Best Pixabay Alternatives in 2026
The top Pixabay alternatives are Shutterstock, Adobe Stock and Pexels: 15 stock photo websites our editors would look at instead of Pixabay, in our ranking order.
Pixabay: A broad free media library with vector assets, mobile apps and an image-and-video API. Where it falls short: content use is subject to prohibited uses and third-party rights.
Switching from Pixabay? For most stock photo websites buyers the best Pixabay alternative is Shutterstock, built for teams needing broad stock media and API access. On a budget, VectorStock starts at $9.99/mo. Pexels has a free plan. Alamy offers the most monthly downloads (15 /mo).
Why People Look for a Pixabay Alternative
- Content use is subject to prohibited uses and third-party rights
- The API covers images and videos rather than every media type
- Uploading requires users to register as creators
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallShutterstock9.3
Teams needing broad stock media and API access
Visit Shutterstock - Lowest priceVectorStock7.9
Paid plans from $9.99/mo
Visit VectorStock - Best free optionPexels9.0
Has a free plan
Visit Pexels - Most monthly downloadsAlamy7.9
15 /mo
Visit Alamy
All 15 Pixabay Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forTeams needing broad stock media and API access
- Better than Pixabay:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 9.1
A broad stock-media library with API access, AI tools, and team controls.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Shutterstock -
Best forCreative Cloud users needing stock assets
- Better than Pixabay:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 9.1
A broad stock library with strong Creative Cloud and API workflows.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Adobe Stock -
Best forFree photos and video with strong integrations
A free stock media library with useful integrations, mobile apps, and API access.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Pexels -
Best forFree photo browsing with a capable developer API
A broad free visual library with collections, mobile tools, Figma support, and a capable API.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Unsplash -
Best forBroad stock content with a free starting point
A broad stock library with a free starting point and API access.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Depositphotos -
Best forFree users needing broad stock and office integrations
A broad stock media library with free collections, integrations, APIs and AI-assisted tools.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Dreamstime -
Best forCreators who want structured stock subscriptions
A stock library with tiered downloads, image tools and an API for creative workflows.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit iStock -
Best forLow-cost unlimited downloads across asset types
A low-cost stock library with unlimited Pro downloads across several asset types.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Vecteezy -
Best forBroad stock media plus built-in AI tools
A broad stock media library with AI creation and editing tools for creative teams.
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
- Editorial assets
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit 123RF -
Best forShopify users needing free commercial photos
A free stock photo library with useful Shopify access and a narrower scope.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Burst -
Best forFree stock photos with API access
A free stock media community with broad asset types, licensing options and API search.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Stockvault -
Best forEditorial-heavy teams needing API licensing
A broad stock library with editorial depth and API access, priced from $139 per month.
- API access
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Alamy -
Best forBuyers needing Asian-market stock breadth
A broad stock marketplace with Asian-market depth, AI search, subscriptions and API access.
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
- Editorial assets
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit PIXTA -
Best forVector specialists needing low-cost licensing
A focused vector library with free downloads, flexible licensing, and unlimited plans.
- Vector assets
- Illustration assets
- Editorial assets
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit VectorStock -
Best forCurated visual teams needing similarity search
A curated stock media library with similarity search, team licensing, and API access.
- API access
- Illustration assets
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Stocksy
Pixabay Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Pixabay?
Shutterstock: #1 in our Stock Photo Websites ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A broad stock-media library with API access, AI tools, and team controls.
Is there a free alternative to Pixabay?
Yes. Pexels, Unsplash, Depositphotos, Dreamstime and Vecteezy have a free plan or a free tier (9 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Pixabay?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, VectorStock starts lowest, at $9.99/mo.
Why do people look for Pixabay alternatives?
Content use is subject to prohibited uses and third-party rights; The API covers images and videos rather than every media type; Uploading requires users to register as creators.
Which Pixabay alternative has the most monthly downloads?
Alamy, with 15 /mo.
How do I switch from Pixabay?
Take a full backup of your site files and database at Pixabay (or use a migration plugin). Open the new hosting account; many hosts migrate a WordPress site for you, check before doing it by hand. Import the backup and check the site on the temporary address the new host gives you. Point your domain's DNS to the new host, wait for it to switch, then cancel Pixabay.
How to Switch from Pixabay
- Take a full backup of your site files and database at Pixabay (or use a migration plugin).
- Open the new hosting account; many hosts migrate a WordPress site for you, check before doing it by hand.
- Import the backup and check the site on the temporary address the new host gives you.
- Point your domain's DNS to the new host, wait for it to switch, then cancel Pixabay.
Pixabay vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Vector assets | Illustration assets | Editorial assets | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Pixabay | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 1 | Shutterstock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.3 | |
| 2 | Adobe Stock | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 3 | Pexels | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 4 | Unsplash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Depositphotos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 6 | Dreamstime | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 7 | iStock | $29/user/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 8 | Vecteezy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 9 | 123RF | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 10 | Burst | Yes | Free | 8.1 | |||
| 11 | Stockvault | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 12 | Alamy | No | $139/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 13 | PIXTA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 14 | VectorStock | Yes | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | Stocksy | No | No | Yes | No | 7.8 |
Head-to-Head
- Pixabay vs Shutterstock
- Pixabay vs Adobe Stock
- Pixabay vs Pexels
- Pixabay vs Unsplash
- Pixabay vs Depositphotos
- Pixabay vs Dreamstime
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update