Top 10 Platforms for Selling Photos Online

Selling your photos online has become easier than ever in the digital age. This article will help you find the best platforms to sell your photos online.

This list of top 10 platforms for selling photos online has been carefully compiled, considering user-friendliness, earning potential, market reach, and the sense of community each platform offers. Additionally, it includes insights and reviews from numerous professional photographers.

10 Best Platforms To Sell Photos Online

Sell On Stock Photography Websites

These photography websites offer a global stage for your photos, breaking down geographical barriers and reaching a wide audience. When you upload images, you can earn passive income as various users, like businesses and designers, buy them for their projects. 

This approach benefits you financially and boosts your exposure, potentially leading to more opportunities. These stock photography sites also manage marketing and sales logistics, allowing you to concentrate on your passion for photography and creating more outstanding images.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a leading player in the stock photography industry, offering a massive online marketplace to photographers. The platform provides a user-friendly interface and advanced tools for efficient uploading and comprehensive keywording.

It acts as a media licensing agent for photographers, designers, illustrators, videographers, and musicians. With nearly 200 million royalty-free stock photos, vector graphics, and illustrations, Shutterstock is one of the largest stock media repositories on the web.

Highlight features:

• Diverse Content: Shutterstock offers a comprehensive collection featuring high-quality, licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, 3D models, videos, and music.
• AI-Powered Editing: Utilizing advanced AI technology, Shutterstock provides a suite of creative AI editing features.
• Mobile App: With the Shutterstock Contributor app, photographers can upload images directly from their smartphones, making selling photos taken on mobile devices easier.
• Contributor Tools: Shutterstock provides various tools and resources to help contributors understand trends, improve their skills, and optimize their portfolios for better visibility and sales.

Pros and cons

Earning

• Contributors earn up to 40% each time customers download images or videos.
• Earn $0.04 for images and 10% for videos through the referral link.

Who is it best for

• Photographers seeking a broad audience and competitive compensation.
• Experienced photographers with a large portfolio of high-quality images
• Hobbyists or amateur photographers looking to enter the world of stock photography
• Freelancers looking to diversify their income streams

Canva

Canva is a comprehensive platform that serves as a design tool and provides a thriving marketplace for photographers. It boasts a highly intuitive interface that lets photographers sell their photos directly to a vast global audience. 

With its advanced features and functionalities, Canva provides photographers with a seamless and efficient experience to monetize their art.

Highlight features

• User-Friendly Design: Canva’s free online platform employs a drag-and-drop feature for the effortless creation of visual documents, videos, photos, and more.
• Integrated Design Platform: Canva is primarily a design tool, which means users can use your photos directly within their design projects, increasing the visibility and applicability of your work.
• Wide User Base: Canva has a large and diverse user base, ranging from professionals to casual users, which can lead to more exposure for your photos.
• Simple Upload Process: Uploading photos to Canva is straightforward, allowing photographers to contribute their work easily.
• Community and Support: Canva offers support and resources for contributors, including guidelines and tips for creating content that is more likely to sell.

Pros and cons

Earnings

• Up to 35% of every content license purchase (approximately $0.30 on a $1 purchase) can be achieved through Canva’s revenue-sharing model. 

Who is it best for

• Graphic designers and illustrators
• Stock photographers looking for additional revenue streams

500px

Introduction

500px seamlessly merges a photo-sharing community with a marketplace, emphasizing quality over quantity to appeal to a discerning audience. Launched in 2009, this global online photography platform allows users to store their work in the cloud, engage in top-tier photography competitions, form interest groups, enhance their photography skills, and explore opportunities for content dissemination, transaction monetization, and copyright protection.

Highlight features

• Easy Setup and Management: You can set up your portfolio in minutes and easily make updates anytime.
• Photography-First Templates: Choose from templates that are minimal, sleek, and modern, designed specifically to highlight your photography.
• Mobile Friendly: With a user-friendly mobile app, photographers can upload photos and manage their accounts on the go.
• Global Exposure: 500px is known for its large, international community of photographers and enthusiasts, offering significant exposure for your work.
• Pulse Algorithm: The platform uses a unique ‘Pulse’ algorithm that increases the visibility of new and popular photos, helping good work get noticed.

Pros and cons

Earnings

• 60% of net sales on images you’ve submitted exclusively for licensing. 
• Users with Awesome- or Pro-level memberships will earn 100% of net sales on images submitted exclusively for licensing.

Who is it best for

• Photographers who are looking to build a professional brand and reputation
• New photographers looking to gain exposure and learn from a community

SmugMug

Introduction

SmugMug is a platform that enables photographers to create customizable portfolios and sell prints directly. It emphasizes building a personal brand and fostering direct relationships with clients.

Highlight features

• Unlimited and Secure Photo Storage: SmugMug provides unlimited, zero-compression photo storage. It also offers cloud-secured automatic upload.
• Photography Apps: SmugMug has plugins for Adobe Lightroom Classic and Capture One Pro. These allow you to upload photos, publish edits, create galleries, and even pull your clients’ favorite photos for an easy proofing workflow.
• Website Builder: SmugMug has a customizable website builder designed for photographers. It allows you to select themes, custom fonts, image layouts, and a logo.
• Photo and Video Uploads: SmugMug supports unlimited photo and video uploads with a maximum photo file size of 150 MB and a maximum video file size of 3 GB.

Pros and cons

Pricing 

• Smugmug offers 4 subscription plans, priced from $13/month or $110/year.

Who is it best for

• Photographers who want a simple design for their eCommerce website with plenty of business and marketing features.
• Professionals who want a customizable platform to showcase and sell their work directly to clients, focusing on quality presentation.
• Photographers who want full control over sales

Getty Images

Introduction

Getty Images is a renowned provider of stock images, editorial photography, video, and music for commercial and personal use. With its extensive collection of high-quality visual and audio content, Getty Images has established itself as a leading platform in the industry. Its global reach and reputation make it an attractive option for photographers seeking to showcase their work to a diverse audience and attract high-end clients.

Highlight features

• High-Quality Standards: The platform is known for its high standards in terms of image quality and content, attracting professional photographers and high-end clients.
• Broad Commercial Reach: Getty Images allows users to broaden their commercial reach with historical images.
• Editorial and Creative Segments: Getty Images operates in both the editorial and creative segments, providing opportunities for a wide range of photography styles and subjects.
• Exclusive Contracts: For select photographers, Getty Images offers exclusive contracts, which often come with better exposure and potentially higher earnings.
• Invitation-Only Submission: Getty Images typically operates on an invitation-only basis for contributors, ensuring a curated collection of high-quality images.

Pros and cons

Earnings

• Depending on your Contributor Agreement, you will earn a royalty between 15% and 45% on each file license. 

Who is it best for

• Photographers are aspiring for global recognition and prestigious clientele.
• Photographers want to create an impact. 
• Photographers with extensive portfolios
• Photographers looking for exclusive assignments

Adobe Stock

Introduction

Adobe Stock is an outstanding platform in this list. It can seamlessly integrate with Adobe Creative Cloud, making it an attractive option for photographers using Adobe software.

Highlight features

• Adobe Tools: Adobe Stock integrates with Adobe Tools, one of the top-notch design tools that allows the free editing of watermarked photos.
• High-Quality Assets: Adobe Stock’s library includes high-quality, royalty-free stock photos, video footage, vector images, illustrations, and audio files for professional use.
• Contributor-Friendly Dashboard: User-friendly contributor dashboard for managing portfolios, tracking sales, and accessing performance analytics.
• Video Preview Feature: It has a video preview feature and allows your customers to access stock footage from different apps.

Pros and cons

Pricing & Earnings

• Adobe Stock offers 4 subscription plans, priced from $29.99/month.
• It pays up to 33% commission for photos and 35% for videos.

Who is it best for

• Professional and semi-professional photographers who consistently produce high-quality images
• Photographers who already use Adobe software like Photoshop and Lightroom
• Digital artists and illustrators
• Freelance photographers

iStock

Introduction

iStock, founded in 2000, is one of the world’s leading stock content marketplaces, offering millions of hand-picked premium images at affordable prices. It allows photographers to reach a broad audience through the Getty Images network.

Highlight features

• High Curation Level: iStock is well-known for its high curation level, ensuring that only high-quality images are included in its catalog.
• Extensive Catalog: iStock’s extensive catalog includes a huge collection of exclusive images. 
• Backed by Getty Images: iStock is supported by Getty Images, a prominent stock content marketplace. This gives sellers the confidence that a reputable organization represents their work.
• AI-Powered Search: iStock’s AI-powered search feature streamlines the process of finding visuals, increasing the likelihood of your images being discovered and purchased.

Pros and cons

Earnings

• You start with a 15% share of every image and 20% of every illustration and video sale, and you can reach between 25% and 45% royalties if you become an exclusive contributor.

Who is it best for

• Photographers seeking broad exposure through the Getty Images network
• Exclusive contributors seeking higher royalties
• Hobbyists looking to monetize their work

Sell Through Your Own Website

Establishing a website to market your photographs can offer you complete control and enable you to establish a unique brand identity. If you’re looking for website builders and ecommerce platforms that cater to your technical requirements, here are three top options to consider:

Shopify

Introduction

Shopify is a robust ecommerce platform that caters to a wide range of businesses, including photographers. It offers seamless integration for selling photos and managing transactions.

Highlight features

• Advanced Retail Tools: Known for sophisticated online retail features, Shopify is a go-to for photographers enhancing their digital presence.
• Scalability: Shopify efficiently supports extensive product catalogs, ideal for photographers with diverse images and asset offerings.
• Customizable Online Storefront: Shopify allows you to create a professional-looking online store with customizable templates. You can design a storefront that reflects your brand and showcases your photos effectively.
• Digital and Physical Products: You can sell both digital downloads (like stock photos or photo books) and physical products (like prints or merchandise featuring your photography).
• Integrated Payment Processing: Shopify offers a secure and integrated payment system that supports various payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, and others.

Pros and cons

Pricing

• Shopify offers 4 plans to create a website, priced from $39/month.
• Credit card fees start from 2.4% per transaction

Who is it best for

• Photographers seeking a comprehensive ecommerce solution.
• Photographers who have established a brand
• Individuals looking to create a business around selling photography, such as fine art prints, photo books, photography courses, etc.

Wix

Introduction

Wix is a versatile website builder that empowers photographers to create visually stunning websites with integrated ecommerce functionality.

Highlight features

• Customizable Website Templates: Wix provides a range of customizable templates specifically designed for photographers, allowing you to create a professional-looking website to showcase and sell your work.
• Wix Art Store: This is a specialized application within Wix specifically for photographers and artists to sell their work. It allows for the sale of digital images as well as prints.
• Easy-to-Use Website Builder: Wix is known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder, making it easy for photographers without web development experience to create and manage their online presence.
• Integrated E-Commerce Platform: You can sell photos directly from your website using Wix’s e-commerce tools, which include payment processing, inventory management, and order tracking.
• SEO Tools: Wix offers built-in SEO tools to help improve the visibility of your website and photos on search engines.
• Social Media Integration: You can easily integrate your website with social media platforms to promote your work and drive traffic to your site.

Pros and cons

Pricing

• Wix offers 5 subscription plans, priced from $16/month.

Who is it best for

• Photographers desire creative control over their website design.
• Independent photographers
• Photographers focused on direct sales

Squarespace

Introduction

Squarespace is renowned for its visually appealing templates and intuitive website-building capabilities. It provides an elegant platform for photographers to showcase and sell their work.

Highlight features

• Stunning Templates for Visual Impact: Squarespace is celebrated for its visually captivating templates, empowering photographers to build a striking and professionally designed online portfolio that leaves a lasting impression.
• Integrated Marketing Tools for Exposure: The platform provides photographers with advanced marketing tools for efficiently managing email campaigns, digital advertising, pop-ups, and SEO. This suite enhances online visibility, which is key for showcasing their work to a wider audience.
• Budget-Friendly and Seamless E-commerce: Squarespace is a great e-commerce solution for photographers. It’s affordable, user-friendly, and perfect for showcasing and selling their work online.
• Creative Freedom with Advanced Design Tools: Squarespace’s advanced design tools offer photographers a high level of customization, empowering them to showcase their unique style and creativity on a website that reflects their artistic vision.

Pros and cons

Pricing

• Squarespace offers 4 subscription plans, priced from $16/month.

Who is it best for

• Emerging artists looking to establish an online presence
• Photographers who also blog about their work or photography techniques
• Hobbyist photographers

Tips To Be Successful With Online Photo Selling

• Find Your Niche: To stand out in the crowded market, it’s important to specialize in a particular style or subject matter. You can identify a specific niche or theme for your photos. Whether it’s landscapes, portraits, travel, or particular subjects, having a niche can make your portfolio more appealing to a targeted audience. By focusing on a particular area, you can develop your skills and create a unique style that sets you apart from the competition. This can help you attract more clients and build a successful career in photography.
• Learn From The Best: You should study successful photographers who have excelled in the online photo-selling industry. Analyze their portfolios, marketing strategies, and the types of photos that resonate with buyers. Learn from their successes and incorporate those lessons into your own approach.
• Build A Rich Portfolio: As a photographer, create a diverse and high-quality portfolio to showcase your skills and range. A detailed portfolio can attract a wider audience and increase your chances of making sales.
• Sell Stock Photos As Prints And Photo Books: Consider diversifying your revenue streams by offering your photos as prints or in the form of photo books. Many customers prefer having tangible copies of their favorite images. You can use online platforms to sell physical products alongside digital downloads. This way, you can cater to a wider audience and increase your earnings.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just starting, these 10 platforms for selling photos online offer diverse opportunities to monetize your craft. Choose the one that aligns with your goals, and remember, success in online photo selling requires dedication, creativity, and a keen understanding of your target audience.

FAQs