10 Free Stock Photos Sites You Can Use in 2021

10 Free Stock Photos Sites You Can Use in 2021

It is quite sure that you must on several occasions have heard of ‘stock photos’, ‘stock images’, and or ‘stock imagery’, and you keenly want to know about what they are and what are they used for. Your inquisition ends here as we have all the answers to your questions. This article is a compilation of the best free stock photos sites to use in 2021.

But before that…

What are Stock Photos? 

Stock photos are comprehensive high-quality photos, paintings, and icons, usually created without any particular intent on the ground. In addition, it can be used for various purposes such as the use in properties adverts, products packaging, in personal or commercial projects, for publication in magazines, blogs, websites, and many more. They are then licensed, usually for a fee, and uploaded on stock photo sites, to individuals or organizations. They are used in marketing materials, websites, packaging, book covers, and more.

A photo they say is worth thousands of words. This assertion can be affirmed if someone has truly the right photos and had also put them into use in a reasonable manner. For instance, Social Media posts containing photos tend to perform better in reaching the target and desired audience. Social media is a niche comprising a dense population of people with varied intuition and diverse conceptions. Therefore, it is imperative to note that using startling high-quality images in some of your posts is a great way to grab the attention of your targeted and desired audience.

A tweeted thread with a spectacular photo is highly likely to get more engagement than the one with only plain text. This is because our brains respond so quickly to images as it tends to be an irresistible stalemate on social media. More so, the human brain can recognize a familiar object in a matter of few nanoseconds. This makes images the perfect way to communicate in modern-day communication means.

Can I Use Stock Photos for Free?  

Most stock photos you see online are copyrighted. The photographer usually retains the ownership and intellectual property over the photo. Therefore, one cannot use such images without asking permission from the rightful owner, which at times requires paying some royalties or attributions.

In light of the fact that most of the online resources offering stock imagery services do so for a fee, we decided to do research and we were able to come up with a list of at least 10 free stock photos sites. But it is important to note that most of them have their respective drafted terms of usage that you may be required to adhere to.

10 Free Stock Photos Sites

1. Pixabay

Pixabay is one of the best free stock photos sites for all your photo-requiring projects in 2021. It offers copyright-free images, videos, and music that can be used anywhere.

All contents are released under the Pixabay License, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the owner.

2. Freestocks.org

Freestocks.org has a collection of free high-resolution stock photos. All photos on freestocks.org are free and licensed under CC0 (Creative Commons Zero).

This gives you every right to modify and use them in your personal and commercial projects, only that you cannot sell the photos. 

3. Unsplash

Unsplash is one of the best websites offering free stock photo services. All photos on Unsplash can be downloaded, modified, and used for either commercial or non-commercial purposes for free.

You don’t have to seek permission before you can use any of their photos. Though you can decide on your own to show a little attribute to them. 

4. StockSnap.io 

All photos on StockSnap are free to use for both personal and commercial projects. Photos here have been released under Creative Commons – CC0. CC0 is a license that allows you to download, modify, and distribute photos for whatever purposes.

You can do all that without having to ask for permission.

5. Kaboompics 

All photos on Kaboompics can be used freely for commercial and noncommercial use. Giving credit or attributing to them is by choice, though it’s always appreciated. 

You can also download and modify their photos the way you like.

6. Picography 

All photos on Picography are absolutely free to use as they all come with a CC0 license. This means that you can download, modify, and use their photos for personal or commercial purposes.

You can do that without having to ask for permission, or give attribution to the creator of the work.

7. PicJumbo

PicJumbo offers a variety of free images for any kind of use free of charge with no registration required. You can also get new free images by subscribing to their newsletter.

The site also offers premium stock imaging services.

8. Pexels

Pexels is one of the best free stock photos sites in the world and is my personal favourite. All their photos are license-free and completely free to use. Giving credit or attribution to the photographer or Pexels is not necessary but always appreciated. 

You are free to download and modify any of their photos and/or videos and use them as you like. 

9. Reshot

Reshot is a free online library of a handpicked free stock photos, illustrations, and icons you may not necessarily find anywhere.

This site is originally built for startups, freelancers & makers who are sick of tacky stock photos. Their photos are free to use commercially and editorially and no attribution is required!

10. Canva

Canva is an online graphic design tool that is used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents, and other visual content. It also offers free stock photos.

One advantage of using Canva is that you can quickly turn an image into a custom graphic to use on social media or your blog.

Conclusion

These are some of the best copyright-free stock photos sites that would help save your time in designing professional photos. It also saves you the cost of having to hire a professional photographer for your projects.

If you still feel the risk of using these free images in your works, most especially in commercial projects, you can then try their premium features for a certain token. But be rest assured that the sites are safe to use and are truly reliable.

Tell me which of the free photo sites will you be visiting soon in the comments section.