I’m allll for supporting small businesses and hiring photographers and creators. Nothing replaces original content. But sometimes, consistently booking brand shoots isn’t feasible. Photo shoots add up quickly, and they take time to plan and coordinate. Which as you know, can be hard to do if you’re juggling a full time business and personal responsibilities.
So when I need a little extra support for social media, marketing, or design assets, I lean on stock image sites.
I’m pretty selective with what I’ll use and if something feels overly staged, outdated, or like I’ve seen it a million times, it’s not for me. After digging through more generic stock image websites than I’d like to admit, I finally landed on a few that matched the vibe I was hoping to find… “Pinteresty” lol.
If you’re as picky as I am – you’ll appreciate these un-stuffy stock sites, membership pricing, and some visual examples so you know what to expect. A few of the sites have different tier memberships but I’ll be sharing the ones I’ve personally paid for and used in my business.
Stock Image Website #1
Editorial Stock Images
This site is by far my favorite and the one I use the most – but it is the priciest. The content feels current, “cool girl”, and editorial *thus the name lol*. They also offer so much more than images – short form video clips, social media templates, greeting card and invitation templates, and even a few ShowIt website templates.
My Membership: “Quarterly Personal” $139 every four months
Stock Image Website #2
The Vault Stock
This one has a ton of variety – travel, home, beauty, fitness, business, girls night out, and so much more. It’s a great option when you need flexibility across different types of content.
My Membership: “Elite Monthly” $49.95 per month
Stock Image Website #3
Unsplash+
There is a free version – which is great, but I swear every image I gravitate towards is on their premium version. So I finally caved and joined their paid membership. It can take a little more digging to find exactly what you want, but for the price and range, it’s 10/10 worth it.
Membership: $84 annually
Stock Image Website #4
CanvaPro
Most people know this platform for its design templates, but the premium membership includes a more elevated selection of images than the free version. It’s a good all-in-one option if you’re already using it for design.
Membership: $129 annually
Stock Image Licensing Reminder
These are just my go-to websites. Make sure you review each website’s licensing policies before signing up and using their content. It’s always better to double-check upfront than assume.
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