Photutorial’s take
Vimeo Stock is a stock footage site that offers both free and paid stock footage. The free collection is small and underwhelming, and the paid collection is expensive, especially for exclusive clips. The indemnity coverage is also very low compared to other sites. Overall, Vimeo Stock is not a good value for the price.
Pros
- Vimeo Stock serves both video watchers and editors.
- Offers a mix of free and paid stock footage.
Cons
- The platform seems neglected with outdated pricing.
- Misleading ‘free’ collection requiring a paid Plus membership.
- High-paid collection pricing and even more expensive exclusive clips.
- Small indemnity coverage compared to other sites.
Vimeo is a bit like YouTube but much less popular. But you’re not here to read about Vimeo in general—in this review, I’ll share my experience and opinion on Vimeo Stock.
Vimeo Stock is Vimeo’s attempt to serve not only those who want to watch and upload videos but also those who edit videos. It makes sense when you think about it. After all, why wouldn’t video editors buy stock footage here?
The biggest issue I found with Vimeo stock is that it seems abandoned. The pricing here is not up-to-date and is not that good at all.
So, how much does Vimeo Stock cost?
The Vimeo Stock stock footage collection is divided into free and paid. The free collection, called ‘Essential’, has a few hundred videos, none of which I’d use in a professional project. Also, around 500 videos are not enough to find the very specific clip you need. What is more, the name ‘free’ is misleading here because it’s not free at all…
… when you try to download a free video, Vimeo warns that you need a Plus membership that costs US$7/mo, billed annually. It supposedly includes 20% savings on every clip you buy and 5GB/week of upload. But when you click the “Get a Plus membership”, you’re taken to the pricing page, which doesn’t offer a Plus plan. Also, none seem to offer free stock footage.
Moving onto paid stock footage. Each clip in the 30,000-video collection costs $79 in HD resolution and $199 for 4K. You get a 20% discount if you add a Plus, Pro, or Business membership, which costs $84, $192, and $479, respectively. You also get a 20% discount on memberships when you buy a video. Huh?
There are also exactly 446 videos marked with an EXCLUSIVE sticker, which cost $299 for HD and $499 for 4K. To be fair, if I’m paying $500 for a video, I am getting it from a real stock footage site or much cheaper with a stock footage subscription.
About licensing and customer support
The license is a typical royalty-free license, meaning it allows unlimited use online. You also don’t have to provide attribution, and you must grant Vimeo permission to audit your content. Among the restrictions are defamatory and standalone use.
You also get indemnity (or legal coverage), which is basically their way of saying, “if this video causes you trouble, we’re going to cover up to $10,000”. However, $10K is a pretty small indemnity, considering the high price you pay. In comparison, you’ll get $250,000 at Shutterstock and iStock and up to $1M at Pond5 at the same or lower cost.
Should you invest in Vimeo Stock?
I wouldn’t. Unless they have a very specific clip you need and can’t get anywhere else, you should pick a different stock footage site.
If you need professional workflow and video quality, Adobe Stock stands out with Creative Cloud integration. Similarly-priced options include Pond5, Shutterstock, and iStock.
Comments