Storyblocks alternatives
Storyblocks works well if you download constantly and badly if you need a few clips a month, because access stops when the subscription does. Seven alternatives are below, including ours, with what each is actually good at and where each falls down.
We run one of the libraries listed, so treat our entry with the scepticism it deserves. We have tried to describe its limits as plainly as everyone else's.
1. Pexels
FreeThe widest free library, and the first place to look
Strong: Enormous, genuinely free for commercial use, no attribution, no account needed. If a common subject exists on video anywhere free, it is here.
Weak: Every clip comes from a different shooter, so grade and camera style jump between clips. Matching several shots into one sequence takes a long search. Popular clips appear in thousands of other videos.
2. Pixabay
FreeA second free well when Pexels comes up short
Strong: Large, free for commercial use, no attribution. Often holds clips Pexels does not.
Weak: Quality varies more than Pexels, and the search surfaces a lot of near-duplicates. Same consistency problem across shooters.
3. Coverr
FreeClean loops for website and app backgrounds
Strong: Curated rather than dumped, short loops that sit well behind text, no account needed.
Weak: Small library, and narrow: strong on backgrounds, thin on specific subjects.
4. Mixkit
FreeMarketing and lifestyle clips with clear terms
Strong: Curated by Envato, licence terms are unusually plain, 4K available.
Weak: Modest catalogue, and it exists partly to funnel you toward Envato Elements.
5. Videvo
Free tier and paid plansMotion graphics and effects alongside footage
Strong: Good breadth including overlays and graphic elements, plus a free tier that is genuinely usable.
Weak: Licences differ per clip, and some require attribution. You have to read each one, which is exactly the friction people leave Storyblocks to avoid.
6. Artgrid
Paid, annualCinematic quality when budget is not the constraint
Strong: The closest to broadcast-grade of anything here. Shot in series, so clips actually cut together.
Weak: Annual commitment and the most expensive option listed. Overkill for social and faceless content.
7. Supareels
FreeMatched sets within a scene, and overlays
Strong: 67 hand-picked clips across 8 scenes, every one free, HD, no watermark, no account. Because clips are generated per scene rather than gathered from many shooters, a scene cuts together consistently. Some clips ship with the same shot at a different time of day.
Weak: Small compared with everything above, and narrow: if your subject is not one of the scenes, it is not here. Clips are AI-generated, which suits atmosphere and detail work but not documentary footage of real places or people.
Browse the scenesHow to choose
- Downloading daily? A subscription earns its keep. Storyblocks or Artgrid, depending on whether you need volume or polish.
- A few clips a month? Free libraries cover it. Start at Pexels and fall back to Pixabay.
- Cutting several shots of one place together? Consistency matters more than catalogue size, so a curated set beats a big search. That is the gap we built for.
Free clips, no account
Read the licence terms or compare the free b-roll sites.