/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24016885/STK093_Google_04.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24808816/Starfield__The_Settled_Systems___Supra_Et_Ultra_____Starfield__The_Settled_Systems___Supra_Et_Ultra_2023_7_25_94252.263_1440p_streamshot.png)
Pixabay is an online royalty-free media library – now owned by design app Canva. The platform lets you download and use free stock photos, videos, vectors, and audio files for your next project.
There is no cost to access these assets. Keeping things simple, all content is royalty-free and user-generated by photographers, artists, filmmakers, and more. Attribution is optional. However, if you use Pixabay assets, you must comply with the site’s content license.
With rival site Pexels acquired by popular design app Canva in 2019, we were interested to see how the platform fared in the crowdsourced arena. best free stock photo sites,
Pixabay: Interface and Experience
- A nice versatile interface that you can watch without any restrictions, but to download or upload anything, you need to set up a free account
Its main page claims the service offers “over 4 million”. free stock video, pictures, and music. But there is much more to it than this, pixabay also stores illustrations, vector graphics, gifs etc. sound effect, Essentially, it aims to be your one-stop shop for free online media.
All of these are accessible through a large search field. You’ll also find a list of popular keywords below it. Also below are sample thumbnail images that are either ‘Editor’s Picks’, based on what’s currently ‘Trending’, or some of the ‘Latest’ arrivals. There’s also an ‘Explore’ menu in the top right to help you sample what’s available, or simply narrow your search by category.
It’s all very clear and self-explanatory. The main purpose of Pixabay is to help you find what you’re looking for quickly and easily, using a variety of methods, depending on your preferences.
You’ll find a big green ‘Upload’ button in the top right, so you can contribute to the Pixabay community yourself. Whether you are an uploader or a downloader, you can do nothing but browsing without setting up an account.
This is done using your Google or Facebook login details, or by bypassing those giants and handing your email address directly to Pixabay. Once you confirm your details, you are ready to go.
- Interface and Experience: 3.5/5
pixabay: search and find
- Works like most competitors: search for media using keywords, avoid ads, like and add content to your online collection, or download it directly
Type in a few keywords in the search field, and you’ll be presented with a selection of thumbnails. The more precise your search, the fewer results you’ll be presented with, which can be expected. There’s a small caveat though: the first and last lines are actually thumbnails linking you to iStock. Sure, you’re also offered a 20% discount coupon if you want to get that media instead, but it’s a bit annoying advertising. Especially when iStock’s photos are often (but not always) better than what Pixabay offers, prompting you to pay for something you were expecting for free.
Above the thumbnails are quick keyword links. Click on any one of them to present other results based on it. You also have drop down menus near the top of the page to narrow your search by media type, orientation, dimensions, overall color, and publication date.
Select a thumbnail to be graced by an even larger preview version. From there, you can view other works by the author, follow them, like the currently featured media, or add it to your account’s collection. It’s all standard fare if you’re accustomed to other stock library services.
It’s worth noting that Pixabay’s license is very broad: you can use its content for free, even without giving credit to the author – although whether you should use it or not is another matter. You are also free to modify the content to suit your project. What you can’t do with material from Pixabay is really common sense: you’re not allowed to sell the exact same unmodified media anywhere else, you’re not allowed to defraud people of your work, and if you download Gaya Media is a recognizable logo or trademark, you are prohibited from using it in any commercial project.
If you agree with this, click on the big green ‘Download’ button to be shown a choice of sizes and even the option to preview the image at your desired dimension. Once you select the one you like, click on the ‘Download’ button in that menu, and Bob is your uncle.
Below that menu is an interesting ‘Edit Image’ button. Let’s see where this takes us…
Pixabay: Canva Integration
- Edit in the media of your choosing using Collaborative Services. Good tools, but limited in scope if you opt for the free option of that service
In our canva review We noticed that some of its stock media library was actually from Pixabay. Now, we see that this relationship works both on the stock media site and online. graphic design software, Click on the ‘Edit Image’ button, and you will be taken directly to that companion service.
From there, you’ll have access to all of Canva’s tools and limitations. Sure, you can apply any of its filters, add some effects, or go all-in and insert text boxes, animations, pictures, and more. You name it, you can probably do it.
There are some limitations though: unless you subscribe to Canva, you won’t be able to perform some basic tasks, such as resizing the canvas (you can still resize and reposition your content. also the maximum amplitude of the media is also reduced). Regardless of the native width of the actual image, it must be 1920 pixels wide, which will greatly limit the quality of the output.
if you already have photo editor On your computer, it might be better to use it for whatever modifications you want to make. Of course, if you don’t have one, the tools that Canva offers, even the free ones, are a useful addition to your toolkit.
Pixabay: Upload & Contribute
- Each upload is manually checked, and after you’ve submitted 10 images, Pixabay removes the ads you see – what incentive is that to give your content away for free?
Free stock media libraries are nothing without their contributors, and instead of being all time consuming, have you ever thought of giving something back? That’s why there’s a nice big green ‘Upload’ button at the top right of every Pixabay page.
The process is very simple: agree to the terms and conditions (of course), select the files you want to share, link them with the appropriate keywords (the more you add, the more likely your media will be discovered by others). will be more).
Once you’re happy with the metadata, click ‘Submit’ for each file and you’re done. Each upload is manually reviewed which means it can take a few days for them to be approved (or rejected). The higher the quality of the media you submit, the more weekly uploads you are allowed. As a beginner, your limit is set to 7, and as an added incentive for you to contribute to Pixabay, once ten images have been uploaded and approved, the ads on your search pages will be removed.
- Upload & Contribute: 4.5/5
Pixabay: Scorecard
| row 0 – cell 0 | row 0 – cell 1 | row 0 – cell 2 |
| Interface and Experience | It’s cool to navigate and explore — but you’ll need an account | 3.5 |
| search and find | Simple search with options like adding images to collections | 4 |
| canva integration | Edit Images in Canva – With Some Limitations | 3 |
| upload and contribute | Some incentives to encourage user-contributed content | 4.5 |
should i try
Try it if…
You want no-fuss, free, royalty-free content – from images and videos to graphics and audio
Don’t try it if…
You don’t like the free media available on the platform
Pixabay: Alternatives
We’ve tested, reviewed, and rated a range of stock content sites, including the best Adobe Stock alternatives.
For alternatives to Pixabay, check out our Vectizee review, Shutterstock review, Unsplash review, and Burst by Shopify review.
