Vecteezy vs. Pexels: Which is the Best Platform for Free Photos and Videos?

Finding quality creative assets without breaking the bank is a challenge most designers and marketers know all too well. Vecteezy and Pexels are two of the most popular platforms for free photos and videos, but there are some significant differences between them.

If you’re trying to figure out which one makes sense for your projects, here’s what you need to know.

Platform Overviews

Pexels

Pexels launched in 2014 and became a go-to source for free stock photos and videos through a combination of quantity and quality. In 2019, Canva acquired Pexels. Following the acquisition, assets from Pexels became accessible in Canva’s browser-based designer, and Pexels users can take photos and videos into Canva to edit them. All of the content on Pexels remains free.

The platform operates on a community model where photographers and videographers can upload their work for others to use under the Pexels license, which supports free personal and commercial use. 

Vecteezy

Vecteezy launched in 2007 and has grown to become one of the world’s largest creative marketplaces with more than 60 million resources in its library. Users can download photos, videos, PNGs, PSDs, templates, bundles, and more. 

Millions of Vecteezy’s resources are available for free, but some of the content requires a Vecteezy Pro subscription. Pro subscribers get unlimited downloads for as little as $9/month, making it one of the best values in the industry. 

Aside from the overall value and content quality, what really sets Vecteezy apart is licensing and user safety. While most free photo and video sites offer users very little protection, the free content from Vecteezy offers a level of protection typically only available with premium stock content.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Vecteezy	Pexels
Asset types	Photos, videos, vectors, SVGs, PNGs, PSDs, templates, bundles	Photos, videos
Total library size	60+ million	3+ million
Contributors vetted	Yes	No
Signed model & property releases for free photos/videos	Yes	No
Photos/videos with logos licensed for editorial use only	Yes	No
Downloadable license for free photos/videos	Yes	No
Download without a user account	Yes	Yes
Search filters	Extensive	Extensive
Use free photos/videos without attribution	Only for Pro users	Yes

Licensing and User Protection

When it comes to stock content, licensing is a critical topic that can’t be ignored. Using an image or video without proper clearance can lead to legal trouble down the road, and, unfortunately, these issues are common.

Pexels

Photos and videos on Pexels are available under the Pexels license, which allows free use in personal and commercial projects without attribution. The Pexels license is simple and includes very few restrictions. However, many users don’t understand the risks associated with it.

Pexels, like most free photo websites, doesn’t require contributors to provide signed model or property releases. That means if the photo/video includes a recognizable person or property, you might not have the necessary permission to use it.

The photographer or videographer has agreed to allow their work to be used under the Pexels license, but the model or property owner possibly has not. Additionally, anyone can create an account and upload content. If you use content uploaded by someone other than the copyright owner, you could be held liable.

Pexels also doesn’t distinguish between images that are safe for commercial use and those that contain brand logos or trademarks. Stock photo websites typically license these photos for editorial use to prevent legal complications, but Pexels and most other free photos sites don’t take this step to protect users.

Vecteezy

Vecteezy’s Free license allows for both personal and commercial projects as long as you include attribution (see details). The requirement for attribution is waived for Pro customers.

While the Pexels license appears more permissive than Vecteezy’s Free license, Vecteezy takes some significant steps to protect users. This applies to all content, both Free and Pro.

• Contributor vetting: Before anyone can upload content, they have to apply. Vecteezy’s team reviews each contributor to reduce the risk of fraud or copyright issues.
• Model and property releases: Vecteezy collects signed model and property releases, ensuring that all parties have given consent for their image or likeness to be used.
• Editorial use labels: If a photo contains brand logos or trademarks, it’s clearly marked for editorial use only. This protects users by not allowing commercial use that could lead to legal issues.
• Downloadable licenses: With a free Vecteezy account, you can download a license document for any asset you use. That gives you proof of permission that you can keep for your own documentation.

Related reading: Vecteezy vs. Unsplash

Photo/Video Library and Search Experience

Let’s talk about what you’ll find on each platform and the user experience.

Pexels

Pexels has a solid library with a good mix of styles. You’ll find lifestyle shots, nature photos, and plenty of modern, clean visuals. The video selection isn’t quite as large, but still excellent for a free site. You’ll find clips that work well for social media or web content.

The search experience is simple, and Pexels has added some useful filters to help you quickly find what you want. You can filter photos by orientation, height, width, number of people, age, and colors included. Videos can be filtered by orientation, number of people, age, duration, frame rate, and resolution. 

Overall, the user experience is good and you can usually find what you’re after. Creating a free Pexels account allows you to do things like create collections and follow contributors, but you can download resources without an account.

Vecteezy

Vecteezy’s library offers a bigger, broader collection compared to Pexels, although some of the content requires a Pro subscription. While Pexels offers only photos and videos, Vecteezy includes other content types like vectors, PNGs, PSDs, and templates. Each category includes a combination of Free and Pro content.

Like Pexels, Vecteezy provides search filters so you can quickly narrow down the search results to find what you’re looking for. Many of the filters are similar to what Pexels offers, but Vecteezy also provides some additional options, like the ability to filter by “people composition” (headshot, waist up, full length, candid). 

And like Pexels, you don’t need an account to download free assets from Vecteezy. But if you create a free account, you’ll get access to your download history and the ability to download licenses. With an account, you can also create collections and see recommendations based on your browsing history.

Content Variety

Now, let’s look at the types of content you can get from these sites.

Pexels

Pexels focuses on photos and videos. All of the content is free, although they do showcase some premium content from partners. 

Vecteezy

Vecteezy offers photos, videos, vectors, templates, PNGs, PSDs, and more. Whether you need an icon set, a social media template, a stock photo, a video clip, or a vector illustration, it’s all in one place. Pro subscribers also get access to bundles, which include things like fonts, brushes, and presets.

Pricing

Pexels is completely free. There’s no paid tier or subscription.

Vecteezy offers both free and Pro content. The Pro subscription costs $14/month, or $9/month if paid annually. Here’s what you get:

• Unlimited downloads of Pro assets (photos, videos, vectors, bundles, etc.)
• No attribution required
• Ad-free browsing
• Access to workflow tools like a background remover and Pro templates
• Enhanced legal protection (up to $10,000 per claim)

There’s also a Starter plan at $12/month (or $7/month if paid annually) that includes 5 downloads per month and up to $2,500 in legal protection per claim.

If you don’t want a subscription, you can buy download credit packs instead.

Why Choose Vecteezy?

Both Pexels and Vecteezy offer excellent selections of free photos and videos, but Vecteezy has the following advantages:

• Better Legal Protection: By vetting contributors, collecting signed model and property releases, checking content for logos and trademarks, and supporting license downloads, Vecteezy protects users in ways that Pexels and most other free photo/video websites do not.
• Broader Content Types: In addition to photos and videos, Vecteezy offers vectors, illustrations, PNGs, PSDs, templates, and more.
• Bigger Selection: Vecteezy’s library includes 60+ million assets, while Pexels includes 3+ million.

While you can get free photos and videos at both sites, Vecteezy gives you more protection, more resources, and more control. If you’re serious about your projects and avoiding legal issues, Vecteezy is an excellent choice. Create your free Vecteezy account today and see the difference for yourself.

Featured image by Huseyn Naghiyev.