Are you in need of royalty-free images for your website? Let’s face it, no one wants to hang around on a site lacking images, videos, graphics, or clip art.
Nowadays, it’s pretty much a given that you’ll find colorful, photoshopped images, videos, and graphics on just about every WordPress site you come across.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s true. Our brains are naturally drawn to visuals, so having graphics and images on your website can make a difference in keeping visitors engaged.
When I first started out creating my own e-commerce site, I used to grab images from Google. Unfortunately, most of them were blurry and not quite what I was looking for. That’s when I discovered websites that offer royalty-free images.
If you are new to WordPress then you should know that there are plenty of sites out there where you can find high-quality images for free. You can use these images on any type of blog or start a blog of your own.
These sites not only offer top-notch images, but they also give you a free license to use them on your website or anywhere else you’d like. Pretty cool, right? No more scouring Google or resorting to swiping someone else’s images.
Here, I’ve rounded up some of the best sites where you can score high-quality, royalty-free images that are free from copyright restrictions.
Some of these sites offer free images, while others have premium options where you can purchase a subscription for access to even more quality images. So, whether you’re looking for freebies or willing to invest a bit, there’s something out there for everyone.
Pexels – Best Stock Images for commercial use
Established in 2014, Pexels offers top-notch stock photos for free under the Pexels license. With thousands of tags, categories, and high-quality images, you can use them for any commercial purpose. Not only does Pexels provide great quality images, but you can also download videos from their site.
Pexels has a vast collection of images that are perfect for commercial blogs, websites, products, or anywhere else you need them. You can even submit your own creative photos to Pexels through their Challenges and have a chance to win awesome prizes.
Plus, you can download images straight to your mobile phone with their Mobile Apps available for both Android and iPhones. They have a variety of cool wallpapers for your phone, including black and white, birthday images, new images, HD wallpapers, and tons of vintage images – all available for free download.
Unsplash – Website for Royalty-Free Images
Unsplash is a fantastic website where you can find amazing images for free to use for your commercial projects. The images are available under the Unsplash License, which is similar to the Creative Commons Zero license. Unsplash was founded in 2013 by Montreal-based entrepreneur Mikael Cho. It started with just 10 images on Tumblr, and now, every second, 10 new images are added for download.
You can use Unsplash images for free and download wallpapers, PNG images, IOS apps, Google Chrome themes, and tons of other images for any category you can think of. While it’s not required to give credit to the photographers, it’s always nice to show appreciation for the incredible effort they put into capturing such stunning pictures.
Pixabay – Website for Copyright Free Images
Pixabay, founded in 2011 in Germany, is an awesome website where you can find tons of free stock images, videos, vector graphics, and illustrations from all over the world. No matter what you’re looking for, Pixabay has got you covered with high-quality images to suit your needs. Plus, they even have their own API that developers can use to create cool Mobile Apps.
The best part? You can use Pixabay images on any commercial website or blog without any worries. When you download the free images, you can choose the dimensions and size that work best for you. And hey, it’s always nice to give credit to the photographers who took those amazing shots, but it’s not required.
If you’re curious about who the talented photographers are behind the images, you can filter your search to find out. And if you’re feeling inspired to join the Pixabay family, you can create an account and start submitting your own images. How cool is that?
Kaboompics – Website for Free Image
Kaboompics is a cool website where you can snag some awesome royalty-free images for your commercial projects. It was created by Karolina, a talented website creator, photographer, and graphic designer. She’s a one-woman show that takes all the photos on Kaboompics.
This site is super popular among lifestyle, interior design, and specialized bloggers. Kaboompics has its own License, which you can check out on their official licensing page. It’s similar to CC, but you can’t share the images on other free image websites.
When you download images, you can pick the size that works best for you. You’ll find different shots from the same photoshoot in various sizes. Scroll down a bit, and you’ll see more details about the images you’ve downloaded, like the camera model, license, dimensions, number of downloads, and more. Pretty neat, right?
Stocksnap.io – Website for Free Stock Photos
Stocksnap is a fantastic website where you can discover stunning free stock images for all your commercial needs. From nature and animals to food and technology, you’ll find a wide variety of categories with no copyright worries. You can easily filter images by popularity, date, views, and downloads. Stocksnap operates under a Creative Commons (CC) license, allowing you to modify and use the photos however you like.
By creating an account on Stocksnap, you can save your favorite photos for easy access without having to search for them every time. While the photos are free to download, it’s always a nice gesture to give credit to talented photographers. You can even contribute your own photos by signing up for an account on Stocksnap. Happy browsing and creating!
Burst (by Shopify) – Website for Free Photos for commercial use
Burst is a fantastic resource for free stock images, powered by Shopify. It offers a vast collection of high-quality photos taken by talented photographers, perfect for anyone looking for images for commercial use. When you click on an image to download, you can view its name and description. You have the option to download high or low-resolution images, depending on your needs. You can also see the name of the photographer and give them credit if you wish.
At Burst, you can explore millions of images in categories like Food, Animals, Love, People, Fitness, and more. You can even join the community by submitting your own photos and becoming a contributor. If you’re unsure about the type of images to submit, the Burst Support team is always available to provide guidelines and assistance. Happy browsing and creating with Burst!
Reshot – Website for Free Icons, Illustrations, and Photos
Looking for some awesome stock-free images to use for your projects? Look no further than Reshot! They have a huge collection of photos featuring people, music, food, business, and more. And the best part? All the photos on Reshot are free to use under the Reshot License. You can edit, copy, crop, and use them for your commercial purposes without any hassle.
If you’re feeling inspired and want to share your own photos, you can easily get in touch with Reshot and submit your best shots. While it’s always nice to give credit to the photographers, it’s not required – totally up to you!
Check out their image packs for lifestyle, technology, flat lay, and a variety of other photos. Want to download a bunch of images from these packs? Just tweet to download them! Happy browsing!
Foodies Feed – Website for Free Food Pictures & Images
Foodiesfeed is a well-known website that offers free stock images of delicious food. The founder, Jakub Kapusnak, started the site to share his own food photos with people all over the world. As the site gained popularity, he invited other food photographers to contribute their images as well.
The goal is to provide high-quality images under the Creative Commons (CC) license, allowing users to download, edit, and use the photos for free commercial use.
Some of the popular tags on the site include top views, featured, and fruit, showcasing the work of talented photographers. You can easily download these images without having to sign up or log in. Remember to give credit to the photographers who generously share their work for free on the site. Happy browsing and enjoy all the mouth-watering images!
FreeImages – Website for Free Stock Images
Looking for some awesome free stock photos for your commercial projects? Look no further than Freeimages! We’ve got a wide selection of high-quality images that you can browse through to find the perfect fit for your needs.
Whether you’re looking for the latest images, popular picks, or editor’s favorites, we’ve got you covered. Our photos are categorized into sections like art & design, business, flowers, trees, celebrities, games, cartoons, and more. You can even check out collections from talented photographers and filter images based on files, downloads, latest uploads, and followers.
Want to know what camera was used to capture a specific image? We’ve got a section for that too! Once you’ve found your favorite images, simply login to save them to your account for easy access later on.
And don’t forget about our lightbox feature – perfect for organizing images for your blog or website. So what are you waiting for? Start exploring Freeimages today!
PicJumbo – Website for Free Images for commercial use
PicJumbo was founded by Viktor Hanacek in 2013. He’s not just a professional photographer, but also an online entrepreneur. He had a brilliant idea to create a photo-sharing website that could be used by bloggers, designers, and marketers all over the world. On PicJumbo, you can find all kinds of images – from abstract and architecture to the sea, nature, roads, and technology.
But wait, there’s more! You can even promote your own products on PicJumbo. And if you really love the site, you can become a Premium member to get access to even more amazing images every month. Plus, there’s a blog section where you can read up on travel adventures, get tips on using images, and much more. PicJumbo is basically a one-stop shop for all your photo needs!
Bonus – Premium Stock Photos
The list above includes some of the best free images you can use for commercial purposes. If you’re in the market for premium images, be sure to check out some of the top websites that offer high-quality options.
These sites are typically owned by leading photography companies or graphic design studios. To access their images, you’ll need to purchase a subscription package. Some packages are based on the types of images you need, while others are based on the number of photos you want to download. Once you have a subscription, you can download as many images as you need for your site.
These sites also offer plugins, apps, and APIs for developers to easily access and download images. Some even have affiliate programs that allow you to earn money by promoting their sites. If you’re a professional photographer, you can also submit your best shots to earn some extra cash.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the top premium companies that offer high-quality images.
Getty Images – Premium Stock Photos for commercial use
Getty Images Inc. was founded in 1995 by Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein. This visual media company is well-known for its royalty-free images that are available for commercial use. They offer stock photography, video, and music for both businesses and consumers. Getty Images has expanded its reach in the global market through various acquisitions of small stock photography companies.
You can use the Getty Images API to create your own image gallery for your website. They also have their own Android and iOS app where you can access millions of images with just a few taps. With plugins and extensions, you can easily download incredible images from the Getty Images library.
Some popular extensions include the Adobe Creative Cloud Plugin, Getty Images in WordPress.org, Getty Dropbox integration, New Tab for Chrome, and many more.
Shutterstock – Websites for Stock Images, Vectors, Music, and More
Shutterstock is an American company that provides stock photography, music, videos, and editing tools. It was founded in 2003 by programmer and photographer Jon Oringer and is headquartered in New York.
Shutterstock offers millions of royalty-free images, video clips, illustrations, vector graphics, and music beats that you can purchase based on your needs. Whether you’re looking for wildlife, abstract, art, beauty, fashion, or even celebrity images, Shutterstock has got you covered.
You can easily access Shutterstock through their mobile app, available for download on IOS and Google PlayStore. If you’re interested in partnering with Shutterstock, you can become an affiliate or a Reseller Partner. Professional photographers can also submit their photos to Shutterstock and get paid for their work.
DepositPhotos – Premium and Royalty-Free Images and Music
DepositPhotos is a company based in Florida, founded by Dmitry Sergeev in 2009 in Ukraine. They offer millions of royalty-free stock photography, footage, editorials, and vector images for commercial use. Whether you need abstract, celebrity, education, interior, or sports images, DepositPhotos has got you covered.
In addition to its vast image library, DepositPhotos offers referral programs, affiliates, and API programs for website integration. If you’re a talented photographer, you can contribute your work and potentially get paid for it. They also provide high-quality videos that are perfect for blogs or other commercial uses.
So, if you need images or videos for your projects, DepositPhotos has everything you need in one convenient place.
iStock – Website for Stock Images, Videos, and Vectors
iStock is a cool online stock photography website based in Canada. It was started back in 2000 by Bruce Livingstone as iStockphoto. This site has tons of stock photos, clip art, videos, illustrations, and audio tracks for you to use. It’s actually a subsidiary of Getty Images, which is pretty neat.
Here, artists, designers, and talented photographers can share their work and earn royalties and commissions. And the best part? You can even join in on the fun by becoming an affiliate partner.
Plus, there are some awesome plugins and extensions you can use, like the Adobe Creative Cloud Plugin and iStock DropBox integration. And if you want to download images for personal use, you can buy credits – super flexible and convenient.
Fotolia (now Adobe Stock) – Website for Stock Images, Templates, and Videos
Fotolia is a cool website where you can snag tons of awesome royalty-free images for your business needs. It was started back in 2004 by Oleg Tscheltzoff and is based in New York, with another office in Paris. Adobe swooped in and bought Fotolia in 2015, and they’re planning to merge it with Adobe Creative Cloud soon. Sadly, Fotolia will be shutting down in November 2019.
But don’t worry, you can still browse through a huge selection of images on Fotolia and sort them by popularity, date, downloads, size, price, and more. You can sign up for a monthly or yearly plan based on how many photos you need. They also offer top-notch videos, templates, collections, and editorial pics with all the latest tags.
And hey, if you’re a budding photographer looking to make some cash, you can even sell your pics through Adobe. So get snapping and start earning!
Conclusion
I hope you were able to find the right images for your website or commercial use. Did I forget to mention any other sites? Let me know if you need any more help!
Remember, having high-quality images on your website or in your marketing materials can make a big difference in how your audience perceives your brand. If you ever need assistance with editing or optimizing your images for the web, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help you make sure your visuals are top-notch and engaging for your audience
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