The best free stock photo sites for designers in 2017
While it would sure be nice to use custom photography in every project you do, sometimes that’s just not quite feasible. Photography takes both time and money, and especially if you’re working with a client on a budget, it might not be in their cards. Luckily, free stock photos have really come a long way and actually provide decent options for those who need professional images at zero cost.
Whether you’re searching for blog images, looking for new homepage backgrounds, or just want some new photos to practice your Photoshop skills on, there’s sure to be a free stock photo that can help you get the job done. Just remember to always check the usage license for every photo you download. While these resources are all free, they have different attribution expectations, and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Ready to find some high-quality images? Check out our list of the best free stock photo sites for designers in 2017!
Pexels
Get this photo here.As far as free stock photo sites go, Pexels is a personal favorite of mine. (If you look around Layout, you’ll see quite a few from there!) Not only do they have a wide variety of images, but the search functionality is perfect if you’re looking for something specific like a beautiful desk scene or someone scrolling on a mobile device. Attribution is not required for any of the photos on the site.
Unsplash
Get this photo here.Unsplash features free, high-resolution photos that are perfect for any creative. They have some really stunning nature photography, or if you’re looking for something a little more tech-based, try browsing through their Office Collection. These images are Do Whatever You Want images, meaning no attribution is required.
Stocksnap.io
Get this photo here.This free stock photo site has a huge selection of images to search through. Not only can you search for specific subjects, but you can also sort photos by the date they were added or if they’re trending. It’s also not uncommon to discover several photos from the same shoot, allowing you to keep a consistent look with a variety of images. These photos fall under the Creative Commons CC0 license, meaning no attribution is required.
Pixabay
Get this photo here.Looking for more than just free stock photos? Try Pixabay – they also have free illustrations, vector graphics, and videos. Their search bar will even let you filter what type of media you’re looking for, that way you can find some assets super fast without wasting time looking for the wrong thing. All images on Pixabay do not require attribution.
Gratisography
If you’re looking for high-quality images that aren’t your everyday stock photos, Gratisography has you covered. The majority have some sort of surreal element, like gorilla hands typing on a laptop or people with exaggerated features. They won’t work with every project, but if you’ve got a quirky design style going on, this is the stock photo site for you. Attribution is not required, but there are some common sense rules that Ryan McGuire lists here.
Negative Space
Get this photo here.Negative Space recently redesigned their logo and site, creating a beautiful place to download free, high-resolution photos. You can search for specific images or browse categories like Technology and Work for some fantastic desk shots and computer images. These images fall under the CC0 license, meaning attribution is not required.
Picjumbo
Get this photo here.Picjumbo is another stock photo site with a bunch of wonderful options for any designer. If you’re not limited to only free photos, they also have a premium membership with some pretty sweet perks. Either way, you’re sure to find a high-quality image that works on your site. Attribution is not required, but you can find the whole list of terms here.
ISO Republic
Get this photo here.Along with stellar stock photos of urban settings and technology, ISO Republic has a category designers may find really interesting: Textures. Featuring wonderful shapes, colors, and of course, textures, this site can help you find some really great backgrounds for whatever project you’re working on. Attribution is not required for these images.
Burst
Get this photo here.Burst is a new stock photo site from the Shopify team, and it’s full of useful photos for any designer. With categories ranging from business to coffee, you can find just about anything you need knowing that the collections were created with entrepreneurs in mind. Plus, there’s a whole section all about business ideas (including photos to help kick-start that specific business)! Hello, inspiration. Attribution is not required for these images.
Where do you get your favorite stock photos from? I know there are tons more great resources for free images on the web. Share your best resources in the comments below!
Great resource (bookmarked). I have been using Unsplash for a while now, I did not know about Pexels, excited to check them out!
With this list in hand, I will probably never have to purchase a stock photo again!
Chris
Nice list! Try also http://monisphoto.com/
I have made all of my stock images (30,000+) available for free.
Great if you could check it out and consider including it in any update.
Thanks
Stuart Miles
http://Blogpiks.com
Hello Morgan,
thank you for the list, I think you would also like https://avopix.com with more than 117 000 free photos under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licence (for commercial use with no attribution).
All the best,
Martin
I like this one: http://librestock.com/s
Love these lists….I like Fancy Crave and inside http://www.entrepreneursresourcekit.com there are over 150 sites offering stock photos and videos, most for FREE. Would love to hear what you think of this? Thanks! Chay.
Hi there,
Please check out https://www.stockvault.net – It has over 112.000 free stock photos with personal, commercial and CC0 licenses.
Thanks!
Hello,
Thank you for this useful list.
I would like you to consider adding https://en.photo-ac.com/ on your list :)
This website group has already attracted over 2.3 million users in Japan and is now expanding its operations in the rest of the world.
Please check it out, and share if you like it.
Thank you!
Hi, very informative article.
Please also check out https://www.goodfreephotos.com for thousands of unique public domain photos, all high-resolution and free to use for any purpose.We specialize in photos by location as we document cities, national parks, state parks, national landmarks, and more. We update with 20+ photos each week. Appreciate it if you could add us to your list of sites.
Nice write up on the community! The image you featured for Pexels was created by my team at http://www.rawpixel.com. Good taste ;) If you haven’t already check us out! We certainly fit your profile and would appreciate the shout-out. Any questions or need more information, simply ask and we get right back to you. Thanks for the support!