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Stock.xchng and Stockxpert are sister stock photography sites and both are subsidiaries of Jupiterimages. So what are the main differences between the two? Let’s take a look:

Stock.xchng (www.sxc.hu)

Pros

• Free
• Over 350,000 images
• Exposure for photographers and designers
• Tutorials
• Image contributor blogs
• Member forum
• Did I mention images were free?

Cons

• Restrictions on use
• Some images require the photographer to be notified and credited when used for any public use
• Some images are of lower quality and/or resolution

Stockxpert (www.stockxpert.com)

Pros

• Royalty-free
• Images as low as $1
• Over 150 categories
• At least 10,000 new images every week
• Higher quality images
• Multiple size and resolution options
• Video footage
• Member forum
• Subscription option
• Photographers and designers get paid 50% of each sale they make

Cons

• Not Free
• May not use images in electronic items or on physical items for resale (ie. website templates, t-shirts, postcards)
• May not use images as part of a business name, trademark, service mark or logo

My Take:

I visit stock.xchng at least a few times a week. I regularly download images from them, but I also take away at least a few ideas with me if I don’t. It can take longer to find a high quality image that has a high enough resolution for your project, but the number of quality images is still well above a lot of the stock photography sites out there. However, the quality of images on Stockxpert is definitely on a level above its sister site. I’ll buy images from Stockxpert for commercial projects (there are still plenty of starving artists out there), but also when i need a specific image at a high resolution quickly. While I love to work at my own pace, sometimes I don’t have an option.

So…if you are working with a small (or no) budget and do not necessarily need a 300 dpi image, Stock.xchng is the way to go. If you have a couple bucks to spend and need higher quality images at higher resolutions and/or have a last-minute deadline, Stockxpert is a better option.

If you decide to go with Stockxpert, they currently have a promotion in which you get 25% off a 50 credit purchase.