S
Royalty-free stock photos, video and music with subscriptions and image packs
From $25/mo
Pond5 vs Unsplash
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
P
Choose Pond5 if…
- you're in its core audience: video editors, filmmakers
U
Choose Unsplash if…
- you want a free plan to start with
- you need an API to build on
- you work on iOS
- you're in its core audience: designers, marketers
Side by side
Feature Pond5 Unsplash
Pricing modelPaidFreemium
Starting price$10/mo—
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, API
CompanyPond5Unsplash
Full feature lists
P Pond5
- Royalty-free HD and 4K stock video footage
- Royalty-free production music library
- Sound effects library
- Stock images and After Effects templates
- Pay-per-asset, credit pack and subscription purchasing
- Unused subscription downloads roll over
- Individual License with indemnification
U Unsplash
- Free high-resolution stock photos
- Member-only Unsplash+ images added monthly
- Unlimited royalty-free downloads
- Cropping, resizing and background removal
- Model- and property-released images
- Bulk download from bookmarks or collections
- Premium illustrations
- Developer API and plugins
What you'd pay
The cheapest plan that fits, per month, billed yearly where the plan offers it.
Pond5
Music$10/mo (limited-time offer) or $60/yr
Music & SFX$15/mo or $90/yr
Footage Plus$199/mo or $999/yr
Pay per assetVideo from $39
Unsplash
FreeFree
Unsplash+ Monthly£6/mo
Unsplash+ Yearly£72/yr (~£6/mo)
Strengths and limitations
Pond5
- Subscription is optional; single assets can be bought
- Unused downloads roll over
- Footage Plus includes all music and SFX
- Subscription license includes indemnification
- Footage Plus costs $199/mo
- Subscriptions are capped at 10 downloads a month
- Credits and subscription downloads cannot be combined
Unsplash
- Free library of high-resolution photos
- Unsplash+ images are model- and property-released
- Unlimited downloads with Unsplash+
- Developer API available
- Unsplash+ license is single-user and accounts can't be shared
- Content can't be stored in a shared DAM
- Promotional renewal prices aren't guaranteed
More comparisons
Other options to consider
S
From $25/mo
S
Royalty-free stock photos, video and music with subscriptions and image packs
Stock photos, icons & fonts
A
A
From $29.99/mo
A
Licensed stock photos, videos and audio with AI image editing tools
Stock photos, icons & fonts
E
EE
From $16.50/mo
E
Unlimited stock assets and AI generation for creators under one subscription
Stock photos, icons & fonts
A
AA
From $9.99/mo
A
Royalty-free music, sound effects, stock footage and AI generation for creators
Royalty-free music & sound effects
G
G
Paid
G
Licensed stock photos, editorial images and video for commercial and media use
Stock photos, icons & fonts
U
U
Free, from $6.99/mo
U
Human-made royalty-free music, sound effects and stock video for creators
Royalty-free music & sound effectsFree plan
Facts from each vendor's public pages, prices checked Nov 13, 2026. Editorial policy