Top 17 Leading Image Selling Sites

Preface

“Photography is an expression of emotion, touching, and loving Leading Image Selling Sites”
Photography, like some other creative forms, is today more than simply art and emotion; it’s also a method to generate revenue. Even though selling stock images may not seem as glamorous to an artist and, let’s be honest, isn’t a way to generate profits, it may be an excellent way to supplement your income.

Do you despise the idea of selling your artwork as stock photos? I get your point of view, but only if you are adept at selling photographs independently, including through your own website. In all other cases, you’ll have to accept the reality that buying photographs online, mostly as stock photos, is just the beginning.
It’s just a matter of time until you explore marketing your own photographs online, given how commonly utilized stock images are as a creative resource. You can accomplish it even if you aren’t a skilled photographer. If you have the ability and equipment to shoot stunning, high-quality photographs, this is a terrific opportunity to make some additional cash.

Who purchases stock images?

Bloggers and small to medium-sized website proprietors are the major buyers of stock photographs. There are also several websites that offer images through auctions.

What are the most popular photographs that customers purchase?

People – of all ages and cultures – children, adults, and everyone in between!

People at work – This type of photograph is quite common among businesses. People use computers, write, speak at a meeting, and so on. Just make sure they’re not too generic that they become a meme.
Food – a wide variety of delectable delicacies, as well as empty, unclean plates.

Tools – Gears, hammers, nuts, bolts, and screws may all communicate a lot to potential purchasers.

Cities – are made up of cityscapes, buildings, and commuters.

Nature – This is a no-brainer to photograph or sell, and it never gets old.

Travel – Photographs from all across the world are in high demand.
So, where do you go to sell images online? Numerous organizations, including online journals, blogs, and catalogs, are willing to pay you for your work if they like it. So let’s get started and look at 10 incredible websites that allow you to sell images online and earn additional funds.

Let’s take a tour towards the best image selling sites

1. Alamy

Because it has more users than other competitors, Alamy is one of the most popular options for selling stock images. It may still be a good choice for you. Your author rights will be safeguarded, and there will be no copyright issues, according to the website. Furthermore, Alamy looks to pay out more than the majority of other websites: you get paid 50% of each image sold. In terms of money, more than $180 million is said to have been paid to photographers thus far.

There is only one significant flaw. Recently, a slew of negative reviews have surfaced, and the company has been accused of unethical behavior, lying, taking a long time to pay photographers, and violating authorship. One user even claims to have discovered a painting by his grandfather on Alamy, the original of which they possess, but makes no indication of how the picture’s photograph ended up there! They also have a stringent application screening procedure, so expect to be getting denied on several occasions.

2. Shutterstock

One of the two most popular stock picture websites is Shutterstock. It has over 15 years of expertise and has received over 500 million downloads. Contributors from all across the world have already received more than $1 billion. Shutterstock has more than 200 million photos and other types of material (music, videos, vectors, illustrations). In fact, per shot, you can earn up to $120.

The fee structure at Shutterstock can be perplexing, but the basic notion is that the more photographs you sell, the more money you’ll make. As a result, it’s crucial to stick around.

There’s also a referral program, but you only get 4 cents for every image your referees sell, so it’s definitely not worth it unless you have an incredibly large network of artists interested in selling photos online.

You can also gain money if you refer a consumer who purchases something. You’ll receive 20% of the total, which may be up to $200. That’s not awful at all.

The best part of Shutterstock is that your image ownership is protected: you can add watermarks to your images! You will receive a reward after you become a donor.

3. Etsy

Most people who have heard of Etsy think of it as a great location to find one-of-a-kind handcrafted items. However, this does not negate the fact that it is a good site to sell your photographs. This post will go through all of your possibilities for selling your photos on Etsy.

What are the advantages of using Etsy to sell your images? Etsy, for example, has a sizable following and a legion of followers. Your art has a potential audience of more than 30 million people.

Another advantage is the ability to set your own rates for your images. However, there is a drawback: success on Etsy necessitates a significant amount of promotion, so it may not be the greatest option for newcomers or those with limited time.

It’s also crucial to remember that not all beautiful photos are good for Etsy. Because the platform already has its own particular specialty, if you want to fit in, you’ll need to look at your portfolio and study it carefully.
Which photographs are the most popular on Etsy? Because many people use Etsy for interior design, the first thing that springs to mind is, of course, actual prints. Don’t want to deal with printing and mailing your photos? Then all you have to do is sell digital prints and leave the rest to the client.

Another wonderful option is to assemble and publish an e-book of your greatest work. However, make sure you’re well-promoted for this one.

4. iStock Photo

Getty Images has a partner site called iStock Photo. It would be an excellent place to begin if you are a novice. The site is already well-known, and it offers excellent forums and tools to assist you in learning how to sell images online.

The royalty payment starts at 15% per download and may go up to 45 percent for photographs that are really popular. You will only collect 15% of clients using their membership credits to make purchases. If you sell entirely on iStock, though, you may earn between 22 and 45 percent. This fee is based on a 30-day notice period and a contract.

The royalty payment for each download begins at 15%. It might go up to 45 percent depending on how popular your images are. If a consumer uses their membership credits to buy a picture, you only get 15% of the sale.

If exclusivity is important to you, the iStock picture will provide you with between 22 and 45 percent. This fee is based on a 30-day notice period and a contract.
Oh, and did we mention their submission system is a disaster? They utilize the same one as Getty, which means it’s antiquated and, to put it mildly, doesn’t provide for a pleasant user experience.

5. Dreamstime

If you want to sell images online, this agency, like iStock and Shutterstock, is a terrific place to start. It’s easy to use, and the requirements aren’t as stringent as those of its competitors.

You get to construct and curate your own galleries in Dreamstime, which makes it a one-of-a-kind game. You’ll have more control over how you sell photographs online if you do it this way. You may think of this agency as a hosting site in that way.
However, this does not imply that you are free to publish whatever you like. Your submissions will still be screened to ensure that they do not break the site’s policies. You can’t, for example, submit violent or copyrighted material. However, if you follow all of the instructions, you should be able to generate money after your photographs are online.

Your commissions begin at 25% for a non-exclusive image and increase to 27% for an exclusive image. However, when you sell more images, those percentages might rise to 45 and 49.5 percent, respectively.
You will receive an incredible 10% share as a thank you for offering Dreamstime an exclusive opportunity to sell your images. After the total payment amount reaches $100, payments can only be requested through the official website.

6. SmugMug

Perhaps you’ve been waiting for this opportunity to start selling your photos. SmugMug allows you to establish your own rates for your photos. It’s a skilled artist’s preference.

You also have the option of selecting a plan and utilizing the strength of the “Pro” bundle, which provides you with “one-click” e-commerce capabilities.

Finally, you get paid 85% of the money you make from selling your photos, and you can sell them as digital files, postcards, or printouts. That sounds fantastic to each other!

SmugMug also has a boatload of advantages:

To begin with, you have limitless storage space. Many photo-sharing sites have limitations on this, as well as the length of time you may keep your photos up. SmugMug allows you to upload an unlimited amount of images, adjust the privacy to client viewing, and keep them on the market for as long as you like, even with the most basic account.

The ability to think outside the box. Nobody will ever tell you that your work of art has lost its aesthetic or commercial significance. You’ll have to take a chance and see if the images sell.

In the realm of online photo markets, Adobe Stock, originally known as Fotolia, has a long history. Despite the fact that it has only been around for three years under its present name, it is one of the oldest stock picture trading platforms, having been around for more than 10 years.

To cut to the point, the royalty share varies between 20% and 60%, depending on your popularity and devotion, and donors are paid on a monthly basis.

The following are some of the most important advantages of Adobe Stock:

It has an “Adobe-like” quality to it. Lightroom and other well-known Adobe Creative Cloud products are seamlessly integrated with the platform. Drag and drop the photo into the appropriate place, wait for it to upload, and then add tags and keywords. Customers gain as well because they may see the images they’re contemplating before purchasing them using familiar Adobe software.

The user interface is cutting-edge. As you’ve probably seen, reader, providing an excellent user experience isn’t always a top concern for these picture sites. Not Adobe, on the other hand. The content management system is visually appealing, intuitive, and cutting-edge. It also gives you access to all of the information you need about your photographic sales.

On photographs and vectors, you’ll get a 33% commission, and on videos, you’ll get a 35% commission. Adobe will transfer payment through PayPal or Skrill once your account balance exceeds $25.

Fotolia is one of the most robust for designers because it is a component of the Adobe Stock and Adobe Lightroom platforms.

8. GettyImages

Getty Images and iStock are used by over 1.5 million people in over 200 countries. They have the industry’s largest worldwide distribution network, giving you more alternatives for getting your content seen and licensed throughout the world.

Over 200,000 outstanding people, ranging from amateurs to full-time experts, engage with them. They are shooters, filmmakers, and illustrators that work with our customers all around the world to help them tell extraordinary stories with photographs.

When customers find the image they desire, they purchase a license that allows them to download your file for personal or commercial use (according to the rules of the content license agreement) (based on the terms of the content license agreement).

Customers can use your images in a variety of ways, including advertising, marketing, apps, websites, social media, television and movie, conferences, periodicals, journals, publications, and packaging design, to name a few.

Sponsors receive a royalty for each license consumer purchases, which is a percentage of the price paid by the customer.

Earnings vary, but the more content you have in your portfolio that clients want, the more earning potential you’ll have.

9. Stocksy

They’re an artist-owned cooperative, which means they make sure their shareholders are adequately compensated — between 50 and 75 percent of all licenses go directly to contributors’ purses. Members’ feelings of belonging and community motivate them to put more effort into their work, resulting in high-quality inspired images.

We transfer 50% of typical purchases ($15-400) and 75% of extended licenses ($100-10,800) directly into your wallets because Stocksy thinks that artists should be fairly rewarded for their work.
They don’t have to be a seasoned artist or have years of expertise in the field to qualify. Stocksy is on the lookout for new innovations, unique viewpoints, and inspiring projects. Overlook your stock assumptions. They expect every new artist we sign to bring something fresh to the table. Bring your own enthusiasm and creative voice to the table.
Only the greatest photographers that specialize in high-resolution photography are hired by Stocksy. So, before you go any further, double-check that you have all of the photographic equipment you’ll need. Also, bear in mind that Stocksy only accepts exclusive photographs.

10. 500px

The most prominent online network for photographers is 500px, which was launched in 2009 and today has millions of users worldwide. Photographers use 500px to discover and share incredible images, gain valuable exposure, participate in photo contests, and license their work through our exclusive distribution partners.

Keep a professional manner at all times. To be hired, list your services, establish a directory entry, advertise your Workshops, and build Galleries to showcase your work. Getting started with 500px is straightforward for any newcomer: create a free account, post your photos, and see whether the community likes them. If they do, you may either sell your images or get paid to conduct custom photographic work.

If you use this platform, you’ll get extensive information on where these interactions are coming from. When it comes to marketing your work, whatever facts you come across can help.

You may upload as many images as you like. It can also serve as a venue for photography workshops.

You may pick from four different membership tiers, ranging from free to pro and Adobe. To use all of the platform’s capabilities, it’s best to subscribe to a premium membership.

11. Fotomoto

Fotomoto is a widget that connects to your website and allows you to sell photographs online. It isn’t commerce on the internet. Fotomoto handles all photo purchasing procedures after you’ve placed them on your site.

Fotomoto, like Etsy, allows you to sell visitors to your website digital photographs, photo prints, and even artworks. Fotomoto additionally handles the packing of your materials photographs so you don’t have to. It doesn’t get much easier than this if you want to sell genuine processes including the following or canvases.

The fact that Fotomoto’s widget may be modified is one of its most enticing features. You may customize the widget’s settings to display your own branding information, including a logo! Customers will get familiar with your brand and be able to associate it with your images as a result of this.

Whether you’re a hobbyist photographer, a professional photographer, or a graphic designer, Fotomoto offers some wonderful features that will work seamlessly with your existing WordPress site. Visit the widget’s website to learn more about its monthly, tiered plans, and transaction prices.

12. Snapped4u

Snapped4u makes selling your event photos straightforward. If you photograph weddings, parties, engagements, or other events, Snapped4u was developed to make your life simpler and your pocketbook fatter.

With Snapped4u, you may establish a gallery and add photos from an event you photographed to it. After that, you decide on a charge for the photographs, and that’s it!

Snapped4u then sells your photos as jpeg files, which it immediately emails to your purchasers. Snapped4u then sends you the money you earned via PayPal on the first of each month.
Because each Snapped4u vendor has her own gallery website, customers who book you for many events can always find your images in the same place. You can also give out your unique URL to anyone you think would be interested in buying your photos.

Snapped4u guarantees you the largest profit share on every transaction. If the photographs sell for a good price, Snapped4u will charge a commission.

13. Tour Photo

Tourists and travel photographers from all over the world flock to Tour Photos. Many travel agencies and tour firms, in fact, utilize it to post images of their adventure excursions for participants and the general public to buy.

It’s a fantastic way for travel photographers to sell their photographs to a targeted audience online. And all of the stunning imagery that ends up in your photos will almost certainly inspire you!

14. Canva

This website is one of the most user-friendly platforms for graphic design editing available. It offers drag-and-drop capabilities that allow anyone to create posters and Instagram Story animations.

Many of Canva’s images and pictures are available for free. However, they also provide other services, such as stock photos.

Canva, unlike traditional stock photography providers, makes it simple for users to purchase images. The photographs are simply dragged and dropped by the users. To remove the watermark, customers simply need to click to purchase.
Because Canva is so simple to use, there’s a lot of money to be made. Many people who don’t normally utilize stock agencies buy photographs from the marketplace on a daily basis.

They’re always expanding and seeking for fresh stock images to sell, to millions of users. You may fill out an application and upload your stock photographs to the website. They do, however, frequently request that their contributors picture special projects for them.

15. EyeEm

EyeEm is a terrific way to make money if you are a photographer who wants to concentrate on commercial work.

Under the categories of Social, Web, and Full, you’ll find three different licenses for selling your images. Clients can purchase these photographs for $20, $50, or $250.

Each image you sell on the website earns you a 50 percent fee. And that’s a high percentage when you realize that most stock agents only pay 20% to 30%.

You can also become a member of EyeEm Magazine, which will help you receive industry visibility. It’s possible that submitting your work to the newspaper will result in a few significant clients!
This service also works with other image markets, allowing you to get a lot of exposure for your photos. The more exposure you get, the more money you’ll be able to make. If you’re running out of ideas, check out EyeEm’s community page on the app to get some inspiration from other photographers.

16. GuruShots

Although GuruShots isn’t a platform for selling photos online, it may be utilized to make money.

Photographers compete with one another on a variety of topics. The other members vote on the photos, and the winners earn prizes of up to $300. You take part in a challenge by uploading up to four photos that are related to the subject.

According to their website, “GuruShots employs proprietary algorithms to ensure that each submitted photo receives equal exposure regardless of when it was uploaded during the challenge,” giving each competitor an equal opportunity to win through “statistically-based impartiality.” There’s also a GuruShots review for you to check out!

17. FineArtAmerica

FineArtAmerica is a fantastic way to build an attractive portfolio and sell tangible copies of your photographs. Each photo may be purchased as a canvas print, poster, framed print, metal print, acrylic print, greeting card, phone cover, and other products.

When you make a sale, the order can be fulfilled (including printing) by the company’s own printing service. You’ll have to pay the base price for manufacture, but you may profit by increasing the finished product’s price.

To put it another way, if a canvas print costs FineArtAmerica $50 to manufacture, you may raise the price to $75 and make $25 on each order.
Fine Art America allows you to choose your own rates, and the website will add its markup. You keep 35% of the total price, while they get the remaining 65%. So, if you desire a profit of $10, your artwork will be priced at 47USD.

However, it isn’t all awful because you get to choose how much you wish to make every photograph. Not to mention the fact that you won’t have to print your images.

Tips:

Leading Image Selling Sites There is a range of options for selling your images online and making money. However, you must work hard and take high-quality photographs to achieve this. Only then will you be capable of making money selling photos online.
We have a recommendation for you. Establish and sustain your personal online presence and work on this.

Your Own Website

Your own website is an outstanding tool for marketing your images online. Because you may exhibit your images in your own unique way, establish your own rates, and handle your own marketing. It’s not difficult to get started with a website. WordPress, Canvas, and other content management systems are just a few examples. Leading Image Selling Sites for cash As a result, you may easily employ them to build your website. However, if you are completely new to the process, you may follow YouTube instructions on how to establish a professional website. As a result, you will have a strong understanding of how to design a website.

Pros:

Simple to make

You may set your own pricing.

You have complete control over your photographs.

Make your own rules and regulations.
Cons:

You’ll have to spend some money on a name and hosting.

It’s possible that you’ll require the assistance of a web developer.

Final Thoughts

Stock photography websites are really beneficial since they relieve you of some of your responsibilities. It’s as simple as sharing your portfolio.

You might want to have a look at our list of the top venues to sell images online. You don’t have to sign an exclusivity deal to utilize most of them. This implies you may use the same image on numerous websites to reach a larger audience.

When it comes to these sites, our parting advice is to play the field. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. To increase your earning possibilities, spread the love!
Do you really want to know how to make a good living from your photography business? Then have a look at our eBook.

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