We all know how vital images are to engagement on the web, but choosing the right image that says the right thing is harder than it should be.
Not if you have a collection of high quality, free stock image websites to hand!
Before we hired a graphic designer, we had all of the image sites in this list bookmarked and used them often.
We’re including them all here so you can use them too!
Stock Image License Types
First, a quick word on licensing.
There are 5 main types of image licensing you should be aware of if you plan to use images on a website.
They are:
- Royalty free – Royalty free images aren’t usually free. You pay once and can use the image however you like without having to pay royalties.
- Creative Commons – Usually free to use however you like but there are many different types of Creative Commons licenses.
- Attribution – Attribution licenses usually mean you can use the image but need to credit the original creator.
- Commercial use – Usually paid for images you can use in your online store or on websites you create as a business.
- Public domain – Public domain images don’t have any licensing restrictions so you can use them however you want.
There are other types of image licensing but these are the ones you’ll likely see most of.
Now let’s get to the list!
Free Stock Image Sites
The following are the best free stock image websites we know of.
UnSplash
UnSplash is the 3rd largest photography website in the world after Instagram and Tumblr. There are images of just about everything you can imagine available in a range of dimensions.
UnSplash allows photographers to upload their pictures and images which are curated by their team of editors.
The pictures are 100% free to download and can be used for just about anything – blog posts, social media, advertising, and page designs. You’re encouraged to provide credit when using the images but it isn’t mandatory.
As an added bonus UnSplash has an API you can use to populate apps and websites with photos from the UnSplash database.
We Like it Because…
UnSplash has a huge range of images covering every subject. We always find something we like here.
Pixabay
With more 4.4 million images, Pixabay is one of the fastest-growing and widely used stock image websites out there. We use images from here on our Starter Templates.
You will also find vector images, illustrations, and even HD videos – all of them free to download and use.
Subjects cover everything you’re likely to want, in a range of dimensions.
All the images are available under the Pixabay licenses (similar to Creative Commons). This means that you can safely use them without asking for permission or by providing credit.
We Like it Because…
Pixabay is easy to use and the search function works really well. That keeps us coming back.
Pexels
If you are looking for high quality stock photos for a website, Pexels is a great option. They have a vast library covering every conceivable niche.
All images are free to download and use for both personal and commercial purposes. Attribution is not required but encouraged.
You are able to modify or customize the pictures once downloaded (however, you are not allowed to sell and profit from them).
Recently they have started including free stock videos. The library is definitely smaller than that available at Pixabay but it’s growing.
We Like it Because…
The new stock videos are pretty good but it’s the images that keep us returning for more.
Freepik
Freepik is another reliable resource for most types of visuals.
The site has an ever-expanding library of stock images, vector designs, icons, and templates for both personal and commercial use.
There’s also an AI image generator, mockup generator, image editor and other graphics tools to help you create something unique.
Freepik requires an account to use, but you get 10 downloads for free before you need to pay.
We Like it Because…
Freepik’s mockup generator allows us to quickly try ideas before loading our own tools.
FreeStocks.org
Initially started by 3 photographers as a side-hustle to share their work online, Freestocks.org has grown to a library of thousands of high quality stock images.
You can search and sort under a few different categories, animals, architecture, fashion, nature, technology, people and anything you can think of.
Though the library is smaller than others here – you’ll find certain images that are unique to this site.
All stock images are free and licensed under Creative Commons.
We Like it Because…
Freestocks often has images you don’t find elsewhere, offering some all-important uniqueness to pages.
Burst (by Shopify)
Burst is a free stock images platform created by eCommerce giant Shopify. You can find thousands of images captured, curated by a team of photographers.
It is totally free for personal and commercial use, and no attribution is required, though it is encouraged.
All stock images are sorted within collections based on genres. You’ll find hundreds of images within each genre.
Since this is a Shopify powered website, you’ll also find additional resources under Business Ideas to help with your next web project.
We Like it Because…
We like Burst because it’s all top quality and usually requires very little editing before use.
Gratisography
If you’re looking for images that go beyond the stereotypical stock photos of people at office meetings or cheesy handshakes, you might enjoy Gratisography.
Created by photographer and designer Ryan McGuire – this website specializes in providing stock images that are creative, fun, and more artistic than the usual.
The site has a great selection of unique images and stock photos that could be ideal for a wide range of projects.
All stock images are free to use for both personal and commercial use. Attribution is not required but encouraged.
We Like it Because…
You never quite know what you’ll find at Gratisography and that’s why we keep going back. It never disappoints when you’re looking for something a little different.
Kaboompics
If you either have a lifestyle or interior design blog – Kaboompics might be the destination for you.
This is another stock image website to visit if you’re looking for something a little different from the usual.
Created by photographer and web designer Karolina Grabowska – the site has thousands of high quality stock images covering many areas of design.
All the stock photos can be downloaded, modified and used for both personal and commercial projects.
We Like it Because…
Kaboompics is ideal for projects with lots of interior elements as few other free image sites have such a wide selection.
PicJumbo
Created by photographer and online entrepreneur Viktor Hanacek – PicJumbo is an excellent resource of unique images.
Many of the photos are created by Viktor himself to ensure that they are genuine and unique. Others do contribute though.
The stock images are free to use for both personal and commercial purposes, and no attribution is required.
The site also has an optional paid membership option that provides access to the latest collection of premium images.
We Like it Because…
We keep PicJumbo bookmarked because it’s another great source of more unique images.
PikWizard
PikWizard is another great website with an extensive collection of free stock images and videos.
You are able to use all the images from PikWizard for free on your website, social media, videos, image galleries, ebooks and anywhere you like.
The site also offers templates for flyers, posters and other media, which is a very useful addition.
The quality is high throughout and covers a wide range of business uses. It’s definitely a site to keep bookmarked, that’s for sure!
We Like it Because…
PikWizard is useful for the stock images but also the templates. Both can provide the images or inspiration for more unique work.
ISO Republic
Created by UK based photographer Tom Eversley – ISO Republic has a collection of thousands of free stock images and videos.
It’s not as expansive as some of the other stock images websites in our list but the quality makes it well worth visiting if you’re searching for something specific.
You’ll find the usual categories and a search function, although the homepage seems to have an ever-changing selection worth checking out.
You can use the images for both personal and commercial use. No attribution is required.
We Like it Because…
ISO Republic seems to update their image library more than many other stock image sites, so we check back often.
StockVault
Curated with the help of submissions from photographers and artists – StockVault has a library of over 140,000 stock images.
The website has an extensive collection which makes it easy to search and sort.
All the images are free to download and use for personal use only. No commercial use is allowed.
Check images carefully though. Some are licensed under Creative Commons while others need permission from the original contributor.
We Like it Because…
We keep StockVault around for personal projects or internal testing rather than public use. It’s still a useful source though!
StockSnap.io
StockSnap has grown significantly in size and quality since we began using it. It’s now a large site with many thousands of images.
All images are free to use and licensed under Creative Commons, and no attribution is required. They can be used for both personal and commercial use.
The site is very active and adds lots of new images every day. We check it regularly for this very reason.
Quality is high and covers multiple subjects. Whether you’re working on a personal or business website, there will be an image here that fits the bill.
We Like it Because…
StockSnap is another image website that adds new high quality photos frequently.
Morguefile
Created by Michael Connors in 1996 to help other creative professionals find and share free images – Morguefile has a library of over 400,000+ stock images.
The site also has videos, templates and vectors, covering most subjects. All are of a high enough quality to make this site worth visiting.
All the images are free to use for both personal and commercial purposes and no attribution is required.
The search function works well but categories are much easier to use, particularly the trending category.
We Like it Because…
Morguefile is a great source of images and vectors. We have used it for many years and it has rarely let us down.
Reshot
All resources on Reshot are handpicked and curated. There are no images, but there are thousands of icons, illustrations and vectors.
They are all free to use for both personal and commercial purposes, and no attribution is required.
Quality is high, the variety is excellent and there’s very little to complain about, except browsing can take some time.
While this site isn’t technically a stock image website, it’s good enough to feature anyway. After all, we all use icons and vectors in web projects right?
We Like it Because…
You can tell there’s a human hand selecting images for Reshot. Everything has that little extra something, which is why we recommend it.
PicXClicX
Created by independent photographer Jill Levenhagen – PicXClicX is a great option if you’re looking for less generic stock images.
It’s clear that a lot of thought goes into the images as they have a little extra something that keeps us returning for more.
All images are free to use but attribution is appreciated. Check each image for licenses as there’s a mix here.
We particularly like the Unique and Abstract category as it can be surprisingly useful!
We Like it Because…
PicXClicX is another source of less common imagery. We visit whenever we need something you haven’t seen a hundred times before.
Foca
Foca, formerly MMT, is a great resource for high-quality stock images with a built-in canvas editor.
All stock images are free to use for personal and commercial use, and no attribution is required.
There’s a good mix of images, videos and graphics here, with some useful how-to posts sharing the knowledge.
A useful feature of Foca is that you’re able to adjust, modify or resize the images before you download. Most of you will have a photo editor, but this is cool for quick edits.
We Like it Because…
We use Foca when browsing stock images on mobile. We can quickly play around using the editor before downloading the image. That’s a time, and bandwidth saver.
FreeImages
As the name suggests – all the stock photos from FreeImages are totally free for personal use.
There’s a mixture of license types so due diligence is essential if you plan to use them online. They are all clearly marked though so it shouldn’t be an issue.
The range is good, with some images here you won’t find elsewhere. Quality is also up there, which is why it’s in our list.
The site also features clipart, vectors, icons and PSD files too for added goodness.
We Like it Because…
We like FreeImages because of those images you won’t find elsewhere. Checking licenses takes extra time, but image rarity makes it worth it.
Moose
Created by the design team at Icons8 – Moose has a collection of thousands of images, mainly of people.
They are free to use for personal and commercial use – however, attribution is required at all times.
There is a premium option where you don’t have to provide attribution from $5 per month.
We don’t like paying for images, but if you need high quality portraits of people for a project, Moose will likely have it. If nowhere else does, it’s a small price to pay.
We Like it Because…
We check Moose every time we want portrait images. You’ll find more here than almost anywhere else.
FoodiesFeed
You probably guessed from the name that FoodiesFeed is a website that provides free food photos.
Started by passionate food photographer Jakub Kapusnak – this stock image website has a collection of high quality images of all kinds of food.
Ideal for food and recipe bloggers – the site has thousands of images, and the list is updated periodically.
Images are all free to use for all purposes and are licensed under Creative Commons.
We Like it Because…
If you can’t take your own food images, FoodiesFeed is the next best thing!
Conclusion
There you have it, folks, our list of top stock image websites for your next website!
Each offers something slightly different and is well worth bookmarking if you use stock images on projects.
Don’t forget to optimize your images and convert them to WebP to ensure the fastest load times!
Do you use stock images? Have any websites to recommend? Tell us in the comments below!
Abhijeet Kaldate is the co-founder and CRO of Brainstorm Force. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for getting things done, Abhijeet oversees the company's operations, managing key areas such as HR, marketing, design and finance.
Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may receive a small commission. Read disclosure. Rest assured that we only recommend products that we have personally used and believe will add value to our readers. Thanks for your support!
Regarding Google Images: Under the Search box is a horizontal list, starting with “All” and ending with “Tools” — Select “Tools” then under that, “Usage rights”. You can search for images by five categories of usage rights: Not filtered by license; Labeled for reuse with modification; Labeled for reuse; Labeled for noncommercial reuse with modification; Labeled for noncommercial reuse.
True that Terry!
One can certainly use that method to find such images on Google. But, the websites mentioned above give you many better options and good quality photographs that can be used on your website.
Thank you Sujay,
A neat reference list, and yet something we Astra users have come to expect–time savings.
Astra Pro 2.0 has redefined theme customizing.
Great List Sujay!
Great list indeed. Thanks a lot. Created a bookmark folder and saved all of them.