| Disclaimer: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. |
As a blogger, I’ve done my fair share of looking for pictures. If you have been blogging or using online pictures, hopefully, you realize that you can’t use just any old picture you find on the internet. As in, you can get in really big trouble for using a picture that you don’t have permission to use. Because of this, bloggers and store owners are often stuck either paying quite a bit for a picture or scouring the web for free, commercial use pictures. I’ve put together a list of my top five favorite websites to get free images.
Note: Make sure to read the licenses yourself. I’m not making any guarantees on usage permissions. The licenses may have changed.
1. Unsplash
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Unsplash has been my favorite source for free pictures for years now. The quality is awesome! And there is a whole bunch of pictures to choose from. This is my go-to destination when looking for pictures. All of the pictures on Unsplash are completely free for personal and commercial projects with no credit required although appreciated. Read their license page for more information.
2. Pexels
Photo by andres chaparro from Pexels
Pexels is another great resource for finding free commercial use pictures. It is usually the second place I check when looking for pictures. Like Unsplash, Pexels has a lot of great pictures and most are really good quality as well. Check out their license page for the full details. Also, the only reason I used this picture is because that doggie is super duper cute! 馃檪
3. Stocksnap.io
Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Stocksnap.io
Stocksnap.io has a good variety of pictures. You may need to do a little more searching to find exactly what you are looking for. Overall, I feel the quality of pictures on Stocksnap.io is not quite in the rankings with Unsplash and Pexels. However, it is definitely worth looking through. All pictures on Stocksnap.io are free for personal and commercial use. Check out their license information.
4. Burst.shopify
Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst.shopify
Admittedly, Burst.shopify is a new one to me. I haven’t really used them a ton yet, but what I have seen has been impressive. Their collection of photos seems to be top-notch and the same goes for the quality. You should definitely check them out. The photos are good to go for commercial purposes. Take a look at their terms.
5. Pixabay
Pixabay has a vast collection of pictures. You may need to sort through them a little to find the best quality photos, but Pixabay offers many options. One really awesome thing about Pixabay is they have videos and vectors in addition to photos. I believe Pixabay was not always 100% commercial use but now is. So, check them out if you get a chance. Here is their license.
Be Aware
Although these sites offer free for commercial use photos, be aware that there are circumstances that may affect this. Certain big name companies or big name buildings/locations do not permit the use of their products even in photos. So, just be careful when using photos that have branded items in them. Copyright laws can be a pain tricky. If you are ever questioning whether a photo or any other element is safe to use, it is always best to be safe than sorry. You can contact the correct person for your answer or find a different photo entirely.
Please remember to read the license information for yourself before using any of the sites I have mentioned.
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Last but Not Least
Free photos are a great way to get started with blogging or other marketing needs. Sometimes however, paid photos will be just what your brand/company needs to stand out from the crowd. That is great too! It is great to be able to support photographers and artists in their endeavors. A big shout out to all photographers who allow us to use their pictures for free — you guys are the best!
Do you have any websites with free photos that you love? Please feel free to share them below!
