About
Pexels was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Germany (remote-first). It is a leading free stock photo and video platform. Co-founded by Bruno Joseph, Ingo Joseph, and Daniel Frese, Pexels is known for its high-quality CC0-licensed content — all assets are free to use for commercial and personal projects without attribution. In 2018, Pexels was acquired by Canva (terms not disclosed) and now serves as a core part of Canva's "photos" offering within its design ecosystem.
Core Products
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Pexels Photo/Video Library | Free CC0-licensed stock photos and videos, updated daily |
| Pexels API | Developer API to integrate the Pexels asset library into third-party apps and websites |
| Pexels Chrome Extension | Browser plugin for quick search and download of Pexels assets while browsing |
| Pexels Video API | Dedicated API service for stock video search and download |
| Pexels Mobile App | iOS and Android apps for searching and downloading assets on the go |
Key Strengths
- Completely Free: All assets are CC0-licensed — no attribution required, free for commercial use
- High Quality Standards: Rigorous curation ensures high aesthetic quality for images and videos
- Canva Ecosystem Integration: Built-in photo source within Canva, reaching millions of users
- Developer Friendly: Open APIs allow developers and businesses to integrate Pexels assets into their own products
Milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Pexels was founded in Germany by Bruno Joseph, Ingo Joseph, and Daniel Frese |
| 2015 | Launched high-quality free photo library, rapidly gaining users |
| 2016 | Added free stock video library, expanding product scope |
| 2018 | Acquired by Canva, becoming part of the Canva ecosystem |
| 2020 | Launched Pexels API and Chrome Extension, expanding into developer market |
| 2024 | Continued library expansion and deepened integration with Canva |
Market Position
Pexels is one of the leaders in the free stock media space. Backed by Canva's massive user base, it competes with the following platforms:
| Competitor | Notes |
|---|---|
| Unsplash (Getty) | Free high-quality photo platform, acquired by Getty Images in 2021 |
| Pixabay | Free stock media platform offering photos, videos, music and sound effects |
| Freepik | Free + premium model covering vectors, photos and PSD files |
| StockVault | Free stock photos and graphics platform |
| Kaboompics | Free stock photo platform focused on lifestyle and business scenes |
| Burst (Shopify) | Shopify's free stock photo platform focused on e-commerce |
Related provider: Design Assets
