Stock multimedia is essential for modern digital presence because it enhances engagement and storytelling. In this blog, we’ll review a 22-year-old stock photo agency known as Dreamstime.
In this comprehensive Dreamstime review, we walk you through the key features, costs, benefits, and potential drawbacks of Dreamstime. Moreover, we’ll explore whether this platform is worth your investment, considering its alternatives and answering frequently asked questions.
Review Summary
Dreamstime is a stock photo and video service that offers millions of high-quality images, graphics, and videos for creative projects. It has a wide range of content, including intro-stock music and audio clips from professional musicians and producers. You can download thousands of royalty-free intro-stock music audio clips on Dreamstime.
Pros
- A vast collection of high-quality visuals
- User-friendly interface and search functionality
- Flexible pricing options to suit different needs
- Extended license options
Cons
- A vast collection of high-quality visuals
- User-friendly interface and search functionality
- Flexible pricing options to suit different needs
- Extended license options
- Per-item pricing is higher
- Quality could be better.
- Bad variety of collection
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Overall Rating
Overview
Dreamstime is one of the oldest stock photo services available on the internet and was the main competitor to Shutterstock and iStockphoto. But with time, it has lagged a bit in recent years. It offers both free and paid content. About 1.5 million free images are available on the site that you may download for free.
It has over 200 million stock multimedia collections, including Images, videos, Music, and Sound effects. The huge catalog covers various themes and niches, so users will always have options. Over 50 million active users are using Dreamstime monthly.
User-Interface and Navigation
Dreamstime has a simple and modern user interface that allows users to navigate the site smoothly. On the top right corner, you can see the menu, which displays the type of content you are searching such as Stock photos, Illustrations, Audio, Video, Blog, etc. By clicking on that menu, it will direct you to the content page you are looking for. At the bottom of the top menu, you can see the simple search bar where you can search through keywords, categories, themes, and more. You can see a small icon on the right corner of the search bar: the “image-related search” option. It lets users find stock footage visually similar to a selected image or video they uploaded.
License Options
Dreamstime offers two types of licenses, Standard Royalty-free and Extended permits, for the big brands and companies to get flexible usage rights.
Royalty-Free License
Dreamstime sells images and videos under a standard royalty-free license, which means you can use the content forever once you pay the initial fee. However, it is important to consider that a Royalty-free license has some limitations, including a limited number of copies, and you will not be able to resell or redistribute the images and videos. But you can freely use the assets for any digital use, including social media, online advertising, websites, and more.
Extended License
When buyers need more usage rights, they can purchase the content under an extended license, enabling unlimited copies and reproductions. It allows the resale of images on physical products, including shirts, hats, mugs, calendars, stationery items, cards, and other small items. It comes with a higher cost but provides more image and video flexibility. It is ideal for big brands, enterprises, or individuals who want to print or resell pictures for different purposes.
Dreamstime Library
Dreamstime has a vast collection of stock multimedia, including images, videos, Music, Sound effects, illustrations, etc. The site also offers 1.5 million free shots for every user. Let’s take a look at the quality of the content they provide.
Stock Photos
Dreamstime offers a vast collection of high-quality image libraries that cover multiple themes. From nature to technology, backgrounds to abstract, you will find everything here. However, the images are expensive, and the content quality could be better than other platforms.
Illustration and Vectors
Dreamstime also has a huge collection of Illustrations and vectors. You will find everything in the library, from sketch drawings to geometric patterns, Clip arts, and more. You can search through categories such as art, music, architecture, abstract, business, marketing, people, etc. You can download the image in multiple sizes and preview it before purchasing.
Editorial Photos
Dreamstime has a fresh and trending collection of Editorial images. You can find photos of recent events, Athletes, celebrities, sports and more. The images are ideal for magazine Blogs to get pictures for their trending topics. As you know, these images are only for storytelling or documentation purposes, so you will not be able to use these in advertising and other marketing projects.
Stock Videos
Dreamstime offers Stock video in multiple resolutions, including Web, 720 and 1080p resolutions. You can download the preview clip with the watermark and save the files in only MOV format. The library covers many styles and topics, but the main problem is that many other sites offer up to 8K Resolution footage with multiple format options at low prices compared to Dreamstime.
Dreamstime Pricing
The cost is one of the first questions when considering a stock photography platform. Dreamstime offers flexible pricing options, including subscription plans that grant users access to a predetermined number of downloads per month and on-demand purchasing for individual items. The Dreamstime pricing structure ensures scalability, catering to a wide range of users, from occasional image seekers to heavy content consumers. Let’s take a look at the prices in detail.
Image Subscriptions
Dreamstime offers multiple subscription plans in different sizes, including 5, 10, 15, 25, 200, and 750 monthly downloads. The prices depend on the package you want. The larger the pack, the lower the cost per image you get. All the prices are listed below:
- 5 images per month = $25
- 10 images per month = $39
- 15 images per month = $25
- 25 images per month = $39
- 200 images per month = $94.99
- 750 images per month = $219
- 750 (yearly )images per month = $1420 /yearly
Video Packs
Dreamstime video subscription packs came in four different sizes and resolutions. You’ll get 1, 5, 10, and 25 monthly downloads. The prices depend on the package you want. All the prices are listed below:
- 1 video per month : WEB ($15), 720 ($40/video), 1080 ($45/video), 4k ($50/video)
- 5 video per month : WEB ($40), 720 ($121/video), 1080 ($148/video), 4k ($239/video)
- 10 video per month : WEB ($72), 720 ($225/video), 1080 ($280/video), 4k ($450/video)
- 25 video per month : WEB ($170), 720 ($444/video), 1080 ($534/video), 4k ($1070/video)
Audio Packs
Dreamstime Audio Pack came in three different sizes, including 1, 3, and 10 downloads per month. All the prices are listed below:
Monthly Downloads | Prices |
1 | $19.99 |
3 | $39 |
10 | $99.99 |
All-in-One subscriptions
This all-in-one package lets you download any media file of any size, including stock images, videos, and audio. It’s the ideal plan for those with a versatile need for stock multimedia. All the prices are listed below:
Monthly Downloads | Prices |
10 | $199 |
25 | $410 |
Unlimited access to free images
If you are on a tight budget or can’t afford the above subscription packages, then the unlimited download option is best for you. It will give you access to the 1 million free images catalog with no download limitations at only $4.99 monthly. The collection quality could be better than the subscription plans, but getting unlimited images for your projects is a good start.
On-Demand Credit
To buy pictures with credits, you must first purchase a credit package. These come in sizes from 3 to 10,000; the larger the plan, the more credits you get per dollar spent. You can then use credits to buy anything on Dreamstime, including stock images, videos, and audio. The prices start from $15 and go on. You can visit their site to see all the credit prices here for more details.
Dreamstime Free Trial
If you are new to Dreamstime and need to become more familiar with its content, you don’t have to purchase or subscribe to its membership plan to check out its quality. Dreamstime offers a 7-day free trial for its new customers to benefit their unique audience. During your trial period, you can download 15 Images for free. To start a free trial, follow the steps below correctly.
- Click here To start the trial
- Enter Your Email and Click on START MY FREE TRIAL
- Choose a second plan highlighted in the picture
- Enter the Required Details and Submit
- Your Free Trial Account Will Be Activated
You can cancel your free trial anytime within the week, and it won’t charge you a single penny from your account.
Dreamstime Promo code
Many sites offer Promo codes or coupons for additional discounts on memberships. Dreamstime itself provides other discounts through coupons on its site. To get these discounts, follow the steps below:
- Click here to go to the Promo code page
- Select the desired promo code you want
- Copy the related promo code to your clipboard
- Apply the code while checking out.
Remember that some coupons only apply to specific types of stock images, so make sure all the photos in your cart qualify before submitting your order.
Alternatives
Adobe Stock
$15–$125/ image
Stocksy is a cooperative stock photography and footage agency that offers high-quality, unique, and artistically driven visual content for creative projects. It stands apart from traditional stock platforms by fostering a community of talented photographers and artists who contribute their work, ensuring a diverse and authentic collection. Known for its emphasis on ethical practices and fair compensation, Stocksy provides a platform where creators can showcase and license their original content to clients seeking distinctive visuals for commercial and creative endeavors. Read More….
Alamy
$9.99 – $639.99/ mo
Alamy is a prominent stock photography agency renowned for its vast collection of diverse and high-quality images. It’s unique for its extensive range of photographs, illustrations, and vectors from photographers and agencies worldwide. With an emphasis on authenticity and depth, Alamy offers a platform for both commercial and editorial use, serving creative professionals, publishers, and businesses. Its comprehensive library and flexible licensing options make it a valuable resource for finding distinctive visuals to elevate various projects, from advertising and design to editorial and educational materials. Read More.
Bigstock
$0.16–$21/ image
Bigstock is a stock image and video platform offering a wide selection of affordable and royalty-free visual content for various creative projects. It features photographs, illustrations, and videos from photographers and artists worldwide. With user-friendly search and licensing options, Bigstock caters to designers, marketers, and businesses seeking quality visuals without breaking the bank. It provides a resourceful library of assets to enhance advertising, marketing materials, websites, and more, making it a go-to solution for accessible and varied visual content. Read More.
Conclusion
Dreamstime is a reliable source of high-quality visuals in the vast landscape of stock photography platforms. Its user-friendly interface and extensive collection make it an attractive choice for content creators and businesses.
However, the platform’s prices are too high compared to its competitors. And that is why it is unsuitable for many individuals with low budgets. Don’t worry. You can also get good quality free images on other sites like Pixabay, Pexels, Unsplash, Mixkit, Canva, etc.
By weighing its pros and cons, exploring alternatives, and considering your unique needs, you can determine whether Dreamstime is the ideal investment for your creative journey.
I hope you like this Dreamstime review, and we will be back with more informative and creative content soon.
Any questions or thoughts regarding the platform?
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