How can you design something without images? Human brains process the visual 60,000 times faster than text. Hence, to get your message across through the heads of your audience, you will need images. But is it possible to click photos for everything you post? If not, from where can you get these images? Images on the internet can also lead you to copyright issues.
Royalty-free stock-images websites are a solution to this problem. These websites have a personal license. So you can download these images for free for your commercial or personal use. The best part- you don’t need to give credits to them.
What are royalty-free images?
The term ‘free’ here does not mean that these images are available for free. At times, they may ask you to pay a one-time fee and then use it as many times you want. ‘Royalty-free’ means you don’t have to attribute the images to them or seek anyone’s permission to use them.
Here is a list of ten free stock photo websites for royalty-free images.
1. Unsplash
Unsplash has a personal license under which it allows anybody to download their photos for free. You can use these photos in your professional work without giving due credit.
Unsplash has a wide range of high-resolution photos gathered from different artists. Initially, it was a Tumblr blog where a production house uploaded its leftover shots. Later, several artists contributed to this, and it became the favorite platform for most freelancers and corporates.
2. Pexels
If you have been looking for images, you will have certainly crossed this website. A neat, user-friendly site where you have perfect content to suit your needs. Moreover, it has a personal license like Unsplash. So you can use these images anywhere without due attribution.
Another thing that excites us about Pexels is that it has royalty-free videos for free use. The pictures and videos are aptly tagged. So it is easy to locate them through the Discover tab.
3. Free Images
Free Images has a vast collection of more than 300,000 free stock images. It also has some vector collections available for free. However, it restricts its use on some terms. To be clear about the usage, check their terms and conditions.
4. Pixabay
Started by Hans Braxmeier and Simon Steinberger, Pixabay has a collection of more than 1 million high-definition images. It accepts submissions from anyone. However, it checks the submitted images through legal standards before making them public.
The best part about Pixabay is that it also provides vectors and illustrations for free download.
5. Image source
Image source is a royalty-free images website serving youth culture, urban living, and nature. Moreover, it also provides you images for teamwork, industrial processes, and aerial view.
6. StockSnap.io
The images of StockSnap.io are very trendy and easy to download. These are a perfect fit for blogging. So freelancers can make maximum use of them.
The unique feature of StockSnap is that it keeps insights into the views and number of downloads. This way, you can search for popular images easily.
7. Reshot
Reshot is a platform with a mission. It wants to connect emerging photographers with the people who need their creativity. Their stock of photos is a lot different compared to the other platforms. If you are a startup that wants to serve something unique, go for Reshot.
8. Gratisography
This website is different than others. It addresses itself as “world’s quirkiest collection of high-resolution free stock images.” It has few images as compared to its competitors like Unsplash and Pixabay. But Gratisography believes in the quality. Hence, you will find fewer ‘stocky’ and ‘interesting’ images only on this website.
9. Kaboom Pics
Make Kaboompics your buddy if you work with social media. The color palette, modern aesthetics, SEO friendly, high-definition pictures will attract you.
The noteworthy point: Karolina Grabowska, designer, and photographer, runs this website. She has clicked all the 8000+ pictures available on the website.
10. PicJumbo
Viktor Hanacek, a 24-year-old photographer, started this platform. He worked on PicJumbo because he got tired of rejections from other platforms.
He covers a variety of themes- abstract, fashion, technology, and many more in his 2000+ images. He has also put up royalty-free images for commercial use. Or to put up stories on social media.
Final words
Let us accept that we cannot do without images in this digital area. The graphics and images have a voice of their own. And this voice is much louder than the text. So, to prove our point effectively, we will need the help of these images. And we all know that we cannot be everywhere to click photos. At these points, royalty-free websites seem like a blessing. Which is your favorite stock image website?
