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Best Stock Assets Tools in 2026

Stock photos, videos, illustrations, and templates

70 tools evaluated · 10 top picks · Updated September 2026

Key Takeaways
  • Pond5 is our overall pick for stock assets in 2026. Unsplash is our free pick.
  • We analyzed 70 stock assets tools to create this ranking.
  • 3 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.

7 Top Stock Assets Tools Compared

Starting price, average user rating, and our pick for each category.

ToolOur takeStarting priceRating
Pond5 logo
Pond5
Best overallContact sales4.5
Flaticon logo
Flaticon
Highest rated$9.99/mo4.8
Storyblocks Audio logo
Storyblocks Audio
Solid pick$19.44/mo4.7
Epidemic Sound logo
Epidemic Sound
Solid pickContact sales4.6
123RF logo
123RF
Solid pick$16.05/mo4.3
Dreamstime logo
Dreamstime
Solid pickFree + paid4.0
Shutterstock logo
Shutterstock
Solid pick$29/mo4.4

How the Top Stock Assets Tools Compare

The stock assets category is highly competitive in 2026, with Pond5 and Flaticon both ranking among the top choices on Toolradar's assessment, followed closely by Storyblocks Audio. The tight competition reflects how mature this market has become.

Pricing varies significantly among the top picks: Flaticon (freemium (free tier available)) offers free access, while Pond5 and Storyblocks Audio and Epidemic Sound require a paid subscription. Teams on a budget should start with Flaticon, which delivers strong value despite its free tier.

Computed from live tool ratings, review counts, and editorial scores.Editorial policy

Top Stock Assets tools

01
Pond5 logo

Download royalty-free stock video, music, sound effects, photos, and templates for any project.

Paid4.5/516,034 ratings · Sep 2026

Pond5 is a comprehensive online marketplace offering a vast library of royalty-free media assets for creative projects. It provides access to millions of high-quality stock videos (including 4K and HD), music tracks, sound effects, After Effects templates, stock photos, illustrations, and Photoshop templates. The platform caters to a wide range of creators, including video editors, podcasters, streamers, graphic designers, marketers, and filmmakers, enabling them to enhance their projects with professional-grade content. The platform emphasizes ease of search, worry-free licensing, and flexible pricing. Users can find exclusive footage, historical content, and vertical videos optimized for mobile and social platforms. Pond5 also features professionally curated collections and content from media partners, ensuring a diverse and high-quality selection. Its simple, comprehensive license covers worldwide distribution and perpetual use across various platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, film, TV, commercials, and websites.

+Extensive and diverse library of media assets
+High-quality content from professional artists
+Worry-free, comprehensive licensing for broad use
No free tier available
Pricing details not explicitly listed on the landing page (requires viewing pricing options)
02
Flaticon logo

Millions of free vector icons for any project

Freemium4.8/56,033 ratings · Sep 2026

Flaticon is the world's largest database of free vector icons, offering millions of icons in various styles including flat, outline, hand-drawn, and 3D. Download icons in PNG, SVG, EPS, and PSD formats. Customize colors and sizes before downloading. Create collections to organize icons for your projects. Flaticon also offers animated icons and stickers. Free tier available with attribution; premium plans for unlimited downloads.

+Huge icon library
+Multiple formats
+Easy customization
Attribution required on free
Best content needs subscription
Great value

Flaticon's pricing is very generous, offering a robust free tier with millions of icons.

03
Storyblocks Audio logo

Unlimited royalty-free stock audio for all your creative projects.

Paid4.7/52,934 ratings · Sep 2026

Storyblocks Audio provides an extensive library of royalty-free music and sound effects designed to enhance video production, marketing content, and other creative endeavors. With tens of thousands of tracks and sound effects across various genres and moods, creators can easily find the perfect audio to complement their visuals. This platform is ideal for individuals and businesses, including video editors, marketers, content creators, and small businesses, who need high-quality audio without the complexities of licensing. It offers unlimited downloads with individual or business licenses, ensuring peace of mind and full coverage for all projects. The audio library is continuously updated with new content based on popular search terms, ensuring a fresh and relevant selection. Storyblocks Audio is integrated within the broader Storyblocks platform, which also offers video footage, templates, photos, and AI-powered editing tools. This comprehensive approach allows users to streamline their creative workflow, from finding assets to final production, all under a single subscription.

+Vast and diverse library of audio content
+Unlimited downloads across all plans
+Clear and generous royalty-free licensing
No free tier or trial mentioned specifically for audio
Pricing is subscription-based, no pay-per-track option
Good value

Storyblocks Audio's pricing is generally fair, especially for the 'Unlimited All Access' tier at $25 per month (billed annually), which offers a comprehensive suite of creative assets including music and sound effects.

Watch out

Audio not included in 'Essentials' tier

04
Epidemic Sound logo

World-class music and sound effects for creators, businesses, and productions with worry-free licensing.

Paid4.6/51,032 ratings · Sep 2026

Epidemic Sound provides a vast library of royalty-free music and sound effects designed for content creators, businesses, and production companies. It offers a direct licensing model that covers all rights globally, allowing users to publish and monetize their content across various platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, TikTok, and podcasts without worrying about copyright claims or additional royalty payments. The platform integrates with popular video editing software like Adobe and DaVinci Resolve Studio through plugins, streamlining the soundtracking workflow. It also features AI-powered tools for track suggestions based on video content and the ability to find similar music using audio references. Epidemic Sound aims to simplify music licensing and enhance creative projects with high-quality audio, supporting artists through its unique model.

+Worry-free licensing with all rights included, globally.
+Extensive library of high-quality music and sound effects.
+Seamless integration with popular video editing software.
No free tier, only a 30-day free trial.
Requires an active subscription for new content to be cleared.
05
123RF logo

Access millions of royalty-free stock photos, vectors, videos, audio, and fonts with AI tools.

Paid4.3/52,149 ratings · Aug 2026

123RF is a comprehensive platform offering a vast library of royalty-free stock assets including photos, vectors, videos, audio, and fonts. It caters to creative professionals, marketers, and businesses looking for high-quality visual and audio content for their projects. The platform aims to be a one-stop solution, replacing the need for multiple stock subscriptions by combining a massive asset library with integrated AI tools. The platform provides unlimited downloads of high-resolution stock photos and creative assets, ensuring commercial safety with licenses for marketing, advertising, and business use. Beyond traditional stock assets, 123RF integrates an AI Suite with tools like an Image Generator, Sketch to Image, Image Upscaler, Generative Fill, Background Blur, Background Remix, Image Extender, and Background Remover, empowering users to create, remix, and own their content efficiently. It's designed to streamline creative workflows and provide powerful resources for various design and marketing needs.

+Vast library of over 240 million diverse stock assets
+Integrated AI tools streamline content creation and editing
+Unlimited downloads available with subscriptions
No free tier, only a 7-day free trial
Extended licensing may require higher-tier plans or custom arrangements
Fair value

The pricing for 123RF is somewhat expensive, especially for individual credit packs where 50 credits cost $49.50.

06
Dreamstime logo

Access millions of royalty-free stock photos, vectors, illustrations, video, and audio for any project.

Freemium4.0/52,635 ratings · Sep 2026

Dreamstime is a comprehensive platform offering a vast collection of royalty-free stock media assets, including photos, vectors, illustrations, editorial images, video footage, and audio clips. Established in 2000, it serves a wide range of users from large corporations to individual bloggers and magazines, providing affordable visual and audio content for various creative and commercial projects. The platform is continuously updated with thousands of new assets daily from talented contributors worldwide. It leverages AI and Machine Learning for features like automatic image classification, object detection, keyword suggestions, and smart cropping to enhance search results and user experience. Dreamstime also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, enabling users to find and utilize the right image anytime, anywhere.

+Extensive and diverse collection of media assets (photos, vectors, video, audio).
+Affordable pricing suitable for various budgets, including a free option.
+AI-powered features enhance search accuracy and efficiency.
Specific pricing tiers and subscription details are not fully detailed on the landing page.
The sheer volume of content might be overwhelming for some users without refined search skills.
07
Shutterstock logo

Stock images, photos, and videos

Paid4.4/51,196 ratings · Mar 2026

Shutterstock is one of the world's largest libraries of stock images, videos, and music. Access over 400 million royalty-free assets for commercial use. Find high-quality photos, illustrations, vectors, and 4K video clips. Advanced AI search helps you find exactly what you need. Shutterstock offers flexible plans from on-demand credits to enterprise subscriptions. Includes AI image generation and editing tools.

+Massive library
+High quality content
+Editorial content
Expensive for heavy use
Common images overused
Fair value

Shutterstock's pricing is on the expensive side for individual users, especially the On-demand option at $49 for just 5 images.

08
Adobe Stock logo

Access a vast library of royalty-free creative assets for all your projects.

Paid4.3/5194 ratings · Sep 2026

Adobe Stock provides a comprehensive library of high-quality, royalty-free creative assets, including photos, videos, illustrations, vector graphics, audio, and 3D models. It's designed for individuals, teams, and enterprises who need diverse visual and audio content for their creative projects, marketing campaigns, and commercial use. The platform integrates seamlessly with Adobe Creative Cloud applications, allowing users to search, license, and manage assets directly within their workflows. Key benefits include access to an extensive and constantly growing collection of media, commercial licensing with IP indemnification, and flexible subscription plans or credit packs to suit varying needs. The platform also incorporates AI-powered tools to help users search and optimize stock images more efficiently, ensuring they find the perfect assets to tell their story and enhance their creative output.

+Extensive and diverse library of high-quality assets
+Strong legal protection with IP indemnification for commercial use
+Seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem
Premium content and extended licenses may require additional purchases or higher-tier plans
Credit packs have an expiration date (one year)
Fair value

The Credit-Pack 5 at $269.99 for 5 HD-Videos or 40 Standardbilder seems expensive for occasional users, especially with credits expiring in a year.

09
Envato Elements logo

Unlimited creative assets subscription

Paid3.2/59,151 ratings · Sep 2026

Envato Elements is an unlimited creative subscription offering millions of digital assets. Access stock photos, video templates, music, sound effects, graphics, fonts, presentation templates, and more with one subscription. All items include commercial licensing. Download unlimited assets for all your projects. Perfect for designers, marketers, video creators, and agencies who need high-quality creative resources without per-item costs.

+Unlimited downloads
+Huge library
+Commercial license
Subscription required
No perpetual license
Great value

Envato Elements offers a very generous pricing model, especially for individual users at $16.50/month for unlimited assets.

Watch out

Team plans require minimum users

10
Filmora logo

Edit video like a pro with AI-powered tools and creative assets.

Freemium4.0/51,362 ratings · Sep 2026

Filmora is a comprehensive video editing software designed for creators of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced editors. It offers an intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality, making video production accessible and efficient. The platform is packed with AI-driven features that streamline the editing process, such as AI Extend for expanding footage, AI Video Beauty Filter, AI Object Remover, and AI Text-to-Video generation, allowing users to turn ideas into polished videos quickly. Beyond AI, Filmora provides a robust set of traditional editing tools including dual-timeline editing, pen tools for precise motion paths, animated charts for data visualization, dynamic captions, and advanced keyframe controls. It also boasts a vast library of royalty-free creative assets, templates, effects, music, and plugins to enhance video projects. Filmora supports cross-platform creation, available on desktop, tablet, and mobile, empowering users to create anytime, anywhere, and is particularly useful for marketing, social media content, and product videos.

+Easy video editing
+Good for beginners
+Many effects
Watermark on free
Pro features expensive
Good value

Filmora is the oddball on this list, it's not an AI video generator, it's a full video editor with generative AI features bolted on.

Watch out

Perpetual license does NOT include major version upgrades, Filmora 15 → 16 is a new purchase.

Why these stock assets tools didn't make our top 10.

We evaluated 70 stock assets tools and these 20 ranked 11 through 30. They're solid options that fell short on one or two axes (review depth, pricing transparency, feature parity), but worth a look if the leaders don't fit your stack or budget.

Pixabay logo
Pixabay
Discover and share stunning royalty-free images, videos, and music.
Depositphotos logo
Depositphotos
Access a vast library of royalty-free images, videos, vectors, illustrations, and music for your projects.
Freepik logo
Freepik
High-quality graphic resources for creative projects.
Pixabay Music logo
Pixabay Music
Discover and download royalty-free music for your creative projects.
Unsplash logo
Unsplash
Free, high-res photos from a global community of creators
Envato Market logo
Envato Market
Discover and purchase professional WordPress themes, website templates, and CMS products.
Getty Images logo
Getty Images
Access a vast library of high-quality stock photography, video, and music for creative projects.
Pexels logo
Pexels
Free stock photos and videos for any project
Placeit logo
Placeit
Create mockups, logos, and videos without design skills
Icons8 logo
Icons8
The ultimate design kit for creatives and developers with icons, illustrations, photos, and AI tools.
Mockup World logo
Mockup World
Free, photo-realistic mockups for designers
Quixel logo
Quixel
Access a vast library of high-quality 2D and 3D scanned assets for games, film, and creative projects.
Reshot logo
Reshot
Curated, free, high-quality photos and icons for your creative projects.
Lexica logo
Lexica
AI image search and generation engine
Burst logo
Burst
Download thousands of high-resolution, royalty-free stock photos for commercial and personal use.
iStock logo
iStock
Find and license high-quality stock photos, vectors, illustrations, and videos for your projects.
AudioJungle logo
AudioJungle
Discover and license royalty-free music and sound effects for all your creative projects.
Soundstripe logo
Soundstripe
Access dynamic, royalty-free music, sound effects, and video for all your creative projects.
Noun Project logo
Noun Project
Millions of icons and photos for all your visual needs
Soundraw logo
Soundraw
Generate 100% copyright-safe, royalty-free AI music for any project, from background scores to full songs.

Popular stock assets comparisons

See how the leading stock assets tools stack up head-to-head.

Stock Assets pricing, compared

Real plans and the hidden costs for each tool.

Browse all stock assets tools

70 tools
Creative Market logo
Creative Market
Discover and download high-quality design assets created by independent artists worldwide.
freemium
Bensound logo
Bensound
Royalty-free music for creators to enhance their video projects.
paid· Web
PremiumBeat logo
PremiumBeat
Unlimited music and sound effects for all your creative projects.
paid
Artlist logo
Artlist
Unlimited royalty-free music, sound effects, and stock footage for creators.
freemium
CGTrader logo
CGTrader
The world's largest marketplace for licensable stock and custom 3D models.
paid· Web
Uppbeat logo
Uppbeat
Curated royalty-free music and sound effects for creators.
freemium
Musicbed logo
Musicbed
Curated music and sound effects for filmmakers and creatives.
freemium
Beatoven logo
Beatoven
Generate unique, royalty-free background music and sound effects using AI for all your content needs.
freemium· Web
Alamy logo
Alamy
Access a vast library of authentic stock photos, videos, and vectors for all your creative projects.
paid
IconScout logo
IconScout
Access a vast library of icons, illustrations, 3D assets, and stock photos for your design projects.
freemium· Web, Windows, macOS
aperture logo
aperture
Transform your new Chrome tabs into a gallery of stunning surf photography.
free· Chrome
Nicelydone MCP logo
Nicelydone MCP
Accelerate UI/UX design with a vast library of real-world app screens and user flows.
freemium· Web
Stable Audio logo
Stable Audio
Generate high-quality music and sound effects from text prompts.
paid· Web
Jamendo logo
Jamendo
Discover and download free music from independent artists worldwide.
freemium· Web
Flux logo
Flux
Generate stunning, high-quality images from text prompts with advanced AI models.
paid· Web
EyeEm logo
EyeEm
Discover and license authentic stock photos and videos from a global community of creators.
freemium
Soundful logo
Soundful
Generate unique, royalty-free music for any content with AI.
freemium· Web
TemplateMonster logo
TemplateMonster
Your ultimate digital marketplace for website templates, plugins, and graphics.
paid· Web
StockSnap logo
StockSnap
Discover and download beautiful, high-quality stock photos for any creative project, completely free.
free· Web
Stocksy logo
Stocksy
Curated, high-quality stock photos and footage with fair artist compensation.
freemium
Lapa Ninja logo
Lapa Ninja
Discover over 7,300 landing page designs and 15,000+ website screenshots for design inspiration.
paid· Web
Westend61 logo
Westend61
Premium royalty-free stock photography and videography for authentic and inspiring visual content.
freemium· Web
Ecrett Music logo
Ecrett Music
Easily create royalty-free, AI-generated music for your content with a simple interface.
freemium· Web
Landingfolio logo
Landingfolio
Find inspiration and components to build stunning landing pages and websites faster.
paid· Web

Showing the top 24 of 70. Filter to narrow down.

Best Stock Assets for

How we ranked these stock assets tools

We rank by real-world signal: verified user ratings aggregated from G2, Capterra, and our own community, the volume and recency of media coverage, and hands-on editorial review for the tools we cover in depth. Pricing is re-checked and the ranking refreshed monthly. We do not sell placement in this list.

Tools reviewed
70
With free tier
67%
Last updated
September 2026

Toolradar Research

The data behind stock assets

First-party analyses built from our full catalog, methodology published.

All Toolradar research

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best stock assets tool in 2026?

Based on our analysis of 70 stock assets tools, Pond5 is our overall pick. The next tools on the list are Flaticon, Storyblocks Audio, Epidemic Sound. Rankings use G2/Capterra review strength, media mentions, and editor-featured picks — the same verdict as /best/free/stock-assets and our comparison pages.

What are the top 3 stock assets tools?

The top 3 stock assets tools in 2026, ranked by Toolradar, are: 1) Pond5, Download royalty-free stock video, music, sound effects, photos, and templates for any project.. 2) Flaticon, Millions of free vector icons for any project. 3) Storyblocks Audio, Unlimited royalty-free stock audio for all your creative projects.. Our named overall pick is Pond5.

Are there free stock assets tools?

Yes. Unsplash is our free pick (100% free, no paid upgrade path). 3 of the tools on this page offer a free or freemium plan.

How do I choose the right stock assets tool?

Start by defining your team size, budget, and must-have features. Pond5 is our overall pick. Unsplash is our free pick. Compare all 70 options side-by-side on Toolradar.
Stock Assets statisticscatalog size, ratings and pricing data, updated monthly

For stock assets vendors

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