3 Top Stock Photos & Media Companies

How to choose a stock media library

The price of a stock image is only half the decision. The license decides where and how you can use it.

• License type. Royalty-free licenses let you reuse a file after a one-time payment, within stated limits. Some uses, such as merchandise for sale or very large print runs, may need an extended license.
• Editorial-only files. Images marked for editorial use usually cannot be used in ads or on products, often because they show people, brands or places without releases.
• Model and property releases. For commercial work, check that people shown in the image have signed releases.
• Free libraries. Free sites have their own license terms. Read them for restrictions, such as selling an unaltered photo as-is.
• Subscriptions and credits. Check whether unused downloads roll over, and whether an annual plan billed monthly charges a fee if you cancel early.

Common problems and how to avoid them

The complaints we see most often are about cancellation: users who believed they had a monthly plan and found it was an annual commitment. Read the plan name and renewal terms on the checkout page and keep a screenshot. Another issue is license disputes years later. Keep a record of each download, the license that applied and the date, so you can show you had the rights.

Each CandorRated company page shows who runs the website, how long the domain has existed and which contact details were found, along with reviews from other buyers.

Frequently asked questions

Does royalty-free mean free?

No. It means you pay once, or under a subscription, and do not pay a royalty each time you use the file.

Can I use a stock photo in a logo?

Many licenses do not allow it, because you cannot hold exclusive rights to a logo built on a file others can also license.