The significance of images is undeniable. They can enhance engagement and create an exciting appeal in our text-heavy content.
However, getting professionally photographed shots isn’t a budget-friendly option for everyone. Alternatively, stock photos are readily available. Though most affordable stock photo platforms provide overused pictures, not every website falls under this category.
Finding the right website and optimizing images can reap fruitful outcomes. And this is what most businesses are doing these days.
You can also do the same as we are presenting some affordable stock photo sites. Keep reading!
1.) Shutterstock
Shutterstock is a reputable name in the stock photo industry. The site offers a tremendous collection of images, videos, music, and more. It has a massive number of users and contributors from various parts of the world.
It offers around 55000 images every day. Thus, finding new and relevant pictures is not a problem. Those concerned about exclusivity can also claim the exclusive right to use an image.
Why choose Shutterstock?
Below are some of the features that make Shutterstock the right choice:
- The image search option is excellent; you can select color, orientation, and category to save time.
- Another new feature called “Reverse Image” replaces the use of keywords for image searching. You can simply upload an image to find similar images.
- It has a separate section called “curated collection,” which shows all trending photos. The section makes it easier for beginners to have a look at popular photos.
- Shutterstock also provides an online editing option.
Pricing and Plans
Shutterstock offers various plans to cater to the need of every business. It has something for everyone, whether an entrepreneur or a well-established firm.
The website offers monthly plans with a flat fee and image limit. However, the on-demand plan is also present if you don’t want to download many photos. It has various packages, but the price rises as the number of images decreases.
Likewise, the Shutterstock Pro plan also presents multiple packages. Starting from 10 downloads, it goes up to 750 monthly images, costing just $249.
The Flex Plan is also available for $69/month. However, the discount is available for yearly subscribers and becomes $49/month.
2.) iStock
Another name on our list is iStock, which is one of the best websites for affordable pictures. Besides providing affordable stock pictures, it also lets you enjoy some exclusive discount offers. Not just this, you can also access weekly free images and videos.
The platform has an excellent collection of images, vectors, and videos. Even 4K and HD videos are available here. In short, the place is enough to fulfill all your visual needs.
Why choose iStock?
We should opt for iStock because of the following reasons:
- The site has a fantastic search engine. It presents relevant results within minutes.
- The website is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for first-time users.
- You have the facility to purchase even one picture.
- The quality of the images is extremely impressive.
Pricing and Plans
iStock presents the below three plans:
Basic
Premium
Premium + Video
The images on the site are categorized into two broad sections, Essentials and Signature.
Essential images are suitable for day-to-day image requirements, whereas signature images are premium in quality.
The basic plan gives you access to just essential images at $29/month for 10 downloads.
The premium plan provides essential and signature images at $70/month for the same number of downloads.
The most advanced premium+video plan lets us use images from both sections, videos, and music. The price is $99/month.
You can also roll over the unused pictures if you have enabled this option in your plan.
Payment Schedule
Selecting a suitable payment schedule is possible if you subscribe to a yearly plan. You have three options here:
– Total lump sum payment
– Monthly payments
– Quarterly payments
If you upgrade to a new plan, you will follow the same payment structure. But the site considers the time left for the repayment of your previous plan. If only a few months are left, you can change the structure if you want.
3.) Stock Photo Secrets
If you want to get detailed insights about stock photos, there is no better place than Stock Photo Secrets. The digital magazine provides complete news regarding all trending photos, reliable stock agencies, discount offers, and much more.
You can also purchase images at low costs directly from their Stock Photo Secrets Shop. They have a huge database of high-resolution pictures at pocket-friendly prices.
Why choose Stock Photo Secrets?
Some impressive features of the site include:
- The option to search through images is convenient and time-saving.
- Images are segmented into various categories visible on the front of the page, making it easier to find the right picture.
- Beginners can easily use the site; their FAQ section is divided into multiple categories.
- Every subscriber gets access to the entire image collection of the site.
Pricing and Plans
The basic plan of the site is called 99club. It is the cheapest plan that comes in just $99/year with no monthly download limits.
Besides this, two other plans of $389 and $999 per year are also available. You can utilize the unused downloads in both plans, so your money won’t get wasted.
Not just this, various image packs of 5, 10, and 15 images are also available. Or, if you need any tailored plan, go ahead and discuss it with their team. They are ready to offer customized plans to suit your business needs.
The same is the case with videos. Many tailored video plans are also there. Moreover, there are no hidden charges. You can download pictures in all sizes at the same price.
4.) Photocase
Photocase is another fantastic option for finding affordable stock images. Their team focus on providing high-quality and unique photos. Like others, they also have hundreds of contributors, but their selection criteria are strict.
That is why you will always find top-notch images on the site.
You won’t find any free photos here as such photos become overused. But they charge reasonable rates that fall within the budget of most businesses.
Why choose Photocase?
Out of many reasons to choose Photocase, a few of them are mentioned below:
- You can easily change or transfer the license at any time.
- The site’s home page displays the month’s best photos, making it easier to know about trending images.
- Lightbox enables the user to save all their favorite or similar photos together. This feature helps you edit all photos of a single project in one go.
Pricing and Plans
Photocase offers credit plans of various sizes. Each pack has a different price and discount percentage. As the size of the credit pack increases, the discount also increases. It means the more you buy, the cheaper it is.
The smallest credit pack is 25 credits with a 20% discount. Whereas the biggest pack is 1000 credits with a 45% discount offer.
Moreover, the price also varies according to the image size.
Small images: web-size images for $15 with 5 credits
Medium images: print size images for $30 with 10 credits
Large images: full-size images for $45 with 15 credits
Conclusion
Getting stock pictures is not difficult these days. Some sites even offer free photos. But who wants to use those commonly used pictures? Instead, getting access to high-quality photos and paying affordable prices is a wise decision.
The websites mentioned above are not too pricy. Most importantly, their pictures are licensed for commercial use and are the best in quality. Each site has different pricing and plans.
Whether you are a big-sized enterprise or just a start-up, you can subscribe to a suitable plan.
Remember, paying a few bucks is justifiable to get fully licensed visual content with enhanced quality!
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