10 Best Stock Video Sites

March 23, 2023

DAVID LUGO

Discover where to find the best stock video in 2024 with our top 10 picks.

The number of stock video sites is rising by the day, but some focus on quantity rather than quality.

If you require 4K, and 6K, or RAW footage and Log files that allow you to color grade, you are in the right place. We have compiled a list of the best sites for stock footage to help you decide on the most suitable one for your next project.

1. ActionVFX: Best Site for Stock Visual Effects and Compositing Background Plates

ActionVFX specializes in providing professional-grade, high-resolution, action-packed stock footage elements that meet professional industry standards. These VFX assets are made for artists looking for quality and variety. The ActionVFX library is consistently updated to bring the best possible VFX elements.

ActionVFX also has the world's only library of practice footage for compositors, containing over 500 HD clips shot to practice or showcase compositing skills.

These unique features make ActionVFX the best place to go if you are looking for visual effects stock footage or background plates and practice footage for compositing.

Features

Specially curated library with thousands of assets
Effects are delivered in 2K, 4K, 6K, and 10-12 bit ProRes
Elements are shot from multiple angles
Over 650 free VFX assets, and instant access to the Essentials Catalogue with any paid subscription
Royalty-free worldwide lifetime license
Practice Footage Library with 500+ HD practice clips for compositors

Curated Library

The library features over 20 categories, from Weather, Fire, Explosions, People & Crowds, Gun FX, and more. Additionally, the new 3D library includes a growing variety of 3D models and animated VDBs.

These effects are shot and developed by a team of in-house professionals, making the collections a perfect blend of all you need to make your project look professional.

There are also Variety Packs available like Building Fire Essentials containing the fifty best structure fire elements. Designed to fit perfectly around the shape of your windows, walls, poles, or ceilings to help you get the most realistic results fast. These Variety Packs contain some of our most popular assets used by VFX artist's in some of the world's biggest blockbusters.

Different resolution possibilities

ActionVFX effects are delivered in 2K, 4K, 6K, and 10-12 bit ProRes. They can be used in any compositing software and come with R3D files for easy integration in your shot.

Most assets include a pre-keyed Alpha Channel.

Effects work perfectly with all the major software.

The Foundry's Nuke
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Premiere Pro
HitFilm and HitFilm: Express
Apple Final Cut Pro
Apple Final Cut Pro Motion
AVID Media Composer
Vegas Pro 15
Blackmagic Design: Fusion

Elements are shot from multiple angles

Almost all ActionVFX elements are shot to fit the frame lines, making them simple to incorporate. Being able to choose the angle you need for your shot is a huge advantage; this way you can make any scene feel life-like.

To make a great shootout scene, for example, you need Muzzle Flashes, and they need to have multiple angles. These flashes are shot from actual guns that range from pistols, semi-automatic, automatic weapons, and even shotguns!

116 real muzzle flash elements in total
88 Video Clips + 28 Still Images
12 different guns across 5 weapon classifications
Includes 4 different angles to fit any scene
Delivered in 2K or 4K in 12-Bit ProRes 4444 at 23.98fps
All files include a pre-keyed Alpha Channel
Camera: RED GEMINI 5K

Free Assets

ActionVFX offers a library free to anyone with a Free Forever subscription plan. If you choose to get a paid subscription, you will gain access to the Essentials Catalogue, in addition to the credits you can spend on any 2D or 3D asset in our library.

The Practice Footage Library is also available to all users with a free ActionVFX account.

ActionVFX Pricing

The ActionVFX subscription is credits-based, meaning you will receive a certain number of credits per month (or year) that you can save and spend on the collections you need. You can also purchase additional credit packs at a low cost.

If you're interested in trying it out, we recommend creating a free account, which will give you access to our library of free FX and full access to the Practice Footage Library.

Explore ActionVFX Subscriptions

Pricing For Freelancers and Hobbyists

Monthly Variants:

5 credits per month for $59/month
10 credits per month for $99/month
20 credits per month for $198/month

Yearly Variants:

60 credits per year for $699/year
120 credits per year for $1,188/year
240 credits per year for $2,376/year

Pricing for Startups and Small Teams

Monthly Variants:

5 credits per month for $199/month
10 credits per month for $349/month
20 credits per month for $675/month

Yearly Variants:

60 credits per year for $2,299/year
120 credits per year for $4,099/year
240 credits per year for $7,999/year

Pricing for Studios and Large Teams

We work with large studios earning more than $3 million per year to create a custom subscription plan that fits with their needs. If this applies to you, you can contact our team at sales@actionvfx.com.

2. Artgrid: Best for YouTube Monetization and Single Creatives

Artgrid was launched by Artlist, one of the world’s top stock music sites. Artgrid is better for creative video editors who need high-quality stock footage. You can even get 8K, RAW/LOH, ProRes, and H.264 clips.

Artgrid Features

Unlimited downloads
A license that covers use on any platform worldwide
Up to 8K footage quality
RAW/LOG clips, ProRes/DNxHR, graded footage
Verified for YouTube monetization

Artgrid Pricing

All plans allow YouTube monetization and cover all platforms, it’s great for streamers and YouTubers.

Artgrid has 3 different plans:

Junior offers unlimited downloads of HD clips in H.264 format and Graded footage - $19.99/ month
Creator offers unlimited downloads of 4K-8K clips in ProRes / DNxHR and Graded footage - $29.99/ month
Pro offers unlimited downloads of RAW / LOG clips 4K-8K clips in ProRes / DNxHR and Graded footage - $49.92/ month

3. RawFilm: Best for Cinematic 8K RAW Footage

RawFilm is a subscription-based stock footage platform with cinematic 8K content. They offer only self-produced content shot on RED cameras in REDCODE RAW exclusively. Their content is organized in collections, and the footage is shot from different angles.

RawFilm Features

Unlimited downloads
Video clips shot on high-end cameras
All clips are available in 4K & 8K (RAW + ProRes)
Themed footage collections
Different angles available
Worldwide use licensing

RawFilm Pricing

RawFilm offers monthly and yearly subscriptions and lifetime access.

Monthly offers 50 clips per month at $79/month
Yearly offers 1,000 clips per year at $828/year
Lifetime Access allows you to pay once and use your subscription forever, downloading 1200 clips per year, at $499

4. Pond5: Best for Variety of Stock Footage

Pond5 offers a large selection of stock videos and photos. In addition, you can get music, sound effects, After Effects templates, and 3D models. They feature extended licenses which makes them accessible to businesses. New videos are uploaded daily, and the pricing is simple and clear. Pond5 is good for professionals and teams with large budgets.

Pond5 Features

Over 31 million stock videos
16+ million 4K videos
Addon for Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro
Royalty-free license

Pond5 Pricing

Pond5 has three subscription plans depending on the content you are looking for. Each Plan is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, and they all offer 10 downloads per month.

There is also an option to buy credit packs. By using credits, you can get bonuses of up to 25% discount. Credits can be spent by downloading anything on Pond5.

There are four Credit Pack sizes and an option to get a custom pack.

With $250 you will get $275 in credit and a $25 bonus
With $500 you will get $565 in credit and a $65 bonus
With $1,000 you will get $1,160 in credit and a $160 bonus
With $2,500 you will get $3,000 in credit and a $500 bonus

Keep in mind that the remaining credits cannot be refunded.

Pond5 also allows you to buy items individually.

5. Storyblocks: Best for a Smaller Budget

Storyblocks is better for video editors with a smaller budget and those who do not need top-quality videos. Storyblocks has a video editor called Maker, which helps you save even more because you don’t have to buy another standalone app.

Stock videos are generally sold file-by-file or based on a certain amount of downloads. However, Storyblocks is interesting as it sells clips based on an unlimited download subscription model.

In addition to this, Storyblocks also offers another stock footage library called the Marketplace. This is where customers can purchase video clips directly from contributors.

Storyblocks Features

Unlimited downloads
A large collection with more than 1 million videos
Stock footage and audio
Royalty-free license for all content
HD and 4K Footage
After Effects templates

Storyblocks Pricing

Starter Plan offers 5 monthly downloads, including HD footage, music, photos, vectors, and illustrations. - $15/ month billed annually
Unlimited All Access Plan includes unlimited downloads of HD & 4K footage, music, photos, vectors, illustrations, and After Effects Templates - $30/ month billed annually
Pro Plan covers all the previous features and adds a Premier Pro plugin - $35/ month billed annually
All plans include an individual license

6. Shutterstock: Best for Flexible Pricing

Shutterstock offers millions of high-quality, royalty-free video clips in varied themes and styles that can be bought on demand, by a clip, or with discount video packs. The stock video clips are available in Web, SD, HD, and 4K resolution. Each resolution has a different price point. Some contributors make their clips available in more than one format. All videos downloaded with a subscription come with a Standard license that grants worldwide perpetual use of the materials. It is intended for smaller personal projects, with a budget under $10K.

Shutterstock Features

A library of Over 18 million stock video clips
Stock footage available in Web, SD, HD, and 4K and NTSC/ATSC or PAL/576i formats
Royalty-free licensing Individual, Standard, and Enhanced
Priced according to video resolution
Video packs on demand
All purchased clips are available to re-download for up to one year after the pack expired

Shutterstock Pricing

Shutterstock offers single downloads and Video Packs that can include Standard or Extended video licenses. Monthly and Yearly Plans are priced depending on the number of downloads and the quality of the footage.

There are two different ways of getting download credits. Shutterstock Packs offers a certain number of downloads, ideal for creators of one-time projects. Two downloads cost $29, and you can buy up to 25 downloads at $229.

By subscribing, you can get up to 750 downloads per month. The subscription has three payment options: month-to-month, annual with monthly billing, and annual with upfront payment. Here are the pricing breakdowns:

Month-to-month payments: 10 downloads per month at $49/month 50 downloads per month at $125/month 350 downloads per month at $199/month 750 downloads per month at $249/month

Annual, pay monthly: 10 downloads per month at $29/month 50 downloads per month at $99/month 350 downloads per month at $169/month 750 downloads per month at $199/month

Annual, pay upfront: 10 downloads per month at $299/year 50 downloads per month at $979/year 350 downloads per month at $1,649/year 750 downloads per month at $1,999/year

A subscription plan is ideal for content creators needing images and videos on a regular basis.

7. Adobe Stock: Best for Video Editors and Graphic Designers

Adobe Stock offers stock footage along with stock photography. This service is part of the design software company Adobe, owners of some of the most popular video editing tools like Premier Pro and After Effects, and of the cloud design platform Creative Cloud which includes all their software tools.

Adobe Stock Features

Offers over 200 million stock assets like photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, audio tracks, 3D models, and templates
Integrated into most Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator, etc.
Content is divided into standard and premium
Features over 24 million videos
And 1+ million free images
Offers a 30-day free trial

Adobe Stock Pricing

Monthly Subscription for Single Users bases the pricing on the number of assets you are downloading.

10 standard assets or 1 HD video a month - $49.99/ month
25 standard assets or 3 HD videos a month - $69.99/ month
750 standard assets or 25 HD videos a month - $249.99/ month

Yearly Subscriptions are better if you need images or Videos for at least 8 months. Team Subscriptions only offer yearly Plans.

Adobe Stock offers an Enterprise Subscription model. The information about the pricing for this Plan is given on demand.

8. Videvo: Best for Free Stock Footage

Videvo provides a variety of free and affordable premium stock videos, motion graphics, templates, music, and sound effects.

They offer simple and affordable licensing with different subscription options. Their most prominent feature is the 18 thousand free video clips, which only require you to attribute the author.

Videvo Features

500 thousand stock videos, motion graphics, templates, music, and sound effects
18 thousand free videos, with attribution
Video quality, ranging from 720p, 1080p, to 4K video clips
Free stock footage and premium videos are available in 4K resolution, but high-quality 4K is hard to find
Premium videos are royalty-free
11 thousand motion graphics

Videvo Pricing

Videvo sells premium video clips in addition to offering free stock footage. They are suitable for commercial projects and YouTube videos.

They feature three Premium plans:

Lite Premium offers premium video downloads 5 per month - $7.99/month
Plus Premium offers videos & templates, 25 downloads per month - $14.99/month or $144/year
Pro Premium offers videos, templates, music & SFX, and 50 downloads per month - $24.99/month or $240/year

By signing up for an annual subscription, you receive unlimited downloads.

9. Videezy: Best for Aerial Footage and Footage Featuring Nature

Videezy has a large collection of video clips that are royalty-free for personal and commercial use, in both HD and 4K, and MP4 format. Make sure to check each clip’s specific licensing info. Most require that you credit Videezy when using their footage. They also upload free animations and After Effects templates.

Videezy’s stock video site contains both free and paid options.

If you want to use Videezy Standard without attribution, you can purchase a Pro License with credits.

You can also opt for Videezy Pro content that is reserved for paid users with 4K/1080P stock footage that can be purchased with credits.

Videezy Features

Offers different video resolutions including SD, HD-720, HD-1080, Ultra HD, and 4K
Features 12 Categories like Art, Nature, Travel, Background, etc., further divided into subcategories
Simple License and Attribution
Variety of filter options, results can be filtered by File type, License type, Format, and Resolution

Videezy Pricing

Videezy doesn't offer a Subscription but offers different libraries for free and paid content. The Videezy Standard library offers free videos which you can use with attribution. And the Videezy Pro library is for paying members only. Here you can find more exclusive content that is Royalty-free.

The way to purchase their footage is to buy credits which can later be used on their assets or buy a Pro License. This license applies to a Single User only. If you would like a plan for Team users, you would need to contact their support.

Credit prices:

1 credit - $19 - $19.00 per file
5 credits - $39 - $7.80 per file
10 credits - $49 - $4.90 per file

10. iStock: Best for Exclusive Signature Footage

iStock was originally known as iStockPhoto, but then changed to account for the range of content on the site. They now offer premium images and a combination of image and video downloads. You can download videos only with the Premium + Video subscriptions or Credit packs.

iStock Features

Offers 148 million stock photos, 124.4 million Essential images, and 23.2 million Signature images
12 million stock videos, 9.2 million Essential videos, and 3.7 million Signature videos
Essentials collection of low-price shots
Signature collection of higher quality, with exclusive videos
Variety in image resolution, HD clips include 4K, and SD videos are also available
Royalty-Free license granting

iStock Pricing

You can pay for the license and footage using company credits. Depending on the collections, the licenses will cost you 6 credits for Essentials and 18 for Signature. After selecting the license, you can proceed to pay for the videos you want to download, also in credits. Individual credit prices start at $12, and they offer different Credit Packs.

If you don’t need to download regularly, it’s better to choose credits since they don’t expire and can be used anytime.

Subscriptions are divided into Basic for Essential images, Premium for Essential & Signature images, and Premium + Video for all images, videos, and music.

Basic subscriptions offer 10, 25, 50, or 750 downloads monthly with these subscriptions. You can download Essential images only - $29–$167/month
Premium subscriptions offer 10, 25, 50, or 750 monthly downloads you can download Essential and Signature images - $70–$334/month
Premium + Video offers 10, 25, and 50 monthly downloads, you can download all images, Essentials & Signatures, videos, and music - $99–$265/month

How to Choose the Best Stock Video Site

Your needs will dictate the best choice for you depending on your budget, project size, team members, and the licenses you require.

If you are looking to take your visual effects game to the next level ActionVFX has got you covered. The extensive library of visual effects, the Practice Footage Library, and personalized pricing plans will accommodate any kind of project, from personal to large-scale. ActionVFX gives you a lifetime license, which can be Individual, Startup, or Enterprise, depending on your annual revenue.

For stock videos of high-quality or RAW footage, RawFilm and Artgrid can both offer what you need. Although RawFilm is more expensive, they have a curated selection of Cinematic footage that has options for multiple angles. Both stock video sites support worldwide licensing, and Artgrid has an easy YouTube monetization option.

For projects on a tight budget, Storyblocks and Videvo can be good options. Storyblocks doesn't offer free content, but the pricing plans are affordable and their video editor, called Maker, is free to use. Their license is worldwide and perpetual. Videvo offers free content with a somewhat smaller library. The free videos will have to be attributed, or you can buy a license with credits.

For variety and flexible pricing, Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Pond5 are all good options. Pond5 is more expensive if you are looking for stock video subscriptions, but Pond5, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock all offer Credit Packs and individual downloads.

All of these stock video sites feature massive libraries of stock footage, photos, music, 3D models, and templates. Royalty-free licensing is available on all assets, and the Single User license can be upgraded.

If you're a VFX artist on the hunt for premium-quality assets, look no further than ActionVFX. Our library boasts an extensive range of professional-grade assets and background plates, and with an ActionVFX subscription, you'll be able to save and spend credits on the assets you need. To read testimonials about ActionVFX, check out our testimonials page.

Explore the ActionVFX library or view our pricing plans

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