Freepik AI vs. Traditional Stock Image Platforms: A Comparison
Written by
Ankur Maan
UI/UX Designer
Sumit Verma
UI/UX Designer
Table of contents
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AI tools are changing design and creativity. As more people and businesses need digital content, good visuals are becoming more important. Freepik AI offers a new way to make custom images, while platforms like Shutterstock, Getty Images, and Adobe Stock provide ready-made photos and graphics. Both choices are useful, but they work differently. Let's look at how they compare in what they can do, how good they are, and how easy they are to use.
Image Generation vs. Pre-Existing Libraries
- Freepik AI: Freepik AI makes new pictures based on what you ask for, instead of just showing you existing photos. You can create completely new designs or change existing ones however you want.
- Traditional Platforms: Traditional Stock Image Platforms like Shutterstock and Getty Images have many ready-to-use photos. While these photos look great and are easy to find, you can only edit them after downloading.
Quality and Originality
- Freepik AI: Freepik AI creates new images from text descriptions. While each image is unique, the results can be hit-or-miss based on what you ask for and what the AI can do.
- Traditional Platforms: Regular stock photo sites have experts check their images, so you know they'll look good and work well. The downside is that other people can use the same images you pick.
Creative Control
- Freepik AI: AI gives you more control over designs. You can guide what you want to create by describing it, instead of just picking from existing designs.
- Traditional Platforms: Traditional Stock Image websites let you use their pre-made images and tools to create custom designs, but you can only work with what they already have.
AI Integration and Ecosystem
- Freepik AI: AI-powered Freepik works well with other AI tools, making it easy to add generated images to your design process.
- Traditional Platforms:Traditional platforms may lack direct AI integrations but are compatible with popular design software like Adobe Creative Suite, offering flexibility for manual workflows.
For a practical demonstration of Freepik's AI capabilities, check out this insightful video:
Watch the tutorial
Sustainability and Ethics
- Freepik AI: Creates concerns about long-term usefulness and unfair patterns in training data. As a new tool, people still debate if it's right or wrong to use it for making content.
- Traditional Platforms:Use real photographers and designers, helping creative workers make a living. However, photo shoots and production work may harm the environment more than digital methods.
Learning Curve
- Freepik AI: Takes practice to write good instructions for best results. Beginners might need time to learn how it works.
- Traditional Platforms:More straightforward to use - just search, find, and download what you need. No special skills required.
Speed and Flexibility
- Freepik AI: AI tools work super fast. Just tell them what you want, and they create it in seconds. This is perfect when you're in a hurry or suddenly need something.
- Traditional Platforms:Regular design websites have lots of options to search through. While it takes longer than AI, they have helpful ways to sort and find what you're looking for.
Conclusion
Freepik AI and regular stock image websites offer different benefits. Freepik AI is great for creating unique images quickly and making changes easily. Traditional stock sites are better for high-quality images with clear usage rights. Choose based on what you need, how much you can spend, and your creative goals. Both Freepik AI and regular stock images can help make your work look better.
