Free and Legal: How to Use Images for Commercial Purposes

Did you know that some of the world’s most iconic advertisements use stock images for commercial use? For example, AlamapBBDO, a Brazilian ad agency, used stock photos from Getty Images to create their Endless Possibilities campaign in 2016. The advertising campaign combined photos of random people’s faces to recreate portraits of famous people such as the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis.

Most creative agencies prefer altering stock images in most of their work. This is because it allows them to create campaigns for different companies much faster at affordable costs. Keep reading to find out how to get free images for commercial use in your next project.

Part 1: Download images in loyalty-free sites

Several sites offer free images for commercial use as part of their services. In addition, you do not need to register an account to download the images. The sites typically rely on user contributions and content teams to ensure their databases are fresh and maintain consistent quality. Furthermore, all creative assets they offer fall under the creative commons zero license or a variation of it. Here are some of the sites that offer you images for commercial use for free.

1. Pexels

Pexels.com is a free-to-use provider of high-resolution photos and videos for aspiring creators. The German-based website was started in 2014 by two brothers and has been under the Canva umbrella since 2018.

Currently, the website hosts over 3.2 million images and videos from over 250,000 active contributors. In addition, all the material you find in its library is under the Pexels license, which slightly varies from the creative commons zero license model. Some of the restrictions it enforces include:

You can only use pexels images for commercial use after making alterations to the original image. For example, you can use part of an image to create a collage for your commercial branding.
Furthermore, you cannot use any of the website’s content to promote political ideologies and explicit content, especially if the images contain identifiable subjects.

Pexels is available through the following channels:

Your web browser by typing the URL pexels.com.
The Android and iOS app.
A plugin for other content creation software such as Google Slides and MS Office.
An extension on your Chrome browser.
You can also access the database using the official Canva app.

2. Unsplash

Another website that offers free images for commercial use is Unsplash, a subsidiary of Getty Images since 2021. The website is a favorite among creators boasting over 16 billion photo impressions monthly. In addition, the database consists of over 3.48 million photos from more than 265,000 unique contributors, all under the Unsplash license.

The Unsplash license restricts the sale of its creative assets without incorporating new creative elements, including using them in print media and physical goods such as mugs and caps.

You can access Unsplash from your web browser or request API integration for your application from the site’s owners. In addition, the site also hosts photo walks across different cities, where Unsplash guides show you the best photo locations around the city and the best camera techniques for your work. Some cities to host the event include Boston, Montreal, Tokyo, and Toronto.

3. Freerange

Freerange Stock is an online resource for photos, illustrations, and textures you can download and use for commercial and non-commercial purposes. Since 2007, the site has continued to provide high-quality images to its community of over 800,000 registered users.

Unlike the previous examples, all content on Freerange falls under the website’s Equalicense. It grants you broad commercial rights of its stock images while allowing the contributors to retain control of their copyright, image resale, and distribution. As such, you cannot use the images for bulk distribution or print-on-demand works.

Freerange Stock maintains its steady supply of images for commercial use via the following methods:

It has an in-house team of professional photographers who upload images across the different categories on the website.
Freerange Stock also purchases image rights or directly commissions photos from independent creators.
You can also contribute to the website’s library by voluntarily submitting your work to the platform. Kindly note that you will need a verified account to enable this function.
The website also works directly with photographers through a licensing and distribution model, providing them extra exposure on the site.
Finally, Freerange stock aggregates public domain images from other sources, including similar sites and government institutions. It does so by acknowledging the image owner and sometimes lists the image source when the owner is unknown.

Freerange Stock is accessible through your web browser or as an API integration on your app.

4. Vecteezy

Vecteezy is an extensive online library of free stock images for commercial use. Some of the site’s highlight features include the following:

A best-in-class search engine that incorporates multiple filters to ensure your results are extremely accurate. For example, you can sort images by color, style, number of people, and age of the subjects, something other free stock websites do not provide.
All images, videos, and vector illustrations are free for personal and commercial uses. It does so through a property sign and release model with its extensive network of contributors, which protects users from any legal liabilities.
Finally, it employs a content team that manually reviews each photo submission to ensure consistent quality standards for its offerings.

In addition, you can also purchase design resource bundles by subscribing to its Vecteezy pro for as little as $9 monthly. Some of the resources available include the Ultimate Text Effects Layer Styles Bundle for Photoshop, which costs $39 stand-alone or $4.50 when you subscribe to pro.

Part 2: Buy from stock providers

Another way to get images for commercial use is by buying them from stock providers. Some of the benefits of buying images from stock providers include:

You get a wide selection of unique photos from top-tier photographers. Stock providers always seek collaborations with the industry’s finest to edge out the competition.
You receive exemplary customer service with your purchase. Selecting the right image can be confusing for amateur creators. As such, stock image providers have customer support channels to help you throughout your creative process.
Stock images reduce your delivery times significantly. Buying images from a stock provider eliminates the need to invest in photography equipment and the time you need for post-production. As such, you can deliver projects in a fast and cost-effective way.

Despite the above positive, here are some challenges that buying stock images may present:

Not all stock image providers will have the creative assets you need.
Image overuse is likely since every creator will rush for the most popular contributor.

Below are some of the stock image providers you should consider.

1. iStock

iStockphoto.com is an online database of creative resources, including royalty-free photos, videos, audio, illustrations, and clip art you can use in your creations. The website is a Getty Images subsidiary based in Calgary, Canada. In addition, contributors earn royalties depending on how often users download their content.

2. Alamy.com

Alamy.com is a British-owned stock image provider with contributions from photographers and agencies in 173 countries. It compensates its contributors by offering higher than average payouts every time users download their creations. Some popular brands to use Alamy’s services include M&C Saatchi, Microsoft, and The Economist.

Part 3: Shot a Photo by yourself or create one with editing tools

Alternatively, you can get images for commercial use by shooting them yourself or creating them with editing tools such as Figma and Wondershare’s Filmstock. Here are some benefits of using this method:

You get exactly what you want, provided you have the required skills and equipment. Sometimes, getting the right image for your commercial purpose can be challenging. As such, shooting an original photo may be the only option.
You have full ownership of the image.

Unlike obtaining images from stock photography websites, you are free to use the image in whatever capacity you please without any restrictions. For example, sites such as Unsplash do not allow you to use their images in political statements, a restriction you can bypass when using your own creations.

However, you should also consider the following factors when using this method.

It requires a substantial investment

Getting high-quality images for commercial purposes requires specialist equipment. For example, the Panasonic LUMIX GH6 camera, which has 4K resolution capability, costs $2,197 on Amazon. This makes it extremely expensive for amateur creators.

There is a steep learning curve

Becoming a professional photographer takes time and effort. Unless you are creating as a hobby, it will be a while before you can start generating income from your creations.

Part 4: FAQs

1. Do you need a contributor account to get images for commercial use?

Not necessarily. Stock image sites like pexels.com allow you to download images from their website without creating an account. You will only need one if you want to showcase your work on the platform.

2. Can you use your smartphone to get images for commercial use?

Yes. Most stock image providers have device-specific apps that allow you to access their databases from your mobile device. For example, UnsplashPhotoPicker allows you access to the Unsplash library from your Android device.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Video Privacy Made Easy: Top Blur Apps for Face and Background

Best Video Blur Apps for iPhone and Android

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Do you have a video with unwanted objects that you want to blur out on your phone? Easy! Get a video blur app and blur anything you want. So many people try to find top-quality video blur apps to blur the background, faces, and unwanted objects, and it makes sense to do that because that’s how you create the focus on the main object.

Since there is a gamut of video blur background apps available online, what you need is the best blur app that will let you edit the images just the way you want. Keeping the user experience in mind, we have accumulated the top 10 best apps for Android and iPhone that you can think of using.

Part 1: Best Blur Video Apps on Android
Part 2: Best Video Blur Apps on iPhone
Part 3: How to Blur Face or Background on Windows and Mac

Part 1: Top Five Best Video Blur Apps for Android

1. Blur video

The first easy-to-use video blur app that we have for you is Blur Video. As the name suggests, you can use it to blur videos conveniently. It’s a simple tool to use and provides you with two blur effects- fun blur and freestyle blur. Although it’s a free tool, it comes with in-app purchases to make your photos better.

The Blur Video app is suitable for blurring the background and faces both. You just need to choose the blur effect and start blurring objects you don’t want in your video. The videos will be saved in the gallery allowing you to play them easily.

2. Blur Video & Images

The next video blur tool that you can go for is Blur Video & Images. This tool will not just let you blur videos but images too. You can either pixelate the objects on your videos else blur them out. You can define the blur/pixelate effect by using custom shapes to make your video look attractive.

Apart from that, Blur Video & Images allows you to set the duration for the blur effect. In addition, you can adjust the intensity of the blur filter and un-select some areas. If you manually want to blur things, use the pencil blur or lasso option. This tool works on Android device and is free to use.

3. Square Video

Square Video app, available for Android users, can edit live videos. It comes with a blur effect that lets you blur the background, and if you want to add color to the background, you can do that too. The background behind the square video is your oasis to add blur effect however you want.

Apart from the blurring effect, you can customize the background color as well. Moreover, you can flip the video vertically or horizontally, add music, and do much more.

4. Mago Video

Mago Video makes editing videos for TikTok easy. It offers magic effects that will turn your boring videos into something extraordinary. For example, Mago Video lets you blur the background of a video and add stunning effects, which will help TikTokers gain more followers. This tool is helpful for blurring the background.

Mago Video is not your video blur app, but much more than that because it enables you to add magical touches to your videos. So, whether you want to add bomb effects, fire effects, and more, Mago Video lets you do that all.

5. Partial Blur/Pixelate

A video blur app should be able to help you with all kinds of blurring effects. Keeping that thing in mind, Partial Blur/Pixelate was developed, and it lets you blur the background and faces both. So, if you are looking for a blur face feature ina video app, try Partial Blur/Pixelate.

You can use it to draw a shape on a video to pixelate or blur particular objects, background, or your face. Then, you can animate the blurred part so that it looks better when you play the video. You can adjust the timing, add blur shapes, and more.

Part 2: Top Five Best Video Blur Apps for iPhone

1. Blur Video Background

This app is one of the best free video editing apps for iPhone users to blur the backgrounds, faces, license plates or any other part of the video easily like a pro. The Blur Video Background app can hide the face automatically in the video in a few steps. You can also use the keyframe feature to obscure moving object.

This app provides several blur shapes including rectangular and circle, you can adjust the blur area and the blur strength. With this app, you can blur part of a video on iPhone with the several blur effects such as Gaussian blur and pixelated blur.

2. AfterFocus - Background Blur

When it comes to video blur apps, AfterFocus will come into the picture. This is a professional available for both iPhone and Android and is incredibly easy to use. AfterFocus can blur the background and faces or any object you want to get rid of. It creates DSLR-style background, which makes your video look excellent.

You just need to focus on the area that you want to blur, and AfterFocus will help you achieve a professional-level blurring effect. It is suitable for blurring complex shapes, which makes it one of the best video blur tools. You can select an area to make it stand out, choose a filter effect, and share it easily directly to different social media platforms.

3. BlurEffect-Blur Photo & Video

BlurEffect-Blur Photo & Video is a fantastic background blurring tool that can blur the background and faces alike. In addition, you can add filters to your videos and blur objects are moving. It offers you different ways to blur a video, for example, radical and rectangular blur shapes to automatically apply blur effects.

Apart from its robust blur effects, it also has a keyframe feature, which lets you obscure an object in a video that’s moving.

4. Video Mosaic App

Video Mosaic is another good app that one can try. It has an easy-to-understand interface and is loaded with super functionalities. With the help of the Video Mosaic app, you can add the mosaic effect to hide the objects of your video that you don’t want to get displayed. It lets you blur both faces and background.

In addition to everything, you can customize the shape of the blurring effect so that you can create the right blur effect for your video. Just use it and start blurring things and adjust the blur brush as per your needs and wants.

5. Blur-Video

The last iPhone video blur tool that you can go for is Blur-Video. Whether you want to blur the background of an image or unwanted objects, you can do that conveniently using Blur-Video. Likewise, whether your videos have unwanted things, logos, or faces that need to be hidden, Blur-Video will let you do that.

Unlike other apps that offer a multitude of editing tools, Blur-Video lets you do just one thing and in a professional way, which is blurring the background, objects, or faces of people.

Part 3: How to Blur Background or Face on Video with Wondershare Filmora [Windows & Mac]?

If you want a video blur tool for your Mac and Windows, there’s one tool that you can use, which is Wondershare Filmora . Certainly, editing videos on your handset is easy, but when it comes to editing videos at a professional level, one should think about getting a tool that will not just let you blur the background and face but let you edit your videos with many other effects as well.

Using Wondershare Filmora is not hard. And, there are a few steps that you need to follow, and once you get acquainted with the tool, you will find out how easy it is to use Wondershare Filmora.

How to Blur Face or Video Background with Wondershare Filmora

Step 1: Download Wondershare Filmora on your Mac or Windows computer. After that, launch it and click new project in the start window, and import that video that you want to edit to Filmora.

Step 2: Drag the video to the timeline, and go to the Utility category under the Effects tab at the top, and you will see the Mosaic effect, drag and drop it to the track above the video. Adjust its position and size to blur the face in the video easily_._

YouTuber Daniel has made an interesting video tutorial about how to blur faces in Filmora with previous version. The steps of blurring face in Filmora is the same in the latest version as well. Check it below:

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

To blur the background in video, drag and drop the tilt-shift or circle shift to the track above the video and then adjust it accordingly.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

Step 3: Once done, click on the Export option to export the video and save it on your computer.

Conclusion

You should always think of enhancing the video-watching experience. Whether you are working on a professional video for your brand and company, or you simply want to blur the background or faces of a personal video, you can do it easily with the help of these video blur apps.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown