Is Unsplash Still Free? How Getty's Acquisition May Affect the Stock Photography...

In a statement released on March 30, Getty Images announced its successful acquisition of Unsplash, a royalty-free image aggregator. Unsplash is built for people looking for stock photos to adorn their websites, blog posts, and everything in between.

In stark contrast to Unsplash's usual line of business, Getty Images is known for hosting a diverse catalog of photographs sold at a premium. Will this acquisition affect Unsplash's free service?

The Service That We Love: A Thing of the Past?

Those who use Unsplash regularly may worry that their favorite place to find quality stock photos may be gone forever. Fear not: Getty's acquisition of Unsplash won't change much.

Unsplash's current board of leaders will be brought along for the ride, meaning that consumers everywhere will be able to continue their work without skipping a beat.

Mikael Cho, CEO and original founder of Unsplash, released a statement on the Unsplash Blog, expressing his excitement for the future that both brands now share. He views this as an "acceleration" of the work that he and his company have been devoting themselves to for nearly a decade. Unsplash's policies will remain largely unchanged, which means that it will continue to offer top-notch stock photos free of charge.

If you still have questions about the acquisition, look to Unsplash's FAQ page for more information.

What Else Will Change?

Unsplash free photos are still free to use.

Getty plans on extending its existing iStock service to include everything currently available through Unsplash's API, providing a comprehensive gamut of service for users of all needs and industries.

Getty Images' licensed services will also remain uninterrupted by the merger, so users will be able to continue using both Unsplash and Getty Images without any unexpected changes. In short: not much will change.

Never Be Without the Perfect Stock Image Again

From its humble beginnings on the popular social media platform Tumblr, Unsplash has grown to host more than two million unique images of the highest standards. Unsplash is one of the best sources for royalty-free stock images, and hopefully, this acquisition will only make it better.