Should we use Pixabay in 2025?

Pixabay has been part of my toolkit at Easy Web for years, both for client projects and our internal needs. It's my go-to when I need a quick visual resource. What I love most is the quality and richness of its image and video library, which is completely free and royalty-free.

For quick mockups, blog visuals, or initial concepts for client pitches, Pixabay is a gold mine. Instant access to millions of high-quality resources, without worrying about licenses, saves agencies considerable time and money.

However, it is important to recognize its limitations. For highly specific productions or major advertising campaigns where originality is paramount, you may find that the visuals are already familiar. There can sometimes be a lack of uniqueness, especially when compared to paid image banks.

Honestly, if you're new to web design or your agency is welcoming young talent, Pixabay is often the first port of call, and for good reason. Its strength lies in its huge library of visuals, all licensed under Creative Commons Zero. Need a high-quality photo for a blog post, a stylized illustration for a client mock-up, or even a short video for a showcase website? It's all there, just a few clicks away, hassle-free.

It is this accessibility that makes it indispensable for juniors. No maze of licenses to decipher, no budget to allocate before even validating a concept. For learning, experimenting, or simply quickly prototyping an idea for a client pitch, it is the perfect tool to get started without any obstacles. It frees the creative mind rather than constraining it.

Let's talk money. Or rather, the lack of it! What's striking about Pixabay, and what makes it such a major asset for us design pros, is that it's completely free. Yes, you read that right. No premium packages, no hidden monthly subscriptions. It's an incredible resource for any agency or freelancer juggling budgets.

When we started Easy Web in 2020, we would have loved to have had such a ready-to-use resource at no cost. All resources are licensed under Pixabay, mostly equivalent to Creative Commons Zero (CC0). What does that mean for you? Total freedom: commercial use, modification, no attribution required. Ideal for freelance designers or agile teams who need quality visuals without the hassle of paperwork or exorbitant costs. Their model is based on voluntary donations and a few well-integrated ads, which is really a minor detail when you consider the value offered.

Frankly, the first thing that stands out about Pixabay is the size of its library. When you need a visual resource quickly—an image, video, vector, or illustration—it's a gold mine. At Easy Web, it's often our starting point for rapid prototyping or client mockups. The diversity of themes and styles is impressive, although, let's be clear, the quality can vary.

But what really makes the difference for us professionals is their licensing model. You can download and use almost anything, even for commercial projects, without having to attribute the source. This saves our teams a huge amount of time and gives us invaluable peace of mind. No more legal hassles—we can focus on creating.

When it comes to free resources, the reflex is often to doubt the quality. However, with Pixabay, I have often been impressed by the resolution and diversity of the images and vector illustrations available. For Easy Web, this is a major asset: you can find high-definition visuals, often comparable to paid stock libraries, and above all, they can be used commercially without worrying about complex licenses. This saves our design teams valuable time when speed is of the essence.

But that's not all. What has really impressed me, especially in recent years, is how their library has evolved beyond still images. Today, it offers an amazing selection of stock videos and even audio tracks. For our client projects, which increasingly incorporate motion design and video content, having these resources available for free and in one place is an undeniable competitive advantage. No more juggling between multiple platforms; everything is right there, ready to be integrated. That's what efficiency looks like for an agency in 2025.