12 Best Free Stock Photo Sites For Professionals and designers

Free stock photo websites are a great way to find images that you can use for free. They offer high-quality images that you can use in your projects, and they’re usually free to use. These sites are also great places to discover new photographers and artists, and they often have an active community of users who contribute their own work. Some sites even let you download the images to use on your website or blog.

When you’re looking for free stock photos, it’s important to know what kind of images you want and how you plan on using them. You can search for specific keywords such as “photography” or “nature,” but this may not always yield results in line with your needs. It’s better to start by browsing through some of your favorite photographers’ portfolios or collections before narrowing down your search criteria further.”

So, If you’re a writer, designer, illustrator, or photographer looking for high-quality photographs that are completely free to view and use, these 12 stock photo sites are for you.

What is Stock Image?

Stock images are a type of stock media that can be used in any commercial or non-commercial project. They are typically obtained through an agreement between the owner of the image and the person who wants to use it.

Stock images can be obtained from a variety of sources, including online databases, websites, and physical paper catalogs. There are many different types of stock images available, including photos, drawings, vectors, and other artworks.

The main purpose of using stock images is to save time and money on projects where you may need to create something similar but don’t have the resources or expertise to do so yourself.

What is a CC0 license for Stock Images?

A Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license is a public copyright waiver that allows anyone to copy, distribute or adapt the licensed material for any purpose, even commercially. It does not require attribution.

A CC0 license is similar to a public domain dedication, but CC0 can be used for copyrighted content that may be ineligible for PD (like photos).

The CC0 license was first introduced in 2009 by Creative Commons and is now widely accepted by most stock photo websites.

Best Free Stock Photo Sites

1. Freestocks.org

Freestock.org home page
Freestocks.org

Freestocks.org is a website where creators may get royalty-free photographs and footage to use in their projects, blogs, and even novels. Freestocks makes it simple to find royalty-free images. The full collection is available for download. All files are free to use for personal or business purposes.

2. Pexels

Pexels.com home page
Pexels.com

Pexels is a website that provides free stock photos. It provides over 15 million royalty-free photos available for use in personal or commercial projects.

Landscapes, animals, people, food, and technology are among the photographs available in Pexels’ collection. There are other sections for specific hobbies such as architecture, sports and fitness, business, education, and entertainment, among others. You may look for photographs using tags like “clouds,” “night sky,” or “people.”

Don’t forget to read our article on 8 Best Ways to Monetize your Graphic Design Skills Online

3. Rawpixel

Rawpixel.com home page
Rawpixel.com

Rawpixel provides free stock photos for both personal and business usage. The site is simple to navigate, and the photographs are of good quality. Rawpixel is a great place to start if you want to add some flair to your designs!

The content on Rawpixel.com is all Creative Commons Zero (CC0), which means that anyone can use it however they want, even commercially, without obtaining permission from the photographer or paying any fees!

4. Freepik

Freepik.com home page
Freepik.com

Freepik is a fantastic free stock image site for designers looking for professional Photoshop templates and stunning stock photos. Over four million assets, ranging from vectors to graphics, are accessible for free on the site. To use Freepik’s stock for business or personal purposes, you must attribute it.

5. Pixabay

Pixabay home page
Pixabay.com

Pixabay is a website that offers free stock photography. The site has approximately 1 million photographs, which are divided into categories for easier navigation. Pixabay licences all of its photos under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licence, which means you can use any of them as long as you credit the creator and do not sell your work.

The website is very user-friendly, so even if you’re not used to using stock images in blogs or on websites, you should be able to find what you’re looking for quickly.

6. Free Images

freeimages.com home page
FreeImages.com

FreeImages is a royalty-free image search engine that allows you to find and use high-quality images for your website, blog, or social media posts.

This website features a diverse collection of images from around the world, with over a million new photos posted each week. You can browse by category or use the search option to discover exactly what you’re looking for.

7. Unsplash

Unsplash home page
Unsplash.com

Unsplash is a community of photographers who freely share their high-resolution photographs for any purpose. All photos are released under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which means you can use them however you want, even commercially. The site contains millions of high-quality images that are all free to use in any way you want.

8. Splitshire

Splitshire home page
Splitshire.com

The stock image industry is competitive, and as a result, many artists struggle to make ends meet. Fortunately, there is a new way to get high-quality stock images: splitshire.com!

Splitshire is a website that provides users with free stock pictures in exchange for providing feedback on photographs they have downloaded. It’s a win-win situation for both artists and consumers- artists get compensated for their work, and users enjoy free access to gorgeous photographs.

9. Stocksnap.io

stocksnap.io home page
Stocksnap.io

StockSnap.io is a fantastic site for finding free stock pictures. This is an excellent place to start if you’re searching for an easy way to start incorporating photographs in your blog entries and social media postings.

You can search for photographs on the site by phrase, color, or advanced search if you want more exact results. People and locations, animals, nature, food and drink, business concepts, technology and science, and more categories are also available on the site.

10. Deposit Photos

Deposit photos home page
Depositephotos.com

Deposit Photos is a stock photography website that provides both free and paid stock photos, as well as a wide range of additional products such as films and audio files. Deposit Photos, a terrific solution to make your material look more professional without breaking the bank, giving you access to millions of high-quality photographs that can be used across all media platforms.

11. Adobe Stocks Free Collection

Adobe stocks home page
Stocks.adobe.com

Adobe Stock is a collection of royalty-free stock images for professional use. Adobe provided the images, which range from business people and landscapes to nature scenes. These images are royalty-free, which means you can use them as many times as you want without paying additional fees.

Find free photos, vectors, and videos from Adobe that adhere to the same licencing standards as the company’s paid content. Simply create a free Adobe account and enjoy the free stock collection!

12. StockVault.net

Stockvault.net home page
Stockvault.net

Stockvault offers an extensive collection of more than one million high-quality photos on a variety of topics, which can be downloaded at no cost. The site’s creators include amateurs and professionals from around the world. The only caveat is that Stockvault has three different licenses for its images, so make sure to check the terms before you use a photo for your projects.

We hope you enjoyed our hand-picked collection of the best free stock photo sites! No matter your needs, budget or experience level, there should be a site here for you.

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FAQs

What is Stock Image?

Stock images are pictures and videos that are used commercially. They can be used in marketing materials, social media posts, and other business documents.

What are the Top Sites for Free Stock Images?

Here are the top sites for free stock images:
1. Pixabay
2. Pexels
3. Unsplash
4. Freepik
5. Raw Pixel

Do graphic designers use stock images?

Yes, graphic designers use stock images. Stock images are photos that have been licensed for commercial use and can be purchased for a small fee. Graphic designers use stock images to enhance their work or to create new designs from scratch.

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