9+ Best Cheap Stock Video Sites for Budget-Friendly HD & 4K Clips
Videos are everywhere these days, but boy can they be expensive to make! For starters, you’ll need a good video camera and great editing skills, and it takes time to put all the pieces together.
BUT, you can definitely shorten the time and resources that go into creating videos by using stock footage, and there’s some really great sites out there for this.
Adding high-quality stock video footage to your video project can make it appear professional, even if you’re a rookie. Although most stock agencies require memberships, annual plans, or limited downloads, some of them are super affordable.
As an indie filmmaker myself, I know I’ve been in positions where I needed quality footage but just couldn’t manage to film it myself (like the riot scenes in my new feature, Spin The Wheel!). That’s when I look at sites like the ones in this article.
In today’s post, I’ll show you nine sites offering cheap stock footage. I’ll be honest, I ended up going with a different, more expensive stock footage company… but these are the ones I’d go with if I was a beginner or just had no budget at all!
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 Cheap Stock Video Footage Sites?
Because videos are becoming increasingly popular, there’s an abundance of stock video sites that shortens the time required to produce awesome videos. Here’s my list of the best cheap stock footage sites for your projects!
1. 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
Pixabay is a fantastic website for free stock videos. You can find a vast collection of high-quality videos in various resolutions. The site is easy to use, and you can search for videos by keyword or category. Plus, there’s a community of contributors who are always adding fresh content so that the library is constantly updated.
Top Benefits
- Extensive library of high-quality HD and 4K videos.
- All videos on Pixabay are free for personal and commercial use without attribution or fees.
- User-friendly site with an easy-to-navigate search function for finding videos by keyword or category.
- Community of contributors uploading new content regularly, ensuring a constantly updated library.
- No watermarks or intrusive ads make it an ideal resource for content creators and businesses.
Pricing
All Pixabay videos and other stock media (photos and images, animated GIFs, music, etc.) are FREE to download and use!!
Pixabay Pros
Pixabay Cons
Bottom Line
If you’re searching for a free stock video website with high-quality content and a royalty-free license, you can’t go wrong with Pixabay! They offer a broad selection of excellent quality free stock footage that you can use for personal or commercial use without worrying about attribution or fees.
2. 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 launched as a free stock photo site, but later included stock videos due to the great demand for them. The videos are high-quality and include a royalty-free license even for commercial projects.
Top Benefits
- Access to a large community of videographers that upload new content regularly.
- Videos are categorized into themes and niches, such as nature, food, business, flowers, cars, technology, landscape, and space.
- The intuitive search bar lets you find free stock footage using specific keywords. When you click on a video, you’ll see a collection of videos that are similar to it.
- Ability to preview videos before downloading them.
Pricing
Pexels is entirely FREE to use; there are no paid membership or subscription plans. However, sometimes you may find sponsored videos from its partners. When you click on them, you’ll be redirected to another website where you’ll purchase the video clips.
Pexels Pros
Pexels Cons
Bottom Line
Pexels Video offers a user-friendly free stock footage website with unlimited downloads. If you’re looking for professional-looking video clips with royalty-free licensing, Pexels is a great place to begin.
3. 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
Known for its ultra-high-quality stock footage, Artgrid offers unlimited downloads at an affordable price. It works with independent filmmakers globally to ensure subscribers get the best results. As a result, Artgrid’s library booms with new files, and you won’t run out of stock footage for your project.
Top Benefits
- Apart from using keywords, you can search for stock footage using filters, such as theme, shot type (i.e., wide shot, narrow shot, etc.), people, collections, and filmmakers, which increases your chances of getting unique results.
- The footage is available in HD clips, 4k, 8k, ProRes/DNxHR, and RAW/LOG clips.
- Each clip is part of a story, making it easy to create uniformity in the final video.
- You can preview videos, save them, or purchase them by hovering over them or clicking on them.
- The license is simple and covers everything, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Commercials, and broadcasting.
- *Personally, I find Artgrid great specifically for cinematic footage that doesn’t have the typical stock look.
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
Also, you can contact the company if you want a customized solution.
Artgrid Pros
Artgrid Cons
Bottom Line
Artgrid is fantastic for beginning independent filmmakers who need cinematic stock videos. You’re able to download an unlimited amount of cheap stock video footage for a low price!
4. Videvo
Videvo has very affordable clips, but the library is quite a bit smaller than other options.
Overview
Videvo is a stock video footage website that offers free and affordable premium video clips, including royalty-free music and sound effects to pair with your clips. The company produces its content and accepts contributions from trusted sources. So, you’re sure of getting the best value for your money.
Top Benefits
- Access over 50,000 free stock footage and up to 1 million royalty-free video clips if you sign up for the premium plan.
- The free stock videos are licensed under Creative Commons and the company’s attribution license, allowing you to use them commercially and for various projects.
- You can download both free and premium video clips in 4k resolution.
- For easy access, videos are categorized into agriculture, education, entertainment, medical, drone footage, lifestyle, sports, religion, people, and many more.
- Hovering over a video plays a preview, which saves you time on clicking to view.
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
Videvo gives you access to 5 downloads a month for just $7.99. It’s the cheapest paid option – but the fact that it’s paid means that you won’t see the same clips all over YouTube!
5. Footage Crate
Footage Crate is a fantastic platform for filmmakers.
A subscription here will get you access to stock video footage, visual effects (VFX), graphics, and some plugins. The plan you choose will determine how much access to everything that you get.
Overview
Footage Crate is a VFX and motion graphics provider. Over time, it has proven to be a store for the best free filmmaking resources and affordable professional-level content.
The platform displays thousands of HD and 4k video elements and special effects from Hollywood, such as magical powers, henchmen, water and ice, and zombies.
Top Benefits
- You can easily find free video clips by adding “free” to the keyword.
- More than 10,000 customized HD video clips with access to new content every week.
- Several download formats are available to ensure the videos are compatible with all video editing software.
- Videos are pre-matted and contain lossless codecs, ensuring they don’t lose their original details and raw color.
Pricing
Footage Crate offers Free and paid memberships. With the free membership, you’re limited to 5 downloads daily.
With the Sample membership, you can sign up for $15/month, which includes 20 downloads per day, but has limited access to other VFX and audio assets on the site.
The Pro membership, on the other hand, offers unrestricted access to all assets on the platform and faster downloads. You can sign up for the Pro plan at $39/month or the Enterprise plan at $79/month.
Bottom Line
With a wide range of resources, everyone can benefit from Footage Crate, from small YouTubers to big blockbuster production companies. Also, the video clips are categorized nicely to help you find what you want.
6. 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 a subscription platform offering unlimited downloads of creative assets, including stock footage, WordPress themes, photos, and audio. All assets have the same royalty free license terms, letting you use them for personal and commercial use.
Top Benefits
- Unlimited downloads with a royalty-free license.
- 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
Envato Elements offers four unique plans:
- The Individuals plan costs $16.50 per month
- The Students’ plan offers 30% discounts
- The Teams plan costs $10.75 per member
- The Enterprise plan is customized based on your needs
Envato Elements Pros
Envato Elements Cons
Bottom Line
Envato Elements is the ideal choice for creators seeking a versatile, cheap stock video platform that also provides an array of additional resources, such as stock images, motion graphics, music, fonts, and templates.
7. StoryBlocks Video
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 is another cheap stock footage site that provides access to unlimited downloads, so you don’t have to pay per asset. It also has an extensive collection of sound effects, animated backgrounds, photos, etc., to add more vibe to your videos. And to save time on editing each clip, you can utilize StoryBlocks’ online video editor, Maker.
Top Benefits
- HD Stock videos, music, photos, and other assets under one subscription.
- The tutorials hub offers access to video creation and monetization tips and tutorials.
- Integrates with Premiere Pro and After Effects.
- You’ll get high-quality videos in HD and 4k resolution.
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
Although StoryBlocks offers unlimited downloads, you can only access five downloads monthly through its starter plan, which is recommended for beginner creators. However, you’ll get free video creation resources from its website.
8. Motion Array
Motion Array is a fantastic choice if you edit your videos within Adobe programs or Final Cut Pro. Just know that it doesn't include as much footage as other sites.
Overview
Motion Array is an online marketplace offering unlimited digital assets, such as stock video footage, video templates, music, sound effects, and photos. Whether you’re working solo or in a team, you can optimize your workflow using its extension panel, which also integrates with the latest versions of Adobe apps.
Top Benefits
- Unlimited downloads if you subscribe to a paid plan.
- The license lasts a lifetime and covers several video projects, such as films, social media videos and monetization, and advertising.
- A review and collaboration tool for teams and individuals that need customer feedback while working on a project.
- Access valuable tutorials and resources to improve your creativity.
- Integrates seamlessly with Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects.
Pricing
For individuals, Motion Array offers a monthly plan costing $29.99/month. However, you can save up to $100 if you pay for the annual plan, billed at $19.99 monthly (or $16.99/month with the sale above).
Teams, on the other hand, can pay $37.50 per month for two members. They can add up to 20 team members at a cost.
Motion Array Pros
Motion Array Cons
Bottom Line
Motion Array is one of the most affordable stock video sites that offer premium quality videos plus unlimited downloads. The user interface is modern and easy to navigate. Also, you can create a free trial account to determine whether the service is worth paying for.
9. Coverr
Coverr is another great free stock video platform. It doesn't have the biggest selection, but the advantage is that their collection is not as popular as Pexels and Pixabay's, so your viewers may not have seen the footage before.
Overview
Coverr is a stock video platform that offers a large collection of high-quality videos and a royalty-free license at no cost. You can use its assets for commercial and non-commercial purposes without requesting permission or giving credit to the owner.
Top Benefits
- Categories, such as work from home, arts and crafts, tech, and animals, make it easy to find stock videos.
- Access to Shutterstock collection at a discounted price.
- Coverr’s API lets you embed stock videos in your website or app.
- Email subscription notifies you of the latest videos on the platform.
Pricing
Coverr is entirely free.
Coverr Pros
Coverr Cons
Bottom Line
Coverr is ideal for anyone who’s producing videos on a small budget. You don’t have to pay anything to use use the site.
10. SplitShire
Overview
SplitShire began as a personal store for stock images and expanded to include videos. The content is free to use, but you should try using them in a creative way so you don’t end up with a video full of footage someone can find online.
Top Benefits
- Access to thousands of videos uploaded by a renowned photographer and graphics designer, Daniel Nanescu.
- The videos have a consistent style, which makes it easy for you to combine multiple video clips from the site.
Pricing
SplitShire is FREE to use!
SplitShire Pros
SplitShire Cons
Bottom Line
Whether you’re a social media marketer, business owner, or website designer, everyone can use content from SplitShire. You can also edit the video by incorporating matching stock images from the site.
Affordable Stock Video Options
Stock footage comes in handy when you don’t want to produce a video from scratch, or you’re not equipped to shoot footage. These nine sites offering cheap, and even free videos can help you save time and money.
As a new video creator or indie filmmaker, I’d check out Pixabay and Pexels for free stock footage, or Artgrid and Videvo for cheap stock videos. I hope these sites help you produce your film and video content easily and affordably!
