Stock Photos APIs
Stock photo APIs split on licensing. Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay are free with an API key and return royalty-free images, with Pexels adding video and Pixabay adding illustrations and video. Shutterstock is the commercial option: its API searches and licenses paid photos, video and music, and it uses OAuth rather than a simple key.
| API | Pricing | Auth | Format | Free tier | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PexelsSearch free stock photos and videos, with curated picks, collections and several image sizes per result. Media & Entertainment › Images & Photos | Free | API key | JSON | 100–1k/day | Live |
PixabaySearch millions of royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and videos by keyword. Media & Entertainment › Images & Photos | Free | API key | JSON | 100–1k/day | Live |
Shutterstock APISearches and licenses Shutterstock's stock photo, video, audio and music library. Media & Entertainment › Images & Photos | Freemium | OAuth | JSON | — | Live |
UnsplashSearchable library of free stock photos with photographer and download metadata, hotlink-served. Media & Entertainment › Images & Photos | Free | API key | JSON | 1k–10k/day | Live |
PexelsFreeLive
Search free stock photos and videos, with curated picks, collections and several image sizes per result.
API key · JSON
100–1k/day
no machine-readable spec
PixabayFreeLive
Search millions of royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and videos by keyword.
API key · JSON
100–1k/day
no machine-readable spec
Shutterstock APIFreemiumLive
Searches and licenses Shutterstock's stock photo, video, audio and music library.
OAuth · JSON
—
OpenAPI spec
UnsplashFreeLive
Searchable library of free stock photos with photographer and download metadata, hotlink-served.
API key · JSON
1k–10k/day
no machine-readable spec
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Choosing a Stock Photos API
Is there a free Stock Photos API?
Yes. Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay are free to use, and Shutterstock API has a free tier alongside paid plans.
Which Stock Photos APIs work without an API key?
All of them need a key or account. Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay give one out free when you sign up.
Can I use Stock Photos APIs in a commercial project?
Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay permit commercial use.
Which Stock Photos APIs work with AI agents?
Shutterstock API publishes an OpenAPI spec for generating clients and tools.
Broader: Images & Photos APIs · Media & Entertainment APIs
More in Images & Photos: Placeholder Images APIs · Avatars APIs · Image Resize & Compression APIs