Images have always been an integral part of any website design. According to statistics, around 65% of the entire population are visual learners. Simply put, majority of individuals are able to retain information more easily if it involves images rather than just text.
However, while you can do a simple Google image search to find images to use in your content, most of them are protected by copyright. Using these without the proper permission could be grounds for legal action. To avoid such consequences, you’ll have to resort to stock photos from stock photo suppliers. The problem is, they’ll cost you a lot of money.
Looking for a free high-quality stock photo used to be a challenge. There were limited options back then, and most of them aren’t of the quality you’re looking for. Thankfully, there’s now a growing list of websites where you can source professional images for FREE! Here are some of the top rated sources to find high quality free stock images online.
- Burst by Shopify
First, we have Burst on the list. It’s an image source that allows everyone to download high-resolution photos for free. Burst provides entrepreneurs with quality images that will help them establish a better online presence, promote products more effectively, and create successful marketing campaigns. Since all photos are under the Creative Commons CCO license, you will be able to use them for free!
- Unsplash
Unsplash is an excellent source for images you can use for blogs and digital projects. A variety of images you can find in their database include the ones that have a minimalistic appeal. Like Burst, images under Unsplash also fall under the Creative Commons CCO license. This means you can use their images for personal or commercial purposes.
- Pixabay
Pixabay has a huge database of stock photos, vectors, and illustrations you can download for free under the Creative Commons CCO license. The site comes with the camera search feature, a function allowing you to discover images based on the camera used to capture them.
- StockSnap
StockSnap is a creation of the developers of Snappa. It comes with a massive library of high-quality free stock images. Every single image is available to use for free. Moreover, hundreds of new images are added every week. The website has a search feature that will allow you to browse through its gallery easily. You can even find out how many views and downloads each image in the database has.
- Pexels
A team of specialists handpicks images before they become available to the public domain. On average, Pexels add 10 high-quality new images to its huge collection of free stock photos every single day. Every single image is captured professionally and can be used without any restrictions. The best thing about Pexels is that it doesn’t only provide free high-quality images, but it also has a selection of high-quality stock videos.
Bottom Line
Stumbling upon websites that offer quality stock images for free is definitely a blessing. However, while you can use these images for personal or commercial purposes without any restrictions, it’s always a good idea to give credit where it’s due.