Is Pixabay Safe? (This Is The Shocking Truth!) (Updated 2020)

Pixabay Review Quick Summary

What is Pixabay?

First and foremost, let's get to know what Pixabay is.

Pixabay is a website that is a platform for free-stock photos.

It has over more than a million of photos, videos, illustrations and vector images for everyone to use. 

Websites like Pixabay are very beneficial to everyone. They can be used in almost everything, especially in affiliate marketing!

The photos are also available for everyone to use.

How does it work?

One thing I like about Pixabay is that it is very easy to use. Furthermore, the interface is very user-friendly.

How do you use it? Simple.

First things first, you visit the Pixabay website. Once you arrive there, you will see a search bar. This is where you make a query.

You can type in the photo you are looking for.

As you can see, at the right side of the search bar, it says "images".

You can click it and you will find other options to search for. It could either be a video, vector graphics and many more.

After searching, you will be given a lot of options to choose from. Once you have set your eyes upon the best one, you can click it.

Then you will have the option to download it. You can see the "download" button at the right side.

Afterwards, you will be given choices of resolutions (if photo) that you want. Also, the file size of the photo will be shown.

What is it for?

Nowadays, people create websites for their businesses or for just information. These include the blogs and articles we read on the internet.

To make these websites more attractive and appealing to the readers, photos and videos must be used.

You can easily search up images on Google. However, you just can't easily use them. Some photos have copyright. If you do use them, you must ask permission from the owner.

But that sounds a bit of a hassle, right? There will be times that the owners will not reply immediately or worse, after waiting, he/she will just reject you.

And that is why free stock photo websites are very useful. One of them is Pixabay!

With Pixabay, you can easily find photos for your website, blogs, social media profiles, etc.

You won't have to ask anyone for permission. Additionally, you won't be violating any copyright.

Things to watch out for

Although the photos and videos provided by these stock photo websites are free, they still have terms and regulations. Usually it is about how you can use them.

Fortunately, Pixabay is not that strict compared to the others.

However, there are still things you need to watch out for. If you want to avoid having to violate the website's terms and regulations, then be wary of these.

#1 Recognizable people and objects

Pixabay stated that people using its images and videos must be very careful with the ones that has identifiable people and objects.

There may be instances wherein you use pictures with a recognizable person in a way that could be offensive to him/her. Furthermore, the person may not have even given consent.

Additionally, it is not advisable for you to use these pictures in your ads.

The same thing goes for identifiable objects, including buildings. Examples are the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.

#2 Suggesting endorsement

In Pixabay, it is a BIG no-no when you use logos and pictures of people, organizations and companies to imply that they are endorsing or promoting your services or business.

For example, let's say you have a restaurant. You want to create an advertisement. So you make your graphic design skills work.

You are looking for pictures. And if you do use a logo of a company like Coca-cola in your advertisement, you might be in trouble.

That will look like Coca-cola is promoting your restaurant, when in truth, it is not!

Personally, I have encountered a lot of advertisements that practice this unethical use of pictures.

I don't know how they were able to get away with it. But that doesn't mean that you can do the same thing.

Do not be complacent. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Is Pixabay really free?

Yes, I just told you that even though the images are free, you still have to be wary. With that being said, you are probably being cautious now, are you? You are probably thinking "Is Pixabay Safe?"

First things things, we should clarify the images and videos being provided. Let's see if they are free. I think it is already a part of our instinct to question it when we see something that says "free".

We want to really confirm it. There might be any hidden agenda behind it. And we should really know. Is Pixabay images and videos free? The answer is YES.

Pixabay is completely free. But you are probably wondering where it gets funds to keep it going. The way it makes money is through advertising. How?

Everytime you make a search in Pixabay, you will be able to see ads at the top of the page. Most of the time, you will see professional pictures from Shutterstock, another stock photo platform, in those ads.

If you do click it, you can only use these images once you pay for them. In this way, if people really want to use these professional images, their payment will also benefit Pixabay.

Another way for Pixabay to earn money is through donation. That's right. You can actually support the authors of the pictures and videos in Pixabay by donating money to them.

How?

Take a look at the screenshot above. I am not affiliate with the author in the picture. I am only using it for the sake of showing how to do this.

When you click on an image or video in Pixabay, you will be able to know the author. You can see the username at the right side of the photo.

Afterwards, you will be given two choice; "coffee" and follow.

By clicking the "coffee" button, you will be able to donate to the author or creator of the image or video.

You can also support Pixabay by donating money. The picture above shows the options you can choose from.

If you want to do it, you can find the form in the Pixabay FAQ page.

Is Pixabay Safe?

With those being said, Is Pixabay Safe? The answer is yes. you can use the pictures and videos for free.

Furthermore, you won't have to worry about copyright violations. however, there are still things you have to be aware of.

However, when I was searching up for more details about the stock photo website, I found something that you should really know.

Although Pixabay is completely free, it is not 100% safe.

Even the website said and confirmed it. To assure the best quality and service to its users, Pixabay ensures the safety by doing certain methods.

A Pixabay member of the admin team posted something on a forum. Here, he showed us the things that Pixabay does to ensure that users can use images and videos safety.

Furthermore, he also added that Pixabay is not 100% safe.

But should you avoid Pixabay? My opinion is, you don't have to. It is safe. The millions of people who have been using Pixabay for a long time can vouch for that.

Bottom Line

So you have your answer! Thank you so much for reading my "Is Pixabay Safe?" review!

Photos and videos area great for any websites out there. Be it a blog, business website, your social media profiles and many more.

However, you must use photos in an ethical way. Ask permission to avoid copyright issues. If not, there are stock photo platforms out there.

Even though it is free, Pixabay still has limits. And you should follow all of them.

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