9 Top Popular Stock Video For Free

Whether you're using paid or free stock video websites, it's important to pay attention to copyright issues. Currently, AI-generated stock footage is royalty-free because the content is created through algorithms. Users can freely use these materials without worrying about usage restrictions. Below are some recommended websites that offer various AI templates to generate both text and images. You can enhance your videos with rich stock content without copyright concerns.

GenApe

GenApe is the ultimate assistant for video creation. It offers video script templates and can automatically generate engaging video topics. In addition, GenApe’s AI text-to-image feature lets you generate royalty-free stock images and footage just by entering text . Styles include cinematic, oil painting, watercolor, black and white, and pixel art. You can also use the AI video generator to produce stock videos tailored to your needs.

Image from GenApe official website: https://genape.ai/textToImage

In addition to providing royalty-free content, GenApe can enhance blurry images with a single click. Its Fix Blurry Image can quickly restore low-resolution visuals or even old photos . High-resolution stock footage can improve the viewing experience and help users create high-quality videos.

Key Features of GenApe

• All content is AI-generated and royalty-free, available for unrestricted use
• Supports 13 languages, with accurate output even when inputting in Chinese
• All-in-one service with a variety of AI templates
• Offers text-to-image tools for visual stock content and script generators for video production

GenApe offers a wide selection of AI-generated templates, and you can register using your Google account. New users receive 10,000 tokens to try out all features for free . Once tokens are used up, you can either subscribe or make a one-time payment to get more.

Subscription Plan

• The most affordable subscription starts at just NT$415.83 per month
• Subscription plans are available monthly or annually, with up to 17% savings for yearly subscriptions

Some websites offer free stock footage shared by users. Typically, no attribution is required, but free usage doesn't mean there are no copyright restrictions—users must still follow the usage guidelines. Below are four popular free stock video libraries.

Pexels

Pexels is one of the most widely used free stock video libraries, offering a wide range of photos and stock videos. Users can use them on personal websites, blogs, or social media without crediting the source or the photographer. One of the best features of Pexels is that it suggests relevant keywords based on your search terms, making it easier to find the right content.

If you’d like to share your own images or stock videos for others to use, you can upload them to Pexels. Users can upload up to 50 items per day.

Image from Pexels official website

While Pexels offers royalty-free materials, there are still some usage rules to follow:

• Do not portray people in offensive or defamatory ways
• You may not sell unaltered content as printed merchandise—modification is required
• Brands shown in the footage cannot be used to endorse your products
• Content may not be used as a trademark or logo

Pixabay

Pixabay mainly provides free images and stock videos. You can search and download videos from the site; however, it doesn’t support Traditional Chinese, so you’ll need to search in English or Simplified Chinese to find more results.

Image from Pixabay official website

All images and stock videos on Pixabay are free to use and modify without attributing the creator, but some restrictions still apply:

• You may not sell or distribute unmodified content, whether digitally or in print
• Content may not be used for logos, trademarks, or brand-related commercial purposes
• Illegal use of materials, especially involving people, is prohibited

Videvo

Videvo offers a wide variety of free stock footage, motion graphics, and video templates. The videos tend to have a more casual and lifestyle feel. On the homepage, you can browse the most popular and newest free videos. However, Videvo does not support Chinese, so you'll need to search using English keywords to find stock videos.

Image from Videvo official website

While Videvo’s stock footage can be downloaded for free, be sure to check the specific license listed under each video.

Mixkit

Mixkit updates its resources weekly. Although it doesn't support Chinese, its free stock video quality is nearly on par with premium libraries, and you don't even need to create an account to download. In addition to regular videos, it also offers video templates edited by professional creators, with transitions and effects included.

Image from Mixkit official website

Most free stock videos from Mixkit can be used for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. Each clip comes with a license. For example, certain stock footage may not be used commercially but can be used for personal projects, social media, or educational content. Always check the license and usage terms before using any Mixkit content.

Stock video websites typically offer subscription plans or pay-per-download options for accessing high-quality stock footage. These platforms provide not only videos but also images, effects, and audio. Here are four of the most popular paid stock footage providers.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock has collected over 485 million assets, and its library keeps growing—it’s one of the largest stock video libraries in the world. It’s also one of the most widely used. The stock footage here often features lifestyle themes, including people, aerial shots, and news-style footage.

Key Features of Shutterstock

• Massive library of images, stock videos, music, and sound effects
• Reverse image search available
• Easily find content with similar styles
• 4K high-quality downloads

Pricing

Shutterstock offers packages and subscription plans. If you only need a few assets, the package option is ideal. For frequent use, subscriptions are more cost-effective. Plans allow you to choose between monthly or annual download limits depending on your needs.

On-Demand Packages

• One-time purchase
• Choose from 2, 5, or 25 downloads per year
• Standard and Enhanced license options available, with Enhanced costing significantly more
• For example, a 2-download annual Standard license is $34, while the Enhanced version is $199

Subscription Plans

• Choose between monthly or annual subscriptions
• Annual subscriptions can be paid monthly or upfront
• Upfront payment offers better pricing
• For example, a monthly plan with 10 downloads is $49, while an annual plan costs $29/month or $25/month if paid upfront

Image from Shutterstock official website

License Terms

Each stock video comes with a license outlining its permitted uses, such as online, live events, or embedding on websites. For online use, the allowed audience size depends on your license type. Shutterstock’s Standard License covers up to 500,000 viewers, while the Enhanced License removes that limit.

Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock, developed by Adobe, offers a wide range of stock footage, along with photos, illustrations, vectors, and audio. Its video styles include people, animals, nature, and animations. Adobe Stock also features green screen footage for compositing in video editing software—making it easy to create custom effects using downloaded stock videos.

Key Features of Adobe Stock

• Seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud—downloaded content can be used directly in other Adobe apps
• Upload an image to find similar stock content
• Diverse range of styles and media types
• Rich collection of vertical stock videos

Adobe accounts come with a free trial—10 image assets or 3 4K stock videos. After the trial, continued access requires a subscription or credits. Subscription plans are monthly or annual. Credit packs allow one-time purchases based on how many downloads you need. Stock videos typically cost 8–20 credits, while images range from 12–50.

Subscription Plans

• Monthly and annual options available
• Both plans offer a NT$920/month option—monthly gives 3 images, while the annual version includes 10 images and 1 video
• Annual plans are more cost-effective for the same asset count

Credit Packs

• One-time purchase options: 5, 16, 40, 80, or 150 credits
• Buying more credits at once saves more money—150 credits saves up to NT$9,000
• 5 credits = NT$1,500 (5 images); 150 credits = NT$36,000 (150 images or 18 HD stock videos)

Image from Adobe Stock official website

Most Adobe Stock assets come with a Standard License—usable forever online, but limited to 500,000 prints and non-commercial use. For commercial purposes or mass printing, you'll need an Enhanced License, which can be obtained at a 20% discount via subscription plans.

iStock

iStock is a stock video platform by Getty Images. While Getty is known for image libraries, it emphasizes that videos are more engaging and shareable. iStock focuses on stock footage, including horizontal and vertical formats. Just search for “vertical” to find vertical stock videos, and you can filter results by video length.

iStock offers flexible pricing—monthly subscriptions or credit packs—so users can choose based on their download needs and asset types.

Subscription Plans

• Choose between monthly or annual subscriptions
• Plans include Basic, Premium, and Premium + Video
• Only the Premium + Video plan gives access to stock footage
• Starts at $99/month for 10 downloads
• All downloaded content remains usable without time limits

Credit Packs

• One-time purchases: 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 60, 150, and 300 credits
• Access to stock videos starts from 6 credits—basic video content is $60
• 12 credits can be used for 1 video + 6 images, or 1 video, or 12 images
• Credits never expire, as long as you log in at least once a year

Image from iStock official website

All photos, stock videos, and audio on iStock are royalty-free. Once you pay for a license, you can use the asset as many times as you like and make any modifications. However, if you need to print over 500,000 copies, you’ll need an Extended License. This costs 21 credits for video and 18 for image assets.

MotionElements

MotionElements is a platform specializing in stock video content, including animations, real-life footage, and even VR 360° videos. Registering as a member gives you access to one free video download per week. You can also pay per item or subscribe for unlimited downloads.

If you find a stock video you like, you can purchase and download it directly. Prices are clearly marked next to each item. Unlimited download plans are also available—NT$695/month or NT$8,340/year—for full access to their library of stock footage.

Image from MotionElements official website

MotionElements provides royalty-free content. Whether you pay per item or choose an unlimited plan, no additional fees are required. However, the following rules must be followed:

• Content may not be used as logos, trademarks, or service marks
• Do not use materials in pornographic, illegal, or violent contexts
• Assets are for personal use only—do not resell or share with others

For royalty-free AI-generated stock video, we recommend using GenApe’s AI Video Generator , which helps you quickly find and create the stock footage you need. Click below to get started.