No-Cost Commercial Images: The Ultimate Resource List

Did you know that some of the world’s most iconic advertisements use stock images for commercial use? For example, AlamapBBDO, a Brazilian ad agency, used stock photos from Getty Images to create their Endless Possibilities campaign in 2016. The advertising campaign combined photos of random people’s faces to recreate portraits of famous people such as the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis.

Most creative agencies prefer altering stock images in most of their work. This is because it allows them to create campaigns for different companies much faster at affordable costs. Keep reading to find out how to get free images for commercial use in your next project.

Part 1: Download images in loyalty-free sites

Several sites offer free images for commercial use as part of their services. In addition, you do not need to register an account to download the images. The sites typically rely on user contributions and content teams to ensure their databases are fresh and maintain consistent quality. Furthermore, all creative assets they offer fall under the creative commons zero license or a variation of it. Here are some of the sites that offer you images for commercial use for free.

1. Pexels

Pexels.com is a free-to-use provider of high-resolution photos and videos for aspiring creators. The German-based website was started in 2014 by two brothers and has been under the Canva umbrella since 2018.

Currently, the website hosts over 3.2 million images and videos from over 250,000 active contributors. In addition, all the material you find in its library is under the Pexels license, which slightly varies from the creative commons zero license model. Some of the restrictions it enforces include:

You can only use pexels images for commercial use after making alterations to the original image. For example, you can use part of an image to create a collage for your commercial branding.
Furthermore, you cannot use any of the website’s content to promote political ideologies and explicit content, especially if the images contain identifiable subjects.

Pexels is available through the following channels:

Your web browser by typing the URL pexels.com.
The Android and iOS app.
A plugin for other content creation software such as Google Slides and MS Office.
An extension on your Chrome browser.
You can also access the database using the official Canva app.

2. Unsplash

Another website that offers free images for commercial use is Unsplash, a subsidiary of Getty Images since 2021. The website is a favorite among creators boasting over 16 billion photo impressions monthly. In addition, the database consists of over 3.48 million photos from more than 265,000 unique contributors, all under the Unsplash license.

The Unsplash license restricts the sale of its creative assets without incorporating new creative elements, including using them in print media and physical goods such as mugs and caps.

You can access Unsplash from your web browser or request API integration for your application from the site’s owners. In addition, the site also hosts photo walks across different cities, where Unsplash guides show you the best photo locations around the city and the best camera techniques for your work. Some cities to host the event include Boston, Montreal, Tokyo, and Toronto.

3. Freerange

Freerange Stock is an online resource for photos, illustrations, and textures you can download and use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Since 2007, the site has continued to provide high-quality images to its community of over 800,000 registered users.

Unlike the previous examples, all content on Freerange falls under the website’s Equalicense. It grants you broad commercial rights of its stock images while allowing the contributors to retain control of their copyright, image resale, and distribution. As such, you cannot use the images for bulk distribution or print-on-demand works.

Freerange Stock maintains its steady supply of images for commercial use via the following methods:

It has an in-house team of professional photographers who upload images across the different categories on the website.
Freerange Stock also purchases image rights or directly commissions photos from independent creators.
You can also contribute to the website’s library by voluntarily submitting your work to the platform. Kindly note that you will need a verified account to enable this function.
The website also works directly with photographers through a licensing and distribution model, providing them extra exposure on the site.
Finally, Freerange stock aggregates public domain images from other sources, including similar sites and government institutions. It does so by acknowledging the image owner and sometimes lists the image source when the owner is unknown.

Freerange Stock is accessible through your web browser or as an API integration on your app.

4. Vecteezy

Vecteezy is an extensive online library of free stock images for commercial use. Some of the site’s highlight features include the following:

A best-in-class search engine that incorporates multiple filters to ensure your results are extremely accurate. For example, you can sort images by color, style, number of people, and age of the subjects, something other free stock websites do not provide.
All images, videos, and vector illustrations are free for personal and commercial uses. It does so through a property sign and release model with its extensive network of contributors, which protects users from any legal liabilities.
Finally, it employs a content team that manually reviews each photo submission to ensure consistent quality standards for its offerings.

In addition, you can also purchase design resource bundles by subscribing to its Vecteezy pro for as little as $9 monthly. Some of the resources available include the Ultimate Text Effects Layer Styles Bundle for Photoshop, which costs $39 stand-alone or $4.50 when you subscribe to pro.

Part 2: Buy from stock providers

Another way to get images for commercial use is by buying them from stock providers. Some of the benefits of buying images from stock providers include:

You get a wide selection of unique photos from top-tier photographers. Stock providers always seek collaborations with the industry’s finest to edge out the competition.
You receive exemplary customer service with your purchase. Selecting the right image can be confusing for amateur creators. As such, stock image providers have customer support channels to help you throughout your creative process.
Stock images reduce your delivery times significantly. Buying images from a stock provider eliminates the need to invest in photography equipment and the time you need for post-production. As such, you can deliver projects in a fast and cost-effective way.

Despite the above positive, here are some challenges that buying stock images may present:

Not all stock image providers will have the creative assets you need.
Image overuse is likely since every creator will rush for the most popular contributor.

Below are some of the stock image providers you should consider.

1. iStock

iStockphoto.com is an online database of creative resources, including royalty-free photos, videos, audio, illustrations, and clip art you can use in your creations. The website is a Getty Images subsidiary based in Calgary, Canada. In addition, contributors earn royalties depending on how often users download their content.

2. Alamy.com

Alamy.com is a British-owned stock image provider with contributions from photographers and agencies in 173 countries. It compensates its contributors by offering higher than average payouts every time users download their creations. Some popular brands to use Alamy’s services include M&C Saatchi, Microsoft, and The Economist.

Part 3: Shot a Photo by yourself or create one with editing tools

Alternatively, you can get images for commercial use by shooting them yourself or creating them with editing tools such as Figma and Wondershare’s Filmstock. Here are some benefits of using this method:

You get exactly what you want, provided you have the required skills and equipment. Sometimes, getting the right image for your commercial purpose can be challenging. As such, shooting an original photo may be the only option.
You have full ownership of the image.

Unlike obtaining images from stock photography websites, you are free to use the image in whatever capacity you please without any restrictions. For example, sites such as Unsplash do not allow you to use their images in political statements, a restriction you can bypass when using your own creations.

However, you should also consider the following factors when using this method.

It requires a substantial investment

Getting high-quality images for commercial purposes requires specialist equipment. For example, the Panasonic LUMIX GH6 camera, which has 4K resolution capability, costs $2,197 on Amazon. This makes it extremely expensive for amateur creators.

There is a steep learning curve

Becoming a professional photographer takes time and effort. Unless you are creating as a hobby, it will be a while before you can start generating income from your creations.

Part 4: FAQs

1. Do you need a contributor account to get images for commercial use?

Not necessarily. Stock image sites like pexels.com allow you to download images from their website without creating an account. You will only need one if you want to showcase your work on the platform.

2. Can you use your smartphone to get images for commercial use?

Yes. Most stock image providers have device-specific apps that allow you to access their databases from your mobile device. For example, UnsplashPhotoPicker allows you access to the Unsplash library from your Android device.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Top-Rated Video Players for Slow Motion Playback

Top 10 Video Players for Slow Motion

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Slow-motion in videos has become the new normal. No matter what kind of video you are watching, whether it’s a movie, celebration video, or documentary, it will have one or two scenes that are based on Slow Motion. It attracts the viewers and makes the videos more astounding and amazing. But such videos need video players that can support slow motion to provide you with the best results possible. Slow motion videos are produced using high frames per second that’s why not all video players can play such FPS smoothly which can make you have the worst experience. In this article, we are going to introduce you to the Top 10 Video Players for Slow Motion Videos that will help you enjoy your favorite videos to their fullest without any inconvenience.

Program	Operating System	Free or Paid	Video-Editing Feature
Wondershare Player	Windows, Mac	Free	Yes
B.S Player	Windows, Android	Free & Paid	No
Quintic Player	Windows, Mac	Free & Paid	Yes
Window Media Player 11 or Above	Windows	Free	No
VLC Player	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS	Free	Yes
Elmedia Player	Mac	Free	No
Flip Player	Mac	Free & Paid	Yes
SloPro	iOS, Windows	Free & Paid	Yes
Slow Motion Video	Windows	Free	No
ProAm - Analysis Studio	Windows	Free & Paid	Yes

1. Wondershare Player

Price: Free

First on our list is Wondershare Player. We placed it in the first place because it is more than just a simple Video Plyer. Wondershare Player comes with a wide variety of features and options which makes it unique and different from all other players. There is no video format that this player will not support and play. From MKV to AVI, it will help you play all your videos without any error. If you love your videos with subtitles, it can Load and play subtitle files in ASS, SSA, and SRT. With Wondershare Player at your back, you don’t have to worry about slow loading of the videos, jerky pauses. Due to its X technology, Wondershare Player consumes a very small memory of your PC to play movies. It let you enjoy your favorite videos without any interference.

Features

Supports Standard & HD video/audio & DVD
MKV, WMV, MPEG, AVI, and many other formats
Supports Audio formate: WMA, MP3, M4A, FLAC, etc.
Fast Loading and Playtime
Auto Shutdown after Playback
Supports ASS, SSA, and SRT subtitles

Pros

Advanced Codecs
GPU Hardware Optimization
Customizable Subtitles

Cons

Complex to learn

2. BS. Player

Price: Free - $29.99

article-images/bs-player-interface

Player is a widely used media player throughout the world. It has been translated into more than 90 languages. It occupies very low memory and storage of a PC, which means it can run on low-end PCs without any trouble. It supports a wide range of video and audio formats such as WebM, Xvid, Avi, mpg, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, 3ivx, YouTube streaming video, AVC HD, QT QuickTime MOV, RM Real media, and many many more. and plays HD videos with minimum system requirements. It has a free version for users as well, with limited features. The users can always upgrade to the paid version to access more features and options. The special thing about BS. Player is that it supports a huge list of subtitle formats including but not limited to MicroDVD .sub, VobSub .sub + .idx, SubViewer.sub, SubStation Alpha.ssa/.ass, SubRip.srt, VPlayer.txt.

Features

Supports a wide variety of Video & Audio Formats
Available in more than 90 languages
Minimum System Requirements

Pros

Several Subtitle formats Support
Automatically downloads missing subtitles
Play and save Youtube videos Directly from the Internet

Cons

Limited Features
Paid Media Player

3. Quintic Player

Price: Free

Quintic is a free Media Player that allows its users to watch most video formats. It enables users to share the program with others through email to watch it together for any coaching instructions, Conferences, Reminders, and so on. Users can play their video frame by frame for any analyzing anything in the video

Features

Zoom in & Zoom out
Flip and Rotate
Frame by Frame Playback

Pros

Text & Audio Memo Stopwatch
Ten Key Frame Marker

Cons

Limited Features
Few Video Formats Support

4. Windows Media Player 11 or above

Price: Free

Video Media Player is designed by Microsoft to run and display Video, Audio, and Images in PCs that have Microsoft Windows Operating System and Windows-Based Mobile Devices. It has also been developed for macOS. It allows users to rip music from and copy music to Compact Discs, burn recordable discs. It supports Windows Media Codecs, WAV, and MP3 media formats. Windows Media Player allows users to synchronize with portable handheld devices and game consoles.

Features

Core Playback
Library Functions
Visualizations
Disc Burning and Ripping

Pros

Portable Device Synchronization
Enhanced Playback Features
Shell Integration
Skin Mode

Cons

Limited Formats Support
Security Issues

5. VLC Player

Price: Free

VideoLAN Client, commonly known as VLC Media Player, is an open-source cross-platform Media Player. VLC is available for desktop Operating Systems and Mobile phone Operating Systems as well including Android, iOS, and Windows Phones. It supports a broad range of video formats. It enables users to stream videos directly from the internet and transcode multimedia files. It has a very easy-to-use and simple user interface that makes it easy for a newbie to use it.

Features

Supports an extensive range of Video & Audio Formats
Stream media over Computer Network
Supports various Operating Systems

Pros

Video Editing Features
Play Slow Motion Videos
Transcodes Multimedia Files

Cons

Complex Features

6. Elmedia Player

Price: Free

Elmedia Player is a free Media Player for macOS. It supports versatile video formats including but not limited to FLV, MP4, AVI, MOV, DAT, MKV, MP3, FLAC, M4V, and Blu-ray. It allows the users to watch their favorite HD videos smoothly without any interruption and jerks. It comes with a user manual to help users understand it very well to avoid any trouble.

Features

Create Bookmarks
Advance Video Playback
Supports a multiple Video Formats

Pros

Free to Use
Loop Media Files
Audio Delay

Cons

Only for Mac

7. Flip Player

Price: Free - $29

Flip Player is specially designed and developed for macOS. It not only allows users to watch slow-motion videos but also enables the users to create slow-motion videos with its video editing feature. It has a very simple and easy-to-use user interface. It comes with a user guide to answer all the frequently asked questions about Flip Player.

Feature

Replay Navigation
Non-Intrusive Playback
Background Light Control

Pros

Supports all popular formats
Easy to use & Simple Interface

Cons

Limited features with Free Version

8. SloPro

Price: Free - $3.99

SloPro states that it can make your fast video very slow up to 1000FPS. It allows its users to record videos at a normal speed, then import them into SloPro and make them Super Slow using its editing feature. Apart from Slow Motion, it provides many more features to its users including Fast Motion, Ghosting, Optical Flow, Frame Blending, Exposure Lock, and much more in a single software. It also empowers users to share their final videos directly to social media platforms like Facebook and Youtube.

Features

Super Slow Motion Effect
Frame Blending
In-App Sharing
Exposure Lock

Pros

Multiple Slow Motion Effects
Slow Motion up to 1000FPS

Cons

Free Version comes with Watermark

9. Slow Motion Video

Price: Free

It is the simplest and easy use Media Player on this list that makes it very convenient for users to use it without any technical knowledge and skills. It is best used for Sports Videos, Dance Videos, and other kinds of Hilarious Videos. It allows the users to play and save videos in Slow Motion, and Fast Motion as well.

Features

Slow Motion Effect
2x Fast Motion Effect

Pros

Free to Use
User-Friendly User Interface

Cons

No Audio on Saved Videos

10. ProAm - Analysis Studio

Price: Free - $65

ProAm Media Player helps you in capturing and analyzing the important movement of any sport. It is the best tool if you are a sportsman, or working in the sports industry. It helps you analyze each and every movement of the matches to learn from others and to improve your own mistakes.

Features

Annotate your videos with drawings and notes
Compare two videos side-by-side
Easily share your annotated videos
Simple and easy to use

Pros

Side-by-Side Analysis
Up to 125 FPS Recording

Cons

Limited features in Free Version

Conclusion

Do you want to give your videos a cool Slow Motion? Filmora X is here to help you achieve that goal. Apart from its various different features and amazing options, Filmora X provides its users with the ability to make their video Super Slow in just a few simple steps. It not only provides your videos a slow motion, but it also helps users to make their video wondrous with its cool effects, seamless transitions, and hundreds of elements. So make your videos astounding with Filmora X.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison