Free Images for Commercial Use: Best 13 Stock Photo Sites

Did you know the human brain can process an image within 13 milliseconds? This means using images is the fastest option for capturing the attention of the target audience. 

But why do people prefer using images on their blogs, social media posts, and other options? It’s because images tell stories and evoke emotions. They can convert an ordinary webpage or blog into something attention-grabbing and eye-catching. 

However, there’s a catch. Many website owners struggle to find the perfect free photo, not because of their availability but due to their copyright protection. 

So, you may ask me, how can you get images that are not copyright protected? Well, you need to read this article to the end to get that information. 

In this article, I will share the best ways to get free images for commercial use. I will also highlight some of the best websites to download stock and free images. Let’s get started. 

What are the legal constraints for finding free images?

Why can’t you download images from Google? I’m sure you can find countless relevant images. But I suggest you should never use them blindly. 

This is because most of the images are owned by someone. Whoever created or clicked these photos is their sole property, and they hold the copyright. 

Online images have different licenses that identify the creator. Most people don’t know about these licenses and use them on their websites. The result? A solid copyright strike and your webpage is history. 

Remember, people copyright their images as soon as they upload them online. If you don’t know which image is copyright-protected or which one is free, you need to use it correctly. Better safe than sorry, right?

Different types of online images

But don’t be scared. Just because a few images are copyrighted doesn’t mean all of them are. Before discussing in-depth, let me share the different types of images. 

1. Copyright-free images

Images that are no longer subject to use limitations by law are considered copyright-free. This might result from the author granting everyone free access to use it for whatever reason, or it could be because the copyright has expired. 

You are not even obliged to provide credit, but it would be kind, as they are freely accessible. 

2. Royalty-free images

Pay close attention to what I’m saying. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that royalty-free images are free. 

Typically, when you use some copyright-protected image for your commercial use, the creator will receive an ongoing payment. The payments you make are called royalties. 

The rights of royalty-free images are sold once. The fee will vary, and using that specific image will come with specific attribution. 

However, remember that the creator will still have the copyright. Thus, they can determine how you use that image. While some are for commercial use, others are only for private use. 

3. Designed images

Designed images are customized graphics. These images are primarily used to support the overall information on your page. 

For example, I used to use the designed images on my website. Upon adding them, I realized that they can boost the overall aesthetics and originality of your website or blog. 

You will see designed images mostly on landing pages. Why? It’s because these images can grab attention instantly, helping users gain relevant information in a fraction of a second. 

4. Vector graphics

Computers are used to create vector graphics, which are made up of points, lines, and curves. They are made using a series of mathematical commands or equations rather than pixels. You can thus scale the visuals up or down with confidence that they won't ever get distorted or fuzzy. 

Vector graphics are excellent for creating logos since they are made up of fluid shapes and lines. Your logo will be sharp and clear whether it's shown as a tiny favicon on your website or as a massive billboard.

5. Free stock images

Not all images have copyright protection. Certain photographs in the public domain are unprotected by copyright and can be used as the user pleases. These kinds of free high-resolution images are distributed through free stock photo websites.

Many of the images on the following websites are registered under Creative Commons Zero (CC0), which implies that copyright is not applicable. As such, you can use the photos for commercial or personal purposes. 

Even so, you should exercise caution when utilizing free images since it's conceivable that someone posted a copyrighted image to an online resource for free stock photos without authorization. You might utilize a reverse image search engine to determine whether a picture is protected by copyright.

How to Get Free Images for Commercial Use?

It all boils down to this question. How to get free images for commercial use? I know using copyrighted images on your blogs and websites will bring severe consequences. 

I faced a similar situation before, where I had mistakenly used a copyrighted image on my website. And boom – next day got a copyright strike from the image owner. 

After that, I never used any copyrighted image. So, how do I manage to use images on my wesbite? Simple – using the best free stock photo sites. 

 I have tested multiple websites that provide free stock photos to users. While some are mediocre, others are excellent. Let me share my list of the best stock photo sites that offer free images for commercial use. 

1. Unsplash

Unsplash is the best website to get free stock images for commercial use. While there are other tough competitors, do you know why I picked it as the best? Because of its reliability and reputation. 

Unsplash supports native apps like an Android photo picker, an iOS app, desktop apps, and Apple TV apps. 

Unsplash

• Beautiful free images
• Wallpapers
• Relevant categories
• Trending searches

Now, how about the API? This is where Unsplash gave an excellent surprise. Its API is integrated into famous tools like Trello, Notion, Figma, and Squarespace. The benefit? You can find high-quality stock photos without switching platforms. 

Unsplash is also super easy to use. Just type a relevant keyword and it will give you hundreds of free images. Browse them and pick the most relevant one based on your needs. 

If you’re uncertain of your requirements, Unsplash also got you covered. You can access the category tabs on the top of the homepage. Choosing a category will provide relevant images according to it. 

It also supports a Chrome extension that can randomly select a background image upon browser opening. This will ease the effort of searching for new images.

2. Pixabay

Don’t get me wrong, Pixabay is also my favourite. But as it has a more cluttered interface than Unsplash, I give it second position. 

With over 4.1 million images, Pixabay can also help you get free images for commercial use. From free vector graphics to high-quality free illustrations, you can find the perfect photo on Pixabay. 

Pixabay

• Free videos
• Royalty-free music download
• Free stock videos
• Exploration tab

Just like Unsplash, click on the Images options next to the search bar to find the specific image. When you get familiar with its advanced search engine, you can search for images more thoroughly. 

Pixabay help you search by orientation, photographer, color, or even size. Great to find beautiful free stock images, right?

It also comes with a feature known as Editor’s Choice. The Pixabay teams choose the best images and include them in this section. Click on the Explore option and put their creativity limits to the test. 

If you’re looking for a hand-drawn image or professional-looking photos, Pixabay should be your go-to option. While finding royalty free new images can be tricky on other stock photo websites, it’s comparatively easy on Pixabay. 

3. Pexels

Using a source that works well with simple graphic design tools might be beneficial if you want to utilize stock photographs in social media graphics or other visual projects. 

Pexels is a quick and simple website that provides a large selection of free images and videos for your upcoming project. 

Pexels

• Free background images
• Free photos
• Free 4k stock videos
• Image and video API

Additionally, you have the option to search by color and by popular collections. You can instantly alter stock photographs or use them as the foundation for a new design. 

But how Pexels achieve that? Behold – its collaboration with Canva. It’s one of the few free stock websites that have collaboration with Canva. 

You may also access and modify stock photographs straight from within Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch, thanks to the tool's extra plugins.

But there’s something I should share. I saw a few Reddit users complaining that images drom Pexels are giving them copyright-strike. 

While I cannot completely trust their words, you should take some precautions. As I’ve said before, better safe than sorry. 

4. Burst

Burst is another website where you can get free images for commercial use. Why rely on Burst, you may ask? This is because Burst is a free stock site powered by Shopify, one of the leading eCommerce platforms. 

Burst offers hundreds and thousands of free stock images. They include graphics, illustrations, vector images, and many more. 

Burst

• Free stock photos
• Ready for commercial use
• Vast library
• New collection

These images can make your content or webpage more appealing. As it’s backed by Shopify, it provides mostly business-oriented photos. 

For instance, if you have an eCommerce or retail business, you will find Burst more beneficial than other stock image websites. 

It has 28 different categories. Most of them also feature sub-categories. The primary aim of categorization is to help users find what they are looking for. 

I am using Burst for the last few years and never faced any hiccup searching and downloading images. However, the website suffers from occasional lag. Sometimes, it fails to offer images relevant to your search query. 

Don’t worry! Just refresh the website or remove your search query. It will start functioning again as if nothing happened. 

5. New Old Stock

Looking for vintage photos? As the name suggests, New Old Stocks publishes old photos from public archives. If you want vintage photos to compliment your blog or website, scroll through this site, and you will find a perfect image. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have as much variety or stock as the other free stock image sites. Also, not all images are free to use for commercial purposes. 

New Old Stock

• Vintage photos
• Free to use
• Access to public archives
• B&W photos

When you land on this notice, you will receive a notice. It says that users should check the owners' rights statement before using the images for commercial purposes. 

Despite giving it fifth position on my blog, I don’t like its search functionality. In fact, you won’t even get any option to filter photos. 

This is a basic feature that can be found on most free commercial image websites. So, if you’re not desperate to get vintage free images for commercial use, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. 

New Old Stock specializes in free vintage and retro-looking photos. If your project needs a touch of nostalgia or a classic vibe, New Old Stock is a goldmine.

6. Freepik

You were waiting for this, right? Freepik is a popular name in the free image downloading-industry. In fact, it was the first website I ever used to download free images. 

While Freepik has continuously decreased the amount of free pictures, the quality is still superb. Let me highlight it further. 

Freepik

• Background images
• Vector images
• Free PSDF templates
• Free version

Freepik was founded with the intention of providing the highest calibre material to both individuals and businesses. 

Over the course of its 18 million monthly users, the company has gained a devoted following. The website focuses on artistic artwork, vector graphics, and photos.

You can choose between the free and premium images available on Freepik. The vast library of stock photos won’t disappoint you. 

But, the premium plan will give you access to a more refined library. From vectors to videos, the premium plan is worth every penny. 

However, there’s one important thing you need to know. Freepik will require attribution if you want to use the stock photos. This applies for both personal and commercial use (only for the free plan). 

7. PicJumbo

Initially started by photographer Viktor Hanacek, my list would be complete without PicJumbo. If you ask me which platform gives the best stock images, I will, of course, recommend PicJumbo as one of the best options. 

It offers instant download without any registration process. You don’t even need to worry about sign-ups or payment details. 

PicJumbo

• 100% free stock photos
• 4k image quality
• Easy one-click downloading
• Vast category

Just choose the photo you want, and click on the download button. While your photo is downloading, you will have a voluntary donation option. Not mandatory or pushy, something I admire from the bottom of my heart. 

Now, I really don’t have words to explain about the picture quality of the images. In short, it’s amazing. The collection of free images, the attention to detail, the interface – everything is honed to perfection. 

And trust me, the images are not 1080p, but 4K – the only website that offers 4K images for free. I am so flabbergasted that by the time I wrote this article, I had downloaded an image for testing and immediately fell in love with it. 

I previously used HDQwalls, but now I will use PicJumbo. The downloaded photo is currently my desktop wallpaper, just to give you a heads-up regarding Picjumbo's image quality and genre. 

The best part? You can use the images for both commercial and personal use. Don’t forget to subscribe to their newsletter, and you'll receive free images for commercial use delivered right to your inbox. 

8. Flickr

Flickr is one of the most popular social media networks for photo sharing. With 10 billion images, this site connects photographers from all over the world. 

One thing I appreciate most about Flickr is its ability to place artists front and center. When you land on its homepage, you will be invited to join the ever-growing community. 

Flickr

• Free photos
• Simple interface
• Relevant images
• API methods

Another eye-catching thing of Flickr is that you can search not only by the image keyword, but by group or people. Go to any contributor’s profile and see their most popular and latest images. 

Flickr is the best platform to discover talented photographers and connect with them. If you like their work, don’t forget to pass on your appreciation and feedback. 

The images on Flickr contain rich metadata such as EXIF data, geolocation information, tags, and more. And if you’re a camera enthusiast, you can use the Camera Finder option to see the most popular cameras used by people on Flickr. 

However, remember that not all photos on Flickr are free to use, especially for commercial purposes. But you can find out which images are free to use. 

Just search an image, and then click on the Any License option from the dropdown menu. Then, select the Commercial user allowed option. 

9. Stockvault

Stockvault has a respectably huge selection of excellent pictures. Just over 16,000 stock images from 4,000 photographers are available. A Creative Commons attribution license applies to all pictures.

But don’t get your expectations high in terms of image quality. The stock images available on Stockvault are of 1080p quality, not 4k. I’d say it’s pretty magnificent, given that you’re not paying anything. 

Stockvault

• Free stock photos
• Vector images
• Free textures
• Free illustrations

Stockvault wasn’t always a place to get free images for commercial use. It was created by Bjorgvin Gudmundsson in 2001 as a personal site. Later, it became one of the most widely used sites for getting free images for commercial use. 

Remember that keyword tagging is quite basic here. Thus, consider exploring the search option and its relevant categories. 

You can download logo templates, pictures, textures, clip art, and backgrounds without creating any account on the site. Stockvault also features a user-friendly interface. 

Stockvault excels in user-friendliness. Their website is clean and straightforward, making browsing and downloading images a breeze.

10. 123RF

I need to confess something. While the websites will help you get free images for commercial use, they often provide AI-generated images. 

If you’re like me who prioritize human work m ore than those AI-generated synthetics, you’re in for a treat. Introducing 123RF, one of the best sites to get free stock photos. 

123RF

• AI image generator
• Stock photography
• AI background blur
• Smooth image creation

In my opinion, 123RF is the most practical choice since, although it provides stock photos created by AI, you have the ability to exclude such results. 

With both types of images collected in one location, you don't have to guess which is which, which greatly simplifies your picture search.

Additionally, 123RF streamlines your search for free stock photographs for Instagram or other social media platforms.

In addition to offering a wide range of free images and vector graphics, the stock picture website also enables you pick from a number of download sizes. These include Facebook covers, email headers, brochure cover, and Pinterest post. 

123RF is clean and highly navigational, something I adore a lot. Opting in for a premium version will give you more advanced features like AI copyrighting, AI image generation, premium audio, etc. 

11. Pixel Perfect Digital

Just as the name suggests, Pixel Perfect Digital provides polished images for all of its users. While I was going through the website, I foimd the illustrations specifically are mind blowing. 

They claim that there are over 65,000 images present on their website. But the photos, when combined altogether, looks quite small in number. This is because some other competitors has billions of images on their site. 

Pixel Perfect Digital

• Easy downloading
• Simple interface
• No payment terms
• Good image quality

But, the images undoubtedly look good. I assume only the professionals upload images on this site, as the stock images are indeed of very high quality. 

Each photo comes with a unique backstory. I really admire this feature as it helps me know its roots, why the photo was taken, and what aspects are associated with the images. 

You can either use the basic search option or browse the category. I recommend browsing the category to see the most unique images. 

Pixel Perfect Digital is made of print designers and web designers, given its excellent photo resolution. You can also use it even for commercial purposes. 

12. Rawpixel

Rawpixel is more than your ordinary stock photo sites. It’s a home for all types of visual projects like stickers, vectors, public domain art, fonts, and more. 

It’s the perfect one-stop solution for your stock image needs. What’s better than using a creative platform to get free images for commercial use? 

Rawpixel

• Free stock photos
• Free vectors and PNGs
• 1080p wallpaper
• Excellent designs and templates

While testing Rawpixel, I was really impressed with its intuitive and thorough search feature. You can sort the search results by new, popular, or curated options. 

You can also narrow down your search based on the type of content you want. You can even choose whether you want AI-generated images or not. 

I also find its site highly navigational. But, due to its fewer variations in images, I couldn’t rank it higher. Nevertheless, Rawpixel can help you get your creative juices flowing. 

Rawpixel is a strong contender for creatives who need a comprehensive library of high-quality stock photos, illustrations, and other visual assets.

The subscription plans and on-demand purchasing offer flexibility, but the lack of a robust free tier and potentially higher pricing compared to some competitors might be drawbacks for casual users.

13. Shutterstock

You might be surprised to see Shutterstock here. Not because it’s a completely different platform, but its position on my list of best sites to get free images for commercial use. 

Shutterstock provides music, stock photography, footage, and editing tools. It’s undoubtedly one of the best platforms to get royalty-free photos. 

Shutterstock

• AI image generation
• Advanced search filters
• Integrations with creative tools
• Licensable content

To this date, Shutterstock has more than 350 million free photos stored on its platform. The list also includes sound effects, templates, videos, and more. 

Shutterstock provides simple editing tools to customize the images based on your needs. Whether you need to change the font or remove the background, Shutterstock can do it seamlessly. 

Last year, Shutterstock added another feature – an AI image generator. While I’m not a s fan of this feature, its AI image-generation capabilities are worth trying. 

Just give a prompt, and Shutterstock will generate a perfect image. But the output will depend on your prompts. This is why I suggest you learn a thing or two about prompt engineering. 

Now, coming to a main point. Do you know why Shutterstock scored such a lower position on my list? Because it’s not completely free. 

Yes, you can download the first ten images for free, but more than that will require a premium subscription. You can purchase monthly or yearly subscriptions, along with one-off payments for the images. 

Ready to Get Free Images for Commercial Use?

While stock images can make your webpage and content visually appealing, they cannot compete with your own high-quality images. 

I agree that creating high-quality images may not always be possible, but this is the only way to stay true to your unique self. This is important, especially if you’re running an eCommerce business. 

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a hassle-free and quick way to find images, make sure you try these free image sites. They are free for commercial use. 

I hope you found this blog informative. Which site do you use the most? Make sure you let me know in the comments. 

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