Alternatives
Best Pexels alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Pexels alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/pexels
7 direct alternatives to Pexels, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- Shutterstock is the top alternative to Pexels on our list, followed by Getty Images and Adobe Stock.
- 4 of the 7 alternatives have a free plan, starting with Pixabay.
- Highest rated: Unsplash, 4.8 out of 5 from 107 ratings, Sep 2026.
- 7 alternatives
- 4 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Pexels
Shutterstock
#1 Top pickStock images, photos, and videos
Starting price
From $29 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.4 /5 on G2 · 1,196 ratings, Mar 2026
Our take
Best overall
Getty Images
#2Access a vast library of high-quality stock photography, video, and music for creative projects.
Pricing
Not published
3.5 /5 on G2 · 112 ratings, Mar 2026
Adobe Stock
#3Access a vast library of royalty-free creative assets for all your projects.
Starting price
From $29.99 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.3 /5 on G2 · 194 ratings, Sep 2026
Pexels vs 7 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.6 out of 5, from 112 ratings on G2 (112) |
| Price: $29/mo | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 1,196 ratings on G2 (1,196) |
| Price: Not published | Free plan: No | 3.5 out of 5, from 112 ratings on G2 (112) |
| Price: $29.99/mo | Free plan: No | 4.3 out of 5, from 194 ratings on G2 (194) |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 4.5 out of 5, from 227 ratings across G2 and Capterra (227) |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 4.7 out of 5, from 165 ratings on G2 (165) |
 | Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.8 out of 5, from 107 ratings across SourceForge and G2 (107) |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 3.4 out of 5, from 432 ratings across G2 and SourceForge (432) |
Why people consider alternatives to Pexels
Pexels offers free stock photos and videos shared by talented creators worldwide. All content is free for commercial and personal use with no attribution required. Browse curated collections or search by topic, color, or orientation.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- A feature or quota ceiling that a paid specialist covers and this free tool does not.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in stock assets.
The 7 alternatives below cover the same core job (stock assets) with different trade-offs.
Pexels by the numbers
Toolradar data: Its head-to-head comparison pages had 71 visits in the last 30 days, ranking #5 of 40 tools with 20+ compare-page visits in Stock Assets. As of Nov 2026.
| Metric | Pexels | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | 64% have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 8 tools | 3 | #14 of 72 (joint) |
| User rating | 4.6/5 (across the web, 112 ratings) | 4.3/5 | #8 of 37 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 71 visits | 30 | #5 of 40 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare Pexels with Pixabay and Unsplash (last 30 days, Nov 2026).
Listed as an alternative to: #14 on 2026-10-16 to #14 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 72 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Stock Assets data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Pexels by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Stock Assets leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Stock Assets tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 21 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dreamstime | $0.69/mo |
| 2 | Noun Project | $3/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Filmora | $4.17/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Ecrett Music | $4.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | Soundful | $5/mo, billed monthly |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 21 of 72 Stock Assets tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Stock Assets leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Stock Assets statistics.
7 alternatives to Pexels
Ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review, plus how directly they replace Pexels.
- 1
Shutterstock
Paid Battle-tested at scaleStock images, photos, and videos
4.4 /5 on G2 · 1,196 ratings, Mar 2026
From $29/mo, billed monthly
- 2
Getty Images
PaidAccess a vast library of high-quality stock photography, video, and music for creative projects.
3.5 /5 on G2 · 112 ratings, Mar 2026
Price not published
- 3
Adobe Stock
PaidAccess a vast library of royalty-free creative assets for all your projects.
4.3 /5 on G2 · 194 ratings, Sep 2026
From $29.99/mo flat, billed monthly
- 4
Pixabay
Free planDiscover and share stunning royalty-free images, videos, and music.
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 227 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
- 5
Freepik
Free planHigh-quality graphic resources for creative projects.
4.7 /5 on G2 · 165 ratings, Mar 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
- 6
Unsplash
100% free Higher rated by usersFree, high-res photos from a global community of creators
4.8 /5 across SourceForge and G2 · 107 ratings, Sep 2026
Free
- 7
Depositphotos
Free planAccess a vast library of royalty-free images, videos, vectors, illustrations, and music for your projects.
3.4 /5 across G2 and SourceForge · 432 ratings, Oct 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Pexels?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Pexels are Shutterstock, Getty Images, Adobe Stock. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Pexels?
Pexels is already 100% free (no paid upgrade path). Unsplash is another fully free option listed here (Free, high-res photos from a global community of creators). Freemium tools on this list have a free tier plus paid plans; they are not the same as 100% free.
Why do people look for Pexels alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Pexels even though it is free: missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in stock assets. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with a different feature set.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Pexels versus each alternative.
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