The internet has provided different online marketplaces, an example is websites to sell photos online. These websites are designed for photographers to make money from their photography skills. Even non-photographers can make money from selling photos from these websites. If you’re looking for a platform to sell photos online, this article has got you covered.
There are numerous ways to make money online, one of the common ways is by selling photos online. While this way of earning is applied to mostly photographers, non-photographers can explore websites to sell digital skills online. As a photographer or anyone who has collections of image albums that you’ll love to trade for cash. Having a website where your efforts will be valued is quite essential. Thanks to the plethora of online platforms to sell photos, selling photos has been made easy. Other than photos, you can also sell digital art like NFTs on different NFT marketplace websites.
In this article on NaijaKnowHow, we’ve curated the best websites to sell photos online. As a photographer who is looking for an online business that pays, selling photos is one business you can venture into. You might have even come across a few of these websites, the likes of Pixabay and other websites to download free images online. They all allow photographers to upload their images and sell them.
List of The Best Websites to Sell Photos Online
Selling photos online has become a feasible and rewarding option for photographers to showcase their talents and monetize their work. With the list of websites below, you’ll discover the perfect place to sell your creativity. You can access these websites on any web browser of your choice. Whether you’re using Android, iOS, iPadOS or Windows and Mac, accessing these online photo marketplaces won’t be an issue.
1. Etsy
One of the best websites to sell photos online is Etsy, it is an online marketplace where selling has been made easy. While Etsy might not be an online image hosting website, it is known to be one of the best websites for selling used items. A few years back, Etsy became a place where photographers could sell their creativity in exchange for money. With millions of active buyers and a global reach, Etsy has proven to be where you can showcase creativity and sell your photos online. One of the cool features of this website is how easy it is to create an account and start selling. Most times people compare Etsy as one of the best Craigslist alternatives and there’s no doubt about that.
On Etsy, all you have to do is create your account, set up your Etsy shop and start selling. You can upload your images for sale as digital items or physical ones. Etsy is focused on seller’s customization and branding, therefore allowing sellers to create shops with banners, logos and descriptions. With such an approach, you could create your store for selling photos based on how you want others to see it. You’ll be able to build a band identity and connect easily with those interested in your photos. Additionally, Etsy offers valuable marketing tools, analytics, and customer engagement features. This gives you insights into how your products perform in the marketplace.
2. Shutterstock
Shutterstock is arguably the best stock photography website in the world. If you want to discover quality photos, videos and royalty/copyright-free music, Shutterstock provides them all. If you’re a photographer looking to sell your photos online, Shutterstock is one of the best websites you can use. There’s a reason why Shutterstock is highly recommended for selling photos, the main reason is its vast collection of photos. There are a lot of attractive photos on Shutterstock and they bring potential customers. Selling on Shutterstock comes in the form of a contributor program.
The contributor program offered by Shutterstock is a reward platform that allows photographers to earn via image downloads. With this system, you can upload as many photos as you want and if they get downloaded, you’ll be rewarded. Aside from the reward system, you can also make some photos non-downloadable unless paid for. Shutterstock has a friendly and straightforward interface. You’ll find it quite easy to create your account and upload your photos for sale.
3. 500px
500px is a very popular online community where photographers collaborate. Over the years, it has hosted more images than most websites, whether you’re selling or just sharing for free. With 500px, you’ll find a convenient way to get that done. 500px allows photographers to build their profiles, curate portfolios, and showcase their work to a global audience. This aspect makes 500px an excellent choice for photographers looking to gain recognition and exposure in the industry. Aside from selling on the 500px website, it also offers a mobile application. You can download 500px from Google Play Store or Apple Store on your Android, iOS or iPadOS device. Selling photos on 500px is one of the best ways to make money online without facing loss.
When it comes to selling on 500px, you’ll need to acquire the license to sell. The license is called Prime and it even increases your chances of getting discovered by interested buyers. In addition to selling photos on 500px, it also allows photographers to earn from photo challenges and contests that are regularly hosted. Additionally, 500px’s community-driven approach fosters engagement and interaction among photographers, buyers, and enthusiasts. The platform offers tools for photographers to engage with their audience and receive valuable feedback on their work. Lastly, 500px is also one of the leading Photobucket alternatives to host images.
4. Alamy
Established in 1999, Alamy is one of the world’s oldest stock photography websites. Known for its photographer-friendly approach and large customer base, Alamy is perfect for making money by selling photos. It is one of the attractive platforms for photographers to get paid for selling quality photos. This website has a focus on editorial and creative images and that easily attracts the right customers towards photos placed on sale. Selling on a website that has a broad customer base offers quick sales. That’s one of the main advantages of using Alamy.
What sets Alamy apart from other stock photo websites is its straightforward and user-friendly upload process. As a photographer, you can easily submit your photos and add the needed information to them. Extra information like keywords and descriptions increases the chances of your photos getting discovered. Another benefit of using Alamy is the option to offer images as either rights-managed or royalty-free images. There’s no doubt that Alamy is one of the best websites to sell photos online.
5. Adobe Stock
Another website on the list is Adobe Stock and it’s quite popular for selling photos online via Adobe Stock Contributor. On Adobe Stock, there are millions of stock images, photos, vector graphics, videos and so on. If you’re a photographer who uses Adobe products like Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge and so on, you’ll have easy access to Adobe Stock. One of the key advantages of selling photos on Adobe Stock is the platform’s extensive customer base. With millions of creative professionals and businesses relying on Adobe products. Adobe Stock offers photographers direct exposure to potential clients who will be interested in their photos.
Additionally, Adobe Stock’s global reach makes sure that photographers from any part of the world can sell to buyers without restrictions. When you sell photos on Adobe Stock, you’ll only be rewarded with 60% of the actual price of your photos. There’s also an analytic tool that’ll give you insights into your sales performance. When uploading photos on Adobe Stock, you can include keywords and descriptions. This gives your photos proper visibility based on what buyers are looking for.
6. SmugMug
SmugMug also offers a reliable and unique way to sell photos online. As a photographer, you can create a portfolio to showcase your work on SmugMug, it also allows users to sell photos without issues. Whether you’re new to photography or you’ve been in the game for a very long time, SmugMug is a reliable platform to use. With SmugMug, you can create your own store and brand it in style. Selling photos on SmugMug is a breeze, as the platform supports digital downloads, prints, and even photo gifts. While preparing to sell, you can choose from a wide range of print options. There are canvas prints, framed prints and more.
As a photographer, you’ll love SmugMug due to its pricing flexibility and commission rate. When putting photos up for sale, you can decide your profit margin based on the worth of your photos. This allows photographers to earn exactly the amount their photos are worth in the market. Additionally, SmugMug also allows photographers to sell licences for digital downloads. The marketing aspect of SmugMug comes with tools and SEO optimization that’ll help photographers reach more customers.
7. iStock
iStock is one of the best Shutterstock alternatives and it’s a platform for any photographer. The platform offers a vast collection of high-quality images, making it a go-to destination for buyers seeking a wide range of photos. As a photographer, you can easily contribute to iStock by adding your photos to attract more global customers. The whole submission process on Stock is straightforward and less complicated. By creating your account with iStock, you can upload your images easily and prepare to sell them. When it comes to tolerance, Stock doesn’t give room for low-quality images, most times they only access the best images.
One of the unique features of iStock is its tiered pricing model, which offers different commission rates based on contributor performance and exclusivity. Photographers can earn more as they advance through the levels, providing an incentive to continually improve their craft and contribute to the platform regularly. Additionally, iStock offers an exclusive contributor option, allowing photographers to earn higher royalties for exclusive image licenses.
Conclusion
Selling photos online has been one of the best ways to make money online as a photographer. With the right website in place, you’ll find it easy to sell your photos and make money The websites listed above are the best places you can visit when it comes to selling photos online for cash.
