Looking for free photo download websites?
Photos or images are an integral part of modern visual content for websites, apps, social media feeds. It’s not possible to use product photography all the time, regardless of the context. And you’re likely to become bored soon enough with all the similar SERP images.
Finding the perfect photo, rather unique and fitting to your needs, will cost you extra bucks. Lucky for you, there are still websites you can navigate for great photos without charges. And we’re not talking about free websites with cheap, insufficient, poor collections.
Ranging from thousands to millions, there are websites to keep you busy exploring many options. No matter whatever purpose you’re trying to fulfill, they have collections to cover your basics. We narrowed down the list to the five absolute best sites you better check.
Different License Types for Free Images
Some licensing terms are likely to get you confused while trying to view, download, use free photos. Having a clear idea can get you over the misunderstanding. The must-know terms are:
- Royalty-Free: No need to make any royalty payment or licensing fee to use the asset.
- Creative Commons: Permission to share, use, or create photos on a copyrighted image.
- Attribution: Providing the appropriate credit to the photographer while downloading.
- Commercial Use: Activities related to the application of an asset for commercial uses.
- Membership: Registering an account with the website is mandatory to use the assets.
Also, you’ll encounter the term ‘Stock Image/Photo’ now and then. From the commercial usability perspective, a photo refers to an image captured/taken for branding. But a stock photo pre-existing photo suitable for general business uses.
Let’s explore the best five websites where you can check for free images for any purpose.
01. Unsplash
A collection of over five million images clearly makes Unsplash the largest free photo-downloading site. Also, there are multiple plugins available to help with the overall access management. You can download its native app on mobiles (Android/iOS), Apple TV, and desktop/laptop.
The website even features a Chrome extension as well as a native API for instant integration with tools. A distinctive feature is its ‘collections’ sections, different from the standard categories. Simple yet good UX makes the website the best option for finding similar pics of specific themes.
02. Pexels
Your visual projects and/or social media graphics are likely to require a handy pairing with designing tools. Pexels meet the demand rather well, allowing compatibility with graphic design tools. Still, the site contains many usable videos that respond fast while remaining free.
Don’t hesitate to use the color filtering option to utilize specific or preferred color palettes for the work. Pexels shares a partnership with Canva, letting you easily edit or use photos almost instantly. Additional plugins are there to grant access to Adobe, Figma, and/or Sketch.
03. Pixabay
All the 4.1+ million visual contents are free to use; consisting of images, vector graphics, and videos. It’s a website to hosts excellent illustrations rather suitable for professional-level uses. Pixabay features lots of royalty-free images which are challenging to manage without premium.
You can start searching images right from the homepage’s search bar. There’s an advanced search option to find the desired visual representation by colors, sizes, orientations, or photographer. Don’t forget the ‘Editor’s Choice’ section to get pictures picked up by the Pixabay team.
04. Burst
Renowned e-commerce site Shopify is the one to run Burst, featuring thousands of exclusive images for free. An impressive collection of business-oriented pictures should help you boost commercial content. There are multiple subcategories embedded with the primary categories for easy searching.
Despite being powered by an e-commerce website, there are more photos to suit your projects. A great bonus to surf the site includes the ‘Resources’ and ‘Business Ideas’ sections. You can pump up the initiatives by going through the articles there. It may have the things to help you get the momentum.
05. New Old Stock
Mesmerizing vintage photos from the public archives should make you feel the old times through pics. Even the website’s interface is unbelievably simple, compared to standard image sites. Keep scrolling and/or click on ‘next’ at the bottom to find anything to catch your eye.
It’s indeed a variation to exist amidst all the modern, colorful, and rich websites with many limitations. Not all the images are free, requiring you to check out owner statements. There aren’t many categories either. You may use the barely visible search bar on the top-left corner.
Wrapping Up
Free websites can’t provide absolutely unique or exclusive photos you might be looking for projects. Check into niche photography websites to find your match. Otherwise, you’ll have to opt for premium options to fulfill your needs.
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