Best Microstock Photography & Vector Illustration Sites
There is a baffling array of microstock photography sites out there. Some are legitimate microstock agencies, some perhaps not. When I first started out in microstock I spent countless hours trawling through forums, websites and blogs trying to find out which microstock photography sites I should trust, and which ones I should begin selling with. That time could have been better spent taking photos to sell!
So here is the results of my research and personal experience condensed into a single page outlining the main players in the microstock business. All these sites I have had personal dealings with and can recommend. They have also ALL sold some images for me. They are presented in a rough order of best-selling first, and smaller agencies last.
Recommended Microstock Agency Sites
Shutterstock - Best agency in terms of earnings by a long, long way
Dreamstime – Friendly, established agency that rewards popular images
123RF - Good agency that has come a long way in a short time
iStockPhoto – Despite the lowest contributor royalties, still manages to earn decent money
Depositphotos – Huge marketing muscle has made their rise one of the quickest in the industry
BigStock – Owned by Shutterstock but seems to attract a totally different buyer base
Fotolia – European flavour which will suit certain types of portfolio’s more than others
Veer – Backed by Corbis, they attract higher than usual sale amounts
CanStockPhoto – Great community feel to it with sales proving to be increasingly consistent
YAY Images – Formerly YayMicro, easy to deal with and nice image prices plus good partner program
Mostphotos – Slow starter, but gaining some traction lately in the European markets
GL Stock Images – Formerly Graphic Leftovers, good staff to deal with and fair pricing structure
Zoonar – European flair with 3 different pricing tiers to choose from and great royalties
PhotoDune – Part of huge Envato network of stock sites, this ones taking off
Stockfresh – Run by some established professionals but still a little slow going for sales
Cutcaster – Nice clean website, multiple pricing options
Pixmac – Reasonably established but still a little lackluster with sales
Sign Elements – Part of the Ingram Group, with a unique approach aimed at sign writers
Pond5 – Hugely successful with stock video footage clips, now branching out into photo sales as well
FeaturePics – Been around for quite some time, good acceptance rates and few but regular sales
The microstock photography sites list will be updated as new agency’s come along and I have some experience with them. Hope this microstock photography website list has been helpful.
…Not Microstock, But a Free Website to Sell Your Work From…
Fine Art America’s Artists Websites – This is not a microstock site, or a stock site at all. But it could be useful for many, as you can get a FREE website to promote your work to a massive community of buyers, set your own prices and sell prints, canvas, postcards etc, with Fine Art America doing all the printing and shipping work. These guys have HUGE amounts of traffic and lots of sales. Plus, no reviewers – upload what you want. Not bad for free!
Have your Say – Please Rate if This Stock Site List was Helpful
Microstock Photography Sites,