Every designer needs stock image sites in their toolbox.

Love 'em or hate 'em, stock image sites are the backbone of any graphic design business. As such, every graphic designer should have a repertoire of good quality stock image sites in their toolbox for when the need arises. I've gathered 21 such stock image sites that I believe every designer should know about. Some are premium sites, some offer inexpensive stock photos and images and some are completely free. All offer quality stock images that can be used for commercial use by your graphic design business.

Company: 123RF
URL: www.123rf.com
Library Size: 68 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly
Included in subscription: 150-780 images for between $69-$269/month CAD
What they offer: Photos, illustrations and vectors are in the same subscription package. Videos are not included in subscription packages and are only available with credits.
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Credits Expire: After one year
Base Price per Credit? Between $1.19-$1.80 CAD (40 credits = $55)
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Adobe Stock
URL: www.stock.adobe.com
Library Size: 60 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Monthly
Included in subscription: 10-750 images for between $30-$250/month USD
Videos – 1-25 for between $26-$4,840/month (depending on resolution)
What they offer: Images, vectors, clipart are in subscription packages or available individually; videos are only available individually
Can you purchase credits? No
Avg cost per image: Images: $0.99 USD (purchase single image for $9.99 USD), Video: $79.99/video (HD & 4K)
Does image resolution affect the cost? For videos only

Company: Alamy
URL: www.alamy.com
Library Size: 90 million
Subscription Available: No
Avg cost per image: $19.99 CAD
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Big Stock (by Shutterstock)
URL: www.bigstockphoto.com
Library Size: 44 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly, Daily
Included in subscription: Images – 150-1,500 for between $79-$329/month USD
Videos – 150-300 for between $79-$99/month USD
What they offer: Images and videos are in separate subscription packages.
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Credits Expire? After one year
Base Price per Credit? Between $1.36-$3.50 USD (25 credits – $49 USD)
Avg cost per image: Images – $0.22-$3.16, Videos – $0.53-$1.98 USD
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Canstockphoto
URL: www.canstockphoto.com
Library Size: n/a
Subscription Available: Weekly
Included in subscription: Images, vectors – 10-250 for between $49-$824/week USD
What they offer: Photos and vectors are in the same subscription package. Videos only available with credits; not included in subscription packages
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Credits Expire? After one year
Base Price per Credit? $0.40-$0.75 depending on number of credits purchased (35 credits – $25 USD)
Avg cost per image: Images/vectors – $2.50-$12 depending on size and type, Videos – $10-$50 depending on resolution USD
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Depositphotos
URL: depositphotos.com
Library Size: 50 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Monthy
Included in subscription: Images – 30-750 for between $40-$275/month CAD
Videos – 1-25 for between $26-$4,840/month (depending on resolution) CAD
What they offer: Images, vectors, clipart are all included in one subscription, videos are in a separate package.
Can you purchase credits? No (Can sometimes be purchased through third parties)
Avg cost per image: Images: $1.38-$4.40 each (depending on plan), Videos: $19-$201/video CAD
Does image resolution affect the cost? For videos only

Company: Dreamstime
URL: www.dreamstime.com
Library Size: 52 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Monthly
Included in subscription: Images – 5-750 for between $32-$270/month CAD
Videos – 1-15 for between $18-$1,400/month (depending on resolution) CAD
What they offer: Images, vectors, clipart are all included in one subscription, videos are in a separate package.
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Credits Expire: After one year
Base Price per Credit: Ranges from approx. $1.80 for 11 credits to approx. $.80 for 2000 credits
Avg cost per image: Between $0.80-$1.80 CAD
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Fotalia (by Adobe)
URL: www.fotolia.com
Library Size: 55 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Monthy, Daily
Included in subscription: Images – 5-2,000 for between $25-$800/month USD
What they offer: Photos, illustrations and vectors are in the same subscription package. Videos only available with credits; not included in subscription packages
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Credits Expire: After one year
Base Price per Credit: $0.60-$1.12 USD depending on number of credits purchased (26 credits – $28 USD)
Avg cost per image: Images – $0.32-$2 USD, Videos purchased with credits only
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Fotosearch
URL: www.fotosearch.com
Library Size: 28 million
Subscription Available: Yearly, Monthy, Weekly
Included in subscription: Images – 10-100 for between $54-$500/week CAD. Note: All subscription packages are based on “daily” download amounts
What they offer: Photos, illustrations and vectors are in the same subscription package. Videos only available with credits; not included in subscription packages. Note: only 79% of images are available through the subscription packages
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Credits Expire: After one year
Base Price per Credit? $1.63-$2.81 depending on number of credits purchased (30 credits – $55 CAD)
Avg cost per image: Images – $5-$5.40 CAD,
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Free Range Stock
URL: www.freerangestock.com
Library Size: Thousands
Subscription Available: Free
What they offer: Photos

Company: Getty Images
URL: www.gettyimages.com
Library Size: 48 million
Subscription Available: No
Purchase Options: Individual or Value Packs
What they offer: Photos, Illustrations, Vectors, Videos
Can you purchase credits? No
Avg cost per image: Images between $160-$475 per asset depending on size, Videos approx. $800 CAD
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: GraphicStock
URL: www.graphicstock.com
Library Size: 300,000
Subscription Available: Yearly, Monthly
Included in subscription: Unlimited downloads $49/month or $99/year USD
What they offer: Photos, Illustrations, Vectors (Videos offered via videoblocks.com with its own subscription)
Avg cost per image: Depends on how many you download during your subscription
Does image resolution affect the cost? No

Company: iStock (by Getty Images)
URL: www.istockphoto.com
Library Size: 10 million
Subscription: Yearly, Monthly
Included in subscription: Images – 10-250 for between $40-$199/month CAD
What they offer: Photos illustrations and vectors are in the same subscription package. Videos only available with credits; not included in subscription packages
Can you purchase credits? Yes
Do Credits Expire? No (as long as you sign into your account at least once per year)
Base Price per Credit? $10-$12/credit depending on number of credits purchased (36 credits – $369 CAD)
Avg cost per image: Between $0.80-$4.00 CAD
Does image resolution affect the cost? Yes

Company: Megapixl (powered by Dreamstime)
URL: www.megapixl.com
Library Size: 28 million (various types)
Subscription Available: (5 subscription types available) Monthly for the lower 2.  Choice of Yearly, Bi-Annually, Quarterly, Monthly for the higher 3
Included in subscription: Images 5-750 for between $39 -$219/month USD. Videos 1-10 for between $15-$72/month USD
What they offer: Images, vectors, clipart are all included in one subscription, videos are in a separate package. Must have a subscription to download.
Can you purchase credits? No
Avg cost per image: Avg cost/image is $4.33
Does image resolution affect the cost? No

Company: Morguefile
URL: www.morguefile.com
Library Size: 350,000
Subscription Available: Yearly
Included in subscription: Unlimited downloads for $25 USD/year
What they offer: Most of the images are free to download
Does image resolution affect the cost? No

Company: Pexels
URL: www.pexels.com – www.videos.pexels.com
Library Size: 25,000
Subscription: Free
Included in subscription: Unlimited downloads
What they offer: Photos and Videos (via separate websites) Note: Videos cannot be searched, you must browse by category.

Company: Photogen
URL: www.photogen.com
Library Size: Thousands
Subscription: Free
What they offer: Photos

Company: rgbstock
URL: www.rgbstock.com
Library Size: 100,000
Subscription: Free
What they offer: Photos, Illustrations

Company: Shutterstock
URL: www.shutterstock.com
Library Size: 117 million
Subscription: Yearly, Monthly
Included in subscription: Images – 2-750 for between $29-$249/month USD
Video – 5-25 clips for between $79-$4,259 USD (depending on resolution)
What they offer: Images, vectors, clipart are all included in one subscription, videos are in a separate package. Images must be downloaded within 1 year of purchase
Can you purchase credits? No
Avg cost per image: Image: Varies on number of images being purchased. Between $0.35-$10, Video: $$19-$199 USD(depending on resolution)
Does image resolution affect the cost? For videos only

Company: Stockunlimited
URL: www.stockunlimited.com
Library Size: 800,000
Subscription: Yearly, Monthly (3 Year Plan Available)
Included in subscription: Images – (unlimited downloads) 1 month-$9, 1 year – $69, 3 year – $139 USD
Audio – (unlimited downloads) 1 month-$9, 1 year – $79, 3 year – $169 USD
Free Account – choose from 60,000 vectors & images
What they offer: Images & vectors in one package, Audio in separate package
Does image resolution affect the cost? No

Company: Twenty20
URL: www.twenty20.com
Library Size: 48 million
Subscription: Yearly, Monthly
Included in subscription: Images – 10-50 for between $149-$399/month USD
What they offer: Images only
Avg cost per image: Between $7.98-$14.90 USD

Is your favourite site not listed. Leave it in the comments below.