Free images: 10 collections of copyright-free images
Images for your website and social media posts, graphics to print on promotional items, blog post cover images, photographs for posters and flyers…
We know you’re always on the lookout for new images, and that finding the right ones often involves a lot of scrabbling about. That’s why, over the years, we’ve recommended various websites where you can find copyright-free images free of charge: here and here. And today we’re adding even more names to the list.
Watch out for copyright and terms of use
The images you find online cannot always be used willy-nilly for editorial or commercial projects. Indeed, most are subject to terms of use that you would be well advised to comply with if you don’t want to infringe copyright and be landed with penalties.
We therefore recommend downloading the images you need from websites designed specifically for this purpose. But be careful: even on stock photo websites, you need to pay attention to the terms of use established by the platform, which can vary over time. So keep your eyes peeled and read everything very carefully!
You may notice, for example, that a photograph can be used for editorial but not commercial purposes. This means you can print it on a canvas to hang in your office or use it to create the cover image for blog post, you can’t use it in your next ad campaign or print it on a t-shirt to sell in your online shop.
Now we’ve clarified these important points, let’s have a look at our top ten favourite websites offering free images to use for editorial or commercial purposes.
PxHere, ultra-tailored searches
PxHere is a library of copyright-free images, which we recommend because it’s full of top-quality photos you can download free of charge. In this section you can search by photographer, meaning you can follow someone whose work you particularly like, and maintain visual consistency in all your communication materials by always using their photos. Other customised searches include selecting the type of camera used to take the photo: one for true connoisseurs!
FreeImages, search by camera model
FreeImages is another website that offers both free and paid-for images to use for both editorial and commercial purposes (copyright information is given for each photograph, so make sure your read it carefully). Just like PxHere, the archive is sorted by category or by photographer, or even by the type of camera used to take the shot. In other words, it’s serious business here too.
Depositphotos, a large photo repository
Depositphotos has an endless library that, as well as paid-for images, include 68,584 files that can be used for free: photos, vector graphics, desktop publishing files and videos. The images can be downloaded for free, but must be attributed (simply click the file to see what to include, either online or offline). You can use various filters when searching (keyword, orientation, colour, etc.) to help you find what you’re looking for more quickly.
Burst, images for online retailers
Burst is Shopify’s image archive. Here you can find both three and paid-for images updated on a weekly basis (with 20 or more free photos in each collection). The archive was set up for use by online retailers, with photos designed to meet business owners’ needs: all the high-quality images have a Creative Commons Zero licence (and so can be used without attribution) and
are divided up by sector, with particular focus on current trends. Each collection includes everything you need to promote your business, from images to add to your blog to ways to brighten up your Facebook campaigns.
Gratisography, not your standard images
If you’re looking for something to help set you apart from the competition, we recommend taking a look at the Gratisography archive, which is packed with original and high-quality free images. You can use them with no copyright restrictions, including for commercial use. The collection is updated weekly, so add the site to your favourites so you don’t miss any uploads.
Life of Pix, lifestyle without that stock image look
Life of Pix is a fantastic resource if you’re looking for authentic images without that stock-image feel. The archive contains a huge number of lifestyle (and other) photographs, with original subjects and framing. They are free to download and are copyright-free, but we recommend reading the terms of use in detail, because there may be restrictions in some cases. One nice initiative run by the Life of Pix team is ‘photographer of the week’, which highlights a particular photographer’s work.
Startup Stock Photos, tech images
The name says it all: Startup Stock Photos is an archive of free Shutterstock images dedicated to startups and businesses in the tech world: bloggers, editors, freelancers, designers, developers, creators, and so on. What will you find inside? Technology-related photographs, including devices and people using them, desks and scenes of people working in offices. We think they’re a bit different from the classic snaps you usually see, and therefore well worth a look.
Foodiesfeed, everything about food
Do you work in the food sector? Then Foodiesfeed could be the perfect archive to find photos for your marketing materials. There are 1,700 images in total, divided into various categories: Healthy, Top View, Meat, Pizza, Cake and Coffee, depicting individual foods and various set scenes. The quality of the photos is excellent: some are creative and ‘styled’ (such as bird’s-eye view images), while others are more authentic, without that stock feel (and also capable of whetting the appetite!) Take a look!
Which sites will you add to your favourites?