We are very familiar with the stock video market, because of our own professional needs. We have been producers and on many occasions it has been more cost effective for us to go to stock video than to shoot it ourselves. When we started this project, Vystock, your premium stock video platform, we expanded our search to be sure we were going to offer something different from the rest. The consequence of so much effort in knowing the video stock market is that, right now, we can say that we know practically all the stock platforms on the internet including the best free stock video websites.
The best free stock video can enhance your project
However, there are also other types of situations and other types of productions where exclusivity is not important at all, and the quality standard may be lower. This is where free stock video comes into play.
Sometimes it’s better to use the
best free stock video than to shoot it
To find that free clip that fits your production, you’re probably going to have to spend a lot of time and visit a number of platforms. Keep in mind that if you’re looking for nature clips, you’re much more likely to find that clip than if you’re looking for a subject matter involving people. In fact, free family and work environment clips are especially rare, and if you find one that works for you, chances are that the same clip is being used in dozens of videos at the same time.
Our list contains all types of platforms, but we have tried to include as many hassle free platforms as possible. By this we mean platforms where you can search for the free videos you are interested in and download them without further ado. This way you don’t waste unproductive time in your search and can spend all your attention finding the video you need for your project. In any event, we have selected only platforms that have a sufficient number of clips and a varied theme, or that have few clips but of outstanding quality, despite their gratuity.
Now, before we present our list, you should mind that a free download does not necessarily mean that there are no copyright restrictions or conditions. The licenses of the free downloads are normally based on Creative Commons and, as you may know, they may simply require that you credit the author or have more complicated terms.
Before incorporating free stock video
you should check its legal terms
But despite this, no matter the extent of the license, this does not necessarily mean that all rights have been obtained, and you can just go ahead and publicly reproduce the clip. It may be the case that the people, brands, or other relevant items appearing in the clip, have not granted permission for a commercial or public display. If this is actually necessary, it could, at the end of the day, put you into a lot of trouble. We seriously recommend you take appropriate steps to ensure that you understand the extent of the license and that the free download you intend to use has all the appropriate rights before you incorporate it into your production.
Here is our selection of our 12 best free stock video websites:
Pexels
Pexels is our favorite, and it is completely free, I would say it is one of the most complete. It has grown a lot since it started in quantity and quality. If you want to get it right the first time, this is the one I recommend. The license is: Creative Commons Zero CC0, so you can use the videos for both commercial and personal use, without restrictions.
Pixabay
It is the one we usually go to, when we can’t find something in Pexels. It is also very good, it has a lot of material, and it is completely free and with CC0 license, perfect for personal and commercial use.
Videvo
It is another best free stock video website that I like to use, and one of the platforms that is growing, not only in videos, but also in graphics, sound and templates. It allows you to use their videos for both personal and commercial use, but be careful because in some videos you must credit the author: Creative Commons 3.0, others are completely free to use.
Videezy
In Videezy, you also have many videos, but not all are free, they have created a «pro» section where for very little money you can download them. For videos that you can download for free, you must give attribution to the author.
Life of vids
It is a website that has about 300 videos, some very interesting and quality, you do not need to register to download them, and you can use them freely, both for personal and professional use, with no copyright restrictions. Behind them is LEEROY, a creative agency from Canada.
Coverr
Coverr videos, as they have been around for many years, have been downloaded millions of times. You can use them freely, without crediting the author. They have very interesting proposals, and have been used on many occasions. It is important that you take into account these two restrictions of their license: Coverr.co’s license does not include the right to use: trademarks, logos, or brands that appear in Videos, and people’s images if they are recognizable in the Videos. If so, you may need the permission of the brand owner or individual depending on how you use the Video.
Dareful
It is a web with few clips, but shot in 4k. Most of them are videos made with drone, of natural landscapes. If you need a nature video, this may be a page to consider. The license is Creative Commons 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , that is, they are free to use, but you must give credit to the author, Joel Holland, the creator of all of them.
Mazwai
In Mazwai they have a carefully selected collection, which they choose before uploading to the web. Most of their videos are free to use, but with Creative Commons 3.0 license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/, that is, you must credit the author. But beware, if there is identifiable people or private property, unless a release form has been obtained from the person in the video, or the land/property owner, then this content should not be used for commercial purposes.
Freestock
In addition to free stock videos, they also have photos, vectors and icons. Among their collections, there is a very interesting section of business videos, with many options to choose from. In order to use their footage, you must credit Freestock with a link.
MixKit.co
In addition to free stock videos, they also have photos, vectors and icons. Among their collections, there is a very interesting section of business videos, with many options to choose from. In order to use their footage, you must credit Freestock with a link.
RocketStock
We wanted to add RocketStock to our list, because although what they do is After Effects templates, you can get free elements of stock video like: 13 Free 4K Light Leaks, 16 Free 4K Light and Dust Overlays, or free After Effects templates. You need to subscribe to their mailing list for this.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more. Under the mission to spread the culture. Internet Archive has created a digital library with more than 25 years of web history. We have considered naming it in our list, because if you need something different, among the stock videos that you can download there are about 2,000 clips of all kinds such as: historical rarities, NASA videos, war clips. Many of them are now of public domain, but we advise you to thoroughly check copyrights if you intend to use their content.
On our side, we now contribute to your production with our welcome pack of 8 free 6k clips! We have obtained all rights for all clips and with the download you get a non-exclusive license that allows commercial and personal use (subject to certain restrictions, see the Terms and Conditions in our website). All you have to do is subscribe to our Newsletter. With your subscription, you will be able to know before anyone else our news, and the new free videos that we will be offering to our subscribers. In other words, we will be giving you more best free stock videos, to keep the Karma flowing.
