It’s all too easy to over focus on our words and opinions when we are creating a blogpost. After all, it’s the words that the search engines crawl for rankings and that drive people back again and again.
However, imagery is another incredibly important – and all too often – overlooked element.
For one, images help to assign meaning to your posts and to give context visually. For another, they help to break up the text and make your post more aesthetically pleasing – which helps to retain visitors and secure new visitors’ initial interest. It takes the average person 0.05 seconds to make a judgement about your website.
That translates to 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression on your visitor.
In 50 milliseconds, it’s doubtful the person has time to read much of your text. What does that mean? That means most people’s first impression of your blog is made based on the design and images, which the brain processes faster than text.
In short, images are the cornerstone of your site’s visual appeal.
However…
Royalty-free clip art is almost never a good idea. Most Google Images aren't copyright free. And, stock or custom photography usually come with a high price tag.
Deal Alert: StockUnlimited
If free stock photos are not your thing (in case you were building a commercial sites or running a large social media ad campaign) – check out Stock Unlimited AppSumo Deal.
Unlike many stock image resources that charge you per image or even according to the size of images that you choose, Stock Unlimited is subscription-based.
They are currently running a great deal at App Sumo. For a one-time fee of $49.00 (used to be $684.00), you can download as many images from their pool of over a million elements.
I say elements since they include not just photos but also images, templates, and even audio. You can browse their collection for individual element download or swipe entire collections at a go.
The plan doesn’t last forever though, and your fee will give you unrestricted access for three years at a time. If you aren’t happy with what you find there you can take advantage of their 60-day money-back guarantee.
30+ Free Stock Photo & Image Sites
Lucky for all of us bloggers, there are plenty of quality, free image sources out there. Below is a complete compilation of sites where you can search and download free images for your blog.
1. Pixabay
This one is my personal favorite due to the flexibility. There are no attribution requirements, meaning that you can do whatever you want with the images you get from this source. Additionally, it’s super simple to use – there’s even a simple search right on the homepage available before you even log in. You’ll get access to photos, vector images, and illustrations and can filter down as needed. Downloading the actual images is incredibly easy and, again, comes with options for image size (pixels and MB) so that the image you have in-hand is clear and quality for whatever your purpose might be (in my case, most likely online for your blog – no huge file size necessary).
Note: I call sites like Pixabay DWYW sites – “Do Whatever You Want” – which is awesome!
Visit online: https://pixabay.com/
2. Unsplash
Unsplash is another one of my favorites that makes securing free images incredibly easy. With a free account, your quantity of downloads is a bit limited – you get 10 photos every 10 days (or an average of one per day)… but unless you’re a mega poster, that will likely suit your needs. The files are hi-res, which makes them crisp, clear, and easily re-sizeable.
As is the case with Pixabay, the files are yours to do with as you please – no limitations. You will need to subscribe – which is really just a matter of providing your email address. Artists are constantly submitting new photos, so the database continues to grow and offer fresh content.
Visit online: https://unsplash.com/
3. Compfight
This photo source is a bit different than the first two in that the images take a slightly more indy approach in many cases. You will search using a simple search, then be able to filter down by license type, whether they include the originals, and other various licensing elements. To stay legally compliant and properly attribute the photos you use, you’ll need to be familiar with Creative Commons, a fairly common requirement in the creative world. You’ll have access to plenty of free photos, but also to images that cost money for use, so be careful as you go through the download process to ensure you know of any potential costs upfront.
Visit online: http://compfight.com/
4. Public Domain Pictures
As the name implies, this free image source specializes in providing images available through public domain (that’s how it provides them for free). Some of the images do come with release and licensing requirements, so be sure to thoroughly review each image and its attribution and licensing requirements to gain a full understanding (and stay legally sound). That sounds more daunting than it really is… This is actually a really cool site that provides unique imagery, thanks to photographers and creative professionals looking to sell work on an ongoing basis. All artists are vetted before submitting to ensure quality work… which then, becomes available to you! Happy searching.
Visit online: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/
5. Pikiwizard
Pikiwizard has over 100,000 completely free images on the site; with over 20,000 of those are exclusive to the image library. One main reason why I like Pikiwizard is because the site also come with a free, browser base image editor. Using this image editor, you can merge images, draw shapes, add texts, and even apply filters to images you found on Pikiwizard on the fly.
Visit online: https://www.pikwizard.com/
6. Alegri Photos
This is a fairly straightforward site, friendly for even the most novice of image providers to use. Browse among popular categories with the click of a button or search by keyword. You can also browse the newest images to the site by clicking on “Latest” or view popular images by clicking “Popular” from the top navigation. Images are very easy to share, thanks to the site’s built-in social media and share icons. Alegri Photos is a good resource if you’re short on time and need an easy find.
Visit online: https://www.alegriphotos.com/
7. Dreams Time
Dreams Time provides a nice array of images and image types, especially for a free resource. Browse by category, keyword, or image type. Also, while there is a free images section, this site also does offer paid options, so if you’re looking for free, stick to the “free images” link. If you’re willing to pay, you can expand your options to include everything from stock photography to vectors, web design graphics, and more. There is a promo available to download five or 10 images upfront for free – to take advantage, check out the subscription plans under pricing and plans.
Note: You will need to register an account and fill up your personal details before you can do a free download – which consumes slightly more time than the others above.
Visit online: https://www.dreamstime.com/free-images_pg1
8. Little Visuals
You know all of those “fun” boxes flying around right now that ship various goodies to your home on a monthly basis (think pet products, makeup samples, snacks, etc.)? Think of Little Visuals like that – but for your email account. This free image resource sends subscribers seven hi-res images via email every seven days. No, you don’t know exactly what you’ll get (nor do you get to choose), but that’s half the fun. You can use the images however you choose – so even if something isn’t quite up your alley right now, save the images to build your own image library… you never know when something will come in handy.
Visit online: https://littlevisuals.co/
9. Death to the Stock Photo
This is another photo of the month collection subscription service. It’s incredibly easy to join – you literally just enter your email address on the join page – and bam! Free photos come to your inbox every month. Again, you don’t get to choose what you receive and you’ll only get them when they send (no searching databases or filtering by keyword), but the photos are different from what you’ll find elsewhere and again are available at your full disposal for pretty much any use under the sun. Of note, there is a premium service available – check the site for full details.
Visit online: https://deathtothestockphoto.com/join/
10. Morgue File
Morgue File actually has a really impressive database of free photos that includes – at the time of this writing – more than 329,000 images. Not shabby for a free image resource! Beyond the free photos, it does pull in images from various other sources, such as iStock, Getty Images, and more – however, conveniently, it keeps those paid images and their sources separated on different tabs so that you have clarity into what will cost you and what won’t. Photos span pretty much every topic and style under the sun – well worth a look.
Visit online: https://morguefile.com/
11. Free Digital Photos
This site offers great transparency and ease of use, paired with up-front licensing information. The free photos are always available for any application you can think of (yes, including your blog) – but, should you need larger image sizes for reproduction purposes than are available through the free portion of the site, you can always upgrade for a fee. One of the nice things about this site is the navigability – it’s easy to search by keyword, or, if you don’t quite know what you want, peruse by clicking on any of the categories on the left side of the page.
Note: Did you notice that the quality of the image above is not as good as the others? This is because the original size of the image is W:400px. FreeDigitalPhotos.net is not the best place to be if you are looking for large free photos.
Visit online: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/
12. Creative Commons
You’ll hear about Creative Commons quite often in the image and creative world, particularly since it’s a bit of an industry leader in terms of copyright and licensing standards. This site amalgamates images available through other image sites, pulling them into one easy feed for users – and, importantly, it does so for free. However, because of that amalgamation, you won’t have quite as much control over the results you receive back. For example, a simple search for “cats” returns a smattering of pages – but many of the results are clipart. But, hey – who can argue with free?
Visit online: https://search.creativecommons.org/
13. Photo Pin
This easy-to-use photo site is every bloggers friend, providing an easy way to search, paired with a visually pleasing and non-intimidating interface. A simple keyword or keyphrase search will return loads of photos that you can then filter down based on license type and sort by recency, relevance, or ranked “interestingness.” How does it work? It pulls in photos from Flickr via an API and also searches Creative Commons (sound familiar?). If you are looking for something a bit more predictable, Photo Pin conveniently offers a discount code for iStockphoto.
Visit online: http://photopin.com/
14. Wikimedia Commons
Everyone’s heard of Wikipedia, but have you heard of Wikimedia? This is the jackpot for free, usable media assets. As of the time of this writing, this photo source has more than 23 million media assets available! Note that I said media assets – not photos or images. That’s because, in addition to static images and photography, you’ll also have access to video clips, drawings, animations, and more. Like I said, jackpot. Conveniently (and thankfully), there are some pretty sophisticated filtering tools to help you find the right media for your needs – search by keyword or topic, then filter by media type, source, licensing option, and more.
Visit online: https://commons.wikimedia.org/
15. Stock Photos for Free
As the name would imply, this is a source for free stock photos. Use either the simple search to search by keyword or browse based on pre-populated categories. There are currently more than 100,000 photos available – and importantly, your downloads are unlimited, meaning that you can download as many as you need without restrictions in quantity. All images automatically come with royalty free licenses, which removes any concern about copyright or licensing infringement – I love it when things are easy and clear. To start, you will need to create an account – but again, it’s free, so no worries there.
Visit online: https://www.stockphotosforfree.com/
16. Free Range Stock
To get started on this site, you’ll need to create a free account… assuming you actually want to download, that is. However, in the meantime, get the feel for it with the simple search that will pull in images based on the keyword or key phrase of your choosing. One nice thing about this site is that, beyond the qualification for a photographer to join and submit their work, the site puts some additional work into every image to ensure that it is of peak quality before they offer it for download.
Visit online: https://freerangestock.com/
17. RGB Stock
Membership to this image source is completely free, as are all of the images on the site. The licensing agreement is pretty straightforward and using the images for your blog shouldn’t provide any complications. That said, one thing that is nice is that, if you have questions about use or would like to use the photos beyond what is allowed per the licensing agreement, the site provides a link for you to contact the photographer – this is also a great way to get in touch should you love a particular artist’s work. In terms of navigation and usability, you can search either with a keyword or key phrase, by browsing pre-populated categories, or by browsing through Popular or even a particular artist’s work. It’s really straightforward, which saves time – an awesome trait in our world.
Visit online: http://www.rgbstock.com/
18. Image Finder
This free image resource is about as straightforward and clear as it gets. Simply type in your search keyword and receive a plethora of results in-line with your needs. Upon receiving you results, you will have the opportunity to filter by license type and to sort based on recency, relevance, or “interestingness.” In my experience, the images are all high quality, making an impressive use of low and highlights and composition. Another nice feature: you can download the size image that you need, ranging from small (180 x 240 approximately) to the original size (which will vary).
Visit online: http://imagefinder.co/
19. Wylio
This site makes use of the Creative Commons photo database, aiming to simplify the search and browse process. As a huge bonus perk, it has built-in editing tools which allow you to resize images with the click of a button. Additionally, it will create code to embed images on your pages as needed, simplifying the upload/download/enter URL process. There are more than 100 million free photos available – get started in just seconds by creating a free account.
Note: You can speed up Wylio signup process by signing in with your Google account
Visit online: https://www.wylio.com/
20. Pexels
All of the images available on Pexels are available under the Creative Commons Zero license, allowing you to access, modify, and distribute the images per your needs and as you see fit.
Visit online: https://www.pexels.com/
21. Free Photo Bank
As the name implies, this site offers you plenty of free photos. The sizes available for download is up to 2048 pixels. So you can choose the size that works best for your blog. You can browse the photos by clicking the category listed on the homepage. It will then bring you to the photos that grouped within that category. Again, because these are free images, odds are that you won't be the only one to use them – as a nice bonus feature, Free Photo Bank denotes photos that have been viewed the most times as “Most Viewed”. It doesn't tell you how often they've been used, but does serve as a handy indication.
Visit online: http://www.freephotobank.org/
22. Designers Pics
Images available through Designers Pics cover every topic under the sun… as an example, in perusing the homepage, today imagery ranges from a windmill to paper people chains, eggs, a marina… you get the idea. And that’s just the homepage. You can either browse the categories or search by your own keyword. All available photos are hi-res, which ensures a quality reprint and an image that will certainly appear nicely on your blog.
Visit online: http://www.designerspics.com/
23. Burst by Shopify
Burst by Shopify is a new free stock photo site with over 1,000 high-quality, Creative Commons Zero images.
Burst has a collection of product photography that, according to Shopify, follows trending business niches to help entrepreneurs make better products, websites, and marketing campaigns.
Visit online: https://burst.shopify.com/
24. FreeMediaGoo
Images available from this site covers themes like beach, aviation, buildings, and France. The site also offers some free stock digital backgrounds (realistic and surreal) and royalty free textures that you can use in your design elements.
Visit online: https://freemediagoo.com
25. StockSnap.io
This site has a huge collection of stock photos that are free to use. If you need higher resolution images, theirs are photographer quality. You can search this site easily. The example above is one of many that turned up when searching for the keyword “horse.” You can also refine the search by using more than one word. You can also cross-search by the most popular photos. New photos are added each week and these are Creative Commons Public Domain. That means you do not have to offer attribution.
Visit online: https://stocksnap.io
26. Public domain vectors
Vector art is a bit different than your typical photo inclusion, but can come in handy for miniature page graphics or even for design elements within your blog (think of simple graphics, signs or symbols). This site offers access to free vectors, but unlike many of the other free image sources, does not delve into photography or more intricate design elements. That said, it’s easy to use and you never know what you’ll find – definitely worth a peruse.
Visit online: https://publicdomainvectors.org/
27. Gratisography
This site is made up of photographs taken by photographer Ryan McGuire. He offers them free of any copyright restrictions and adds new pictures each week. You'll find some high level artistic photographs on this site, such as a can of coffee nestled in coffee beans, or a little boy writing graffiti on a wall. If you're looking for something unusual, this is the site to check out.
Visit online: https://www.gratisography.com/
28. NegativeSpace.co
Around 20 new photos are added to this site each week under CCO. They are searchable and high resolutions. They are also sorted by categories for easy browsing. You'll find a number of stock looking photos that are appropriate for business websites.
Visit online: https://negativespace.co/
29. Splitshire
This website is maintained by Daniel Nanescu, a web designer. The photos are free to use on websites, in magazines, etc. The site does utilize cookies and will ask you to agree to them upon your arrival. Categories include fashion, food, landscapes, street, nature, and many others. You can also search for images based on keywords.
Visit online: https://www.splitshire.com/
30. Picjumbo
Picjumbo is a terrific site for those who run any type of food related blog, because they have a wide assortment of food photos. All are royalty free with no attribution required. You'll also find categories such as animals, nature, and people.
Visit online: https://picjumbo.com/
31. Free Images
This directory of open source images has nearly 400,000 images. You can search by keyword, or browse through categories such as health and medical, transportation, education, people and families, holidays and festivals, and more. The images on this site cover a wide range of topics and styles. You do need to watch the specifics as some of the photos on this site do require attribution.
Visit online: https://www.freeimages.com/
Fair Use and Copyright
There are a lot of finer points to fair use of items and copyright issues.
To be on the safe side, you’re better off either purchasing the right to use a photo or using a free image that has been marked as Creative Commons CC0 license. This is basically where the artist has waived his or her copyright of the photo and is releasing it to the public to be used in any way. The original author does not have to be attributed with CC0, although it is a nice thing to do.
There are also a variety of litmus tests as to whether something is fair use – You can find the details in the article I mentioned above.
Wrapping up…
With so many free stock photo sites available – and millions of free photos at your disposal – there’s no reason to avoid using images on your blogs. The visual is a critical element of every post – so get searching!
Read more:
- 7 Shutterstock alternatives to get quality images
- Best web hosting for small busiuness
- How to build an online store using Shopify
- How to create your first WooCommerce Store
- Popular AppSumo alternatives to save money
- Understanding fair use and what photos can and can’t be used
- Where to buy cheap stock photos
