14 Best Places to Sell Photos Online For Money in 2024

Every year, 1.72 trillion photos are taken worldwide, or 54,400 photos per second. Photos are in demand, more than ever. If you are a passionate photographer and love taking photos, you can use this trend to your advantage and make money selling your photos online. Yes! There are some websites referred to as “stock photography sites” where you can sell your photos and get paid a commission or royalty for each photo that gets downloaded or sold.

Thousands of designers, publishers, marketers, corporate companies, and news agencies from all over the world may purchase a license to use your photos for a variety of purposes, including advertising, marketing, presentations, newspapers, magazines, books, product packaging, billboards, apps, websites, social media, TV, film, and just about anywhere else. You get paid for each such sale. You can monetize your photography skills by selling your photos on stock photography sites.

Also Read: 20 Ways To Make Money Online Without Investment

Even though you have the option to sell your photos on your own website, using microstock sites comes with advantages like exposure and sales management. Your photos, as soon as they are approved, will be available to millions of users, increasing the chances of your images getting sold multifold. Let’s see how to sell photos online for money.

How to Sell Photos Online and Make Money?

You can turn your photography passion into profit by selling photos online on stock image sites like Shutterstock and Alamy. Making money by selling photos on a stock photography site typically involves 3 steps –

Taking Photos – Involves taking high-quality pictures, composing and editing them to their best

Submitting Photos – Involves uploading photos and tagging them with relevant and suitable keywords.

Getting Paid – Involves getting paid a commission or royalty for every image that is sold or downloaded. Different stock photography sites have different payout options and minimum payout thresholds. PayPal is the most common payout option they use.

How Much Can You Make Selling Photos Online?

It depends on a wide range of variables, including the nature of the sale, the level of the contributor, the size of your portfolio, and many others. Naturally, you can anticipate better royalty rates and decent earnings if you have a large number of photos in your portfolio and keep adding new ones on a regular basis. The type of sale refers to whether your photo was bought or downloaded as part of a subscription plan, on-demand, or in the open market. You get paid much more for on-demand purchases than for standard downloads.

Additionally, the commission structures on various stock photo sites vary, which could have an impact on your earnings. How frequently you upload and your contribution level also plays a big role.

Considering all the factors above, you can expect to make somewhere between $0.02 and $0.25 per download or sale. Professional photographers can expect a bit higher amount for every sale. To ensure that something is always selling, the key is to have a sizable, diversified portfolio with thousands of photos.

Also Read: 13 Best Micro Jobs Sites To Get Paid For Completing Small Tasks

What Kinds of Photos Sell Best on Stock Photography Sites?

Before I list the best sites to sell photos, let’s understand what kind of photos sell the most and fast. Stock photography websites have billions of stock images already, and millions of photos are being added daily. There is no way to avoid competition, but you can create space for your photos by thinking creatively. Despite the fact that trends keep changing, these types of photos are the most likely to sell and will always be in demand –

Images that Encourage Imagination – innovative and conceptual images that encourage viewers to see different perspectives.

Photos of People Expressing an Emotion – Pictures of people expressing various emotions, such as joy, sorrow, surprise, excitement, anger, confusion, nostalgia, and confidence, are more likely to sell.

The Trend is Your Friend – A lot of stock photography websites, including Dreamstime, have pages where you can see what’s popular. What kind of searches are buyers making? What is in demand? Uploading some images of current events happening around the world might be helpful. During the IPL, for instance, you may notice a greater demand for cricket-related photos.

General Photos – Newspapers might prefer general photos like a picture of a man passing by a bank.

Photos With Single Subject – Compared to group photos, single subject photos sell more.

Natural Photos – Real photos are more likely to be sold than staged ones.

Wide Angle Photos – Wide-angle photos sell more often than close-ups.

Photos Taken in the Morning and Evening – Daylight shots are less likely to sell

Best Places to Sell Photos Online

Some might be country specific but the majority of stock photo sites listed below accept photographers from all major countries including India, the UK, the USA, Australia, the Philippines, France, Germany, China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and others. Here are some of the best stock photography websites where you can sell your photos and make money- 

1. Alamy

Alamy is one of the biggest stock photography websites in the world with over 296,669,475 stock photos, vectors, videos, and panorama images. It has paid over $200 million to its 60k+ contributors. They have collaborated with numerous well-known companies, such as Microsoft, Adam & Eve, Nintendo, NatWest, SquareSpace, and many more.

Every time a photo gets sold, you get up to 50% of the sale amount. Students can take advantage of a special offer from Alamy in which they receive 100% commission, or the full amount of a sale, for the first two years after joining. Payments are processed every month on the 1st working day. Alamy is definitely one of the best sites to sell photos.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Skrill, and Bank Transfer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $50

Sell Your Photos With Alamy

2. Shutterstock

Shutterstock, a prominent stock photography website, has served clients from more than 150 countries and has the largest collection of 415 million images as of June 30, 2022. They have paid more than $1 Billion to their contributors over the last 15 years. Stringr, LIFE, the European Pressphoto Agency, and A+E networks are a few of their biggest customers.
You can earn up to 40% of the total sale amount each time a customer downloads your photo depending upon your level. Shutterstock is strict and accepts only technically perfect images. Shutterstock has also lowered its payout threshold to $35. Payments are issued every month before the 15th, usually in the second week. Shutterstock is one of the most famous places you can make money selling photos.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Skrill, and Payoneer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $35

Become a Contributor to Shutterstock

3. Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is one of the finest stock photography marketplaces worldwide. You earn a royalty of between 33% and 35% for each licensed asset you sell via Adobe Stock. If you want to make money selling photos, Adobe Stock is for you.

When you submit a photo to Adobe Stock, it will be made available to millions of users of Adobe products like Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC, and others, which significantly increases the likelihood that your photos will be purchased.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Skrill, and Payoneer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $25

Sell Your Photos On Adobe Stock

4. iStock By Getty Images

Since 2000, Istockphoto has offered artists a platform to monetize their creative endeavors by selling stock content to organizations and individuals all over the world. With hundreds of employees and more than 160,000 contributors worldwide, it has emerged as a major player in the stock media sector. Selling pictures on Getty Images comes with several advantages.

You will need to upload 3-6 photos as samples. They let you know whether you can collaborate with them as a contributor after reviewing your work. Your photos will be accessible on both GettyImages and iStockphoto, increasing the likelihood that a customer will discover them and purchase them. You receive a standard royalty of 15% for each download and can earn up to 45% once your photos gain popularity.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Check, and Bank transfer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $100

Become a contributor at iStock

5. Dreamstime

With over 190 million stock photos,43 million users, and nearly a million photographers, Dreamstime is an excellent platform for photographers to make money online selling their photos. They accept Videos and Audio too. Dreamstime has served a lot of reputed brands like Coca-Cola, TIME, Walmart, Britannica, and Autodesk. Their pricing structure is transparent. The non-exclusive contributors receive a 25% to 50% revenue share for each transaction. There are 5 different content levels. A Level 5 image (image with 25 downloads) earns you much more than a Level 1 image.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill, and Checks
• Minimum Payout Amount – $100

Sell Photos with Dreamstime

6. Canva

Canva is the best design tool I’ve ever used because it has so many features. No wonder 65 million people rely on it for designing logos, posters, thumbnails, infographics, and other purposes. You are paid each time a Canva user uses your image or other elements in his design. Canva in my opinion is one of the best places to sell photos.

In addition to photos, Canva can also be used to sell other types of graphics like stickers, videos, and vectors. You will get 35% of every Pro element purchase which includes a content license. Payments are processed on the 15th of each month.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Payoneer, and Skrill
• Minimum Payout Amount – $10

Become a Contributor for Canva

7. DepositPhotos

With over 90510 contributors, DepositPhotos has over 234 million stock photos, vectors, music, and videos and has served many brands including Tripadvisor, Forbes, BOSCH, BBDO, Subaru, Olx, and Tescoma.

The royalty rate for photos on DepositPhotos can be between 30% and 38% depending on your contribution level. The royalty increases with your level of contribution. Photos sold under their subscription plan attract a flat royalty rate. Level 1 (green) contributors, for instance, receive $0.25, while Level 5 (platinum) contributors receive $0.33 for each photo or vector sold through their subscription plan.

• Payout Options – PayPal and Payoneer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $50

Sell Photos With DepositPhotos

8. 123RF

When you upload a photo, vector, video, or audio on 123RF, it is marketed to over 5 million potential buyers across 44 countries. 123RF has worked with many prestigious companies, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Deloitte.

You can earn a 30% to 60% commission for every photo sold through 123RF. If you cross their minimum payout threshold this month, you get paid by 3rd week of next month.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Skrill, Payoneer, and Alipay
• Minimum Payout Amount – $50

Sign Up as a 123RF Contributor

9. Freepik

Freepik has over 24,000 contributors worldwide, and many reputed organizations like NASA, Spotify, FedEx, Amazon, and Microsoft have used its resources.

Get Paid to Test Websites and Apps

As a Freepik contributor, you can earn money by selling graphics such as photos, vectors, fonts, illustrations, and PSD designs. Every download of your stock content earns you money. They adhere to the NET-60 payment term, so if you meet the payout requirement in January, your payment will be deposited into your account in March.

• Payout Options – PayPal and Payoneer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $100 for PayPal and $50 for Payoneer

Sell Your Photos on Freepik

10. POND5

POND5 is another reliable stock photography website where you can get paid for selling your photos, illustrations, music files, videos, and other graphics. POND5 has over 1 million customers in 185+ countries and has paid out $100+ million to its contributors. Big brands like Disney, BBC, Netflix, NBC, National Geographic, and others have used Pond5 for content.

You get a 50% royalty share for each of your images that sell on POND5. Payments are processed on the 15th of each month. POND5 allows you to sell your content on other stock photography websites, but only if you agree to sell it for prices higher than POND5.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Skrill, and Payoneer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $25

Sell Your Photos on POND5

11. Foap

Foap is another good place where you can sell your pictures and make some extra money. Foap shares 50% of the profit with you from every sale of your photo or video. They have worked for a number of well-known corporations, such as Nivia, Volvo, Kraft Heinz, Heineken, and IHG. Depending on whether an image is sold on the open market, or in their purported normal or exclusive mission, you can earn anywhere from a few cents to $60 per image.

• Payout Options – PayPal
• Minimum Payout Amount – $5

Sell Photos or Videos on Foap

12. BigStock

BigStock is one of the best online marketplaces for buying and selling pictures and illustrations. They have more than 118 million stock photographs.

For purchases made with credits, you might receive $0.50 to $25 per download and 30% of every sale made by a Bigstock partner. Depending on how many sales you made in the previous 12 months, you could receive a royalty of up to $0.38 for every time one of your images is downloaded under subscription plans. Once you have $30 in commissions or other earnings in your account, you can request a payment. Payments are processed once a month, at the beginning of every month.

• Payout Options – PayPal, MoneyBookers, Or Skrill
• Minimum Payout Amount – $30

13. CanStockPhoto

CanStockPhoto was founded in 2004 and has 108,886+ contributors. Getting started on CanStockPhoto is relatively easy. Simply submit 3 photos, and they will quickly review your application and respond. You’ll receive up to 50% commission each time your image is downloaded. You never lose ownership of your images.

Additionally, your photos will automatically appear on Fotosearch, one of the biggest stock photo agencies in the world, giving them the greatest exposure and selling potential. CanStockPhoto definitely deserves a place on my list and a good place to sell photos.

• Payout Options – PayPal, Check, Skrill, and Moneybookers Transfer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $50 for PayPal, $100 for Other Payout Options

Start Selling Photos on CanStockPhoto.com

14. Smugmug

Smugmug is unique in the sense that it allows you to create a portfolio website to display your work and handle orders. You must buy a plan before you can sell your photos Smugmug. You can set your own rates and keep 85% of the profit on every sale. You have the option of selling digital downloads, gifts, and prints. The good thing about this site is that you have full control over how your images are displayed. Additionally, you can set up your website with a name like “yoursitename.smugmug.com”. Payments are processed every month on the 8th and you will need to place a withdrawal request manually unless you have $500 in your Smugmug account.

• Payout Options – PayPal, ACH, Skrill, and Moneybookers Transfer
• Minimum Payout Amount – $5

Join Smugmug Now

Can I Sell the Same Photo on Different Stock Photography Sites?

Yes and No. To be sure, you should read your contract agreement. Because different microstock sites have different agreements, such as Getty requires exclusivity on your photos while Shutterstock does not. On the other hand, 500px and Adobe Stock let you decide on exclusivity for each photo. Although exclusivity might place restrictions on you, it also has benefits, such as higher royalties for each photo sold.

If your contract permits it, you can submit the same image to various stock photography websites. You will at least figure out which platform is best for you.

Conclusion – Can You Really Make Money Selling Photos?

Definitely yes. At least you should try. Your pictures may be worth more than you think. Your photos might have a lot of value to potential buyers. But one thing is very clear. The majority of the pictures you take with your phone won’t get past their rigorous review process. Stock photography websites only accept high-quality photos. Photos must be sharp, noise-free, and processed to meet their specifications. If you’re serious about selling your photos and making money, I would suggest you to invest in a professional camera.