Pexels is a web-based platform that offers free stock photos and videos. The content comes from a community of photographers and creators, and is curated by the Pexels team.
Searching through the full catalogue of Pexels is simple thanks to powerful algorithms. The search bar allows users to search by keywords. Alternatively, it’s possible to search through categories (such as TV, Africa, sofa, etc.), topic (such as underwater photography, nature photography, food photography, etc.), or dominant color tone. Users can also follow specific creators to make it easier to view their recent work.
In addition to photos, stock videos are available in Pexels. They can be found along with the photos in a video-specific section if no photos are required.
Contributors can participate in regular challenges that have a specific theme and offer a prize to winners. Visitors can also read creator interviews or blog posts that discuss photography in general, from tips on composition to post-processing.
Pexels is free although they recommend adding an attribution link to the creator’s page whenever possible. Users can download as many photos as they want from the large library that is updated daily. The platform is also very accessible as it can be viewed in 28 languages and is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Finally, there are currently plugins for 4 programs and more are in development.
