Free Stock Photos for Bloggers: 10 Sites You Need to Check Out

Did you know that blog articles with images get 94% more total views?!? In this post I am showing you where to find the best high-quality, free stock photos for bloggers, so you can start adding them to your posts and websites.  

Are stock photos for bloggers really free?

Yes and no. You can’t just copy and paste a photo off of the Internet and use it on your blog.  This is a big mistake that could easily lead to legal trouble for you and your business.  

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure page for more info

There are many stock photography sites that require you to pay for the right to use a picture. There are also some really great free stock photo sites for bloggers that offer amazing, completely free stock images. 

As with anything, you need to make sure that you read each site’s rules.

4 legal terms you need to know before using free stock images

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. The information in this post is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice in any way. I am not liable for any damages resulting from using the information in this article. Please consult a lawyer for advice on your unique situation.

1. Public domain

Public domain is the space where no intellectual property rights exist. This means that works in the public domain may be used without any restrictions whatsoever. 

2. Royalty-free stock image

A royalty-free stock image means that it is free from having to pay royalties on its use.  It does not mean that an image is copyright-free or free to use. 

A royalty-free license, in relation to stock photos, gives the buyer of an image a certain amount of rights to use an image in specific ways for a one-time, flat fee.

You are being given the right to use the photo in certain ways.  You are not being given the ownership of the photo itself.

3. Creative Commons

A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted “work.”

The creator is giving other people the right to use and share the work that they have created.

Creative Commons Zero (CC0) is the “no copyright reserved” option in the Creative Commons toolkit.  This effectively means that the creator is relinquishing all copyright and similar rights that they hold in a work and dedicating those rights to the public domain

4. Attribution

If you are using an image that has not been published under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license then you must give attribution (proper credit) to the creator.

Every site that I am covering in this post has a terms of service area where it tells you exactly how you can use their images. See the video within this post to learn where each of these is located.

Okay now that the legal stuff is out of the way, let’s get into 10 of the best free stock photography sites for bloggers (in no particular order)

10 websites with beautiful, free stock photos for bloggers

1. Pixabay

This is the first site that I discovered when I started blogging. And it is still one of my go-to stock image sites for copyright free images.

According to Pixabay’s website FAQs, All contents are released under the Pixabay License, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist – even for commercial purposes.

Check out the Pixabay license details to get full details. You can see there what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business.  

2. Unsplash

This is quickly becoming one of my go-to sites for high quality, free stock photos for my WordPress website and blog.  It has beautiful, free images and high resolution photographs that you can download and use on your website.  

You can do a keyword search or browse collections to find photos that are perfect for every niche. 

I love searching the collection for negative space photos that provide space for adding words (Great for social media posts).  The Work collection is also one of my favorite for the online business niche.  

Check out the Unsplash license details to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business.  

3. Burst by Shopify

Burst by Shopify is a free stock photo site that I recently came across and quickly fell in love with. 

There are some really great free stock photos for food and parenting bloggers, as well as many other niches.  I love that there is an option to browse “New Photos” so that you can check out the most recent additions to the site.

Check out the Burst by Shopify Terms of Service details to get information on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business.  

4. Kaboompics

Kaboompics has an astonishing collection of pictures taken by one woman named Karolina!  Her photos have been downloaded over 4 million times and have appeared on sites like BBC, CNN, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Yahoo, iSpot, BuzzFeed, Hubspot, and The Huffington Post! 

A must-visit site for unique, free stock photos.

Check out the Kaboompics License & FAQs to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business. 

5. Pexels

Pexels provides high-quality and completely free stock photos licensed under the Pexels license to empower creators. 

All the photos on the site are hand-picked from photos uploaded by their users or sourced from free image websites.

One of my favorite search features on this site is the “Leaderboard.” Clicking on this menu link allows you to explore the photos of users with the most views of photographs uploaded in the last 30 days.

Check out the Pexels FAQs to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business.  

6. Gratisography

If you are looking for quirky, fun pictures, look no further.  Gratisography is the perfect site for eccentric free high-res photos you won’t find anywhere else. With nine different categories to browse and funny collections like “Goofy Grownups” and “Funky Food,” you are sure to find something that will catch your audience’s attention and make them smile.

Check out the Gratisography license details to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business.  

7. Styled Stock

Styled stock offers beautiful, free feminine stock photography.  If your audience is primarily female, this will be an excellent resource for you. 

Categories include beauty, business, fashion, and florals to name a few.  You can also search this free image library by color, which is a really unique feature!

Check out the Styled Stock license details to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business. 

8.  Startup Stock Photos

If you are looking for free tech stock photos that feature cell phones, laptops (Lots of Macs) and young professionals then this is a great site for you. 

As their website states, they offer “Free photos for startups, bloggers, publishers, websites, designers, developers, creators, & everyone else. 

It is a very basic site compared to the others on this list.  There is no search box, so you literally just have to scroll down through the pictures one page at a time, but there are some great finds in here.  I have used a few on my site and landing pages already. 

Check out the Startup Stock Photos Terms of Use to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business. 

9. PicJumbo

Started by a designer/photographer in 2013, this site has grown to boast more than 2,500,000 images.  You can search this free stock image site by browsing one of it’s twenty categories or checking out the “New” tab for the most recent additions. You can also search from a list of the website’s most popular tags.

Check out the PicJumbo FAQs & Terms details to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business. 

10. StockSnap.io

Of all the free stock photo sites that I use, StockSnap.io is quickly becoming my favorite.  They offer high quality, attention grabbing photos in so many niche categories. 

You can search trending photos in descending order and you also have the option to create a free account to store all your favorite photos until you are ready to download them.

Check out the StockSnap.io license details to get full details on what you can/cannot use these photos for in your business. 

Are you ready to start increasing your views?

You now know ten free stock photo sites that offer you access to beautiful, high-resolution photographs at no cost to you!  Start incorporating photos from these free image libraries to attract your ideal audience and increase your blog post views.

Do you have a favorite stock photo site that I didn’t mention?  Share it in the comments below so we can all benefit.