20+ Websites and Apps That Make Money Selling Pictures Online

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Last updated on September 21st, 2024 at 10:28 am

 

taking pictures - make money selling pictures online

Most people that make money selling pictures online never in the first place look at photography as an income source. With photography you must have passion as the number one driving factor, then money comes later when things are under control.

And when you’re passionate about something you ensure that you do whatever it takes to make the most out of it with creativity and innovativeness. It’s hard for some people to wait when things are not working out, but it’s worth it when things start coming your way.

To make money selling pictures you need to be patient as an artist in the business. Therefore, if this is something that you love with all your heart but you have not yet started earning from it, let’s dive into how you can make money selling pictures.

Websites & Apps That Make Money Selling Pictures Online

Before getting into different platforms through which to earn selling photographs, some things must be put in mind to succeed. You need to get an area of interest which you’re to build an audience for and also diversify income sources in that very field.

Some of the commonest types of photography to get into include Fine-Art, Portrait, Travel, Wedding, Fashion, Documentary, and Photojournalism photography. Now here are the different stock photo sites through which to earn money selling your pictures online.

  1. Alamy

This is one of the best photo selling platforms with the biggest collection of online stock photos and other forms of digital content like videos.

You just need to know what you want and then produce quality photos to compete with a pool of over 50,000 contributors around the world on the platform. Alamy also has an application that can be used hence increasing the chances of earning for iPhone users.

It’s among the platform where you won’t find many complaints about earnings at the end of the month. There are lots of benefits associated with using Alamy, you just need to try it out.

  1. Stylinity

Do you know that you can get paid for tagging brands in the photos that you take? It’s too good to be true but Stylinity it’s a mobile app that allows you to do that for a living.

You need to have a big following which will pick interest in the brands you wear to make purchases for you to earn cash and products. Open up a free account with Stylinity to upload photos with brands that you wear.

But to bring out the details of the brands, make use of a barcode scanner. So, when the tagged photo is shared with your audience on social media they can get directed to the seller’s page.

  1. 500px

If you’re planning about selling pictures of yourself online, this platform also has millions of contributors making money selling photos online. It’s the former 500 px prime but the name slightly changed to 500 px.

The stock photo royalty-free site serves more than 500,000 people every month, and the file size determines the pricing per image on the platform. 500px is a very user-friendly platform for both junior photographers and experts in the field.

There’re 100% earnings on royalties for paid members and 60% earnings for free users with non-exclusive photos. Open up an account on the platform to get started uploading photos to enjoy the benefits associated with the platform.

  1. Fiverr

Another platform where to sell pictures for money is the freelance marketplace Fiverr. Whether you’re looking for gigs or selling a service, it’s among the best places to consult.

And if you’re into photography and still struggling with ways to earn from your effort it’s a great platform to use.

Running a photography business wherever you’re around the world is made easier with platforms such as Fiver. Make quality nice photos that are worth the price you wish to sell on Fiverr to make money from your hobby.

  1. Getty Images

This is also a stock photo site where you can make money selling pictures to the public. Getty Images has got clients from over 70 countries around the world who have access to the platform.

The main users of the platform include media in the publishing business and creative professionals like bloggers. Compared to some other platforms, you need to know that content shared on the platform is exclusive hence can’t be published on a different site.

And when an exclusive image is sold 80% goes to the platform and the creator receives a 20 % share. Create an account with Getty Images to start making money with your pictures.

  1. Shutterstock

If you feel other stock photography sites are not doing things right for you, Shutterstock can get you covered. It’s among the top list stock photo sites where you can sell photos online for free around the world to make money online.

Shutterstock has been around for over a decade and has made huge payouts to its users around the world. When you create an account on Shutterstock to sell photos, you’re exposing your content to millions of people.

To make the most out of Shutterstock you need to have more photos, here the photos are not exclusive. Most people prefer using Shutterstock because the photos on the platform are very price friendly compared to some other stock sites.

For newbies in the photography business, this is a great place to start with to get paid for your effort. And there are two different ways in which you can get paid on Shutterstock which include earnings from photos sold and through their affiliate program.

  1. Foap

Another photography marketplace where to get paid selling pictures online is Foap. It has an app with the convenience of use to the platform for its users at any time.

Like other platforms, the earnings from sales of photos are shared between the creator of the pictures and the stock photo platform.

The main users of the platforms are content creators such as bloggers and publishers. It’s one of the platforms that will make you $3 or more for every photo using the platform.

  1. Adobe Stock

This stock photo market platform has also been around for over a decade and Adobe, in general, has some other platforms that people use to earn a living, for example, photoshop and Lightroom.

Compared to most other stock photo marketplaces, users on the platform get a better royalty share from their efforts and it’s one of the best photo selling websites. The stock photo site back in the day before rebranding to Adobe was known as Fotolia.

Rebranding made the business get even better since all the photos were put into Adobe stock library where they are easily accessible to its users in most applications.

As a contributor on the platform, expect to get a share of up to 50% or even more on sales made. Also, with Adobe stock you can either decide to or not give exclusive selling rights for your photos.

Therefore, in case you’re still figuring out which stock site to use to sell your photos, Adobe Stock is one of the best options out there.

  1. Etsy

If you want to make money selling photos, there is business on Etsy online marketplace no matter where you’re around the world. Etsy is one of those places where you earn selling handmade items like crafts and photos.

When you sign up on Etsy, you’re giving your content exposure to an audience of over 20 million users on the platform. It’s one of the best places where you can make good money selling photos in several ways for a living.

And so, not only do you make money selling pictures, but there are other ways to diversify earnings through the platform. There’s a lot of flexibility in using the platform which makes it a convenient platform to use for business.

And therefore, in case photography is your thing why not get started using the platform to grow the photography business?

  1. Agora Images

Another place where to sell images to earn a living is Agora Images. The best part, new contributors receive their earnings in full amount and yet they don’t incur any subscription charges at signing up.

However, one’s rating on the platform determines the commission plan which includes master, pro, advanced and junior plan. Also with Agora images, you don’t have to give out exclusive rights for your images to get paid.

This means you can diversify income streams using other online stock sites to increase earnings. But to make the most out of the platform you need to produce quality content such that you get better ratings for higher earnings.

More on that, businesses and big brands organize photo contests on the platform which one can join to win money on the side to supplement earnings.

  1. EyeEm

If you want to join an audience of over 18 million contributors, EyeEm is an option you can try out for a start. It’s a great place to make a passive income selling photos online.

With this platform, contributors get paid a 50% commission on their earnings per photo sold. And you don’t need to give exclusive rights to the platform for your content to get paid hence it’s up to you to decide whether to sell on other sites or not.

Despite some other platforms, EyeEm provides educational content to its contributors to make better their skills to earn more.

  1. Fotomoto

This is a widget that can be used to work in hand with your website to help you sell photos online. And so, Fotomoto is not a stock photo site where you can sell photos to make money but it’s just an extension of the website used to ease the process.

Fotomoto enables you to work on digital photos and photo prints for users of your website platform. It gets easier to execute when it comes to packaging material pictures since photo does all the work without you stressing at all.

The widget can be tailored to meet user needs at any time and hence can be fed with the required information. And this easily gives exposure to your brand online thus people interact with your photos most of the time.

If you want to make photography more of a business, then you have to use the right tools to help you get better results.

So, this goes down to a tool that is compatible with a website plus other features that will generate results, and that is the Fotomoto widget.

  1. TourPhotos

This platform is mainly used by individual travel photographers and agencies to earn by selling photos. In case you’ve lots of photos of your adventure to different places, this can be a great platform to use.

There are people out there like bloggers and travel agencies interested in such photos to use them in business and other personal things. And they are ready to pay to get access to those beautiful photos if it’s what it takes to get them.

Get an account with TourPhotos to start selling pictures about your adventure wherever you’re around the world to make money.

  1. Crestock

Like most other stock photo sites, you need to open up an account with Crestock to get started using it. And with all that done you can begin uploading quality photos that will make you money on the side.

Ensure that you upload quality photos that will be approved and then added to your account to get exposure. When uploading photos, it’s a best practice that you optimize them with targeted keywords and descriptions to be easily seen in search.

  1. Stocksy

Stocksy is another stock photo site where most content creators get pictures to use for business purposes. It’s a great platform to use when you’re really into the photography business to sell photos to the public for money.

Though, when you sign up with the platform and then upload photos, you can’t share them on any other platform hence it has exclusive rights. Contributors receive up to 75% royalties when sales are made on photos at the end of the month.

If you’re working with Stocksy you’re considered to be part of the business hence it instills in contributors a sense of belonging. And when the platform makes more money, it also shares it with its members on the platform.

Stocksy is also among those platforms that pay quite some good money to its contributors yet there are also other benefits.

  1. CanStockPhoto

Get paid on the CanStockPhoto site selling photos that may be eating up space on your computer or smartphone device. The platform has a referral program with an arrangement where whenever your referral makes sales of 10 photos you earn $1.

Making money on the platform puts you at an advantage of getting listed on a photography agency called Fotosearch. Sign up with the CanStockPhoto site to get started making money selling photos online for free.

  1. Envato Elements

The stock photo platform started sometime back when Instagram photographers were using it to sell photos to content creators and agencies. It was also known as Twenty20 before rebranding to Envato Elements.

And nowadays it’s among the big names in the industry where photographers are making money selling photos online. Envato has a website platform and an app, which makes it convenient and accessible for use by photographers.

When you’re really into the photography business with passion, there’s no way you can fail to earn through the platform after signing up.

  1. Zenfolio

To get started with Zenfolio, you don’t have to be an expert in using online photo sites or photography. The platform is used in over 120 countries worldwide with more than 450,000 photographers using it.

It’s an all-in-one platform where you can easily start up your website through which you can start selling photos to your audience.

Features like digit product options, customized packaging, discount coupons, and photography print make it worth giving a shot. Zenfolio charges a monthly subscription of $5 to whoever wants to start using the online platform.

  1. Dreamstime

This is one of the oldest players in the industry with over 20 years of experience. Dreamstime has over 500,000 contributors with over 25 million registered members on the platform.

And to have serious business on the platform you need to age with it for at least 6 months. So, if you want quick money here then you should try elsewhere to work things out your way.

Dreamstime gives you the freedom to decide whether to give it exclusive rights or not with your photos. Besides selling photos, there’s also a referral program through which people get to supplement their earnings.

You can get started using Dreamstime by creating an account to sell photos online for a living.

  1. Pixieset

Pixieset is also an all-in-one platform where contributors can do almost everything in one place at a time. Pixieset is a user-friendly platform since contributors have access to almost every feature that helps them work things out fast.

The platform has both paid and unpaid plans for its contributors, for example, charges $8 per month and where it takes a 15% commission on sales made respectively. Create an online photography store with Pixieset to make money with products and prints on autopilot.

  1. PicFair

This platform enables you to put up a personal photography store to be able to sell digital downloads and prints from images. And to start making money here, upload photos from your store onto the central platform such that they can be indexed for search.

This means that now they stand a high chance of being found by anyone interested to make a purchase. Whenever a sale of an image is made on the platform, PicFair pockets a 20% commission which is added to the total cost.

It implies that contributors on the platforms receive their earnings without any deductions from the photography site. Therefore, you needn’t worry about any charges at all for the sales you make from your photos.

  1. Snapped4u

Let’s say you’re into wedding and fashion photography, snapped4u is the right platform to use. Contributors make a lot of money here since the platform is niche specific to get targeted users to make sales fast.

If you’re a person of events with lots of pictures in your gallery, open up an account to start uploading content to earn. Like some other platforms, Snapped4u gives you your earnings on whichever sale you make at the end of the month.

Asking which payment platform is used? Snapped4u makes payments through PayPal. To make the most out of the platform, you need to ensure that you offer quality content worth a purchase.

Snapped4u receives a commission whenever you make sales, though a larger percentage goes to the contributor. Sign up with the platform to start making money from your beautiful photos taken at events where you had fun.

  1. Scoopshot

Scoopshot is one of those platforms where to succeed you need to be creative with your work. Not all platforms can provide value like it does since it deals with real people with competence and passion for the business.

Not only do you make money selling pictures, but also whenever someone views the photos online. Get an account with Scoopshot to avail your photos on the platform for sale to anyone with interest.

Another way to make money with your photos and videos is when publishers use the photos in their publications with ads from which you also get a share.

I don’t know what you think, but Scoopshot is also another great platform that can get you paid passive income with your photos.

  1. SmugMug

Looking for an all-in-one tool to help you make money selling photos, right? SmugMug is also among the many that will make selling photos online easier than you think due to its customized features like terms of service and pricing.

SmugMug has a free trial of 14 days for whoever wants to register to start making money with photos in a simplified manner. And using a paid plan helps you get to use better features compared to a free plan.

Let earning money with photos on stock photo sites get much easier using tools such as SmugMug.

The Best Free and Paid Photo Editing Software to Use on Windows PC

  • Adobe Lightroom Classic

Adobe Lightroom Classic dashboard

If you’re not into photography for fun but serious business, Adobe Lightroom is a wise option. This means it’s available for professional photographers to produce quality to make money.

  • PhotoScape X

This is one of the most beginner-friendly photo editing software with a 4+ star rating available for Windows and Mac users. It’s among the best photo editing software in the world of digital photography.

But like any other photo editing software, it also has some challenges in terms of customer support and it needs time to understand it.

  • Adobe Photoshop

When it comes to photography, there’s no way you can talk about the best photo editing software without putting into consideration Adobe Photoshop.

It’s among those with the most advanced features around and easy to use for starters. Adobe Photoshop is a paid software with a recurring payment plan.

So, when you’re serious and ready to take the photography hobby to another level, look for none other than Adobe Photoshop.

  • PhotoDirector Essential

PhotoDirector Essential dashboard

It’s also a very beginner-friendly software though with a 5-star rating compared to PhotoScape. The photo editing tool is also available for both Windows and Mac users in the photography business.

It’s more of a professional photo editing software with thorough customer support and updates to match trends.

  • Fotor

Fotor is another photo editing software around available for Windows and Mac users in the photography business.

If you’re new to photo editing, Fotor is very easy to understand with easily accessible features. It’s user-friendly and can work on photos in batches with ease.

  • GIMP

GIMP is also another beginner-friendly software with easy-to-navigate features for a better user experience.

Using the software, you’re assured of quality photo manipulation with original artwork creation. You can get started with GIMP to make money with quality online photos through stock photo sites.

FAQs – Websites and Apps That Make Money Selling Pictures Online

  • How Can I Maximize Earnings in Photography Business?

Earning more money depends on how innovative you’re than just depending on one income source. And besides selling photos on stock sites you can decide to diversify by selling prints online, selling photography stories, and more.

  • What Is the Best App for Selling Photos Online?

There are free and paid apps but what is good for me may not be good for another person. Someone would be interested in a free app despite the limitations to work on budget and the other would be interested in a paid app with unlimited benefits.

But some of the best photo apps to sell photos online include Foap, Envato Elements, Etsy, and more.

  • Can I Tell That My Photos Are Worth Uploading on A Stock Photography Site?

Yes, you can. A photo that is polished and sharp qualifies to be put on a stock photo site. Therefore, ensure that you use a professional camera whenever taking photos for business purposes.

Conclusion 

Honestly, making money with photography could be quite challenging in the start but when you put in the work it’s worth the effort. All you need is to take time to understand all technicalities around it from the time of taking photos till when it’s right to monetize them for cash.

 

 

 

 

 

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