Stock photos are an essential resource for marketers, bloggers, and anyone who needs high-quality visuals for their projects. However, buying stock photos can quickly add up and become a significant expense. Fortunately, there are many free stock photo sites available online that offer a vast selection of high-quality images without breaking the bank.
In this post, we’ll explore the top free stock photo sites available, so you can easily find the perfect images for your projects without spending a dime. Whether you’re looking for images to use on your website, social media, or marketing materials, these sites offer a diverse range of photos to choose from. So, let’s dive in and discover the best free stock photo sites on the web.
Criteria for selection
- Photo quality: The quality of the photos available on a site is crucial. We looked for sites that offer high-resolution images that are well-lit, well-composed, and visually appealing. However, the quality of free stock photos rarely matches the quality of the best stock photo sites.
- Selection: A broad selection of photos is essential. We looked for sites that offer a diverse range of photos that cover a variety of subjects and styles, including abstract, nature, people, and more.
- Usability: The ease of use and navigation of a site is vital. We looked for sites that offer a simple, intuitive interface that makes it easy to find the photos you need quickly.
- Licensing requirements: The licensing requirements for each site were carefully considered. We looked for sites that offer photos that are free to use for personal and commercial projects without attribution or restrictions.
The best free stock photos 2023
1. Unsplash
Unsplash is a popular free stock photo site that offers a vast collection of high-quality photos, with over one million images available. The site was created in 2013 by a Canadian startup called Crew, and has since grown to become one of the most widely-used free stock photo resources available.
What sets Unsplash apart from other free stock photo sites is the quality of its images. The site has a strict curation process, and all photos are carefully reviewed before being added to the collection. This ensures that only high-quality, visually stunning photos are available for download.
Another unique feature of Unsplash is that it offers a wide range of photos that cover a variety of subjects, styles, and moods. Whether you’re looking for images of nature, people, architecture, or abstract concepts, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs.
Unsplash also offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to search for and download photos. You can browse by category, search by keyword, or even use the “Collections” feature to save and organize photos for future use.
In 2021, Getty Images acquired Unsplash and introduced Unsplash+ in 2022—a subscription that lets you download premium Unsplash images.
2. Pexels
Pexels is a popular and widely-used free stock photo site that offers a vast selection of high-quality images that are free to use for personal and commercial projects. The site features photos that cover a wide range of topics, including nature, business, technology, people, and more.
One of the best things about Pexels is its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to find the photos you need quickly. You can search for photos by keyword, browse popular categories, or view the latest uploads. Pexels also offers a “Discover” section that showcases new and noteworthy photographers, making it an excellent resource for finding fresh and unique images.
In addition to its photo collection, Pexels also offers a video library, featuring free stock videos that cover a range of topics and styles. The videos are available in high-resolution and are perfect for adding a dynamic element to your projects.
All photos and videos on Pexels are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which means you can use them for any purpose without attribution. This lenient licensing requirement makes Pexels an excellent option for those who need high-quality images for commercial projects or clients.
3. Pixabay
Pixabay is a popular and comprehensive library of free stock photos, illustrations, and vectors. With over 1.8 million assets available, it’s one of the largest and most diverse free stock photo sites on the web. One of the standout features of Pixabay is its advanced search functionality, which allows you to search by keyword, orientation, category, size, color, and even by the type of image (such as photo, vector, or illustration). This makes it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently.
In addition to its vast selection of images, Pixabay offers lenient licensing requirements. All photos and other assets on the site are released under the Pixabay License, which allows for free use and modification for personal and commercial projects, without attribution. This means you can use the images from Pixabay in your projects without worrying about copyright or licensing issues, making it a hassle-free option for those who need high-quality images for their work.
Another notable feature of Pixabay is its community-driven approach. Users can create a free account to upload their own photos and contribute to the site’s growing collection. This allows for even more diversity and variety in the images available on Pixabay, making it an excellent option for those looking for unique and specific images that may not be available on other sites.
4. StockSnap
StockSnap is a popular free stock photo site that offers a vast collection of high-resolution photos that are free to use for personal and commercial projects. The site has a straightforward interface, making it easy to search for and find the perfect image for your project.
One of the standout features of StockSnap is the site’s curated selection of photos. The site’s team carefully selects and curates each photo, ensuring that only the highest quality images make it onto the site. This means that you can be sure that you’re getting access to top-notch photos that will help your project stand out.
Another benefit of StockSnap is its lenient licensing requirements. All of the photos on the site are licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 license, which means that you can use the photos for any purpose, including commercial projects, without attribution or restrictions.
StockSnap’s collection of photos covers a wide range of topics, including business, technology, nature, people, and more. With new photos added daily, you’ll always have access to fresh content that can help bring your project to life.
5. Burst by Shopify
Burst is a free stock photo site that was created by Shopify to help entrepreneurs and businesses create beautiful websites and marketing materials. The site offers a wide selection of high-quality photos that are free to use for commercial and personal projects, making it an excellent option for those in the e-commerce industry.
Burst offers a simple and easy-to-use interface that allows users to search for photos by category, including business, food, people, and more. The site also offers a section of collections, which are curated sets of photos that are perfect for specific projects or themes.
One of the unique features of Burst is that it offers a range of photos featuring models of different ethnicities and body types, making it an inclusive option for those looking to feature diverse representation in their projects. Additionally, Burst offers a range of tutorials and resources on how to use their photos effectively, making it a useful tool for those new to the world of stock photography.
6. Freepik
Freepik is a popular website that offers a vast collection of free vector images, illustrations, and PSD files. The site has an extensive library of over 10 million resources, making it an excellent option for designers, web developers, and anyone looking for free design assets.
Freepik’s resources are available in a variety of file formats, including AI, EPS, and SVG for vectors, and PSD for Photoshop files. The site also offers an advanced search feature that allows users to filter by color, orientation, category, and more, making it easy to find the perfect asset for your project.
While Freepik’s resources are free to use for personal and commercial projects, the site requires attribution for some of its assets. This means that users must credit the author and provide a link to the Freepik website when using these assets. However, Freepik also offers a premium subscription service called Freepik Premium, which provides access to millions of exclusive, ad-free resources that do not require attribution.
7. Gratisography
Gratisography is a unique site that offers free stock photos with a quirky and creative twist. All photos on the site are taken by Ryan McGuire, a designer and artist, who adds his own unique touch to each photo. The images available on Gratisography are anything but typical stock photos, with whimsical and playful themes that make them stand out from the crowd.
One of the unique aspects of Gratisography is the fact that it offers a wide range of photos that can be difficult to find on other stock photo sites. For example, the site offers a selection of animal photos that are not only cute but also have personality and character. The site also offers a range of business and technology photos that are anything but boring, featuring colorful and creative designs.
Another benefit of using Gratisography is that all of the photos are available for free, and there are no licensing requirements. This means that you can use the photos for personal or commercial projects without attribution or restrictions. The site also allows you to download the photos in high resolution, making them suitable for use in print materials.
8. Reshot
Reshot is a unique site that offers a curated selection of free stock photos that stand out from the usual stock photo cliches. The site was created to provide designers, developers, and creatives with access to authentic, high-quality photos that capture real moments and experiences.
One of the standout features of Reshot is the fact that all of the photos available on the site are handpicked, which ensures that the collection is of the highest quality. The site has a strict set of guidelines that each photo must meet before being added to the collection, including being visually appealing, authentic, and unique.
In addition to the curated collection of photos, Reshot also offers a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to find the perfect photo for your project. You can browse photos by category or search for specific keywords to find the exact image you need quickly.
Another great feature of Reshot is the fact that all of the photos are free to use for personal and commercial projects without attribution. This makes it an excellent option for those who want to use high-quality, unique images without worrying about licensing restrictions.
9. Kaboompics
Kaboompics is a free stock photo site that was created by designer and photographer Karolina Grabowska. The site offers a vast collection of high-quality stock photos that are perfect for bloggers, designers, and marketers looking for images with a feminine touch. The photos on Kaboompics are divided into categories, making it easy to find the images you need quickly.
One of the unique features of Kaboompics is that the site offers a color search tool that allows you to search for photos by color. This is a handy feature for those who are looking for images that match their brand colors or a specific color scheme.
Kaboompics offers a range of photos that cover a variety of subjects, including food, fashion, beauty, and travel. The site also has a blog section that provides tips and tutorials on photography, design, and blogging.
All photos on Kaboompics are free to use for personal and commercial projects, with no attribution required. However, Grabowska does accept donations through PayPal, which can help support the site and keep it running.
10. Picjumbo
Picjumbo is a popular free stock photo site created by Viktor Hanacek. It offers a vast collection of high-quality photos that are available for free download and use without attribution for both personal and commercial projects. The site offers a diverse range of photos that cover a variety of topics, including food, technology, nature, and more.
One of the standout features of Picjumbo is its clean, modern aesthetic. The site’s photos are all professionally shot and edited, and the site’s design makes it easy to browse and find the perfect images for your project. Additionally, Picjumbo offers a premium membership option, which provides users with access to exclusive photos and additional perks.
Picjumbo is a great resource for designers, bloggers, marketers, and anyone else in need of high-quality stock photos. With its vast collection of images and lenient licensing requirements, it’s no surprise that it’s become a go-to option for many users. Whether you’re looking for images for your website, social media, or marketing materials, Picjumbo offers a wide range of photos to choose from.
Honorable mentions
While these free stock image sites didn’t make the top 10, they still offer valuable resources for those looking for high-quality stock photos.
- New Old Stock – This site offers vintage photos from public archives that can add a unique touch to your projects.
- Jay Mantri – Provides a collection of beautifully shot and artistic photos for a more creative touch.
- Picpocket – Offers a curated collection of free stock photos that are updated daily.
- Moose Stock Photos – Provides a variety of nature and wildlife photos that are perfect for outdoor and environmental projects.
- LibreShot – A site that offers free stock photos without any copyright restrictions, perfect for those who want to have complete freedom to use and modify the photos.
- Rawpixel – A site that offers a wide range of free stock photos, including illustrations and vectors, as well as premium options for a fee.
- Splitshire – Provides a collection of unique and high-quality photos that are perfect for creative projects.
- MMT Stock – Offers a variety of free stock photos that are perfect for business and tech-related projects.
- Skitterphoto – Provides a collection of free stock photos that are available for personal and commercial use.
- Foodiesfeed – Offers a large collection of free stock photos that are focused on food, perfect for food bloggers and restaurants.
- Life of Pix – Provides a collection of high-quality photos that are updated weekly, perfect for a variety of projects.
- ISO Republic – Offers a collection of free stock photos that are focused on business, technology, and lifestyle.
- Negative Space – Provides a collection of free stock photos that are focused on a variety of themes, including nature, travel, and technology.
- Stokpic – Offers a collection of free stock photos that are available for personal and commercial use, with new photos added every two weeks.
- FancyCrave – Provides a collection of high-quality free stock photos that are perfect for blogs, websites, and social media.
Frequently asked questions
What are free stock photo sites?
Free stock photo sites are online platforms that offer a large collection of high-resolution images, illustrations, and sometimes even videos, that you can use for personal or commercial purposes without having to pay royalties or fees. These sites are an excellent resource for bloggers, marketers, graphic designers, and anyone else looking for visually appealing content.
Are free stock photos really free?
Yes, free stock photos are indeed free to use. However, there may be some limitations or restrictions depending on the licensing terms of the specific site or image. Some sites offer images under a Creative Commons license, which may require attribution to the original creator, while others provide images under a royalty-free license, meaning you can use the image without attribution or paying any fees. Always be sure to read and understand the licensing terms before using any image from a free stock photo site.
Can I use free stock photos for commercial purposes?
Yes, most free stock photo sites offer photos that can be used for commercial purposes, but it’s important to review the usage terms and licensing requirements for each individual site. Some photos may have specific restrictions or require attribution.
Do I need to create an account to download free stock photos?
No, most free stock photo sites do not require you to create an account to download photos. However, some sites may offer additional benefits or features for registered users, such as the ability to save collections of photos or access premium content.
Can I modify free stock photos?
In most cases, yes, free stock photos can be modified to suit your needs. However, it’s important to check the licensing requirements for each site to ensure that modifications are allowed. Some photos may require attribution or prohibit certain types of modifications.
Do I need to credit the photographer when using a free stock photo?
Whether or not you need to credit the photographer depends on the licensing terms of the image. Some images may require attribution, while others might not. It’s essential to check the specific licensing terms of the image you want to use before using it in your project.
How do I credit the photographer for a free stock photo?
If attribution is required for a particular photo, you should credit the photographer by including their name and a link to their profile or the photo page on the site where you downloaded the photo. This information is usually provided on the photo page or in the usage terms for the site.
Can I use free stock photos for commercial purposes?
In most cases, you can use free stock photos for commercial purposes. However, it’s essential to check the licensing terms of the specific image you want to use to ensure it allows for commercial use. Some licenses may restrict usage in certain contexts, such as advertising or merchandise.
About your guide
Matic Broz is a multifaceted creative professional, with experience as a photographer, graphic designer, and business owner. He has a decade of experience in helping other creatives improve their craft and start their own businesses. His writing and research have been featured in notable publications such as The Guardian, PetaPixel, and USA Today. Additionally, his scientific research has been recognized with a cover feature in the prestigious MDPI-owned journal. In his leisure time, he enjoys photography, hiking, and spending time with dogs. Read more
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