Top 10 Places to Sell photos and Actually Make money

Updated October 2026 to reflect current versions and services.

Are you a talented photographer looking to monetize your passion? Or are you in need of high-quality stock photos for your projects? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we've rounded up the top 10 places to sell your photos online. From industry giants like Shutterstock to niche marketplaces, we've got you covered. Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned professional, our guide will help you find the perfect platform for selling your photos and earning a income from your work.

Read on to discover the best places to sell your photos online.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is one of the most recognizable names in the stock photography industry. With its vast collection of over 250 million images, videos, and music tracks, it's no wonder that it's one of the largest and most popular stock photography websites in the world. Whether you're a photographer, artist, or designer looking to sell your work, or someone in need of high-quality stock images for your project, Shutterstock is the place to be. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of this platform, so you can make an informed decision about whether or not it's right for you.

Pros:

Huge Marketplace: Shutterstock has a vast collection of over 250 million images, videos, and music tracks, making it one of the largest stock photography websites in the world. This means that you have a high chance of finding the perfect image for your needs.
Easy-to-use Platform: Shutterstock has a user-friendly platform that makes it easy for you to find the images you need and make purchases. The site's search functionality is advanced, allowing you to filter results by image type, color, size, and more.
High Earnings Potential: Shutterstock offers competitive royalty rates, with contributors earning a percentage of the sale price for each image they sell. The company's large customer base means that there's a good chance you'll sell a lot of images and make a decent income.
Global Reach: Shutterstock has a global customer base, which means that your images have the potential to reach a wide audience.

Cons:

High Competition: With so many photographers and artists contributing to Shutterstock, competition is fierce. This can make it difficult to stand out and sell your images.
Strict Review Process: Shutterstock has a rigorous review process that can take time. Some contributors have reported waiting months for their images to be approved and made available for sale.
Low Royalty Rates: While Shutterstock's royalty rates are competitive, they're still lower than some other stock photography websites.

In conclusion, Shutterstock is a great option for photographers and artists looking to sell their work online. With its huge collection of images and easy-to-use platform, it's a great place to start. Just be prepared for the competition and the review process.

iStock by Getty Images

iStock by Getty Images is a popular stock photography website that offers a wide selection of images, videos, and music tracks to customers around the world. As one of the first stock photography websites on the web, iStock has a long history of providing high-quality content to customers in a variety of industries. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of iStock, so you can decide if it's the right platform for you to sell your photos.

Pros:

Established Brand: iStock has a long history and a well-established brand, making it a trusted source for stock images. This means that customers are more likely to trust and use iStock for their projects.
Wide Selection: iStock offers a wide selection of images, videos, and music tracks, giving customers plenty of options to choose from. This can make it easier for you to sell your photos on the platform.
Competitive Royalties: iStock offers competitive royalty rates to contributors, which can make it a good option for earning an income from your photos.
Global Reach: iStock has a global customer base, which means that your photos can reach a wide audience and have the potential to sell to customers all over the world.

Cons:

Strict Review Process: iStock has a strict review process, which can take time and be frustrating for some contributors. Some contributors have reported waiting months for their images to be approved and made available for sale.
Low Royalty Rates: While iStock's royalty rates are competitive, they're still lower than some other stock photography websites. This can make it difficult to earn a substantial income from selling your photos on the platform.
High Competition: With so many photographers and artists contributing to iStock, competition can be fierce. This can make it difficult to stand out and sell your images.

In conclusion, iStock by Getty Images is a solid option for photographers and artists looking to sell their work online. With its well-established brand, wide selection, and global reach, it's definitely worth considering. Just be prepared for the strict review process and the competition.

Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is a stock photography platform powered by the well-known software company, Adobe. With its integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Stock makes it easy for users to access and purchase high-quality stock images, videos, and music tracks directly from within the Creative Cloud app. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of Adobe Stock, so you can determine if it's the right platform for you to sell your photos.

Pros:

Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud: Adobe Stock is seamlessly integrated with the Adobe Creative Cloud, making it easy for users to access and purchase images directly from within the app.
High-Quality Content: Adobe Stock only accepts high-quality content, so you can be assured that your photos will be in good company on the platform.
Large Customer Base: With its integration with Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Stock has access to a large customer base, increasing your chances of selling your photos.
Competitive Royalties: Adobe Stock offers competitive royalty rates to contributors, allowing you to earn a decent income from your photos.

Cons:

Strict Review Process: Adobe Stock has a strict review process, which can be time-consuming and frustrating for some contributors.
Limited Exposure: While Adobe Stock has a large customer base, the platform is still limited in comparison to other stock photography websites. This can make it difficult to reach a wider audience and sell more of your photos.
High Competition: With so many photographers and artists contributing to Adobe Stock, competition can be fierce. This can make it difficult to stand out and sell your images.

In conclusion, Adobe Stock is a great option for photographers and artists who are already using Adobe Creative Cloud. With its integration, high-quality content, and competitive royalties, Adobe Stock is definitely worth considering. Just be prepared for the strict review process and the competition.

Alamy

Alamy is a global stock photography platform that has been around for over 20 years. With its vast collection of images and videos, Alamy offers a unique opportunity for photographers and artists to reach a large customer base and sell their work. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of Alamy, so you can determine if it's the right platform for you to sell your photos.

Pros:

Large Customer Base: Alamy has a large customer base, consisting of individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. This increases your chances of selling your photos.
Competitive Royalties: Alamy offers competitive royalty rates to contributors, allowing you to earn a decent income from your photos.
Unique Collection: Alamy has a unique collection of images and videos, which sets it apart from other stock photography websites.
Easy to Use: Alamy's user-friendly interface makes it easy for photographers to upload and sell their photos on the platform.

Cons:

Strict Review Process: Alamy has a strict review process, which can be time-consuming and frustrating for some contributors.
Limited Exposure: While Alamy has a large customer base, the platform is still limited in comparison to other stock photography websites. This can make it difficult to reach a wider audience and sell more of your photos.
High Competition: With so many photographers and artists contributing to Alamy, competition can be fierce. This can make it difficult to stand out and sell your images.

In conclusion, Alamy is a great option for photographers and artists who want to reach a large customer base and earn competitive royalties. With its unique collection, easy-to-use interface, and competitive royalties, Alamy is definitely worth considering. However, just be prepared for the strict review process and the competition.

Dreamstime

Dreamstime is a well-established stock photography platform that has been providing photographers and artists with a platform to sell their work for over 20 years. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of Dreamstime, so you can determine if it's the right platform for you to sell your photos.

Pros:

Large Customer Base: Dreamstime has a large customer base, consisting of individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. This increases your chances of selling your photos.
Competitive Royalties: Dreamstime offers competitive royalty rates to contributors, allowing you to earn a decent income from your photos.
User-Friendly Interface: Dreamstime's user-friendly interface makes it easy for photographers to upload and sell their photos on the platform.
Regular Sales and Promotions: Dreamstime regularly offers sales and promotions, which can help boost your earnings and visibility on the platform.

Cons:

Strict Review Process: Dreamstime has a strict review process, which can be time-consuming and frustrating for some contributors.
High Competition: With so many photographers and artists contributing to Dreamstime, competition can be fierce. This can make it difficult to stand out and sell your images.
Limited Exposure: While Dreamstime has a large customer base, the platform is still limited in comparison to other stock photography websites. This can make it difficult to reach a wider audience and sell more of your photos.

In conclusion, Dreamstime is a great option for photographers and artists who want to reach a large customer base and earn competitive royalties. With its user-friendly interface, regular sales and promotions, and competitive royalties, Dreamstime is definitely worth considering. However, just be prepared for the strict review process and the competition.

123RF

123RF is a stock photography platform that provides photographers and artists with an opportunity to sell their work to a global audience. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of 123RF, so you can determine if it's the right platform for you to sell your photos.

Pros:

Global Reach: 123RF has a global reach, allowing you to sell your photos to customers from all over the world.
Competitive Royalties: 123RF offers competitive royalty rates to contributors, allowing you to earn a decent income from your photos.
Large Customer Base: 123RF has a large customer base, consisting of individuals, small businesses, and large corporations. This increases your chances of selling your photos.
Easy Upload Process: 123RF has a straightforward and easy upload process, making it simple for photographers to sell their work on the platform.

Cons:

Strict Review Process: 123RF has a strict review process, which can be time-consuming and frustrating for some contributors.
High Competition: With so many photographers and artists contributing to 123RF, competition can be fierce. This can make it difficult to stand out and sell your images.
Limited Exposure: While 123RF has a large customer base, the platform is still limited in comparison to other stock photography websites. This can make it difficult to reach a wider audience and sell more of your photos.

In conclusion, 123RF is a great option for photographers and artists who want to reach a global audience and earn competitive royalties. With its easy upload process, large customer base, and competitive royalties, 123RF is definitely worth considering. However, just be prepared for the strict review process and the competition.

500px Licensing

500px is a long-running photography community whose licensing program lets photographers submit photos for commercial licensing, distributed through partners including Getty Images. (Note: Can Stock Photo, which previously held this spot, ceased operations on October 1, 2023.)

Pros:

Free to Contribute: It costs nothing to submit photos to 500px Licensing — all membership levels can contribute.
Strong Royalties: Contributors earn 60% of net sales on images submitted exclusively for licensing.
Built-in Community Exposure: 500px doubles as a photography community, so your work can be discovered by fellow photographers and buyers alike.
Wide Distribution: Licensed images are distributed through partners including Getty Images, expanding your reach.

Cons:

Review Process: Submitted photos go through an inspection process, and not everything is accepted for licensing.
Exclusivity Trade-offs: The best royalty rate applies to exclusive submissions, which limits selling the same image elsewhere.
High Competition: Like every major stock platform, standing out takes consistent, high-quality uploads.

In conclusion, 500px Licensing is a strong option for photographers who want a free-to-join program with generous exclusive royalties and distribution through major partners. Just be prepared for the review process and the exclusivity decision.

Pond5

Pond5 (owned by Shutterstock since 2022) is best known for stock video, but its contributor program also accepts photos, music, sound effects, illustrations, and 3D models. (Note: Bigstock, which previously held this spot, stopped accepting new contributor submissions in 2023.)

Pros:

Set Your Own Prices: Contributors set their own prices for most asset types, giving you real control over your earnings.
Decent Royalties: Contributors earn 30% per sale on the non-exclusive workflow, and 40% on exclusive video.
Video-First Buyers: If you shoot video as well as stills, Pond5's video-heavy buyer base is a natural fit.
Free to Join: There is no upfront cost to become a contributor.

Cons:

Video-Dominated: The marketplace skews heavily toward footage — stills photographers face a smaller buyer pool.
Lower Photo Royalties: The 30% non-exclusive rate is modest compared to some photo-focused platforms.
Review Standards: Submissions go through review, so technical quality matters.

In conclusion, Pond5 is a great platform for creators who work in both photo and video and want pricing control. It is especially worth considering if you already shoot footage alongside your stills.

Depositphotos

Depositphotos is a stock photography platform that offers photographers and artists a platform to sell their work to customers from around the world. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of Depositphotos, so you can determine if it's the right platform for you to sell your photos.

Pros:

Large Collection: Depositphotos has a large collection of photos, illustrations, and vectors, providing customers with a wide range of options to choose from.
User-Friendly Platform: The platform is easy to navigate, making it simple for customers to find what they're looking for.
Fast Approval Process: Depositphotos has a fast approval process for contributors, allowing you to start selling your photos as soon as possible.
High Royalties: Depositphotos offers high royalties to contributors, which is ideal for those who want to earn a decent income from their photos.

Cons:

Strict Guidelines: Depositphotos has strict guidelines, which can be frustrating for some contributors.
Limited Exposure: While Depositphotos has a large collection of photos, the platform is still limited in comparison to other stock photography websites. This can make it difficult to reach a wider audience and sell more of your photos.
Competition: There is a high level of competition on Depositphotos, making it more challenging for photographers to stand out and sell their work.

In conclusion, Depositphotos is a great platform for photographers and artists who want to sell their work to a large audience and earn a decent income. With its large collection, user-friendly platform, and high royalties, Depositphotos is definitely worth considering. However, just be prepared for the strict guidelines and high level of competition.

Freepik

Freepik is one of the highest-traffic creative resource platforms on the web, and its Contributor program lets photographers and designers earn from photos, vectors, PSD templates, and AI-generated content. (Note: Fotolia, which previously held this spot, shut down on November 5, 2019 and was folded into Adobe Stock — which is already #3 on this list.)

Pros:

Huge Traffic: Freepik's massive visitor numbers mean serious exposure for your content.
Easy Multi-Platform Strategy: You can upload the same images you submit to Adobe Stock and other agencies — non-exclusive by default.
Low Payout Threshold: Payouts start at $25 via PayPal, Payoneer, or bank transfer.
Growing AI Category: Freepik accepts AI-generated content under its guidelines, opening another lane for creators.

Cons:

Small Per-Download Payouts: Contributors report roughly $0.04–$0.07 per download — volume is the game here, not per-sale value.
Strict Approval: New contributor profiles and submissions face a strict review process.
Supplemental Income: Realistic earnings are modest unless you build a very large portfolio.

In conclusion, Freepik works best as a bonus revenue stream alongside your other agencies rather than a standalone income source. Upload your existing catalog, and let the traffic do the work.