11 Best Free Stock Video Websites for Creative Projects
In today’s digital age, visuals are crucial in capturing audiences’ attention. High-quality videos can significantly enhance your creative projects ‘ overall impact and professionalism, whether for a video project, social media content, or a marketing campaign. However, creating original video content can be time-consuming and expensive. That’s where stock videos come in handy!
Stock videos are pre-recorded video clips that are available for download, often free or for a fee, for use in creative projects. This article will explore the best free stock video websites to help elevate your creative projects without breaking the bank!
Quick Summary
Here are the best free stock video websites for your creative projects:
- Pexels
- Pixabay
- Adobe Stock
- Artlist
- Storyblocks
- Mixkit
- Videvo
- Shutterstock
- Coverr
- Videezy
- Dareful
What are Stock Videos?
Stock videos (also known as stock footage) refer to pre-recorded video clips available for download. They cover virtually every niche, from nature footage to urban scenes and beyond.
Stock videos allow creators to easily supplement their own footage and expand the scope of their storytelling. These videos contribute to creative projects’ visual appeal and production value, enhancing the overall impact and professionalism.
They also play a crucial role in enhancing the visual storytelling aspect of content creation. Creators can use stock videos to expand the scope of their projects, providing a wide array of video content to complement their narratives.
Top 3 Benefits of Stock Videos
Using stock videos offers plenty of benefits, but here are the top three:
- Saves time and resources in production, eliminating the need to shoot footage.
- Flexibility and variety to enhance the overall creative output.
- Cost-effective as many stock video websites offer free or affordable options to download video clips.
Who Should Use Stock Video Websites?
Anyone who needs access to a variety of stock footage should take advantage of stock video websites, especially if they’re on a time crunch or budget. However, certain types of people benefit most:
- Content creators (specifically YouTubers) can find a variety of free video clips and stock footage to enhance their content with unlimited downloads.
- Video editors can enhance their video projects with free stock video clips. Stock video websites offer a variety of clips that add depth, creativity, and visual appeal to videos edited with Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
- Marketers can use stock video websites to access professional video content for creating visually appealing marketing videos. Incorporating stock videos can elevate engagement and effectively reach their target audience. Some stock video websites also provide Premiere Pro templates and audio content.
- Graphic designers can save time and resources through free stock video websites by accessing various videos, motion graphics, and more that can be easily integrated into design projects. No need to make creative assets from scratch!
Top Free Stock Video Websites
Here are the best free stock video websites for your creative projects:
- Pexels
- Pixabay
- Adobe Stock
- Artlist
- Storyblocks
- Mixkit
- Videvo
- Shutterstock
- Coverr
- Videezy
1. Pexels
Pexels is a well-known website for free stock videos and images, providing diverse high-quality visual content. With its extensive library of 3.2 million photos and videos (and growing), creators can easily find video clips that cater to their creative needs. Pexels has been a go-to resource for my creative projects for years!
All videos on Pexels are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, meaning they can be used for commercial purposes without attribution. Pexels also provides a selection of stock photos, making it a one-stop destination for creators on a budget.
Read more about their licensing and read my Pexels review!
2. Pixabay
Pixabay is another excellent free-stock video platform that offers a vast collection of over 4.3 million assets. These assets include high-quality video clips, images, illustrations, vectors, music, sound effects, and GIFs. It’s got everything you need and more for your creative projects!
All content on Pixabay is released under the Creative Commons CC0 license, meaning you can download and use the videos without attribution for commercial and non-commercial projects.
With its user-friendly interface and easy-to-navigate categories, Pixabay is a go-to resource for creators looking for free stock videos to enhance their creative projects.
3. Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock is a comprehensive stock video platform that provides more than high-quality stock videos for creative projects. It also offers photos, illustrations, vectors, audio, templates, fonts, and 3D assets, and it even has an integrated AI image generator!
While the free stock assets are limited, Adobe Stock offers a variety of subscriptions and credit packs for access to their high-quality creative assets. They also have a free trial where you can download assets that you can cancel at any time, risk-free.
If you’re already an Adobe user, whether you use Adobe products for graphic design, video animation, editing, etc., Adobe Stock is the perfect resource that seamlessly integrates with your workflow! Adobe Stock seamlessly integrates with other Adobe creative tools, making it convenient to access and use stock videos directly in your projects.
Read my Adobe Stock review!
4. Artlist
Artlist offers a vast library of over 400,000 high-quality stock video footage, music, sound effects, templates, and more. Its user-friendly interface allows creators to search for the perfect video for their projects.
The footage on Artlist is licensed for commercial use, meaning you can use their paid projects without worrying about copyright infringements.
With a free Artlist account, you can download watermarked music and video clips for testing in your videos and store your preferred resources in organized collections. Choose one of their affordable subscription plans to download creative assets without watermarks.
Read my Artlist review!
5. Storyblocks
Storyblocks provides an extensive collection of high-quality stock videos, video templates, audio, and images. Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay for a subscription, but the variety and quality of assets available make it well worth the investment.
With Storyblocks, you can conveniently browse by keyword or category. They even have an Adobe Creative Cloud plugin!
Read my Storyblocks review!
6. Mixkit
Mixkit by Envato Elements offers tens of thousands of top-quality, complimentary stock videos, music, sound effects, and video templates for personal and commercial use. The website boasts a bright, user-friendly interface that’s easy to navigate, making exploring the diverse video categories available effortless.
All assets on Mixkit are licensed, eliminating the need for attribution or permission. Moreover, the platform consistently updates its video library, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh content for your creative projects.
Read more in my Mixkit review!
7. Videvo
Videvo offers over 300,000 high-quality stock videos for creative projects. In addition to videos, they also offer templates for the most popular video editing software and music and sound effects.
With its user-friendly interface and extensive library, Videvo is a valuable resource for content creators seeking diverse stock videos to elevate their projects!
Read my Videvo review!
8. Shutterstock
Shutterstock, well-known for offering premium images, offers a vast collection of high-quality videos, images, music, sound effects, and templates. They offer over 475 million high-quality assets, so you’ll be sure to find exactly what you’re looking for. If not, they have their own AI generator as well!
With all the assets available on Shutterstock, it may seem overwhelming. Luckily, they have a user-friendly interface that’s clean and nicely organized to make browsing through its extensive library a seamless experience.
Read my Shutterstock review!
9. Coverr
Coverr is a free stock footage platform offering the most cinematic royalty-free stock videos curated by filmmakers for filmmakers.
Emphasizing exceptional quality and diversity, Coverr provides a user-friendly interface to access high-quality videos for various creative projects easily.
Coverr’s extensive collection and affordable pricing (they have a free plan!) make it a valuable resource for finding the perfect footage, whether you’re a videographer, content creator, marketer, or filmmaker.
Read my Coverr review!
10. Videezy
Videezy provides an extensive library of free HD stock footage and 4K videos, covering diverse categories like nature, urban settings, and abstract scenes.
You can easily locate and download the necessary assets with organized categories and a user-friendly search interface.
The biggest downfall is that attribution is required for free assets. However, you can purchase credit packs for premium content and the ability to use assets free of attribution.
Additionally, Videezy offers complimentary resources such as vectors and stock photos from Vecteezy, as well as Photoshop brushes and PSDs from Brusheezy, for access to more assets ti enhance your personal and commercial projects.
Read my Videezy review!
11. Dareful
Dareful is an excellent resource for free stock video footage, offering stunning and professionally shot videos suitable for personal and commercial use, all without cost!
With an intuitive interface for easy navigation and search, it’s easy to find the perfect footage for projects, whether breathtaking aerial views or serene nature scenes.
Founded by Joel Holland, Dareful embodies the spirit of daring to create, dream, and push boundaries in visual content creation.
While it may lack a variety of assets like images or graphics, Dareful’s extensive library, user-friendly interface, and commitment to quality make it a top choice for content creators, marketers, and businesses seeking compelling videos for their projects.
Read my Dareful review!
7 Tips for Choosing the Best Stock Video Website
There are a lot of stock video websites to choose from, let alone assets!
Here are my top tips on choosing the best stock video website for your needs:
- Pay attention to the categories. Stock video websites provide niche categories that cater to specific creative themes and projects. These categories offer curated content tailored to industries, themes, and visual styles, including unique options like drone footage and sunrise/sunset clips. Ensure the categories align with your niche to get the most out of it!
- Ensure the type of content offered aligns with what you need. Stock video websites offer a wide range of content, including free video clips, motion graphics, and templates. Creators can access audio content, DaVinci Resolve templates, and extensive libraries of stock footage to enhance their projects and maximize creativity.
- For the most variety, ensure the stock video website is continually growing with regular updates.
- Review and comply with different platforms and providers’ specified licensing and usage rights to ensure ethical and legal use. Proper licensing and usage rights are essential when using stock footage. They define the terms for using stock videos in creative projects, whether commercial or non-commercial.
- Ensure high-quality footage (e.g., 4K) enhances creative projects’ visual appeal and production value. It elevates visual storytelling and contributes to a polished, professional look.
- Ensure that the browser experience is smooth for effortless exploration and video selection. Free stock video websites provide a vast library of assets, which can easily feel overwhelming.
- Consider the variety that is offered on the stock video website. Many of these websites offer videos, images, music, graphics, and more, which can give you a bigger bang for your buck.
Final Thoughts on Stock Video Websites
Using stock videos in your creative projects can significantly enhance your content’s visual appeal and storytelling while saving enormous time and expenses. With all of these stock video websites, you can access a vast footage library for any type of project!
However, it’s important to note that when selecting a stock video website, it is essential to consider factors such as niche categories, licensing and usage rights, and the quality and variety of the footage.
Best of luck finding the perfect assets for your creative projects!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get stock videos for free?
You can get stock videos for free from websites like Pexels, Pixabay, and Videvo. Read the terms carefully; some sites require attribution or have usage restrictions.
What is a stock video?
A stock video is a pre-recorded video clip that can be licensed for any creative project. These clips often supplement or enhance original footage in films, advertisements, and other visual media. Many websites offer free and paid options for downloading stock videos, but ensuring you have the appropriate licenses and permissions is important.
What is the best stock video site?
The best stock video site depends on your needs. Shutterstock offers the most creative assets, while websites like Adobe Stock are more suitable for Creative Cloud users and graphic designers. Some other popular options for free stock videos include Pexels, Pixabay, and Videvo. Each site offers different resolutions, licenses, and search filters, so the best choice will depend on your needs.
Is it legal to use stock footage?
It is legal to use stock footage as long as you have the appropriate licenses and permissions. When you download a stock video, check the licensing terms and conditions to understand how to use the footage. Some sites may require attribution or have restrictions on commercial usage, so it’s crucial to comply with these guidelines to avoid legal issues. Always read the terms carefully to ensure that you are using the stock footage within the bounds of the law.
What is meant by stock footage?
Stock footage refers to pre-recorded video clips that can be incorporated into creative projects. It’s a cost-effective way to add visual elements and can be licensed for commercial or non-commercial use. Popular free stock video websites like Pexels, Videvo, and Pixabay provide access to a wide range of stock footage.
Is it legal to use stock footage?
Using stock footage is legal if you have the appropriate license or permission. Different types of licenses are available, such as royalty-free and rights-managed. Understanding the licensing terms before using any stock footage is crucial to avoid legal issues and financial penalties.
Where can I find stock footage?
There are many websites where you can find stock footage for your creative projects. Some popular stock footage websites include Pexels, Pixabay, Shutterstock, and Videvo. Just remember to check the licensing requirements and give credit to the original creators when necessary.
Is stock footage free?
Stock footage is not always free, but plenty of websites offer free stock footage options. Some popular choices include Pexels, Pixabay, and Videvo. Reviewing the licensing terms for each video before using it in your project is important. Paid stock footage may provide higher quality and a wider range of options.
Is VideoBlocks the same as Storyblocks?
VideoBlocks rebranded as Storyblocks. Storyblocks offers stock footage, audio, and images for creative projects. With a subscription-based model, you can enjoy unlimited downloads.
Is Storyblocks video copyright free?
During your membership with Storyblocks, all videos, templates, and motion backgrounds can be used without any royalties, and their license will cover any content you create forever.
Where can I get royalty-free videos?
You can find royalty-free videos on popular stock websites like Pexels, Pixabay, and Videvo. However, it’s important to review the licensing terms to ensure proper usage, as some may require attribution or have restrictions on commercial use.
