Summary: In today’s article, I’m sharing my eighteen picks for the best places to find stock videos. Here are my top three choices:
- Envato – Huge shop, where you get as many stock videos as you want (unlimited options).
- Motion Array – Similar to Envato, only a bit smaller & specialized on videos.
- Mixkit – Great for free videos that look good and don’t cost anything.
Stock videos are an indispensable tool for enhancing visual content, and my selections are based on quality, variety, and ease of use. Whether you’re working on a commercial project, a personal blog, or anything in between, these platforms provide the resources you need to bring your vision to life. Each of my top picks has its unique strengths, so dive into these resources to discover the perfect stock video for your next project.
TOP 18: best stock video sites
- Envato Elements (Top Pick) – Paid
- Motion Array – Paid
- Mixkit – Free
- Pixabay – Free
- Pexels – Free
- Videvo – Free
- Artgrid – Paid
- Videezy – Free
- Dareful – Free
- iStock – Paid
- Coverr – Free
- Life of Vids – Free
- Creative Market – Paid
- Vidsplay – Free
- Shutterstock – Paid
- SplitShire – Free
- Storyblocks – Paid
- Mazwai – Free
1. Envato Elements
Huge marketplace with unlimited downloads of videos, photos, templates, music and much more.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: 5,700,000+ videos, 6.2M+ Photos, 100,000+ video templates & thousands of other creative assets
- Type of media: Stock videos and photos, music and sound effects, fonts, graphic templates, presentations, wordpress, and much more.
- About: Envato Elements is literally one of the best places to get your videos from. It combines a huge selection with affordable price. I personally use Envato for some time now and couldn’t me happier. It offers unlimited access to a vast collection of creative assets like stock videos, graphics, and music with a single subscription.
2. Motion Array
A comprehensive video makers platform with stock video, plugins, and video editing assets.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: Around 100,000+ videos.
- Type of media: Stock videos, music, video templates, After Effects templates, Premiere Pro plugins.
- About: Motion Array offers a wide array of premium video production and editing assets, making it a go-to resource for professionals looking to enhance their projects.
3. Mixkit
An exclusive gallery of high-quality stock videos without watermark, music, sound effects etc.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: 43,000+ videos & 1000+ tracks, 3000+ sounds and 800+ video templates
- Type of media: Stock videos, music tracks, video templates.
- About: Mixkit stands out for its carefully selected, free stock video footage and music tracks, ideal for creative projects needing a professional touch without the cost.
4. Pixabay
A vibrant community of creatives sharing copyright-free images, videos, and music.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Thousands of free stock video clips and footage & over 4.3 million+ high quality assaets in total.
- Type of media: Stock videos, photos, illustrations, and music.
- About: Pixabay is renowned for its vast collection of free-to-use media, encouraging artistic expression and creation across the globe.
5. Pexels
Offers high-quality and completely free stock videos contributed by talented creators.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Thousands of videos.
- Type of media: Stock videos, photos.
- About: Pexels is favored for its handpicked collection of stock videos, providing visually stunning content that's free for personal and commercial use.
6. Videvo
Provides free and premium stock videos, motion graphics, and sound effects.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Over 2 500 000 clips.
- Type of media: Stock videos, motion graphics, sound effects.
- About: Videvo is a key resource for finding a wide range of video and audio content, catering to various project needs with both free and paid options.
7. Artgrid
Offers storytelling-driven stock footage from talented filmmakers around the world.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: Not specified, but lots of quality footage.
- Type of media: High-quality stock videos.
- About: Artgrid excels in providing unique, cinematic quality footage, enabling creators to elevate their storytelling with exceptional visuals.
8. Videezy
A community-driven platform offering free and premium stock video footage.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Thousands of clips.
- Type of media: Stock videos, drone footage, 4K video clips.
- About: Videezy's vast collection ranges from amateur to professional-grade footage, accommodating a wide spectrum of project requirements.
9. Dareful
Specializes in providing completely free 4K stock video clips shot by professionals.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Limited but high-quality selection.
- Type of media: 4K stock videos.
- About: Dareful stands out for its focus on 4K content, offering stunning visuals at no cost, perfect for high-resolution projects.
10. iStock
A leading global source of premium stock content, including videos, images, and music.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: Millions of videos and other creative assets.
- Type of media: Stock videos, photos, illustrations, and music.
- About: iStock by Getty Images is renowned for its high-quality and diverse library, catering to businesses and creatives seeking top-tier media.
11. Coverr
Offers beautiful, free stock video footage for commercial and non-commercial use.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: 3000+ videos.
- Type of media: Stock videos.
- About: Coverr is celebrated for its unique and eye-catching stock videos, available for free to enhance websites, social media, and marketing campaigns.
12. Life of Vids
Provides free stock videos, clips, and loops with no copyright restrictions.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Limited but carefully gathered.
- Type of media: Stock videos, loops.
- About: Life of Vids is a go-to for creatives looking for high-quality, freely usable video content, courtesy of a Canadian marketing agency.
13. Creative Market
A platform for handcrafted design content from independent creatives around the world.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: Over 26 120 000+ videos; focuses on quality and uniqueness.
- Type of media: Limited stock videos, fonts, graphics, templates, and more.
- About: Creative Market stands out for its focus on unique, creative assets, supporting independent designers and artists.
14. Vidsplay
Offers an extensive collection of totally free stock video footage for personal and commercial use.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Big library of over 483 free stock video clips. Continuously updated with new videos.
- Type of media: Stock videos.
- About: Vidsplay is dedicated to providing a wide range of free video content, making it easier for creators to find the right visuals for their projects.
15. Shutterstock
A global marketplace for royalty-free images and videos, offering a vast and diverse library.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: Millions of videos and over 300 million images.
- Type of media: Stock videos, photos, music, and editing tools.
- About: Shutterstock is known for its enormous selection of stock media, serving as a comprehensive resource for creatives worldwide.
16. SplitShire
Provides stunning, free stock photos and videos for commercial and personal use.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Hundreds of videos and photos.
- Type of media: Stock videos and photos.
- About: The media available on SplitShire is notable for its artistic quality and originality, providing users with access to images and videos that are not just generic stock content but are carefully chosen to add value and distinction to creative works.
17. Storyblocks
Offers unlimited downloads of royalty-free stock video, music, photos, and more with a subscription.
- Free or paid: Paid
- Size of library: Over 1 million videos and other assets.
- Type of media: Stock videos, music, After Effects templates, photos.
- About: Storyblocks is ideal for creatives needing a wide variety of media types on a regular basis, offering an all-in-one solution with its subscription model.
18. Mazwai
Specializes in handpicked, free stock video footage and motion graphics for creative projects.
- Free or paid: Free
- Size of library: Selective but high-quality.
- Type of media: Stock videos, motion graphics.
- About: Mazwai distinguishes itself with a focus on artistic and high-quality video content, available for free under the Mazwai License.
Paid vs. Free Stock videos
When you need stock videos, you can pick from free or paid ones. Free stock videos are great if you're not using them often or have a small budget. But, they might not be as unique or high-quality as paid videos. A lot of people use the same free videos, so it's hard to be different. Also, it's sometimes unclear if you're allowed to use them without getting into trouble. Paid stock videos usually look better, offer more choices, and come with clear rules on how you can use them, making your project stand out and keeping you safe from legal problems.
What are stock videos usually used for?
- Enhancing Digital Marketing: Stock videos are frequently utilized to boost the visual appeal of digital marketing campaigns, social media content, and promotional videos, helping to capture the audience's attention and effectively communicate marketing messages.
- Improving Websites and Blogs: Stock videos are used to add visual interest to websites and blog posts, which can enhance user engagement and contribute to better SEO performance by making the content more engaging and dynamic.
- Supporting Corporate Presentations and Training: In corporate settings, stock videos are employed as visual aids in presentations, training videos, and internal communications to illustrate concepts, making the information more accessible and engaging for the audience.
- Supplementing Film and Television Production: Stock videos serve as B-roll footage in film and television production, providing supplemental content to primary footage, filling narrative gaps, or offering contextual backgrounds, all without the need for additional costly shoots.
- Creating Music Videos: Stock videos provide background visuals or thematic elements in music videos, allowing for creative expression and storytelling even when production budgets are limited.
- Enhancing Educational Materials: Stock videos are integrated into e-learning courses and educational materials to support learning objectives with relevant visuals, helping to maintain interest and enhance the learning experience.
- Attracting Attention at Events and Exhibitions: Stock videos are used to create dynamic backgrounds and displays for events, trade shows, and exhibitions, attracting attention and effectively conveying thematic messages to audiences.
- Providing Environments in Video Games and Virtual Reality: Stock videos contribute environments or background scenes for video games and virtual reality experiences, particularly useful in indie projects or prototypes where resources may be limited.
- Generating Revenue through Sale or Licensing: Content creators produce stock videos with the aim of selling or licensing them to others, turning their creative output into a potential source of income.
- Enriching Personal Projects: Stock videos are also employed in personal projects, such as family videos or hobbyist filmmaking, to enhance the overall quality and visual appeal of the projects with professional-grade footage.
Conclusion
Stock video libraries, especially those offering unlimited downloads, are basically a gamechanger. With our world moving more and more into the video world, I think these places soon become necessary for millions of people around the world. Figuring out which stick library is the best for videos can be time-consuming, which is why I've done the work for you.
If you want my opinion, the absolute best place to get your videos is Envato Elements. I've been using this site myself, for quite some time already, and I couldn't be more happier. They have millions of assets (which is really a lot), and whatever I need I can always find in there. Plus, I can download photos, music, fonts, templates and much more within the same one subscription. It's cost-effective and for me, simply top notch. But, if you're not impressed with Envato, check out the other libraries on this list. I’m sure you can pick your favorite. Happy creating!
