Finding high-quality stock video online can be an essential component of transforming a good project into a great one. But with so many choices out there, it can be hard to pick the best site for your needs. Read on for our guide to the best stock video sites in 2026, which includes both free and paid options.
Advantages of Stock Video Sites
When it comes to creating engaging, attention-grabbing content, video is king. But shooting original footage is costly and time consuming, and requires a skilled practitioner to do well, so it’s not always in the budget. Stock video sites provide access to high-quality clips, often created by professionals, which can be seamlessly incorporated into any type of project for a fraction of the cost of camera equipment and a crew to operate it.
Stock footage can also be a timesaver, allowing users to get a shot of something that would have been impossible to create on their own. Let’s say you need aerial footage of a Hawaiian beach. One option is to buy a camera-equipped drone and book a flight to Maui. Or, you can scroll countless pages of pre-made, royalty-free video clips of exactly what you’re looking for, uploaded by professional creators.
Much of the content found on stock video sites is up to professional standards, including HD, 4K, and even 8K, which means no matter what sort of look you’re attempting to achieve, there should be ample options at your disposal.
Stock video sites also can be a lifesaver when working on a deadline, especially if your footage gets lost or corrupted. They’re an invaluable resource for finding the perfect clips to replace what you lost, which could save a costly or time-consuming reshoot.
What are the criteria we used to determine best stock video sites?
Content creators today have more options than ever when it comes to telling richer, more engaging stories through the use of stock footage. But so much choice can sometimes be overwhelming. Ahead, we’ll attempt to identify what makes a stock video site rise above its peers.
Free vs paid websites
Stock video websites break down along two distinct lines: free and paid. Paid sites typically offer a handful of options, from subscription-based models where users can download videos for a monthly or annual fee, to pay-per-video plans where users select and pay for clips a la carte.
Paid sites often have more extensive content libraries, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the best option for all creators. A lot of paid sites offer some free selections as well, but their business models are usually ultimately geared towards subscriptions or fees.
License terms
Many sites provide vast galleries of free, high-quality video clips that are license-cleared to use both commercially or personally, without paying royalties. Photographers and videographers often upload their work to these sites, offering license-free use of their creations in exchange for the exposure boost. Understanding the licensing rules for the stock footage you use is important to avoid getting hit with a costly copyright penalty.
Many free sites release footage under Creative Commons Zero, which means users don’t have to seek permission to alter the original, or even credit the creator (though it’s always appreciated). These clips can be found in almost any category you can think of, from travel and lifestyle, to business, sports, and even animation and aerial drone footage. Sites offering a wider variety of stock video categories tended to rank higher on our list.
Other factors considered
When determining which stock video sites made the cut for our list, we looked at a combination of factors. For instance, the size of their content libraries. Some sites have millions of stock video clips available, while others’ take a narrower, more focused approach. We also looked at how much variety sites have in their clip selection, both in subject matter and quality. Flexibility in use and licensing was another important factor that weighed on our decision making.
The rise of stock video sites means it’s never been easier or more affordable for creators to find just the footage they need to make their project shine. Read on for some of the very best.
Top 10 paid stock video site list
The following 10 paid stock video websites are the ones we felt had the most to offer when it comes to selection and quality. Some offer one-off pricing as well as subscriptions, and many also offer large royalty-free content libraries of their own.
1. Storyblocks
With over 3 million royalty-free stock videos in 8K, 4K or HD spanning multiple categories and over 10 million stock assets in total, Storyblocks is one of the best one-stop-shops for your stock footage needs. From aerials to green screens, vertical video and more, you’ll find everything you need to create professional quality videos. All of their plans also offer unlimited downloads, so you can create with complete freedom.
None of the assets in Storyblocks’ library are created with generative AI – you can read their full AI Transparency Statement here. Instead, every single asset in their library is created by a professional artist, making them one of the few 100% human-made stock libraries available. Because of that, every asset downloaded helps support an artist’s work, and helps them keep doing what they love.
To simplify your editing workflow, the Storyblocks plugin for Adobe Creative Cloud is included with every subscription and brings their entire library right into Premiere Pro or After Effects. They also offer an AI Toolkit with Video Editing (powered by Runway’s Aleph), Image Generator, Video Generator, and Voiceover (powered by ElevenLabs), which can help you create videos faster. On top of all that, Storyblocks also offers a huge array of time-saving pre-made custom templates for DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Apple Motion.
Their focus on supporting artists and authentic human content goes beyond typical stock. Re:Stock is an initiative from Storyblocks that prioritizes adding authentic, diverse, and representative content to their library. Created based on member feedback, Re:Stock commissions talented artists from around the world to create exclusive footage collections you’ll only find in the Storyblocks library.
As a bonus, all of Storyblocks’ stock music is 100% exclusive to our library, including their own Storyblocks Label, to help give your videos the perfect soundtrack you won’t hear anywhere else.
Storyblocks offers plans based on Individual or Business licensing needs, with a number of subscription plans available to suit any budget. Plans also include access to Storyblocks’ own video editing tool, Maker. A Storyblocks subscription not only gives you access to their unrivaled video library, but their audio and image libraries as well.
“Storyblocks is an incredible platform, offering not only high-quality assets but also outstanding customer service. I highly recommend Storyblocks for anyone seeking reliable content and a team that truly cares about its users.” – Trustpilot User
2. Shutterstock
Shutterstock is one of the oldest and most popular stock video platforms, boasting one of the largest libraries of professionally-created videos on our list. It offers one-time purchases and monthly subscription plans for 5, 10, or 20 video downloads per month. They also have an unlimited plan option, though daily download limits are capped at 100 and you can only download from part of their library. With each subscription, users can choose between SD, HD, and 4K clips in a dizzying array of footage categories, including aerial, time-lapse, and animation.
Shutterstock subscriptions are specific to single-users only and include their standard license. This means it only covers social media, live performances, and websites with an audience of 500,000 people or less. However, it wasn’t clear whether this means daily, weekly, monthly etc., so reach out to Shutterstock support for clarification as it’s an important distinction. To see more details about Shutterstock, read our full breakdown here.
Video plans include a standard license, but enhanced licenses are available as an add-on purchase. This enhanced license gives you unlimited use of their assets on websites, as well as unlimited distribution for web, social media, apps, TV, online video, film, and more. However, the Shutterstock website doesn’t say exactly how much the enhanced license add-on costs.
3. Pond5
Shutterstock sub-brand Pond5 offers more than 48 million stock video clips for personal and professional use, with simple licensing and worldwide distribution. Pond5 offers a number of payment options, including per-download, monthly or annual subscription plans. But be aware: access to the video library specifically is only available in their highest-tier subscription plan.
Also available are pre-paid credit packs that can be spent like cash and include bonus discounts on future purchases. However, keep in mind that credit packs expire after one year. Worth noting is an interesting feature which lets you upload a video file and view search results of available similar footage.
Pond5 subscriptions don’t include everything in their library, but annual subscription plans give you a discount on any additional assets you purchase. You can learn more about how Pond5’s plans stack up to Storyblocks in our comparison post.
4. Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock’s massive library includes over 40 million high-quality video clips from HD to 4K, spanning just about any category of footage you could name. About 16 million assets in their library are generative AI content. It provides curated asset collections around various themes to spark inspiration and showcase its offerings in a unique way.
Clips can be purchased individually, and paid plans are available for individuals, teams, or enterprise users on an annual or month-by-month basis. Users can also purchase prepaid credit packs for additional savings.
Get more details on Adobe Stock’s plans in our Storyblocks vs Adobe Stock post.
5. iStock
Founded in 2000 and called iStockphoto until its 2013 acquisition by Getty Images, iStock has a large and growing library of royalty-free stock video footage. It has a global network of content contributors including over 300,000 curators and creators. Its premium “Signature” collection includes trending visuals exclusive to iStock. Pricing is available annually or via monthly plans ranging from 10 all the way up to 750 downloads per month. You can also search its library for similar content by uploading your own image or video file.
iStock video content is only available with their most expensive subscription offering, the Premium + Video plan. It offers 10, 25, or 50 downloads per month, so if you need more than that, you need to speak to a member of their team. Subscriptions include iStock’s standard license for a single user. There is an option to extend your license, which allows you to add multiple users and beef up your legal protection. However this option is only available with credit packs.
6. Artgrid
Artgrid’s royalty-free stock footage library is far from the largest on our list, featuring footage and clips made by cinematographers and professional filmmakers. Its search function is highly granular, allowing users to dial in their results with dozens of keyword filters. Its three-tiered monthly subscription plan includes unlimited downloads, with the “Pro” tier offering downloads in a variety of cinema-quality formats, including RAW/LOG clips, 4K-8K, and ProRes/DNxHR.
Artgrid’s sister site, Artlist, offers multi-asset plans instead of just video. Check out our blog post comparing Storyblocks and Artlist to learn more.
7. Magnific
Magnific, formerly Freepik, has a premium library with over 10 million video assets, including footage, motion graphics and templates. Over 1 million of those assets are AI-generated video. They only offer subscription plans to access their full library, with monthly or annual options. Their plans include varying access and credits for their AI suite of tools, which has become the main focus of their platform vs offering stock assets.
Magnific also offers over 85,000 free cinematic video clips in 720p, 1080p, and 4K. Most of their content is under 30 seconds, so if you’re looking for shorter clips, this is a good option. Be sure to filter by the free license when you search, since their premium is restricted to their paid subscription.
If you have a paid plan with Magnific, you can use their content for personal and commercial projects. However, each asset you download has an individual license that you must download separately and keep track of, rather than everything being covered under one license. If you’re a free user, you can use their free resources for personal and commercial projects as well, but you have to credit the creator of the asset.
8. Envato Elements
Envato Elements offers a large library containing more than 10 million stock footage clips with resolutions ranging from HD to 4K. Its individual plan includes unlimited downloads, however users are required to register assets every time they use them. They also offer an AI stack of tools with their subscription plans.
To learn more about Envato, check out this deep dive comparing Envato Elements and Storyblocks.
9. Motion Array
Motion Array’s subscription-based library contains a generous selection of footage in 2K, 4K, and 5K+ resolutions. Its Everything subscription plan for individuals, available at $24.99/month billed annually or $39.99/month billed monthly, gives users unlimited downloads.
It also includes full access to their footage, templates, music, and other asset types, as well as their AI voiceovers tool. This blog post comparing Storyblocks to Motion Array goes deep into detail about all the differences and similarities you need to be aware of.
10. Uppbeat
A smaller library on this list, Uppbeat is owned by Music Vine and offers a range of subscription plans. Their plans include access to 12,000 music tracks, 25,000 sound effects, over 10,000 video templates, and stock video (we couldn’t find an exact number for how many video assets they have).
With a smaller, more curated library of entirely human-made assets, Uppbeat is one of the more affordable options on our list, as they don’t offer additional tools. Uppbeat has two plans that offer stock video – Creator, which only gets you stock video up to 1080p, and Pro, which gets you access to video up to 4K.
Top 9 free stock video site list
When people hear the word “free” they tend to expect a catch, but there’s no catch to be found with these sites offering royalty-free stock videos at no cost. In some cases their libraries are merely smaller versions of a site’s premium offering, but many contain millions of clips and don’t even offer a premium tier.
1. PixaBay
Canva sub-brand PixaBay’s use of the Creative Commons Zero License gives downloaders total freedom to use or manipulate footage in any way they see fit. With a library of over 70,000 royalty- and attribution-free HD and 4K videos provided by its large creator community, PixaBay is a great hassle-free place to meet your stock footage needs.
Some content is covered under PixaBay’s Creative Commons Zero license. The rest is covered under their Content License, which gives you worldwide and perpetual royalty-free rights to download and use. You can even use their content for both commercial and non-commercial purposes (with some exceptions.)
2. Dareful
If totally free 4K stock video clips are what you seek, Dareful invites you to comb through its library of content. All of which was shot by Joel Holland, founder of popular stock video platform Storyblocks. Dareful offers unlimited downloads of over 200 royalty-free footage clips in 4K and HD, which it encourages creators to use any way they want, anywhere they want. No sign-up is required, and all of their content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
3. Pexels
Initially launched as strictly a stock photos site, Pexels has been acquired by Canva and expanded to include an impressive library of 120,000+ stock video clips. Their video library includes HD, 4K, and a small number of 8K videos available in vertical, square, and horizontal orientations.
All content on the site is under Creative Commons Zero, giving users free rein to edit or alter the videos, and use them for commercial purposes for free without even crediting the creator (though throwing a credit their way is always encouraged.)
4. Coverr
Created by filmmakers, for filmmakers, Coverr actually pays creators to produce content for its site. It then gives away for free under an irrevocable, non-exclusive copyright license. The website includes thousands of free stock footage clips in a range of curated galleries, and has categories including fitness, nature, and Zoom virtual backgrounds. Coverr also now offers AI-generated videos, which are marked as such. 4K footage is available under their premium plan, Coverr+.
5. Vecteezy
Vecteezy has a large library of free stock video content you can download. Free users are limited to downloading only 9 files a day. Their library does have AI generated content mixed in, but you have the option to filter it out. They also offer vectors, photos, templates, motion graphics, and more.
All of their free stock is covered by their Free License, which can be used with attribution. To remove attribution requirements, you’ll need to purchase their Pro License or sign up for one of their subscriptions. You can get the full breakdown of how Vecteezy compares to Storyblocks in our comparison article.
6. Cute Stock Footage
Don’t let the name fool you, Cute Stock Footage’s gallery is actually quite large, including more than 3,000 free HD videos. Footage is available across a wide spectrum of categories like nature, aerials, greenscreens, backgrounds and many more. They also offer free photos, fonts, icons and more to give videos an extra pop.
7. Freestock
Freestock offers a selection of stock video assets carefully curated by creative industry experts. Its library includes a number of collections around themes such as nature, industrial, green screen, and corporate video. Freestock prides itself on keeping creators in mind as it continually grows its collection.
8. Mixkit
Mixkit’s website contains thousands of free High Definition stock videos spanning a diverse range of categories and themes, from travel and fashion to technology and performing arts. Its website is well organized, each category tab at the top opening into numerous subcategories. Videos downloaded from Mixkit, which is now owned by Envato, can be used for commercial purposes under its Video Free License.
9. Vidsplay
Vidsplay has over 500 stock footage clips available for free download, including a selection of hand-curated galleries sorted into a variety of themes from animals to religious to time-lapse. Quality can sometimes vary, but with new clips added every week, creators will have no shortage of options when browsing their extensive library looking for footage to give their next project some extra pizzazz.
How Storyblocks helps people tell better stories
Storyblocks pioneered the unlimited stock subscription service download model, ensuring individuals and businesses have all the assets they need to tell better stories through video. From the artists who create the assets in our library, to our team that reviews every submission to make sure it meets our strict standards, to the creators who subscribe and download those assets, creators are at the very heart of what we do.
Through one subscription, Storyblocks offers unlimited downloads of pre-licensed stock footage, motion graphics, templates, music, SFX, images and more. On top of that, you get access to tools to help support every stage of production, so you can create better videos, faster than ever. It’s the best all-inclusive stock subscription plan available online today—even ChatGPT agrees.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to include additional information. It was originally published on April 28, 2022.
