Pixabay and Unsplash are two of the most popular free photo platforms in the world, but they serve different needs. Choosing between them — or knowing when to use both — depends on what you are creating.
At a Glance
| Feature | Pixabay | Unsplash |
|---|---|---|
| Library size | 4M+ assets | 3M+ photos |
| Video | Yes (large) | Very limited |
| Illustrations/vectors | Yes | No |
| Attribution required | No | No (encouraged) |
| Commercial use | Yes | Yes |
| Photo quality ceiling | Variable | Consistently high |
Photo Quality: Unsplash Wins
Unsplash has built a community of genuinely talented photographers who contribute their best work. The aesthetic is editorial, contemporary, and consistently polished. If you need a single hero image that looks great, Unsplash is more likely to deliver it on the first search.
Pixabay's community-contributed model means more variety but less consistency. You will find excellent photos, but you will also scroll past a lot of dated or technically weak images to get there.
Volume and Variety: Pixabay Wins
With 4 million assets across photos, videos, illustrations, vectors, and music, Pixabay covers more ground. For niche searches, obscure subjects, and non-photo media types, Pixabay almost always has more options.
Video: Pixabay Wins Decisively
Unsplash is fundamentally a photography platform. Its video library is minimal. If you need footage, Pixabay is the clear choice between these two. (And Pexels, which you can search simultaneously on MediaFlow, has arguably the best free video library overall.)
Licence Nuances
Both are permissive, but Unsplash has one notable restriction: you cannot use Unsplash photos to build a competing stock photography service. Pixabay has no such restriction. For virtually all creator use cases this does not matter, but it is worth knowing.
The Verdict
- Use Unsplash if you need high-quality editorial photography for a blog, website, or print design and quality consistency matters most.
- Use Pixabay if you need volume, video, illustrations, or music — or if you need to search something obscure.
- Use Pexels + Pixabay via MediaFlow for video work — you get the best of the high-quality and high-volume libraries in one search.
Related: Pexels vs Pixabay compared · Free stock photos for commercial use · Best free stock photos for social media