Pixabay: Is It Really Safe And Free? Let’s Find Out.

If you have a website or any type of business, images are essential.

However, it can be hard to find great images. Stock photo platforms are a great option. It is important to find a trustworthy platform.

Is Pixabay really safe?

These are the important questions to answer BEFORE downloading images.

This Pixabay review will therefore cover all the details you should consider to determine if it is right for you.

What Is Pixabay?

Pixabay.com provides free stock photography as well as a royalty-free stock media site. It is used for sharing photos, illustrations, vector graphics, film footage, and music exclusively under the custom Pixabay license, which generally allows the free use of the material with some restrictions.

What Is Pixabay’s History?

The website was created in November 2010 by Hans Braxmeier, Simon Steinberger, and Ulm Germany.

Pixabay images were released prior to the 9 January 2019 CC0 declaration. This declares that content is in the Public Domain. It imposed a more restrictive license on Pixabay images prior to 9 January 2019. Images that were released under CC0 before the change in the license are still available through mirrors that distribute under the original CC0 declaration.

Pixabay was purchased by the Australian design and publishing platform Canva in May 2019. 

About Pixabay

Pixabay is a free stock photo platform that allows you to upload photos from your computer. Pixabay is a well-known platform for free stock photos.

Platforms like these are very popular because almost everyone needs images, whether they own a website or do any type of online advertising.

Pixabay has more than 1.7 million stock photos and videos. These images and videos can be shared by other Pixabay members.

The platform is easy to use. Simply go to Pixabay’s website and type in your topic.

Then you can choose whether you want to view all images, just photos, or only vectors or illustrations. You can also select to only see video results if you’re looking for videos.

After you’ve found the image/video that you wish to download, click the button to see more information about it. Here you will also find a button to download the image.

To download assets from Pixabay, you don’t need to register. Simply go to the site to download.

You can still register on the site for free, but it does have some advantages.

You can download images in different sizes, as you can see from the above image. Register to download images at the highest resolution or size.

To be able to download an image, you must complete a captcha. You can still download the image if you have not registered.

How Are You Able To Use Pixabay Images?

Stock photo platforms almost all have terms and conditions that govern how images and videos can be used. This is especially true for free ones.

Pixabay doesn’t have many regulations, and it isn’t strict.

All videos and images are available under the Creative Commons CC0 license. This means that you can use them almost anywhere without asking permission or giving credit. They can be used for commercial purposes as well as in print format.

There are a few exceptions that you should be aware of.

Identifiable buildings or people: Images that identify people cannot be used in ways that make them look bad or offend without their consent.

You cannot simply use a photograph of someone to endorse your service in an advertisement. It seems that many unreliable services are using the internet to endorse their services, but that does not make it a good idea.

Be aware of how identifiable individuals are used.

This applies to buildings such as the Eiffel Tower and London Eye or the Statue of Liberty. The object owner must give permission for images to be taken of their possessions.

Pixabay says images that depict Walt Disney or Lego products should be avoided. These rights are only allowed for editorial use.

These exceptions apply if you use images or videos from Pixabay.

Don’t suggest endorsements:

You should also be aware that images of people or organizations are not permitted to appear to endorse your products or services.

You should not, for instance, use images of large brands such as Coca-Cola or Facebook. Place it next to your brand in order to suggest that they are recommending your product.

Another thing I see is that people sell questionable products online using logos from famous brands to make it appear they endorse the product.

It is possible for some people to do it, but it is not a good idea. It is not only risky but also unprofessional.

Be careful not to make it appear that big brands endorse you, even if they’re not.

Are Pixabay Images Truly Free?

You may be asking yourself if there is a catch or if images and videos on Pixabay are really free.

These are completely free. Advertising is how Pixabay makes its money. When you search for images, you’ll see suggestions from Shutterstock.

These images are professional, and you must pay for them. Pixabay makes money by advertising this and offering professional images to people who might be interested.

You can also donate to Pixabay.

This information is available in the FAQ section. You can donate via PayPal, bank transfer, or credit card, as you can see in this image.

These donations also allow Pixabay to continue its operations and fund itself.

You can also donate directly to the contributors/creators of the images if you want to.

You can see a button that says “coffee” when you hover over an image or video.

Click this button to donate directly to the creator.

Pixabay is totally free. However, you can also give donations to help keep them running if you so desire.

Are Pixabay Videos Really Free?

Yes! Pixabay offers thousands of videos to download. Many videos are available in HD-4k resolution and come in multiple formats. Pixabay videos can be used for business websites, Youtube video enhancements, and b-roll videos.

Pixabay videos are eligible for the same free-usage rights as their image content. You can use the videos in any way that you like, provided that you adhere to the rules.

Pro tip: You can upload any video to Vimeo/youtube and link it to your WordPress widget. This way, you don’t have to host the video or take up bandwidth. Simple!

Can I Upload Images To Pixabay Myself?

Pixabay allows you to upload your own content, images, and videos. You should know that Pixabay has irrevocable rights to your work worldwide, non-exclusive and royalty-free.

Do you mind anyone doing what they like about your work? Is it more hippie or isolationist to you? Pixabay is the perfect place for you if so.

Pixabay was created to allow creatives to quickly access images and not worry about any infringement. They’ve done an amazing job, along with some other great free resources for photography.

Remember that Pixabay is driven by charitable donations from creatives and content creators. You will become part of a “givers” community. Upload away to share your gift with the world and become part of this community.

All rights must be yours. You should also ensure that you have no copyrights, trademarks, or infringements. If you have any legal rights to the content in the past, it is best not to upload it. You shouldn’t upload content that you have used in client work.

It is important to know that other artists can download your work from Pixabay and make it their own. Pixabay does an excellent job of protecting brands, but there’s no way to control what happens to your content after it has been downloaded from Pixabay.

Pixabay doesn’t protect your art, but they do make a living from affiliate sales to companies like Shutterstock.

Is Pixabay Safe?

We will be returning to this question, the premise of this article, and whether Pixabay or similar websites are safe.

They are completely safe to use. Pixabay will not know that you are there to download the image if you don’t sign up. You won’t get into any trouble if you adhere to their rules.

That’s the beauty of the internet. You have many options that can help you get closer to your goal.

You may be curious as to who and how photos are checked before being uploaded to the website.

Pixabay’s powerful team of moderators, reviewers, and editors will ensure that your photos are original and that the author has all rights.

Based on our inquiry response, they did a Google Reverse Image Search, a TinEye.com Reverse Image Search, and a few other tests in order to determine the origin of the image.

Downloading images from Pixabay will not violate any copyright laws.

How Does Pixabay Make Money?

How can they make money if everything is free?

Although I’m not sure about their income streams, I noticed that they are associated with paid stock sites. They promote the site and offer paid images.

Shutterstock websites have a larger database than Pixabay and other free stock photography websites.

In cases where you cannot find the photo or video you need on Pixabay, you will be offered some options from Shutterstock.

Pixabay also has a donation program. I think this is a good thing, considering how much help they get.

You have the option to purchase a cup of coffee for someone downloading a photo or video.

Let’s Sum It All

You are likely already addicted to Pixabay and any of its premium alternatives. You should use them.

Pixabay is an excellent option for those who are just starting out and have a limited budget.

After you have started growing your business, it is likely that you will realize that a paid option may be more suitable for your business.

Why?

Paid images are less popular than free ones. This is because they are more expensive, and people don’t want to pay the licensing fees.

You have many options when it comes to using paid photos.

You should still enjoy Pixabay’s offerings!