphone to get images for commercial use?

Yes. Most stock image providers have device-specific apps that allow you to access their databases from your mobile device. For example, UnsplashPhotoPicker allows you access to the Unsplash library from your Android device.

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Transform Your 3GP Videos: Top Free Rotation Software Compared

Top 5 Best Video Editing Apps for iPhone in 2024

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

An iPhone is a top user choice because it can perform time-intensive tasks without any hassle. We all are inclined to make digital content as it is an easy means to earn money and showcase our creative side. Are you able to film with your iPhone but do not know how to edit on it? You can easily edit on iPhone if you have the right editing apps with excellent mobile compatibility. Stay tuned to learn about 5 iPhone video editor apps that will make editing a smooth process. Let’s begin!

Part 1: Best Video Editing Apps for iPhone
Part 2: Edit Video on Desktop with Filmora

Part 1: Best Video Editing Apps for iPhone

Want to know some of the best editing apps for iPhone that can help you make attractive videos? Here you can learn about some tips and tricks to excel at YouTubing or making TikTok videos. Read more to turn your wish turn into reality:

1. Filmora - Easy-to-use and Powerful

Filmora is the best iPhone video editor app with no watermark, which is generally an issue with most video editing apps. It has a simple interface and is easy to use for beginners. Furthermore, it has many excellent features to make your video look professional such as trimming, adding transitions, adding captions, filters, etc. You can preview every single segment before saving it.

Moreover, you can edit the video and feature top-notch quality videos for your audience! It edits videos with 4K quality and offers multiple add-on options such as adding emojis, filters, text, background music, and changing background. Its intuitive interface makes editing simpler using powerful built-in tools. One of the best things about Filmora is importing custom music and adding it to any video segment. Sharing through Filmora is effortless; you can share it on various platforms directly or save it on your phone.

Additionally, the recent update from Filmora brings the plenty of new features including AR stickers, GIFs, and weekly cloud-based update. A rick integrated stock library helps you access a massive collection of GIFs and pictures from Unsplash, GIPHY and Pixabay.

Price: The monthly paid Filmora plan costs USD 6.99, and the annual plan costs USD 32.99.

Pros:

Trim, transfer, and filter
4K HD video editing software
Intuitive interface
Cloud based weekly update
Massive collection of AR stickers, and GIFs

Cons:

The free version has a watermark

2. iMovie - Friendly for Beginner

The iMovie video editing app is specially developed for iOS devices and is super easy to use, making it ideal for beginners. The intuitive touch gestures and a robust assortment of editing features make it worthy of editing professional videos. Moreover, a user can use the app to create both long and short aesthetic videos. What’s crazy about this app is that it has 13 custom-designed Apple filters that make your video shots look flawless from all angles. It has eight unique themes and templates. It allows adding a solid or gradient background to videos.

Editing with iMovie becomes even simpler because it has 80 songs in the library; you do not have to pay to buy tracks. iMovie offers all essential features for free such as trimming options, transitions, filters, music, animated titles, themes, etc. Adding slow motion to your videos according to your pace choice has never been accessible before. On the other hand, a user can Airdrop videos, save them on Google Drive or iCloud for sharing or future use. The 4K quality remains intact even after downloading or sharing on various social media platforms. You know where to head when you want to make an adorable video to engage with your audience or grow your audience- iMovie has got you covered!

Price: iMovie is free iOS software; hence, a win-win situation for iPhone users.

Pros:

13 custom-designed Apple filters
80 free songs
4K video quality
Eight unique themes

Cons:

Works with only codec MP4 files

3. Quik - Best for Editing GoPro Video

Quik is a great iPhone video editor which works ideally to edit GoPro footage. The fast-paced editing capability of Quik impresses most professionals as well as beginners, especially the ones looking for a user-friendly iPhone editing app. Moving further, it does not fail to impress users with its outstanding splice feature. It is easier to merge videos by adding transitions in the middle. Twenty-four different presets help users to easily edit 4K quality videos without putting in much effort.

Here’s a crazy thing to note; you can add GIFs, emojis, and random texts to make your video more fun. It is super easy to eliminate extra footage, add voiceover, add slow-motion, and fasten a video. It has all the basic yet powerful features one needs to make a video look striking and attractive. The functionality to edit photos also makes it a multi-purpose app.

Price: Quik provides a free trial to a user, but it charges $1.99 a month and $9.99 annually after the trial is over.

Pros:

24 presets
Splice videos
Smooth transition
Cut extra footage

Cons:

Allows to edit 50 photos/videos

4. LumaFusion - Professional Editor for iPhone

LumaFusion is an iPhone video editor app that you can use to edit videos on the go. Isn’t it exciting to be able to edit professional videos through your iPhone? LumaFusion is known for its intense video stabilization feature through which you can eliminate shakiness from the footage. The powerful editing tools help you edit multiple segments of 4K videos.

You can resize, reframe, slow down, fasten, merge and cut out the video. It supports 10-bit HDR video export from iPhone easily. The zoom feature enables you to notice even the smallest detail in the video. It is super easy to refine the video and make it flawless according to your needs. The pre-built templates make it easier for users to edit intros, reels, Instagram stories, etc.

Price: Apple offers an in-app purchase of LumaFusion for $29.99. It is a one-time purchase; you can use it for free after that. However, you can also subscribe to storyblocks for Lumafusion for $69.99 annually and $9.99 monthly.

Pros:

10-bit HDR video export
Edit 4K videos
Easy to share
Change video speed

Cons:

No iCloud synchronization

5. Adobe Premiere Rush - Ideal Choice for YouTubers

Adobe Premiere Rush is great for YouTubers who want to produce content quickly without compromising on quality. The powerful tools within the app help in creating interactive and aesthetic content for all social media platforms. The built-in functionality of a camera helps you to record and edit on the go. The app has built-in royalty-free music, which you can add to different video segments to add life to it. Using pictures-in-picture features, animated graphics, overlays, and blurring, you can make your video look highly professional.

The premium features such as automatic defect and repetition detection help saving time for rewatching edited footage. The AI Sensei and auto-ducking feature help in balancing the sound. The sound automatically decreases to highlight dialogues. Adobe Premiere Rush is made for editing videos to be shared on social media. It allows the readjustment of frames to enhance its visibility on social media. The app makes it easy to share edited videos on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in just one click.

Price: Adobe Premiere Rush costs $9.99 per month and gives you access to all the premium features.

Pros:

Auto-ducking
Royalty-free music
Automatic problem detection
Share on social media directly

Cons:

No green screen feature

Part 2: Edit Video on Desktop with Filmora

Besides using an iPhone video editor to edit on the phone, you can also try desktop applications such as Filmora to edit videos on laptop . Filmora supports Mac and Windows while the Filmora is an app for iOS as well as Android. It has powerful video editing features and 300+ phenomenal effects at your disposal. YouTubers will find this app super convenient to edit videos and upload quickly. You must be wondering about its features; here are some:

1. Professional editing tools

Filmora allows you to edit professional videos by providing features such as zoom-in, zoom-out, blur, reverse audio, adding screenshots, and screen recording. Basic features such as trimming, merging, rotating, splitting merging, etc., are ideal for beginners. A user has the full ability to manage audio and video speed.

2. Video Effects

Additionally, Filmora desktop video editor supports many formats and provides advanced tools to accomplish your goals.

3. Audio tuning

Music makes a video more attractive and gets a user to stay. Through Filmora, users can edit sound also to make it sharper, remove background noise, make music fade-in or fade-out, etc. It adds more emotions and attractiveness to a video.

4. Intensify colors

Filmora has basic color gradient features through which a user can intensify video colors. It has LUT 3D effects through which you can balance out colors, add more cool or warm impact to a video.

Conclusion

There are many iPhone video editor apps available, but not all provide value to you. A good video editor app within your phone ensures that you can produce content on the go anywhere. Keeping your needs in mind, we have mentioned five of our top choices with great features. These apps do not only have outstanding features, but they are also relatively easier to use. All of the powerful editing features within these apps are ideal for creating professional videos that attract the audience. It is on you to use these apps to their maximum potential to generate content that helps you grow.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox