Pixabay is a royalty-free stock media app providing images, videos, and vector graphics to content creators on iOS and Android.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Photo & Video
Sentiment
4.4
31k reviews
Nemesis
Kappboom - Cool Wallpapers
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire Pixabay for rapid access to commercial-grade, attribution-free assets to support digital projects without the cost or legal complexity of traditional stock sites.
For Content creators, designers, and social media managers seeking royalty-free assets for commercial and non-commercial projects.
Key features
Access to millions of assets under CC0 license for commercial use.
One-click download of media assets in multiple sizes.
Interface for uploading content and entering creative contests.
How much does it cost?
The platform operates on a fully free model supported by ad inventory, leveraging a high-volume user base to maintain category relevance.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentUX improvementsplatform expansionShow more...
The app exhibits a low release cadence, with only two updates recorded over the last ten months, averaging approximately 0.05 releases per week. This frequency falls well below the threshold for active development, indicating a maintenance-focused strategy. The latest release provided a minor update to the Google sign-in flow, while the previous release focused on platform targeting. There is no evidence of live-ops activity or frequent feature iteration.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate extensive library of royalty-free assets provides significant value for content creators and students and absence of intrusive advertisements improves the overall user experience during asset discovery, but report copyright claims on supposedly free music assets create significant legal risk for creators.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Weekly average review rating
What users say, by theme
- Extensive library of royalty-free assets provides significant value for content creators and students
- Absence of intrusive advertisements improves the overall user experience during asset discovery
- High quality of visual resources supports professional and amateur creative projects
- Copyright claims on supposedly free music assets create significant legal risk for creators
120 of 414 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Pixabay
How's the Photo & Video market?
Pixabay maintains a high-volume presence in the Photo & Video category, though its #141-#200 free chart rankings across multiple regions suggest a broad but low-intensity user base. The lack of a subscription tier limits monetization depth compared to rivals like Kappboom.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By Kappboom Inc.
Kappboom competes directly for the high-intent wallpaper and background imagery market, leveraging a massive user base that overlaps with Pixabay's visual discovery audience.
- Offers a dedicated image editing suite and collage builder for immediate post-download creative customization.
- Monetizes through an 'Inspiration Portal' subscription model, contrasting with Pixabay's free-to-use, attribution-free ecosystem.
- Provides a more specialized UX focused on device personalization rather than general-purpose stock photography.
Walpie - Amazing 4K WallpapersContender
WLPPR - backgrounds wallpapersContender
Papers.co WallpaperContender
UnsplashContenderUnlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Pixabay
Where is it heading?
The stock media market is consolidating around apps that offer integrated creative workflows, leaving Pixabay's static library model vulnerable to churn. Unless the team addresses navigation and authentication friction, the platform will continue to lose time-share to rivals that keep users within the app for the entire creation process.
- Download failures and navigation regressions in the latest update erode the daily active habit, which compounds the rating drag already visible on Android.
- Recent updates focused on stability and platform targeting, with no new feature expansion to counter the competitive pressure from specialized creative tools.
The SWOT
- CC0-licensing model functions as a distribution barrier against paid-stock competitors
- High-volume library sustains organic install velocity across global markets
- Integrated in-app cropping tools would reduce friction for wallpaper-focused users
- Subscription-based 'Pro' tier could diversify revenue beyond ad-inventory reliance
Next best moves
Ship persistent login sessions because re-login cycles are a top-requested friction point → increase daily active usage
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
Pixabay's maintenance-mode status is a strategic choice…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
In-app image cropping and aspect-ratio adjustment (available in Kappboom but missing here) +2
Since the last report: The report reflects a shift in competitive assessment, moving from a neutral observation of library utility to a critical view of the platform's maintenance-mode strategy and its impact on user retention.
Bottom line
Pixabay holds a category lead through its attribution-free library, but technical regressions and lack of editing tools drive users to specialized rivals, so the PM should prioritize core navigation and login stability to defend the funnel.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Pixabay free for commercial use?
How does Pixabay compare to Unsplash?
Does Pixabay have intrusive ads?
What is a good alternative to Pixabay for wallpapers?
Sources
Report last updated