13+ Best Stock Video Footage Sites That Filmmakers Swear By (Free & Paid)
If you’re a video creator or filmmaker who wants to add some high-quality footage to your videos without having to trek over a mountain during sunrise to get the shot yourself, then stock video sites can give you the footage you need!
I’ve been in this situation many times myself, most recently when editing the footage for my latest independent film, Spin The Wheel. It’s set at the end of the world, where people are rioting and life is getting out of control.
Now, on our limited budget, we couldn’t film the riot scenes ourselves. So, we relied on stock videos for those scenes!
During post-production of the movie, we looked at tons of the best stock video footage sites, including the ones on this list. We looked for the quality of the footage, the breadth of available content, and, of course, the pricing. We found that there is a huge range of pricing for stock videos!
In this article, I’ll share what I learned about each company, and suggest which ones might work best for different situations!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
What Are the Best Stock Footage Video Sites?
When deciding the best stock video sites to subscribe to, you’re looking for stellar stock footage archives, good customer care, and competitive pricing for team and enterprise subscriptions. The most popular stock footage sites include Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Pixabay.
Here are our picks for the best stock video sites to find great stock videos for your film and video projects:
1. Shutterstock
Shutterstock offers a huge selection of high-quality, unique stock video footage. You can get HD and 4K footage for use in commercial projects, and there are over 28 million videos.
The downside is that it's very expensive!
Overview
Shutterstock is a leading site for stock images that dominates Google image search results. What you might not know is that Shutterstock also ventured into the world of stock video, with an impressive library of millions of stock video clips to choose from.
Top Benefits
- The video library contains over 28 million stock videos.
- The stock videos are categorized by genre, such as Animals/Wildlife, Buildings/Landmarks, Backgrounds/Textures, etc.
- HD and 4K footage for use in commercial projects.
- Standard and enhanced video use licenses.
Pricing
Shutterstock has an interesting pricing structure because you need to buy credits, and then you use these credits to download stock videos.
You can buy a pack of 30 credits for $139. Then it will cost you 25 credits to download one 4K, HD, or SD video clip. You can go up to 250 credits for $575, which will get you about 10 videos.
Alternatively, you can do a subscription based method where it’s $89/month for 25 credits/month – aka one video a month for $89. But be aware that the subscription method only allows you to use the standard license and not the enhanced license.
You can use these credits for not only video licenses, but for images, music, or sound effects as well, which cost considerably less credits than a video.
Another option is buying the video license directly without using any credits. On the standard license, you can buy most videos for $79 for HD, or $179 for 4K.
For Enterprise subscriptions, the rates are offered by contacting Shutterstock directly.
Shutterstock Pros
Shutterstock Cons
Bottom Line
A Shutterstock video subscription is quite pricey, but in return, you get high-quality stock footage you can use in any project. It makes more sense if you belong to a company that can get an Enterprise subscription, which allows Enhanced video licensing at lower rates.
2. Artgrid
Artgrid is a fantastic source of stock video footage for filmmakers. It's also good for video content creators and YouTubers who are looking for unique footage that their audience won't see elsewhere.
I love that you get unlimited downloads with any Artgrid subscription, and that they have multiple clips of similar scenes - great for continuity!
Overview
Artgrid is a relatively new stock video site that also offers music and sound effects as part of its extensive collection. It’s quickly becoming a strong competitor among various stock video sites.
Top Benefits
- A large library that has been categorized by collection for easier browsing.
- Available 4K and 8K video clips even in the intermediate subscription tier.
- All plans offer unlimited video downloads, lifetime use, coverage for all platforms worldwide, and YouTube monetization.
- Competitive pricing compared to other stock video websites.
- If you are a filmmaker, selling stock footage to them is an option too!
Pricing
The Junior HD Plan for Artgrid gives you access to unlimited downloads of HD/H.264 videos for $19.99/month or $239.99/year
The Creator 4K Plan includes unlimited downloads of 4K/8K and Pro Res/DNxHR videos for $29.99/month or $359.99/year
The Pro RAW/LOG Plan gives you unlimited downloads of 4K/8K RAW/LOG videos in Pro Res/DNxHR for $49.92/month or $599/year
Artgrid Pros
Artgrid Cons
Bottom Line
Artgrid is a wonderful option whether you’re:
- Still starting with basic videos
- A creator who wants a steady stream of high-quality, royalty-free stock video
- Part of a corporation with more sophisticated needs
You’ll likely find what you need at a reasonable subscription price.
3. FilmPac
FilmPack is great for filmmakers and video content creators who need access to unique video clips, music, and special effects that they can use in their films.
Overview
FilmPac is a great source of cinematic stock video footage, offering high-quality clips across various genres and styles. With its diverse library of unique and professional footage that’s great for filmmakers of all skill levels.
Top Benefits
- A searchable library of unique and professional footage
- File types are compatible with any editing software program.
- Clips are royalty-free and can be used in commercial projects.
- You also get access to royalty-free music and special effects to use in your films!
Pricing
Buy individual clips from $79 per clip, or get an unlimited membership for $1988 per year. That way, you can download as many premium clips as you need!
Bottom Line
FilmPack is best for filmmakers who value getting access to not just unique video clips, but also music and special effects that they can use in their films. It would also be great for YouTubers who need the same things! However, it is very expensive!
4. Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock Video is fantastic for anyone who already pays for their Creative Cloud, as its included in the price!
Overview
Adobe is known for its industry-dominating software. However, it’s also becoming a sizeable player in the stock footage market through Adobe Stock, offering its own website of HD stock videos and other assets that you can access right within the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Top Benefits
- Royalty-free licensing, which allows for immediate use upon download.
- Creative Cloud integration for searching, previewing, and licensing stock video footage within Adobe apps.
- The search function is powered by Adobe Sensei, an artificial intelligence tool that matches your search terms with available stock videos.
Pricing
Adobe Stock offers credit packages that cost as follows:
- 5 credits for $49.95
- 16 credits for $149.99
- 40 credits for $359.99
- 80 credits for $669.99
- 150 credits for $1,200.00
Where an HD video costs 8 credits and a 4K video costs 20 credits under the Enhanced license.
You can also get an annual subscription for
- $29.99 (paid monthly) for 10 standard assets or 1 HD video and a rollover of up to 120 unused credits
- $49.99 (paid monthly) for 25 standard assets or 3 HD videos and a rollover of up to 300 unused credits
- $79.99 (paid monthly) for 40 standard assets or 6 HD videos and a rollover of up to 480 unused credits.
- $199.99 (paid monthly) for 750 standard assets or 25 HD videos
Adobe Stock also offers Team and Enterprise subscriptions and credit packs with adjusted rates.
Adobe Stock Pros
Adobe Stock Cons
Bottom Line
Adobe Stock is a serious option to consider if you have a team or a company that heavily relies on Adobe Creative Cloud apps. Although the pricing is quite high, you can get better deals with Adobe Stock when you’re sharing a Team or Enterprise subscription or credit pack.
5. Envato Elements
Try Envato Elements if you're looking for tons of media elements all in one place. It's got everything you need to be a digital creator - from stock video and images to graphics and fonts!
Overview
Envato Elements is one of the best stock video sites you can find because of its vast collection of media assets under one umbrella. It’s quickly become one of the top stock footage sites because of its competitive pricing, versatility, and flexibility.
Top Features
- A huge library of 3.5 million stock videos and over 500K motion graphics templates.
- Affordable subscription bundles.
- One subscription gives you access to all Envato Elements assets for your projects. These include music tracks, sound effects, photos, graphics, and web templates.
Pricing
It’s quickly become one of the top stock footage sites because of its competitive pricing, versatility, and flexibility.
Envato Elements offers an individual plan starting from $16.50/month, offering unlimited downloads of all assets on the website with a simple commercial license. Students get a 30% markdown for $11.50 per monthly subscription.
It also offers a Teams plan for 2–5 people that can get as low as $10.75 per person in a 5-member team.
As for Enterprise subscriptions, you should contact Envato Elements directly to get a quote.
Envato Elements Pros
Envato Elements Cons
Bottom Line
Envato Elements is best for creators looking for a stock video site that also offers other assets (like stock images, motion graphics, music, fonts and templates) to have a comprehensive toolbox for their projects.
6. iStock by Getty Images
iStock has nice, high-quality stock footage available. However, it doesn't come cheap!
Overview
Getty Images is the largest stock and editorial image company in the world. Its subsidiary, iStock, currently offers stock video footage as well, giving it a larger share of the market and a chance to expand its user base even more.
Top Benefits
- Millions of stock videos to choose from in SD, HD, and 4K.
- Flexible download options.
- Commercial royalty-free licensing is protected by iStock with a $10,000 guarantee.
- AI-backed search for precise results that match your terms closely.
Pricing
iStock offers two modes to download HD stock videos, either with a monthly subscription or credit packs.
A premium photo + video subscription costs:
- $99/month (billed annually) for 10 downloads
- $165/month (billed annually) for 25 downloads
- $265/month (billed annually) for 50 downloads
As for the iStock credits, you can get an Essentials video clip for 6 credits (~$60). The best value for credit packs is 300 credits for $2,400, coming in at $8 per credit instead of the usual $12.
iStock Pros
iStock Cons
Bottom Line
As you can see, iStock is best for creatives looking for a high-quality experience with many diverse videos, no matter how much it costs. Choosing an iStock plan or credit pack, although a bit more expensive than other options, gives you access to an immense source of royalty-free stock clips for any application.
7. Pond5
Pond5 is one of the original stock video footage companies. They have beautiful video clips, but you only get 10 a month for the $199.
Overview
Pond5 has the edge of being one of the best stock video websites that actually started in the stock footage business. It’s got a large library and features that make navigating the website very easy.
Top Benefits
- Over 35 million premium and royalty-free clips to choose from.
- Great customer service with a 4.8 Trustpilot rating.
- Direct downloads outside of subscriptions at competitive prices.
Pricing
Pond5 offers two options for video subscriptions that give you 10 downloads per month; either you choose:
- A monthly subscription for $199 (at $19.90/video)
- A yearly subscription for $999 (at $8.32/video)
You can also buy video clips directly from the site at $25–$450/clip for HD and 4K videos.
If you run a team or a company, contact Pond5 directly to get a quote on team subscription fees.
Pond5 Pros
Pond5 Cons
Bottom Line
Pond5 is best for video creators who want to download a certain number of HD stock videos each month at a great price point – while supporting independent filmmakers!
8. Pixabay
Pixabay is my top choice for free stock video footage.
It can be tricky to search the site, and it's sometimes hard to tell if a video is free or paid (they do also have paid content on the site) - but, you can't argue with free!
Overview
Free stock video sites are hard to come by, but Pixabay is one of them. Not to mention the free videos are actually pretty good!
Top Benefits
- A completely free stock video website with free HD stock footage.
- A simple commercial license with few limitations.
- HD and 4K video clips are available for free.
Pricing
Pixabay is one of the few stock video websites that are entirely free with a license that covers the inclusion of stock videos in commercial projects and noncommercial use.
The only instances where use isn’t allowed are:
- Selling or redistribution of Pixabay content to other stock websites
- Selling physical copies of unaltered content from Pixabay
- Using the stock video to portray the subjects in a bad light or misleadingly sell a product or service
Pixabay Pros
Pixabay Cons
Bottom Line
Pixabay is best for anyone looking for a free stock video website with decent-quality material and a royalty-free license.
9. Filmsupply
FilmSupply is a good option if you are looking for premium corporate stock videos. They have different pricing tiers, based on how you'll be using the footage.
Overview
Filmsupply closes a gap in the market for royalty-free footage aimed at corporations for internal and commercial purposes.
Top Benefits
- Unique marketplace for corporate training material.
- Several licensing options for different uses.
Pricing
Filmsupply is a commercial video platform, so the pricing reflects the different licensing tiers that companies could use. They are:
- Internal (Starting at $109 per clip), which covers internal meetings, training, and shareholder meetings
- Industrial (Starting at $219 per clip), which covers events, sales meetings, tradeshow displays, and in-store promos
- Web/Digital (Starting at $219 per clip), which covers website, social media, and web ads
- Extended Use (Priced per project based on a personalized quote), which covers TV/Broadcast, film, VOD, theatrical, video games, and the like
Filmsupply Pros
Filmsupply Cons
Bottom Line
Filmsupply is best for corporations looking for a consistent source of good-quality footage (i.e., lots of videos featuring the same people, or featuring the same location).
10. Storyblocks
Storyblocks has fewer cinematic-type videos, but they are building up their library all the time. Their videos are affordable, even for unlimited-download subscriptions!
Overview
Storyblocks offers more than stock videos. It also offers the building blocks for visual storytelling all under the same roof, such as sound effects, animated backgrounds, photos, etc.
Top Benefits
- HD Stock videos, music, photos, and other assets under one subscription.
- Competitive pricing for unlimited downloads.
Pricing
For individual users, you can get one of three subscription tiers that fit your needs. These are:
- Starter for $15/month (billed annually), giving you five monthly downloads and access to HD footage, music, photos, vectors, illustrations, and Maker Video Editor.
- Unlimited All Access for $30/month (billed annually), giving you unlimited downloads and access to HD footage, 4K footage, After-Effects templates, music & sound effects, photos, vectors, illustrations, and Maker Video Editor.
- Pro for $35/month (billed annually), giving you unlimited downloads and access to the previous tier’s perks, plus an Adobe Premiere Pro Plugin.
There’s a subscription plan for businesses. However, you’ll have to contact the company to discuss the options that match your business needs.
Storyblocks Pros
Storyblocks Cons
Bottom Line
It’s great for people who want unlimited downloads each month, for a very reasonable price!
11. Videohive
Videohive works well if you already have a subscription to Envato Elements, as it's included. Otherwise, I'd go with a different option.
Overview
As part of the Envato Marketplace, Videohive is another decent website for royalty-free stock videos with an extensive library.
Top Features
- One subscription for unlimited video and other asset downloads.
- Access to Envato Elements as part of the subscription.
- Competitive rates for teams and enterprises.
Pricing
Videohive was acquired by Envato, so currently, it has the same subscription options as the Envato Elements site. That means the unlimited individual plan starts at $16.50 ($11.50 for students) and $10.75 for teams. For enterprise pricing, contact Envato Elements directly.
Videohive Pros
Videohive Cons
Bottom Line
If you want access to Envato Elements (or have a subscription already), then Videohive is a great option for you!
12. Videvo
Videvo has very affordable clips, but the library is quite a bit smaller than other options.
Overview
A newcomer to the game, Videvo is a less-established website for stock footage and royalty-free assets. It’ll likely either grow large or get acquired by one of the big shots in the industry.
Top Features
- A library of over one million video clips, motion graphics, Adobe Premiere Pro templates, After Effects templates, royalty-free music, and sound effects.
- Different subscription tiers to fit all your needs, including a free option.
Pricing
Videvo has several options you can choose from when it comes to royalty-free videos:
- Videvo Lite: $7.99 per month (billed monthly) and offers 5 video downloads per month
- Videvo Plus: $14.99 per month (billed monthly) or $12 per month (billed annually) and offers 25 video and template downloads per month
- Videvo Pro: $24.99 per month (billed monthly) or $20 per month (billed annually) and offers 50 video, audio, and template downloads per month
Videvo Pros
Videvo Cons
Bottom Line
A Videvo subscription is will give you affordable stock video downloads, but the smaller library will limit your videos.
13. RawFilm
Rawfilm is a good option if you need ultra-high-resolution video footage.
Overview
RawFilm is one of the best stock video sites for commercial purposes thanks to its extensive license and overall versatility.
Top Benefits
- One licensing option to cover all your needs
- Flexible download bundle for one-time project needs.
- Collection-based browsing for visual coherence
Pricing
RawFilm has one option for footage licensing that all the videos fall under, which gives you permission to use the footage for YouTube, TV, film, and streaming services, like Netflix.
The pricing is as follows:
- Single Clip: $49 for one clip
- Yearly: 1000 clips/year $69 per month ($828 paid annually)
- Monthly: 50 clips/month $79 per month
Bottom Line
RawFilm is best for commercial video creators and video editors looking for consistent quality and straightforward licensing. However, it’s quite expensive, so it’s an option for professionals only.
14. Pexels
Pexels is another great free stock video site! Yes, your viewers might have seen the footage before, but hey, it's free!
Overview
Pexels is another free stock video site with great quality videos you can use for school projects as well as huge commercial projects.
Top Benefits
- Offers completely free stock video clips under a simple commercial license.
- Unlimited access to all assets with no paid subscriptions.
- HD clips and 4K premium clips are available.
Pricing
Pexels offers all of its royalty-free content, even HD footage, for free.
The license that covers the free stock video footage on Pexels allows personal and commercial use but draws the line at:
- Selling one of Pexels free stock videos to other stock video sites as your own
- Selling unaltered photos or videos as a digital or physical product
- Using the people in a free stock video to sell a product or service
Pexels Pros
Pexels Cons
Bottom Line
Beginner content creators and online video editor specialists could greatly benefit from a free stock video website like Pexels for free clips of all qualities.
Find Your Favorite Source
Any video creator wants a large library where they can find great quality footage as well as templates for special effects to aid their visual storytelling. That’s why finding the best stock video websites can be such a gold mine for your creative process.
Whether you go for a big name like iStock, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock or root for an underdog like Storyblocks and Videvo, you can find what you’re looking for on our list!
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