7 Best Sites for Cheap Stock Images

You might be thinking, why is there so much hype about what images to use on your website or blog? And, more importantly, where to find them?

Well, think of it like this: what would the online world look like without images or visuals? How would you feel if all those cool illustrations and photographs on your favorite blogs vanished? Would you still like them? Would you be able to trust an online brand if they stop investing in fantastic imagery?

The answer is a simple “NO”!

The online world feels so welcoming and authentic because of these images. Without photos, videos, or other visuals, it would lose credibility.

And let’s admit, the web design will be no fun either.

Where to Get Your Images From?

Now that we have established that images are crucial for website design, let’s talk about where you can source them. 

In general, nothing beats getting your own original photos. Professional photographers can do it for you, or you can do it with the help of a premium-quality camera. The benefit of these pictures is that they portray any vision you have in mind. You can also take photographs from multiple angles until you achieve the desired results.

But the problem with original photos is that it can be an expensive and time-consuming job. In contrast, stock photo websites offer the convenience of providing pictures in an array of niches. They are high-quality visuals available for all personal and commercial projects.

So, for those who are looking for a quick fix and have a tight budget, they can purchase excellent visuals at reasonable prices from these stock image websites:

• iStock

iStock is one of the very first websites that offered royalty-free stock photos to its customers at very low prices. The website houses millions of high-end and budget-friendly stock photos you can use on your website or blog.

You should purchase stock images from iStock because:

• They offer multiple subscription plans that you can choose from according to your pocket. Their basic package starts at $29/month, which allows you to download ten images per month.
• You also get a first-month free trial that you can cancel anytime within the time period if you are not satisfied. The images you download during the trial period are yours to keep even if you cancel the subscription.
• You can get special a discount with the help of an iStock promo code.

• Shutterstock

Shutterstock was one of the first companies to offer public domain images. This repository website houses more than 200 million images, all of which are available for purchase at affordable prices.

Following are some features that put Shutterstock among the list of best stock images websites:

• This website offers a budget-friendly deal that allows you to purchase several royalty-free images at a flat price.
• Shutterstock also boasts a number of subscription plans to accommodate customers with different financial situations.
• Shutterstock is not only cheap but also gives away free stuff to its customers. While you check out this amazing stock images platform, don’t forget to get your hands on some of their weekly freebies as well.

• Adobe Stock

This stock images website is fully integrated into Adobe’s Creative Cloud platform. It offers a massive library of stock resources that also includes vector images, illustrations, 3D assets, videos, templates, and more. 

What makes Adobe Stock one of the best sites for cheap stock images? Let’s have a look:

• Their flexible subscription plans allow you to buy and download unlimited amazing royalty-free photos at the most reasonable rates.
• You can download as many as ten images from Adobe’s image collection through their 30-day free trial. You can get a glimpse of their top-notch and high-quality visual content through the trial offer.

• Canva Pro

Who isn’t familiar with Canva – the free web-based graphic design tool? Well, that is not the only service they provide. Canva has also stepped into the stock photos arena, offering more than 100 million visual assets like photos, graphics, and videos. These assets can be used either within their graphic design tool or on their own. 

Let’s dig into some great features of Canva:

• A big chunk of their stock is available for free through another great repository website Pexels. You can download the freebies as much as you want and use them without hesitation.
• As for their paid stock, their monthly subscription plans are pretty affordable. Download as many images as you need with a Canva Pro subscription at just $6.49 per month.
• Just like any great stock images site, Canva also offers a free trial for 30 days!

• Dreamstime

This one here curates an enormous collection of professional photographs uploaded by some great photographers. The contributors on Dreamstime add their top-notch visuals daily to this platform, forming a gigantic library of some 150  million images that are both high-quality and affordable.

Dreamstime is the ultimate stock images platform if you want to save a couple of bucks without compromising quality. Here’s how:

• This site offers royalty-free images for as little as $0.20! Not only that, but they also offer you a sneak peek into their fabulous content by offering you a 15 images free trial.
• There’s also a free section where you can find a generous amount of great stock visuals to use in commercial projects without spending a penny!

• Vecteezy

While this website started off as a source of high-end vector images, it later extended its business by adding stock photos and video content to its platform. An excellent resource for designers to grab some fantastic stock assets, Vecteezy keeps expanding and improving.

• You can access millions of visuals through their pro subscription, which costs less than $7 per month – a fantastic option for those seeking quality content at reasonable rates.
• Moreover, they require no attribution, offer full commercial rights, give access to the Vecteezy editor, and much more.

• 123RF

This stock image website is home to millions of brilliant visual assets that are up for grabs at the lowest possible rates! As the name suggests, 123RF deals in royalty-free images that it offers to customers coming from all across the globe. This bootstrapped company has continuously helped businesses tell their stories through its creative photography.

• 123RF’s subscription plan starts from $19 per month, which can seem a little more than others, but if you go for their “pay yearly” option, you can save 30% on the cost.
• This stock photo website offers a 100% money-back guarantee and a $25,000 legal guarantee to all its customers.

Conclusion

In the pursuit of finding cheap stock image websites, it is essential that you only buy from legitimate ones. There are many such websites that can land you in a legal dispute because they don’t provide licensed images. 

The ones mentioned in this article offer high-quality images that are not only cheap but will also spare you from any copyright conflicts.