While I've had to use Getty for more specific image needs, I usually start my image search with Pexels as it's a much more cost-effective option. However, Getty has a much more robust search tool, which I sometimes need in order to track down an image with a specific …
In my opinion, they are all very similar. Sometimes when I am searching for something more specific, one or other might well be suited. But, in general, I tend to open at least 3 or 4 different image banks at the same time and use the same search terms on all of them. Since …
Working in the medical field it can be difficult to find specialized imagery without shooting it yourself in-house however Getty has a pretty vast library. They've also done a nice job staying up with 'mask' imagery during the current COVID pandemic which my organization had a very high demand for. You will also find the photography to be more diverse than competitors and their search engine's suggestions are usually pretty spot on.
1. Small businesses with small or non-existent budgets still need assets to create content 2. Individual content makers or freelancers who need stock assets 3. Corporate eLearning wants to modernize and replace all old-fashioned, outdated, brightly lit studio photos with more realistic and relevant imagery that will resonate with modern audiences and learners.
High-resolution images – Pexels is full of images that are high enough in resolution to look beautiful on their own, but also high quality enough to be combined with other images without distracting pixelization
Stock videos – other free stock sites are often limited to just images, but Pexels has a wide range of videos available as well, which we use to plus up decks
Good search functions – while not as robust as some paid sites, Pexels' search functions make it pretty easy to track down what you need
Licensing – it's very straightforward to know what you can and can't do with a Pexels photo, which protects my company and our clients
Easy to search multiple images and stock footage from the past is really helping us to deliver the content fast to our viewers. It is rather more expensive to send the reporter to remote place than the overall cost of the subscription for any large scale channels who need to depend on authenticated sources.
I could probably rattle after a dozen 'stock' photo companies that tout claims such as '$1 downloads, etc.' but don't bite on them, their libraries are extremely limited and you'll end up seeing photos you've used all over the place. For example, we once used a woman for a magazine cover who I also saw on a Southwest flyer, a Home Depot ad and on a poster at my kid's school all within a few months. It waters down your brand.
Pexels has a few unique features that stand out, the most important being a 1-click download from the search results. No need to navigate to another page to find a "download" button. This reduces the time required to find and download an appropriate image. The search results load fast, with lazy loading, so there's no annoying pagination at the bottom. I often travel as I work, and at times my internet connection can be slow or unstable. This kind of feature may seem minor to some users, but when on a slower connection, it makes a big difference. If a search term is too broad, it can recommend related keywords to search for - this helps to find the right image faster.
Social media campaigns created with photos from Pexels achieves 40% higher engagement vs others.
Thanks to faster and easier content sourcing provided by Pexels, our campaign generation period has dropped to an average of 4 hours, instead of 2 days.
Their stock images adorn our offices.... and it's a much lore cheerful space for that reason. Staff are happier, and stay in the office longer.
