The Best Stock Photo Sources for Web Agencies

Stock photos have a reputation problem.

Not because the libraries aren’t good — many of them are excellent. But because the same images show up everywhere. The smiling team around a conference table. The handshake in front of a glass building. The woman laughing at her laptop. Clients recognize them, visitors recognize them, and they signal “generic” in a way that undercuts everything else you’ve worked hard to build.

The agencies navigating this best have a tiered approach: free sources for low-stakes placeholders, paid sources when selection really matters, and increasingly, a push toward real client photography — or AI-generated images — for anything that needs to feel authentic.

We asked the members of The Admin Bar where they get their stock photos and what makes that source work for their projects. Here’s what the community had to say.

The Most Mentioned Stock Photo Sources

• Envato Elements
• Depositphotos
• Pexels, Unsplash & Pixabay
• Magnific (formerly Freepik)
• iStock
• AI-Generated Images
• Other Sources Worth Knowing

Why Agencies Choose These Stock Photo Sources

Envato Elements

Envato Elements was the most mentioned paid source in the thread — and the appeal is less about photo quality and more about what comes with the subscription.

Cheryl Hock put it clearly:

“Not the platform with the best selection, but my usage is pretty low so it’s a good lower cost option for me. I also like that it’s more than photos — it spans most of the media spectrum so on the odd occasion that I need a video, music, etc, it’s got me covered.”

Cheryl Hock

That “more than photos” angle keeps coming up. Envato Elements covers stock photos, videos, audio, fonts, templates, graphics, and WordPress themes under one all-you-can-eat subscription. For agencies that occasionally need video backgrounds or audio for client projects, consolidating into one subscription is genuinely useful.

The licensing is another consistent draw — simple, broad commercial licensing without per-image fees or complicated restrictions. Adam Wright, Irene Koukia, Christi Yarema, and Jason Greenlees are all in the Envato camp for similar reasons.

Best fit: agencies who want a single subscription covering photos alongside other creative assets (video, audio, templates, graphics) with straightforward commercial licensing.

Depositphotos

Depositphotos was the most mentioned paid photo-specific source — and several members have AppSumo lifetime deals that make the value proposition even stronger.

Nate Hoffelder made his position clear in characteristically emphatic fashion: “DepositPhoto, DepositPhoto, and DepositPhoto.” Vojkan Cvijanovic, Marcel Botezat, Mark Strevens, Irene Koukia, and Eric Bonar are all in the same camp.

Cathy Larkin uses an interesting workflow worth highlighting: she researches and shortlists images for clients, then has the client open their own account, buy a one-month subscription to download everything they need, and cancel before renewal. It puts the licensing in the client’s name and keeps the cost predictable — a smart approach for agencies that don’t want to manage stock photo licensing on behalf of clients.

Best fit: agencies who want a large, searchable library of quality paid photography; especially good value if you’ve picked up a Depositphotos deal through AppSumo.

Pexels, Unsplash & Pixabay

The free trio. These three came up constantly — usually together, usually as the starting point before reaching for a paid source.

Mark Collard, Jai-Shirelle Marshall, and Mohi Uddin Ahmed all default to Pexels and Unsplash. Cathy Lynch Sirvatka uses all three free sources and reserves iStock for when she needs “just the right image.” Marc Bijl uses them alongside paid and AI sources depending on the project.

The honest assessment: the quality on all three has improved significantly over the years, and for many projects they’re entirely sufficient. The limitation is that the most popular images get overused — which is the core stock photo problem, magnified by the fact that the free libraries are free for everyone.

Unsplash in particular has a strong reputation for editorial and lifestyle photography with a more natural, unposed feel. Pexels has good search and consistent quality. Pixabay covers a broader range including vectors and illustrations.

Best fit: agencies who need placeholder images, low-stakes projects, or clients with no photography budget; also useful as a first search before committing to a paid download.

Magnific (formerly Freepik)

Freepik rebranded to Magnific and has added AI-powered features that are changing how some agencies use it.

Rio Thaba Pratama B. highlighted the brand-application angle:

“It’s pretty affordable compared to others. Plus, it has AI features — it’s fantastic for brand-sensitive projects, making it easy to implement branding on images.”

Marc Bijl uses the AI image generation through SeeDream (available via Magnific) alongside traditional stock search. Vojkan Cvijanovic uses it as a paired source alongside Depositphotos.

The AI features are the differentiator here — the ability to generate or modify images with brand colors, styles, or specific content requirements is something traditional stock libraries can’t match.

Best fit: agencies who want a blend of traditional stock search and AI image generation under one subscription, especially for brand-sensitive projects.

iStock

iStock (Getty’s mid-tier offering) came up as the go-to when selection really matters and free sources aren’t cutting it.

Elsie Gilmore uses it for the quality and the two-tier structure: “They have a great selection and very good quality. They have two tiers so you can choose higher quality.” Iona Elwood-Smith pairs it with a New Zealand-specific library (TrueStock) for local demographic relevance. Cathy Lynch Sirvatka keeps it in reserve for when none of the free sources have what she needs.

The pricing is higher than Depositphotos and the free alternatives, but the depth of Getty’s library — particularly for specific scenarios, professions, or demographics — is hard to match.

Best fit: projects where you need a specific image that free sources and mid-tier paid libraries don’t have; the Getty network’s depth is the reason to pay the premium.

AI-Generated Images

The most significant shift in this thread wasn’t a stock library — it was members moving away from stock photos toward AI-generated images.

Melodie Moore: “With AI, we haven’t really had as much of any need for stock photos.” Toby Foote has had “the most success with Claude creating a ChatGPT prompt to generate a stock photo.” Marc Bijl uses AI generation through SeeDream alongside traditional sources depending on the project.

The appeal is obvious: a generated image can be exactly what you need rather than close enough, can match a specific brand color palette, and can depict scenarios that don’t exist in stock libraries.

But Marleen Kiral raised the counterpoint worth sitting with:

“I’m getting to a point where I’m starting to avoid stock photos altogether. I still use them for basic landscape or sky photos but nothing with humans in them. As more and more end users are catching ‘the ick’ at the slightest whiff of AI, and since all my clients are small, service-based businesses whose marketing relies on relatability and authenticity, ‘polished’ isn’t really working for their brands anymore — better to use their own, deeply flawed but real-looking shitty iPhone snapshots.”

Marleen Kiral

It’s a tension that’s going to define this space for a while: AI images can be technically perfect and exactly right — and that technical perfection is sometimes exactly the problem.

Best fit: projects where you need something specific that doesn’t exist in stock libraries, or where brand consistency across images matters more than photographic authenticity.

Other Sources Worth Knowing

These also came up in the thread:

• Adobe Stock — Patrick Boehner uses it alongside Stocksy and Shutterstock for premium paid photography; Jason Greenlees recently dropped his Adobe subscription over price increases
• Stocksy — Patrick Boehner’s pick for higher-end, artist-owned stock photography; notably more distinctive and less “corporate” than most stock libraries
• Shutterstock — Patrick Boehner keeps it in the mix; the largest traditional stock library, though pricing has increased significantly
• Creative Market — Patrick Boehner uses it for other creative assets; worth knowing for fonts, graphics, and templates alongside photos
• Lummi AI — Leonardo Iannelli’s pick for AI-generated stock; designed specifically as a stock photo replacement with AI images
• Kaboompics — Leonardo Iannelli also uses this; a free library with a distinctively warm, lifestyle-forward aesthetic that stands out from typical stock
• Haute Stock and Styled Stock Society — Stephanie Pleasants uses these for her own brand; curated lifestyle photography aimed at female entrepreneurs with a consistent aesthetic
• Ivory Mix — Stephanie Pleasants uses it specifically for client templates where licensing needs to cover resale; worth knowing for agencies selling templated designs

Patterns We Noticed

The tiered approach is the norm. Almost no one relies on a single source. The typical pattern: free sources (Pexels, Unsplash) as the first search, a paid subscription (Envato Elements or Depositphotos) for when free isn’t enough, and a premium source (iStock, Adobe Stock) held in reserve for specific needs. Maintaining two or three sources at different price points covers most scenarios without overpaying.

Licensing clarity matters more than price. The members who’ve settled on Envato Elements specifically mention the simple, all-in licensing as a key reason. Per-image licensing on traditional stock sites creates ambiguity — especially when a client wants to use an image in a new context later. Subscription-based unlimited licensing removes that conversation entirely.

Adobe pricing frustration is real. Jason Greenlees dropped his Adobe subscription specifically because of price increases. This came up in the context of stock but mirrors what we hear about Creative Cloud broadly — Adobe’s pricing trajectory is pushing agencies to find alternatives across their creative toolkit.

The authenticity shift is happening. Marleen Kiral’s take resonated — and it’s worth taking seriously. For service businesses built on personal relationships, polished stock photography can work against the brand rather than for it. “Deeply flawed but real-looking” iPhone photos outperform technically perfect stock on authenticity-dependent brands. Knowing when to push clients toward their own photography is part of the job now.

AI is changing the category, not replacing it. The members using AI generation aren’t abandoning stock libraries — they’re adding AI as another layer for specific scenarios. The libraries are still useful for speed and breadth; AI is useful for specificity and brand alignment. The combination is more powerful than either alone.

How to Choose a Stock Photo Source

For a free starting point: Pexels and Unsplash are the community defaults. Search both before paying for anything.

For an all-in subscription covering more than photos: Envato Elements covers photos, video, audio, templates, and more under one license — strong choice if you occasionally need assets beyond photography.

For the best paid photo library at a reasonable price: Depositphotos — especially worth it if you can find an AppSumo deal. Large library, good search, straightforward licensing.

For when nothing else has what you need: iStock or Adobe Stock for depth of selection, particularly for specific demographics, professions, or scenarios.

For something that doesn’t look like stock at all: Push clients toward their own photography for anything people-focused. For everything else, Stocksy or Kaboompics have more distinctive aesthetics than typical stock libraries.

For brand-specific images: AI generation via Magnific, Lummi, or your preferred AI image tool — especially when you need something specific that doesn’t exist in any library.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stock Photos for Web Agencies

What’s the best free stock photo site? Pexels and Unsplash are the most recommended free sources in this community. Both have strong search, good quality, and broad commercial licensing. Searching both before paying for anything is standard practice for most agencies here.

Is Envato Elements worth it for stock photos? It depends on how you use it. The photo selection is good but not as deep as dedicated photo libraries. The real value is breadth — photos, video, audio, fonts, templates, and WordPress themes under one subscription. If you occasionally need assets beyond photography, that breadth makes the subscription easy to justify.

What happened to Freepik? Freepik rebranded to Magnific and has shifted toward AI-powered image tools alongside traditional stock. The AI features — including brand color application and image generation through SeeDream — are the main differentiator over the old Freepik experience.

Should I use AI-generated images instead of stock photos? For some projects, yes — especially when you need something specific that doesn’t exist in stock libraries, or when brand consistency across images matters. For service businesses where authenticity is part of the brand, real client photography often outperforms both stock and AI. The honest answer is that it depends on the client and what the images need to communicate.

How do I handle stock photo licensing for clients? A few approaches came up in this thread. Cathy Larkin’s method: research and shortlist images, then have the client open their own account, buy a one-month subscription to download everything needed, and cancel. This keeps licensing in the client’s name and avoids ongoing agency management. Alternatively, subscription-based licensing (Envato Elements, Depositphotos) typically covers client work under the agency’s subscription — but verify the specific terms for your use case.