Discover what the internet is saying about Pond5.

Pond5 Review

Yay or nay?

Upgraded Reviews scanned the web to find out what real users are saying about Pond5.

See the highlights below and decide for yourself!

Pros and Cons

Table of contents

✅ Pros

“Flexible pricing options are available.”
Review Pros
“Adobe compatible After Effects are available.”
“Pond5 will price match from any source with their Best Price Guarantee.”
“Pond5 is not only affordable but saves you money and helps you earn money back.”
“Pond5 also has a nice search and categorizing system.”
“It has a huge collection of stock video & images.”
“A large collection of sound effects is available.”
“You can become an exclusive contributor and get better commission rates.”
“A “Best Price Guarantee” means Pond5 will price match from any source.”
“They are incredibly popular among music producers because of their artist friendly policies.”
“A wide variety of low-priced sound effects are available.”
“Professional music tracks are downloadable in a variety of formats.”
“With fast response times, Pond5’s team cannot only aid you if you’re new but stick by your side as a loyal customer.”
“Apart from its success over the years, Pond5 is a top-tier choice because of how vast and varied its collection of stock videos is.”
“There is no exclusivity or subscription plans.”
“High-quality footage includes HD, 4K, and 360 video footage.”
“Pond5 finds a balance of sleekness and accessibility, one that customers rave about is an easy-to-use but effective template.”
“They also accept PRO music.”
“Expert Pond5 music tracks can be downloaded in various formats.”
“It offers affordable and free content.”
“They’ve a simple and straight-forward buying system.”
“Credit Packs offer up to 25% bonuses.”
“They have millions of clips, granting variety in content, style and topics, and resolution.”
“It is an easy to use website.”
“You can set your own prices for all media with the option to request curators to set a price for you.”
“They offer contributors a customizable artist account, the ability to set prices, a decent affiliate program and a quick review process for new music.”
“It is easy to use.”
“It offers fast support.”
“Their company also provides soundtracks and music to synch to videos.”
“You can set your rates for every media, with the option to request that curators set a price on your behalf.”
“Subscriptions for larger volume buyers are available.”
“One simple license is required.”
“High quality footage is available including HD, 4K and 360 video footage.”
“The flexible licensing terms assure to cover most of your usage needs.”
“Payout level from $25. It is one of the lowest in the microstock world.”
“32 million videos and 54 million images are available.”
“High-quality footage (up to 5K+) is available.”
“The customer service at Pond5 also stands out.”
“There are a lot of unique photos.”
“With 4k and 4k+ clips you get the RAW file, improving editing capability.”
“It is compatible with Adobe After Effects.”
“You receive 40% royalties for each sale with normal account and 70% if you opted for exclusive account”
“Huge range of sound effects start at a low price point.”
“Professionals create music tracks for any project.”
“It offers price matching if you find the exact assets cheaper elsewhere.”
“It has a large selection of videos, effects, and music.”
“A wide range of high-quality footage is available, including 4K, HD, and 360-degree video footage.”

💸 Top Current Discount

50% off After Effects Templates

See all Pond5 deals

❌ Cons

“You will need a certain level of software for some items.”
“Amateurs may not fully understand which license they need.”
“There is no free trial.”
“They don’t offer Extended licenses, to cover extra rights you might need. If your intended use is not allowed in their Standard license, you cannot use their service.”
“Subscriptions give access to a small portion of content.”
“If you don’t download your purchased clips within 14 days, you must request the company to reactivate the download, and they only do this twice per purchase. At other stock footage sites this doesn’t happen.”
“It would be nice if in the future Pond5 takes more control of determining keywords for approved music.”
“Licenses might be too expensive.”
“Licenses can get expensive.”
“There are inconsistent pricing issues.”
“Beginners may not fully understand which coverage they need.”
“It has one-size subscriptions only.”
“For the right coverage licences can become expensive.”
“Some videos are very expensive.”
“Website’s interface can be a bit sluggish at times.”
“Amateurs may not completely understand which coverage is required.”
“Lack of filters (photos) is a disadvantage.”
“The subscriptions are only based on a limited curated collection, not on the whole 5.5 Million clips. This is due to the dispar pricing of their individual clips, which makes impossible to offer a flat monthly fee for any of them indistinctly.”
“Some videos are very, very expensive.”
“Amateurs will not fully comprehend the license they require.”
“Video subscription doesn’t give access to the full library.”
“A certain type of software is required for some items, thereby incurring more expense.”
“Interface on the website can often be slow.”
“Licenses can get expensive for the right coverage.”

⚖️ Final Say

Read the summaries of what reviewers think about Pond5 below.

Review Summaries
“For one, no matter what type of projects you create, you’ll likely find the media you’re looking for on Pond5. This is simply because of its growing library and exclusive content. Also, it’s hard to argue with the quality of content you’ll be able to find on Pond5. This is clear in the large number of major, well-known companies using the platform. As a bonus, you’ll get to explore its library without a subscription. So, you can get an idea if it’ll suit your needs before shelling out any cash.”
“Pond5 is a great choice for media creators, and I highly recommend checking them out. If you are a producer, you should definitely have your music on Pond5.”
“Even though the company has extended beyond simply stock video, contributors have continued to respond positively to the company’s efforts. Contrary to countless other agencies, Pond5 has maintained its commissions and has not begun to lower commissions as soon as they have experienced success. So, if you’re only considering one agency, we propose Pond5 as a starting point.”
“Pond5 is the perfect source for all your video, music, after effects, sound effects, and 3D content needs to make the next best short film or viral Youtube video. Whether you’re looking to purchase stock videos or sell your own, Pond5 offers high-quality content like no other website.”
“We have found that although Pond5 might be expensive for membership, it is worth every penny. It really is a no-brainer.”
“While the licensing and the membership fees can be quite high, you are paying for excellent service and professional quality footage. Pond5 users agree that by using this website they have been able to greatly improve their projects and would recommend them time and time again. I think that even though Pond5 is a bit pricey, it is worth every cent.”
“We feel Pond5 is a great option to buy stock video. They are a very reliable company that has been in the industry for a decade now, and have maintained a position with a top-quality service. If you want to be able to choose the resolution, price and content in your footage clips, then Pond5 is a great choice for you. Whether you want to buy a la carte or commit to monthly or annual fees for a constant flow of downloads, they have what you need.”
“Pond5 is the best service for stock footage loved by customers and contributors. They offer a wide variety of buying options that are affordable even for individuals. Overall, it’s expensive, making Pond5 ideal for professionals and teams with large budgets.”
“Pond5 is unparalleled when it comes to high-quality video or audio. Its page is intuitively designed and the extra tools the platform offers are helpful. Anyone looking for videos, music, After Effects templates, and sound effects will definitely not have to search for long, even with a limited budget. And even though the focus is on moving images, the selection of photos, 3D models, and illustrations is worth checking out. The only downside is that the number of filters available makes sifting through all of the results unnecessarily time-consuming.”
“While it is highly popular for buyers who search for editorial footage, it is still gaining momentum to be recognized as a commercial stock site as well. We have no doubts that it will eventually get more and more high quality contributors, which will in turn get more buyers to come in as well. So if you’re on the fence whether on not to sell on Pond5, the answer is a big yes.”

💸 Top Current Discount

50% off After Effects Templates

See all Pond5 deals