Whether you’re a freelance creative or a brand finding a quality stock image for social media can come in handy. Not only do these visuals save you the time (and cost!) of arranging photoshoots, they can be visually stunning as well, offering pristine quality on short notice. But if you’ve ever spent a frustrating hour googling stock photos, you know the opposite is also true. At worst, these pictures can look staged or downright cheesy with terrible social media engagement — and the good ones can cost you hundreds.
But you don’t have to break the bank to find breathtaking photos. Here, we outline our top picks for free stock image sites, so you can search for “angry man at office” without worrying about a watermark standing in your way. The following stock image sites are free from both charge and social media attribution, allowing you full creative liberty.
A go-to for designers, Unsplash is full of professional grade lifestyle photographs. From scenes of the everyday to sweeping landscapes, here you’ll find thousands of images that look like they were ripped straight from a gallery and inserted on your social media channels.
Similar to Unsplash, Pixabay offers high-resolution photos suited for designers and marketers alike. They also feature a range of quality illustrations and design elements fit for any of your project needs.
If you’re looking for artsy, abstract photos, Pexels is your best bet. Among the typical stock photo scenarios, they have thousands of soft-tone portraits and high-drama black and white images.
StockSnap has a massive collection of pristine photos, with hundreds of new pics added daily. The site also tracks views and downloads, allowing you to easily find the most popular photos.
Fed up with corny stock images for your social media channels, Reshot handpicks their photos, selecting shots for social media with a truly authentic feel. If you’re a creator or marketer looking to stand out from the crowd, this site is a great place to stop.
Backed by stock photo legends Getty Images, Picspree offers a wide range of high-res, professional lifestyle images. Each photo is specifically tagged, making for an easy search.
Picsjumbo offers a range of photos fit for personal and commercial use, spanning categories like animals, abstract, business, food, vintage, and more. It’s versatile, and the pics are always stunningly clean.
SkitterPhoto features design elements and high-res photos, all created by the site’s owners and free for commercial or personal use. Though the selection isn’t as extensive as others found on this list, if you’re willing to look, you can find some never-before-seen gems here.
This is our most eccentric pick but hey, you never know when you’ll need a sepia vintage portrait to make a point. New Old Stock provides thousands of historic photographs, plucked straight from public archives and free of all known copyright restrictions, perfect for social media use.
When it comes to free stock images, there isn’t really a catch. Thanks to copyright-free agreements and the creative commons public domain (link) dedication, you can download, modify, and distribute these images 100% legally and for any purpose, including social media.
However, some free stock image websites require attribution before use. This may not be readily apparent, so it’s always best to read the site’s guidelines before using an image for your own gain.
