Eleven Amazing Stock Photo Sites You Can Use for Free

Every online success relies on a strong visual component in one way or another. Whether it’s colorful, sleek web design or an incredible portfolio of videos and photos, your business’s website and social media accounts need to engage customers beyond the written word. 

For companies that can’t afford a kick-ass photographer, there’s good news: Stock photography websites are everywhere and they’re producing some remarkable stuff featuring a wide variety of individuals and locations.

Take advantage of these websites to save some dough on your online marketing efforts while still piquing the interest of your audience.

1. Nappy.co

Nappy is a free stock image site focused on providing beautiful photos of black and brown individuals to startups, companies, and agencies. Their site makes it easy to be purposeful about representation and allows photographers to submit their own work to be included. Nappy even has a feature where you can save photos you like on their site for later use.

2. The Gender Spectrum Collection

Part of a growing movement to increase diversity in stock photos, the Gender Spectrum Collection is an invaluable resource for high-quality images of nonbinary and trans models. And unlike photos you can find elsewhere, these images aren’t stereotypical and are ideal for a wide range of topics. 

Before using photos from the Gender Spectrum Collection, be sure to review their recommended usage guidelines, including information related to responsible representation and license stipulations.

3. AllGo

Tired of not seeing plus-size representation on stock photo sites, and seeing a spike in keyword searches for “real bodies” and “body positivity,” Michael Poley decided to create AllGo. This free stock image source is full of plus-size bodies doing everything from working in the office, hanging out with friends, swimming, and all things in between.

4. Iwaria

Iwaria is a contraction of the word Iwari, meaning “come to discover” in Yoruba, one of the most common languages in Africa. It’s a fitting name for this source of images dedicated entirely to Africa and African individuals. Here you’ll find thousands of high quality photos of African individuals in everyday situations, providing some well-needed representation.

5. Wikimedia Commons

If you’re in search of historical or geographical images, Wikicommons is a great option. From medieval illustrations to photos of the first animals used in space programs, you’re sure to find an interesting pick. Everything is under public domain or open content license, but check the guidelines to learn more about use.

6. Pixabay

Pixabay offers a ton of free images across a wide variety of topics. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of lower-quality and clip art images included among the gems, so it might be a little harder to find the perfect photo. The flip side is access to almost half a million images, so we can live with the trade-off.

7. Unsplash

Sourcing photos from photographers around the world has enabled Unsplash to curate a collection of over two million images. We love Unsplash because their photos feel more organic and less staged than some of the other options out there.

8. Splitshire

We love Splitshire and use them for many of our clients’ blogs. Their images are well-tagged, so finding the right one for your topic should be pretty easy.

9. Morguefile

Morguefile is partnered with paid stock photo sites such as iStock and Getty, but has plenty of free photos available on its own. It’s one of the better tagged websites, so tracking down images pertaining to your topic is simple and straightforward.

10. Pxhere

Pxhere stands out in that it has no copyright restrictions — you can use their photos for whatever you want without even having to attribute them. This flexibility is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to have to worry about restrictions for commercial uses or photo adaptations. 

11. Flickr

Flickr is a community site where people from all over the world can upload their photographs.  Although Flickr is a great spot for storing and organizing your personal photos, you can also access millions of images free to use. Just make sure when you pay attention to copyright detail. When you search for images on Flickr, select the “All creative commons” option, and simply include the credit and link to the license. 

They also offer a section called “The Commons,” which is a catalog of the world’s public photography archives — images from all over the globe without copyright restrictions.

Curate Your Own Collection of Photos

Stock photos not for you? Marketeering Group can help you curate a unique collection of photos that speak to your business’s specific culture and offerings. Reach out to one of our strategists today to learn more about our photography services.

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