Adding images to your website is easy. You only need to make sure you own the rights. If the pictures have a CCO (Creative Commons 0) license, they’re public domain and you can use them for personal and commercial purposes. Where can you get these kinds of resources? On sites with free stock images. In this top 10, I will give you some great free stock photos sites, from the biggest to the most originals.
This is a good site, although it still has a lot of things to improve on. You may download pictures without being registered and they’re free to use. However, the searching bar only works in English. For every other language, it is better to use the most searched terms to navigate.
Check it out here.
This image site is one of the most used ones. It is easy to use, it has a search bar and you can also search and filter through orientation, category, size, and color. It has a wide range of pictures in all categories, so surely you will find what you’re looking for. At Pixabay there are creators constantly uploading content, which keeps the site updated. However, due to its popularity, it is possible that the image that you pick will be seen on thousands of other sites.
Check it out here.
“Do whatever you want” is Unsplash’s theme. With their wide range of high quality, this site allows you to make any kind of project, even printed ones. However, just like Pixabay, this is one of the most used, so it is hard that the pictures that you chose will grant you originality.
Check it out here.
Another well-known site but with distinct advantages. Pexels not only has a quality category but also a color one to help you stay on the color scheme of your website. In your account, you can save your favorites, so whenever you want to download them again, Pexels will keep them handy. Something great is that it updates every week in every category which gives it variety. On the other hand, even if the search bar is habilitated for several languages it works better in English.
Check it out here.
For those who need vectors, icons, photos, and PSD (images to edit directly on Photoshop), Freepik is an excellent alternative. This site has all this variety of visual resources available. To use them you only need to give credit to the creator by copying a link and using it as a caption.
Check it out here.
This image site is a little smaller than the last ones, it has other assets. Pik Wizard allows you to do more: it has an editor to add text to the pictures easily. This editor is on the site, but if you want to do more than just writing, you can. Design Wizard helps you make incredible designs with easy tools, completely free. From this app, you can search for images and videos from Pik Wizard.
Check it out here.
Definitely one of the lesser-known image sites. Pablo by Buffer doesn’t focus on quantity but quality. The pictures that come directly from this app are scarce, but they have an elegant aesthetic that distinguishes them from others. It is especially good for nature pictures. You can edit the pictures just like with Pik Wizard, in this case, you can do it directly on the site. If you want to look for images about something that you don’t see at the begging, you can use the search bar. However, it will provide you with options from Pixabay.
Check it out here.
A great option for those who require originality and an organic feel. Moose is Icons8’s option for photos. Many stock photos that involve people, look stiff, Moose knows this and is a solution to this problem. Pictures from Moose are taken by professional photographers using models. To use them you only need to give credit with a caption or buy a subscription starting from $13. Also, Moose has tools to make collages and to customize certain aspects of the photos.
Check it out here.
If you need originality this site is for you. Just like Moose, Gratisography knows that common stock photos can be stiff, boring, or completely lacking in character and style. For this very reason, it stands out for the originality of its pictures, they all have a distinct look. Here you will find images with a spicy sense of humor, odd, in striking and unique color schemes. Maybe they won’t adapt to every project or taste, but they’re surely out of the box and might be just what you need. All the images are free to use and you don’t need to register to download them.
Check it out here.
We finish this list with a site that offers authentic, icons, illustrations, and photos. Just as with the last three options on the list, reshot wants to give a twist to what is usually found on free stock images. “No cost. No attribution. No worries” is one of their slogans. All the content on reshot is made by designers for designers which makes them nice to look at. You don’t need to register, you can download directly. For these reasons, Reshot makes image search easier without lacking on the design.
Check it out here.
Did you think that was it? Wunderstock deserves an honorary mention. This image bank has millions of options for your project, plus it shows extended results, as it can link to Flickr to give you more photos. It has a different variety of what is found in Unsplash or Pixabay and a very different style from other sites like FreePik. When searching you can filter by photo orientation, license type or where the images come from (directly from WUnderstuck or Flickr). An excellent option to give visual material to your projects.
Try it out here.
These sites with free stock images are very diverse. It is in you to decide what you’re looking for to adapt to the options they have to offer. There will be occasions where you may need something unique and other in which you may need variety, for every case there are tools.
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