Pixabay vs 123RF

PPixabay—Visit 123RF—Visit

P Pixabay #5 in Stock Video Websites —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Pixabay

vs

123RF #8 in Stock Video Websites —/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit 123RF

• Pixabay fits best

  Free video plus music and sound effects

• 123RF fits best

  Broad stock media and AI capabilities

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Side by side

Feature	PPixabay —/10 Visit ↗	123RF —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	—	—
Ranking	#5 in Stock Video Websites	#8 in Stock Video Websites
Best for	Free video plus music and sound effects	Broad stock media and AI capabilities
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Pixabay 1/3 · 123RF 0/3
Commercial license	Not published	Not published
Editorial footage	Not published	Not published
API access	✓ (best)	Not published
Specs
Maximum resolution	Not published	Not published
License type	Not published	Not published
Buying model	Not published	Not published
Monthly downloads	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Free access to videos, music and sound effects REST API supports image and video search and retrieval Mobile apps support browsing, downloading and uploading	Covers photos, vectors, videos, audio, fonts and editorial content Includes AI generation, upscaling, generative fill and background removal Offers standard, extended and custom licensing plus API access
Cons	Content use is subject to prohibited uses and third-party rights API access covers images and videos rather than all media types Uploading requires a registered creator account	The platform is available through the web only PLUS supports one user, while PLUS Team supports up to five There is no free plan; credit purchases are priced per image
Our verdict	Pixabay is a free stock-media platform for creators, publishers, marketers and other users. Its searchable library covers photos, illustrations, vector graphics, editorial images, videos, music, sound effects, GIFs and 3D models. Users can… Read the review →	123RF is a web-based stock content platform for creators, freelancers, agencies, businesses and marketing teams. Its library spans stock photos, vectors, videos, audio, fonts and editorial content, while its AI tools support image and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Pixabay — where it wins

  • Free access to videos, music and sound effects
  • REST API supports image and video search and retrieval
  • Mobile apps support browsing, downloading and uploading

  Where it doesn't

  • Content use is subject to prohibited uses and third-party rights
  • API access covers images and videos rather than all media types
  • Uploading requires a registered creator account

• 123RF — where it wins

  • Covers photos, vectors, videos, audio, fonts and editorial content
  • Includes AI generation, upscaling, generative fill and background removal
  • Offers standard, extended and custom licensing plus API access

  Where it doesn't

  • The platform is available through the web only
  • PLUS supports one user, while PLUS Team supports up to five
  • There is no free plan; credit purchases are priced per image

• PPixabay—/10 · Free plan

  A broad free media library with video, audio, mobile apps and API access.

  Visit PixabayFull verdict →
• 123RF—/10 · Paid

  A broad web-based stock library with AI creation, editing tools and flexible licensing.

  Visit 123RFFull verdict →