PixaBay
Stock footage software
Stock photos websites
Stock media software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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Completely free
Free Trial unavailable
Free version
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- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
- Education and training
- Energy and utilities
What is PixaBay
Pixabay is a stock media website that provides downloadable photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, and music for use in digital and print projects. It targets marketers, designers, content creators, and small businesses that need ready-to-use media assets with straightforward licensing. The service emphasizes free access to a large library, with optional paid content and API access for integrations.
Broad free media library
Pixabay offers a large catalog that spans photos, vectors/illustrations, video footage, and music, which supports common content production workflows. The ability to source multiple asset types from one site reduces time spent switching between tools. This breadth is useful for teams producing social, web, and presentation content on short timelines.
Simple licensing for reuse
Pixabay provides a clear, easy-to-understand license model for many assets, which helps non-legal users make faster decisions. License information is presented at the asset level, supporting basic compliance checks during download. This is particularly helpful for small teams that lack formal rights-management processes.
Accessible search and API options
Pixabay includes keyword search, filtering, and asset previews that make it practical for quick discovery. It also offers an API that can support embedding search/download workflows into internal tools or content platforms. These capabilities align with common needs for lightweight asset sourcing compared with more complex enterprise DAM setups.
Quality and uniqueness vary
As with many large, open libraries, asset quality and distinctiveness can be inconsistent across contributors and categories. Teams may need additional review time to ensure brand fit and to avoid overused visuals. For premium, highly curated footage or exclusive imagery, users may need to supplement with other sources.
Limited enterprise governance features
Pixabay is primarily a download-centric site and does not focus on enterprise controls such as advanced user permissions, approval workflows, or centralized rights auditing. Organizations with strict brand governance may find it harder to standardize asset selection and usage. This can increase reliance on internal processes outside the platform.
Attribution and rights diligence needed
Even with clear on-site licensing, organizations often require additional diligence for sensitive use cases (e.g., trademarks, identifiable people, or location/property releases). Pixabay does not function as a full rights-clearance service for every scenario. Legal and compliance teams may still need to validate suitability for high-risk commercial campaigns.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Completely free Free access: All assets (photos, illustrations, vectors, videos, music, sound effects, 3D models, GIFs) are available for free download and use under Pixabay's Content License/Terms; no subscription or paid tiers are listed on the official site. Paid tiers: None (no tiered or usage-based paid plans shown on official site). API: Free API access is provided with rate limits (default 100 requests per 60 seconds) per the official API documentation. Notes: Some content published before January 9, 2019 is CC0; the Terms and License pages describe permitted and prohibited uses.
Seller details
Pixabay GmbH (a Canva company)
Ulm, Germany
2010
Subsidiary
https://pixabay.com/
https://x.com/pixabay
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pixabay/
