Can I Get Free Stock Footage AI recommendations | Parse
where can i get free stock footage?
Data as of Sep 26, 2026 · Based on 346 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For free stock footage, Mixkit, Pexels, and Pixabay are top choices because they offer large, high-quality libraries (HD and 4K) that typically allow commercial use without requiring attribution. Other reliable sources exist for specific needs, though some platforms like or may have more varied license terms that require checking credits before use.
Best for massive, community-sourced HD and 4K collections. Its library is highly versatile for personal and commercial use under a simple, friendly royalty-free license that avoids complicated attribution requirements.
Best for quick, easy searching of royalty-free stock videos. Its massive library and clear, permissive licensing make it a go-to for creators needing high-quality footage for various commercial projects without attribution.
Best for commercial creators wanting zero-watermark, high-quality 4K and HD clips without sign-up or attribution. It provides a curated experience suitable for diverse professional projects and social media content.
Here are the best platforms to source high-quality, free stock video footage for your projects, ranging from general B-roll to cinematic clips:
Pexels : Great for volume, modern natural-looking B-roll, and vertical clips. Videos are free for commercial and personal use with no attribution required.
Pixabay : Massive library of general-purpose B-roll, motion graphics, and 4K clips. Everything is covered under a free license that allows commercial use without mandatory attribution.
Mixkit : Offers clean, curated clips spanning lifestyle, nature, tech, and more, alongside free sound effects and music tracks.
Coverr : Ideal if you are looking for website hero backgrounds, looping aesthetic clips, and gorgeous hand-picked cinematic footage.
Vecteezy : Features a large free tier of community-contributed video clips (just make sure to filter by "Free" and check individual attribution requirements).
Uppbeat : Known primarily for creator audio, they also provide curated stock video footage shot by real filmmakers.
If you let me know what specific type of video you're making (e.g., YouTube tech review, cinematic travel montage, or website background), I can recommend which of these sites has the best style for your project.
Mixkit
Absolutely. Some of the best places to get free stock footage are:
pexels.com — Great all-around choice for people, lifestyle, travel, nature, and vertical/social-media footage. Free for personal and commercial projects; attribution generally isn't required.
pixabay.com — Huge variety, including backgrounds, animation, nature, city footage, and 4K clips. Generally no attribution required, subject to its license restrictions.
mixkit.co — Smaller but more curated; particularly good for polished/cinematic B-roll. Check the license on individual clips because some have different restrictions.
coverr.co — Good for modern lifestyle footage, website backgrounds, business/tech shots, and looping video.
videvo.net — Lots of footage plus motion graphics and overlays, but check the license for each clip, since free clips can have different attribution requirements.
If you want the easiest starting point
I'd search Pexels → Pixabay → Mixkit in that order. They cover most YouTube, TikTok/Reels, documentary, and general B-roll needs.
One important caveat: “free” doesn't mean every possible use is unrestricted. Recognizable people, logos, artwork, trademarks, and certain locations can have separate rights, and you generally can't simply redistribute or sell the raw clip itself.
If you tell me what kind of footage you're looking for (e.g. cinematic nature, cars, city, people, historical, anime-style, dark/creepy, business, etc.), I can point you to the best specific libraries/searches.
Absolutely. These are some of the best places to get free stock footage/B-roll:
pexels.com — Great all-around library; lots of lifestyle, people, nature, business, and vertical clips. Generally free for commercial use without attribution.
pixabay.com — Huge variety, including nature, backgrounds, animations, and effects. Generally no attribution required, subject to its license restrictions.
mixkit.co — Smaller but nicely curated; particularly good for polished/cinematic B-roll. Check whether a particular clip has the standard or restricted license.
coverr.co — Excellent for cinematic backgrounds, website footage, lifestyle shots, and 4K clips.
dareful.com — Particularly useful for landscapes, aerials, and nature footage, but attribution is required.
Quick recommendation
If you're making YouTube videos, TikToks/Reels, documentaries, or faceless videos, I'd start with Pexels + Pixabay + Mixkit.
One important tip: "free" doesn't necessarily mean unrestricted. Before using a clip commercially, check its license and be careful with recognizable people, logos, trademarks, artwork, and private property.
If you tell me what kind of footage you're looking for (cinematic, cars, luxury, nature, city, people, horror, business, anime-style, etc.), I can point you to the best sources and search terms.
Here are the best platforms to find high-quality, royalty-free stock footage for your projects, covering everything from cinematic B-roll to website backgrounds.
Pexels — Widely considered the best all-around choice. It offers a massive library of HD and 4K clips with no watermarks, no mandatory account creation, and no required attribution (though crediting creators is always appreciated).
Pixabay — Features a huge selection of general-purpose B-roll, motion graphics, and vertical clips. Like Pexels, its content is free for commercial and non-commercial use under their simplified license, though you may need an account for high-resolution bulk downloads.
Mixkit — Excellent for curated, high-end cinematic clips. They also provide a great selection of free music tracks and sound effects to match your footage. Just make sure to double-check that your chosen clip falls under their free license tier.
Coverr — Hand-picked, beautiful cinematic footage that works exceptionally well for website hero backgrounds, looping clips, and modern video projects. No attribution is required.
Vecteezy — Features a robust free tier of community-contributed video clips. Keep in mind that some free files on Vecteezy do require attribution, so check the specific license badge on the download page.
If you want a quick visual overview of how these platforms work and how to safely download from them, watch this guide:
If you let me know what specific theme or topic you're searching for (e.g., tech, nature, cinematic, vertical/Reels), I can help you find the exact platform or keywords to use!
Here are the best, most reliable websites to grab high-quality, free stock video footage and B-roll for your projects. Most of these options require no attribution and are safe for commercial use, though it's always smart to double-check individual clip licenses.
Pexels : Best for volume and modern, natural-looking B-roll. It features a massive library of HD and 4K clips that you can download instantly without even needing an account.
Pixabay : Best for a wide general-purpose spread. It hosts hundreds of thousands of free video clips, motion graphics, and animations, plus they don't require mandatory attribution.
Mixkit : Best for curated, filmmaker-quality clips and vertical/portrait videos tailored for social media. They offer free downloads with no watermarks or required sign-ups.
Coverr : Best for website hero backgrounds, looping clips, and aesthetic urban/nature shots. All videos are free for commercial and non-commercial use with no attribution needed.
Vecteezy : Best if you want a massive mixed media marketplace that includes a solid free tier of community-contributed and stock video clips.
If you want to narrow this down, tell me:
What kind of project are you working on (YouTube video, commercial ad, website background, social media reel)?
Absolutely. These are some of the best places to get free stock footage, including clips you can generally use for YouTube, social media, and commercial projects:
pexels.com — My first choice. Huge library, lots of HD/4K footage, and generally no attribution required.
pixabay.com — Another huge collection, particularly good for nature, backgrounds, landscapes, and niche subjects.
mixkit.co — Smaller but more curated; great if you want footage that feels more cinematic. Many clips require no attribution, but check the individual license.
coverr.co — Particularly useful for cinematic backgrounds and website/video loops.
videvo.net — Large selection, including motion graphics and aerial footage. Check the license on each clip, because attribution requirements vary.
My quick recommendation
If you're making YouTube videos, TikToks/Reels, or faceless videos, I'd start with:
Pexels → Mixkit → Pixabay → Coverr
One important tip: "free" doesn't necessarily mean unrestricted. Don't redistribute or sell the raw clip, and pay attention to recognizable logos, brands, artwork, and people.
If you tell me what kind of videos you're making (e.g. luxury, cars, fitness, documentaries, horror, motivational, real estate), I can also give you the best sites and exact search terms to find cinematic footage.
Here are the best platforms to find high-quality, free stock footage and B-roll for your projects, ranging from completely attribution-free libraries to curated cinematic clips:
Pexels — Offers a massive, rapidly growing library of completely free HD and 4K video clips. No attribution is required for commercial or personal use, and you can download clips in multiple resolutions and formats (horizontal, vertical, square) without even needing an account.
Pixabay — Features hundreds of thousands of free stock video clips, music tracks, and sound effects. Their content license allows for most commercial and personal uses without mandatory attribution, and downloads are available in various resolutions.
Coverr — Known for hand-picked, beautiful, cinematic B-roll. It's ideal for website backgrounds, documentaries, and social media videos. It is completely free for commercial and personal use with no attribution required.
Mixkit — Created by the team at Envato, Mixkit offers a gorgeous, highly curated collection of free video clips, video templates, and music. Their free license covers commercial use, though it's always smart to double-check individual asset terms.
Dareful — Formerly Stock Footage For Free, this site specializes in high-definition 4K stock video. It’s a great option if you specifically need crisp 4K nature, aerial, or abstract background shots without wading through lower-quality content.
Are you looking for a specific type of footage (like nature, corporate, cinematic, or vertical social media clips), or do you need help understanding licensing requirements for a commercial project?
Here are some good places to get free stock footage (many with HD/4K clips and no watermark):
Best overall
pexels.com — Great for YouTube, TikTok, ads, presentations, lifestyle footage, nature, people, and B-roll. Usually no attribution required under its license.
pixabay.com — Huge library with lots of categories, animations, backgrounds, and 4K clips.
mixkit.co — Smaller but more curated; good for cinematic-looking footage.
Good for specific styles
coverr.co — Nice for website hero videos, business scenes, and background loops.
videvo.net — Large selection, including motion graphics and aerial shots; check the license on each clip because requirements vary.
videezy.com — Useful for drone footage, nature, and backgrounds; some free clips require attribution.
images.nasa.gov — Excellent for space, rockets, Earth, and science footage (check usage guidelines).
If you make YouTube Shorts / TikToks
Try searching with terms like:
“vertical”
“9:16”
“portrait”
“phone footage”
“cinematic b-roll”
Pexels, Pixabay, Videvo, and some other libraries have vertical filters or portrait categories.
Quick license tips
“Free” does not always mean you own the footage.
Check the individual clip license before using it in paid ads, client work, merchandise, or anything involving recognizable people/logos.
Avoid re-uploading raw clips as your own stock collection; most free licenses prohibit simple redistribution.
For most creators, a good workflow is: Pexels → Pixabay → Mixkit → Videvo if you can’t find the shot you need.
Absolutely. For free stock footage / B-roll, these are some of the best places to start:
pexels.com — Great all-around choice for lifestyle, people, travel, nature, and vertical/social clips. Free to use, including commercially, with no attribution generally required.
pixabay.com — Huge variety, including footage, animations, backgrounds, and effects. Generally free for commercial use without attribution, subject to its license restrictions.
mixkit.co — Especially good for cinematic-looking B-roll, 4K/HD footage, backgrounds, and vertical video. No watermark; many clips require no attribution. Check whether a particular clip has the Free or Restricted license.
coverr.co — Good for polished lifestyle footage and website/background videos.
videvo.net — Useful for footage plus motion graphics, overlays, and effects, but licenses vary by clip, so check the individual license before using it commercially.
My quick recommendation
If you're making YouTube videos, TikToks/Reels, music videos, or documentaries, I'd search in this order:
Pexels — easiest starting point
Mixkit — more cinematic/curated
Pixabay — great for unusual subjects and effects
Coverr — particularly good backgrounds
Videvo — graphics and specialty footage
One important caveat: “free” doesn't mean every possible use is unrestricted. Recognizable people, logos, trademarks, private property, and other third-party rights can still matter, and some sites have clip-specific licenses. Save the license information for footage you use in commercial/client work.
If you tell me what kind of footage you're looking for (e.g. cinematic city shots, cars, luxury, people, nature, anime-style, old film, hip-hop, horror), I can point you to the best free libraries/search terms for it.
You can get free stock footage for personal and commercial projects from several reliable platforms that offer high-resolution HD and 4K clips without requiring attribution.
Watch this video for an overview of the best free stock video footage websites:
Pexels: Offers a massive library of completely free stock videos for commercial and personal use with no attribution required. It includes standard horizontal as well as vertical formats suited for mobile and social media.
Pixabay: Features a diverse collection of free video clips, motion backgrounds, and animations shared by a global creator community, usable under the Pixabay License.
Mixkit: Provides a curated selection of free stock video clips, along with free music tracks, sound effects, and video templates.
Videezy: Offers a large community-driven marketplace of free HD and 4K video clips, though some premium files require credits or paid upgrades.
Coverr: Specializes in gorgeous, high-definition background videos and aesthetic lifestyle footage specifically formatted for websites and creative projects.
If you tell me what kind of project you are working on (e.g., YouTube video, commercial ad, website background), I can recommend the best platform or specific clip style for your needs.