If you have been buying stock photos for a while, you've likely heard of Fotolia, a stock photo agency (or a microstock agency) among the most successful in the market with a history of years serving clients worldwide. If they’re so great, why would we need Fotolia alternatives?
Well, because Fotolia has closed! Since the end of 2019, the agency is no more. So if you’re a customer of theirs or just like their great deal in imagery, you must start looking for similar offers elsewhere.
Click here to switch to an Adobe Stock account right now!
So, what are other stock photo sites comparable to Fotolia in terms of high quality photographs, pricing range and buying systems? Stock Photo Secrets is here to answer that today.
Dive into our selection of the Best Fotolia Alternatives, stock photo agencies whose offer makes them a great option to buy affordable stock photos!
Fotolia Closing and the Need for Fotolia Alternatives
In case you don’t know, Fotolia is an online microstock agency that launched into the market in 2004, and their successful records lead them to be among the top 5 companies in the space ever since. The company was founded in Europe but later expanded to North America and other important regions. They serve customers worldwide via their website, which hosts a library of over 74 million Royalty Free images and later added stock video as well. Their prices are affordable and they work with both stock photo subscriptions and on-demand purchases. Know all about this agency in our Fotolia review.
So, how come one of the top stock photo sites is closing? It all started back in late 2014 when Fotolia was acquired by the giant design software company Adobe. The new parent built and launched their proprietary stock photo service (Adobe Stock) on the base of Fotolia’s catalogue in mid-2015, and since then they have not pushed the stock agency's business much, rather focusing their efforts in their new products. As a result, Fotolia’s library decreased its growth and no further updates were done to its service.
Finally, at the end of 2018 Adobe announced the imminent closing of Fotolia’s website and offers by early November 2019, giving customers time to use up their existing Fotolia subscription or credits, as well as the option to migrate to their proprietary service converting their downloads to the new system.
That’s why many stock photo users are after Fotolia alternatives. One way or the other, this agency will only be around for a limited time now, so it’s a good idea to have options.
Other supplementary reasons to try and find alternatives to Fotolia are in the specifics of their service. Fotolia's pricing, although affordable, is a bit more complex than in other sites. Their photos are valued according to an internal ranking, and they work with a credit system that requires you to buy credits packs to further download photos. And while convenient, their options in subscriptions are somewhat limited.
For all of you interested in finding a service similar to Fotolia’s we have analysed and collected the Best Fotolia Alternatives that you will find! Hint: they're all listed in our guide to the 20+ best stock photography sites ever!
Best Fotolia Alternative: Adobe Stock
This is the most obvious alternative to Fotolia, but it’s also the best in our opinion. Launched in 2015 on the base of Fotolia’s library, Adobe Stock is a professional stock photo service that integrates a collection of now over 60 million image files straight into Adobe Creative Cloud platform. To know more details about the service, check our Adobe Stock review. And to give it a try without spending, grab our Adobe Stock Free Trial!
Adobe Stock started sourcing photography from Fotolia, but since 2018 they are receiving contributions directly, so their catalogue has taken off big time. The entire thing is accessible directly from each of Creative Cloud image editing apps, from the media tab –stock footage is also available on their video editing tools–. This makes it super easy to browse or search, test edit, license and apply great stock photographs to your designs in a few simple clicks and all in one place. And of course, many of the imagery available is originally from Fotolia.
Test edit is a great advantage for designing: if you find an image you think fits within your concept, you can use the free preview into your design and edit as much as you want. Once you are sure you want to use the image, you simply click to license it, and all your edits will be automatically applied to the high res final version of the image!
Adobe Stock sells images on demand at $9,99 each. But you can get a better deal if you buy credits in different sized packs available that save you money in bulk purchases. They also have monthly and annual subscriptions, ranging from a small 10 images a month for $29,99 to high volume plans for 750 downloads per month for $199,99. All their images are Royalty Free, suitable for commercial use.
Plus they have additional perks: they recently added artificial intelligence to their search engine, and image recognition technology. Combined, they let you find much more accurate results for your searches, search stock photos similar to images you already have, and even find photos based on a hand-drawn sketch. They include a Premium collection of higher-valued images from renowned photographers and photo houses around the world.
It's not hard to see why Adobe Stock is such a great alternative to Fotolia: it's essentially the same library, it's run by the same parent company, it integrates into Creative Cloud to save you time and effort in design work, and it includes high tech and premium content. All this, at super affordable prices and with a very simple buying system. Beat that!
To buy Adobe Stock photos, sign up for free right now! And if you want to test it first, get your Adobe Stock Free 1 Month Trial!
2 Fotolia Alternatives You Would've Never Thought Of
You know we at Stock Photo Secrets are better than just to give you one alternative, right? We love options, and here we give you some.
There are a lot of stock photo agencies out there with a great deal in cheap photos. But if you are looking for a Fotolia alternative, here are the ones that will work best for you:
Shutterstock
This one likely comes as no surprise. Shutterstock is arguably the most popular microstock agency nowadays, and for very good reasons. They own the largest online Royalty Free photo library, with over 220 million quality images, that they’re selling at super cheap prices and with deadly simple buying methods. For more info, read our Shutterstock review. And if you want to save in your purchase, grab our exclusive Shutterstock Coupon Code!
Shutterstock sells images with image packs, letting you buy a fixed number of downloads in advance, that you can use to get images whenever you want (within one year from the purchase date). From 2 images for $29 and up to 25 images for $229, this is an easy way to get cheap stock photography on the go, without having to buy credits.
And of course, their star product: the stock photo subscription. Currently, they offer plans for 10 and up to 750 downloads per month, and they have monthly and annual options. Ranging from $49 for 10 images monthly and up to $199 a month for 750 downloads in the yearly plan, you can get photos for as little as $0.26 each!
With over 220 million photos, vectors and illustrations, you are sure to find the content you need in their library. All their assets are Royalty Free, with an Extended License available, and its suitable for commercial purposes – websites, marketing and advertising, social media, you name it.
Shutterstock adds value to their service with high-end technology: they include computer vision in their search engine, making for more accurate results and content suggestions, reverse image search, and other perks. And they also have a free online image editor available to all registered members.
Like this, Shutterstock is a great alternative to Fotolia, offering even more images, at an equally affordable cost in a much easier buying system, and adding smart functionality for users.
Want to get images at Shutterstock? Sign up for free here! And don't forget to use our special Shutterstock Coupon Code to get 15% Off in your purchase!
StockPhotoSecrets Shop
You didn't think our very own stock photo shop could be a Fotolia Alternative? Be ready to be surprised then. At StockPhotoSecrets Shop we focus on covering all customers needs, in particular, those of the small and medium-sized businesses market, working with limited budgets. We have a library with 5 Million Royalty Free images –plus thousands of files in our HD video collection–, all of high quality. Learn more in our Stock Photo Secrets Shop review.
We offer different buying options, with systems much simpler to understand and use than Fotolia's. If you want to buy images on demand, we have great image packs. You pay for a number of downloads upfront, and you use them whenever you want. From 5 photos for $39 and up to 100 images for $360, this is a great idea if you want to get professional photos cheap, without assuming periodic payment commitments.
For all those after subscriptions, we have options for every budget in convenient formats. Our Monthly Plans let you get from 25 and up to 500 images per month, and you can roll over unused downloads. Priced between $35 and $105 monthly, these subscriptions are a good fit if you want to control your expenses month to month. Read all about our monthly plans here!
Of course, our star and best selling product is our 99club deal, 200 images a year for only $99, and it’s perfect for low budgets needing images all year round. Learn all the details on this special offer here! In addition, we have annual subscriptions for 50 and 500 downloads per month, billed annually and saving a lot in the long run.
Our library, while clearly smaller than Fotolia's, is very varied, and all our photos are hand-picked for quality and commercial value. Plus, we upload up to 100,000 new image files every month, so we’re never short of fresh photos. Our search engine aims at easing the process of finding the right photos for you, and we now include advanced features like reverse image search, a visual similarity tool and the ability to select favourite photos and authors.
If you are looking for a superb price-quality relation, great customer service in an offer tailored for reduced budgets, visit Stock Photo Secrets Shop today! Get the best value for your money with our new Monthly Plans!
Awesome Fotolia Alternatives to Buy Photos Cheap
There you have them: the Best Fotolia Alternatives in the industry. At any of these companies you will find image quality, library size, variety of content, level of customer service, tech functionality, and last but never least cheap prices that match or even surpass Fotolia's offer.
For all of you out there wanting for options when it comes to buying cheap stock photos, there's an alternative for every need and every budget.
Choose your favourite and start downloading awesome pictures for your designs!
- Adobe Stock for the smoothest transition from Fotolia and high functionality with Creative Cloud
- Shutterstock if you love a huge image library and high-tech web tools
- Stock Photo Secrets Shop to get beautiful royalty-free photos at super budget-friendly prices
Which one will be your next stock photo provider? Tell us!
