While stock photography is great and all, sometimes our budgets just won’t allow it. Here are some of our favorite ‘go-to’ free stock photography sites that are easy to use and have amazing content:
pexels.com
By far the best selection of free stock that I have come across on the web. You can browse their images through categories like popular searches, popular photos, photos by color, etc. or search for images by keywords. Their license is pretty straightforward: it is a Creative Commons Zero license. This means the images on this site are free to use for any legal purpose AND you don’t have to be a member to access them! It’s a win-win for everyone! Check it out here.
picjumbo.com
Another fantastic free stock site with some grade A quality images. With this site, you don’t need to be a member, but if you do sign up they send out weekly e-newsletters to let you know when they upload new content. If you are not a fan of browsing through their site they offer an option for you to download ALL of their images (Wow!). Like pexels.com, this site allows you to use their images for free in any application. However, they do offer a premium option for subscribers who are interested in receiving 30+ exclusive stock photos that have never been published. Check it out here.
freepik.com
Not only can you get free stock from this site, but they also offer PSDs and Vector art to download. Unlike the last two, you will need to attribute the site for every download you use (this means adding either a code to your website or a bit of text in your print materials that mentions the designer/photographer and freepik.com). Good news, the attribution can be bypassed if you purchase a subscription in which you also receive premium vectors, no ads, and unlimited downloads. Check it out here.
wunderstock.com
Wunderstock is a growing site with 3+ million free-to-use images which makes it easier to find free photos for a wide range of people and build a diverse library of photos. They offer the ability to extend any search to Flickr (very useful for academic and niche topics). Additionally, you can edit images in-browser before downloading without needing to download any extra software. Check it out here.
