Downloading iStock Images Without Watermark: 4 Free & Affordable, Secure Options Explained!
iStock is a great place to find the perfect image for your project. It’s a reputable stock photo agency that offers premium and budget-friendly pictures. All of them come with a royalty-free license, making them suitable for marketing, advertising, social media, creative designs, and more.
However, if you visit the iStock website, you’ll quickly notice they place a watermark over all their images. Why do they do this? And how do you download images without the iStock watermark, then?
We have the answers! Read on and find the best free and paid ways to download iStock photos, fast, easy, and risk-free without a watermark!
Why Are iStock Images Watermarked?
iStock (previously iStockphoto) offers professional images under a royalty free license. On the iStock site, the agency lets you surf, search, and view the entirety of the iStock image catalog for free; checking images won’t cost you money.
To prevent visitors from using the photos without permission (without using the official iStock downloader button and obtaining a license), iStock uses “image previews,” image files in smaller resolution, and the good old tool of watermarks across the pictures to let you see what the photos look like and even test them in your project, but make sure you cannot use them in finished designs.
If you want to know how to get iStock photos legally without the watermark, you're in the right place!
For more details on the agency, read our full iStock review.
How to Remove the Watermark?
It is important to respect copyright laws and the work of photographers. Using iStock images without purchasing them or removing watermarks is illegal and unethical. Consider purchasing the image or finding free alternatives with proper licensing instead.
To obtain an image from this agency in full resolution and without a watermark (and, more importantly, with a valid license for its use), all you have to do is download it from its website using the on-page “Download” button. That's it!
This button is prominently displayed on the image details page, which opens whenever you click on an image preview on the catalog. When you download a file, the site automatically issues a license to use it le under your account name and delivers the original picture, unwatermarked, to your device's download folder.
Depending on the method you use, you may or may not have to pay for the downloads. iStock is a paid service, and, by general rule, all its content requires payment. However, they have options that let you obtain no-watermark photos for free—you can learn what these options are below.
What License Do I Get with My Non-Watermarked Photos?
This agency works with royalty-free licenses only. The iStock license gives you a battery of usage rights, including commercial uses in marketing, advertising, and social media content, perpetually and in as many placements as you wish. Once you download the picture, it's yours to use under those conditions forever.
The methods detailed below let you obtain images with a Standard commercial license. Whether you get them for free or pay, this license governs them.
Options for Extended licensing—which adds rights to use in merchandise, among other things—and for editorial use (imagery only for illustrative or informative purposes) are also available on the website at your discretion.
Download Watermark-Free Images from iStock
Without further ado, here are the best ways to legally and safely get iStock photos without a watermark for your designs!
#1. iStock Free Trial (FREE)
If you're new to iStock, you can use their exclusive free trial offer.
This trial lasts one month and lets you download up to 10 images in full size and without the watermark, completely free of charge!
Even better? You can choose any 10 images (including photos and illustrations) from iStock’s large catalog, and they come with a royalty-free license enabling commercial use! This is by far the best and our favorite method for free istock photo download in high-res and unwatermarked.
To sign up for the free trial, simply click here and follow the simple steps in the guide. It’s very easy.
Remember that this free trial is an initial free month for an annual plan, billed at $29/month. To start the trial, you must fill in the payment information, but if you cancel your account within 30 days of activation, you will not be charged a penny (and you can keep the images you downloaded). If you stay subscribed, you will be billed from the second month onwards.
To see more offers like this, check out our list of stock photo free trials.
#2. iStock Free Files (FREE)
iStock has a permanent selection of free files available for download on their website. These files include three photos, three illustrations, and three iStock videos and get updated periodically. While they are usually less popular or older images, they can still be useful for certain projects.
The iStock free download files are also available without a watermark and still come with an official iStock license, making them a great option for those who don't want to pay for a subscription or credits.
Remember that as the selection of free images changes frequently, it’s a good idea to check back often to see if any new additions could work for your project.
You can find iStock’s free files at the bottom of the homepage right here!
#3. iStock Subscription Plans (Exclusive Discount – SUPER AFFORDABLE)
When you want images beyond the free trial or free files, you can always purchase images from iStock without a watermark.
An iStock subscription is the best option for those needing access to numerous images. You can access a set number of monthly downloads depending on your chosen plan. When you download an image with a subscription, the system will automatically remove the iStock watermark.
Different subscription plans are available, ranging from 10 to 750 monthly downloads. The subscription cost varies depending on the plan you choose –they can access the entire library or for the budget-friendly section only, and you can opt between renewing month-to-month or committing for a whole year –the latter offers the lowest per-image prices. Overall, images with an iStock subscription can cost only a few dollars each and as little as $0.22 per download, making it a cost-effective option for those needing many images.
The greatest news, however, is that our exclusive iStock coupon code will give you a 15% discount on any iStock subscription you choose!
You can buy your iStock subscription right here.
#4. iStock Credit Packs (Exclusive Discount – AFFORDABLE & FLEXIBLE)
Using iStock credits might be the best option if you only need a few images, especially if you aren’t sure when to download them. With this system, you can buy a credit pack upfront and then use those credits to download images individually whenever you need.
The cost of images in credits varies depending on the collection they’re in (Essential or Signature, more on this here). The iStock watermark remover is applied automatically to your chosen images when you download them with credits.
The great benefit of the iStock credits is that they never expire: as long as you log in to your account once a year, your credits will remain active and ready to be used. Those credits let you download more than just images; the same credit packs can buy iStock video clips, music tracks, extended licenses, and more resources.
iStock offers packs from one to 300 credits, with the individual credit price (and thus, the final image price) being lower as the volume of credit increases. Normally, a budget-friendly Essential image at iStock will cost you between $8 and $12, depending on your pack.
But we have excellent news! Our iStock Promo Code applies a 15% discount on any iStock credit pack you buy.
Even better? We have an exclusive iStock Discount on Large Credit Packs that will save you 25% off the regular price for packs from 18 credits and up!
Here, you can buy your iStock credits.
WARNING: Illegal Methods Are Dangerous and Not Worth It
Furthermore, using any “trick” to remove the iStock watermark that isn’t the automatic removal done by the agency during the download process is illegal and could get you in a lot of trouble.
We do not recommend using third-party online tools like watermark removers to get rid of the iStock watermark, not only because many tools give imperfect results and the final image is lower quality, but mainly because this procedure is not legal.
The only iStock free download methods that are legal and acceptable are through their special offers –free trial and free file section–.
iStock’s parent company, Getty Images, is well-known in the industry for constantly monitoring how its photos are used, easily detecting unauthorized uses across websites, social media, and other popular placements, and often pursuing legal compensation.
Trust us, it’s not worth the risk when you can download iStock photos legally for free or at a very affordable price.
iStock Watermark FAQ
Before we go, we’ll address the most common questions about the iStock watermark and how to remove it.
How to download iStockphoto without watermark?
Go to the iStock website, create a user account, select the image you want, open the image URL where you'll see all the details of the file, and then click the “Download” button. This will give you the full-resolution picture without the watermark, including the corresponding license for its use. You may download it for free with the iStock free trial or from the iStock free files section, or you will be required to pay for an iStock subscription or iStock credit pack.
Can you use iStock photos for free with watermark?
Yes, but only for personal and non-commercial purposes. iStock allows you to download the image preview, in lower resolution and watermarked, for free, for you to test into your designs or share with your team, among other possible pre-publishing uses. But you cannot use watermarked previews in finished, published designs.
How do I get free pictures from Istockphoto?
You can activate the iStock free trial and get 10 free pictures for one month. Or visit the iStock free files section and download any images you like from there. All without paying.
How do I download Istockphoto?
The agency is web-based; you can access it on your favorite browser, and you don’t need to install anything in order to see the image libraries and download photos.
To download a file from iStock, just use the button to download on the file’s link.
4 Safe and Easy Ways to Download iStock Free Without Watermark
As you can see, there are several risk-free ways to download iStock images without a watermark. In this article, we listed the four best ones.
Whether you take advantage of the free trial, download the free files, sign up for a subscription, or use credits, you can find the perfect image for your project without breaking the bank legally and safely.
Which method are you going to use?
Header image: Copyright: Thomas_Zsebok_Images/istockphoto.com, all rights reserved.
