15 websites where you can download free stock photos

Notice: This post was updated on September 17, 2021
I was searching through several free stock photo websites the other day while putting together content for a niche blog. Since it’s the beginning of the New Year, I thought, why not make a list of some good websites that offer quality photo stock images that online marketers can download and use for their own sites. Of course, some marketers may already be familiar with these sites, but there are just as many who might find these resources worthwhile and helpful. If you use or know of other stock photo sites that can benefit individuals, let us know through the comments below.
You can literally find hundreds of sites that offer a variety of options for accessing free stock photos that you can download for either personal use or commercial projects. Many of them offer totally free downloads of stock photos and images, however, there are some that are premium only and require a fee for individual download or even a paid membership in order to download photos. There are some sites that allow visitors to download everything they’ve chosen and some sites that require individual downloads. Many of the free stock photos available are generally available in high-resolution. Although, some sites may offer somewhat lower quality as compared to others.
Some sites will also provide a variety of photo categories while others might be more niche specific. I’ve narrowed down the search to what is more manageable for you in finding the photos you need for your projects. These 15 free stock photo websites should provide enough options in selecting the right photos for whatever creative project you have in mind. So, here they are:
Pixabay (I would say it’s one of the most popular with online marketers) offers a huge variety of stock images that are free of copyright. All pictures on the website are accredited under the Creative Commons CC0. Visitors can copy, modify, share and utilize the stock pictures, even for commercial ventures. Image Credit: Pixabay
Unsplash has fast become a popular place for photo enthusiasts with a collection of brilliant and stunning images for free download. Image Credit: Unsplash
Foodiesfeed (can you guess by the name) is geared towards food projects. So, whether it’s a food blog you operate or even a gardening website, Foodiesfeed has the images for you. Image Credit: Foodiesfeed
Pexels offers free stock images to help developers create original items and stunning styles. It provides some high quality stock pictures which are free under the CC0 license. Everything is easy to find with search results. Image Credit: Pexels
StockSnap includes hundreds of beautiful stock pictures devoid of copyright constraints. Like most stock photo sites, StockSnap makes searching easy. Image Credit: StockSnap
Kaboom Pics provides spectacular stock photos offered for more expert use as well as individual use. Image Credit: Kaboom Pics
ISO Republic, provides free high resolution images that are perfect for online business and individual projects. Image Credit: ISO Republic
PicJumbo offers both free and premium stock images for expert and individual use. You’ll discover that a lot of the images available are totally free. Image Credit: PicJumbo
Realistic Shots offer high resolution free stock photos for both commercial and personal use. Photos are split into five different categories – architecture, nature, people, travel and technology. Image Credit: Realistic Shots
Gratisography supplies a variety of high-resolution stock pictures that are free of charge. All photos are free of any copyright limitations and can be utilized for company or personal jobs. Image Credit: Gratisography
Negative Space is sort of a hub based site that provides stock pictures for free. It’s kind of like a gathering place for photographers and photo enthusiasts who want to share the pictures they’ve taken. Stock images are free for commercial and individual use. Image Credit: Negative Space
Free Nature Stock is a photo website that somewhat specific to nature. Images of the outdoors, sundowns, sunrise and mountains are pretty much universal on the site. Image Credit: Free Nature Stock
Burst is a popular image site that is powered by Shopify. There are numerous images that cover a variety of categories for both commercial and personal use. Image Credit: Burst powered by Shopify
Free Stocks Photos provides free to use photos for commercial projects and individual use. Categories are broken down into – animals, architecture, fashion, food/drinks, nature, technology, and people. Image Credit: Free Stocks Photos
Reshot claims to have hand picked images that are not considered generic like some stock photo sites. All stock photos are free to use for both personal and commercial. Image Credit: Reshot
Notice: While the phrase ‘free stock photos’ might seem self-explanatory, it could also be somewhat of a broad term or even misleading. Just remember, Free or Not, ALWAYS check the license or terms of the photos that you download. Each website should have its own terms of use or license for the photos they are hosting. Read through the license and make sure you have the right to use the individual photos or images you are downloading. The image below features what a typical license should look like along with any terms or conditions of use.
There you go, 15 websites where you can download free stock photos for your blog and other web pages. I hope you enjoy the photo sites and find the perfect images for all your projects.
Remember, make it happen!
Danny from Danko Marketing Online