If you’re outgrowing a single free library, the alternative landscape splits quickly: photo-first communities, huge multi-asset catalogs, video-centric toolkits, and newer AI-native libraries built for fast iteration. Some options stay completely free, while others trade cost for volume, integrations, or specialized licensing.
Unsplash
Unsplash is the photo-first alternative that wins when you want high-resolution imagery that feels editorial rather than templated. It’s widely adopted for product mockups, landing pages, and design comps, and the platform’s cadence shows ongoing iteration—makers publicly note that feature requests are actively tracked in their
requests are in our to-do, and they’ve
played around with the idea of product tweaks like refresh behavior.
- Photo-centric library with a strong “community photographer” vibe
- Good fit for teams that need consistent, modern hero imagery
- Solid signal of satisfaction in ratings like a 5/5 score alongside 4/5 feedback
Best for
- Designers and marketers who want clean, contemporary photography quickly
- Developers who want a well-known image source for demos, placeholders, and content feeds
Pixabay
Pixabay stands out for breadth: it’s less about “just photos” and more about being a one-stop shop for a wide range of royalty-free creative assets. That makes it especially handy when a single project needs mixed media (images plus other design elements) without stitching together multiple sources.
- Broad asset coverage beyond photos (illustrations/vectors/footage in its positioning)
- Familiar search-and-download workflow that’s easy to plug into content production
- Strong satisfaction signal with a 5/5 rating
Best for
- Content creators who want variety of asset types in one place
- Teams producing lots of day-to-day marketing content where speed matters more than ultra-specific curation
Mixkit
Mixkit is the lightweight, video-friendly alternative for creators who don’t want a complicated stock workflow. Its appeal is the “grab-and-go” feel—free creative assets that cover common video needs like b-roll, music, and templates, without turning asset sourcing into a project of its own. The team leans into community feedback—comments like
that’s what we like to hear reflect a product tuned for practical creative use.
- Video-focused library plus supporting assets (music/SFX/templates)
- Straightforward, production-oriented categories for quick browsing
- Emphasis on keeping the experience simple and fast
Best for
- Social and YouTube teams who need free video building blocks
- Editors who want templates + audio alongside footage, not just standalone clips
Videoblocks by Storyblocks
Storyblocks (Videoblocks) is the “pay to go faster” alternative: a subscription library designed for high-volume production, where the real value is unlimited downloads, predictable licensing, and a workflow built for repeat output. It’s also more than raw footage—templates and editor-friendly integrations make it feel like a production toolkit rather than a stock site.
- Subscription model for consistent throughput and fewer licensing headaches
- Large video library geared toward marketing and creator pipelines
- Templates and integrations that support faster editing cycles
Best for
- Agencies and in-house teams shipping video weekly (or daily)
- Creators who want unlimited pulls instead of hunting for the “one free clip” that fits
Generated Photos
Generated Photos is a specialized alternative built around synthetic people—useful when you need human imagery but want to avoid the constraints of model releases, privacy concerns, or repetitive “same faces everywhere” stock. It’s a strong option for UX mockups, ads, and datasets where consistency and rights clarity matter. User sentiment spans from highly positive ratings like a
5/5 review to more mixed experiences like a
3/5 rating, which fits a category where realism and control trade off differently for each use case.
Best for
- Product/design teams who need diverse human imagery for mockups and campaigns
- Developers and researchers who want programmatic access to synthetic human visuals
