In a digital world increasingly driven by visual content, the demand for high-quality photography has never been higher. From website design and marketing campaigns to blog posts and social media feeds, compelling images are essential for attracting attention and telling stories. However, not every individual or business has the budget for expensive commercial licenses or paid subscriptions to premium stock photo platforms. That’s where free stock photo websites come in.
In 2025, the number and quality of websites offering free stock photography have grown dramatically. These platforms make it possible for content creators, designers, marketers, and developers to access beautiful, professional-grade images without breaking the bank. In this four-part series, we’ll explore twenty of the best websites that offer free stock photos. This first part covers five standout platforms that have earned the trust of millions of users across the globe.
Unsplash
Since its launch, Unsplash has grown from a small Tumblr blog sharing leftover images from a photoshoot into one of the most trusted names in the world of free stock photography. In 2025, it continues to be a go-to resource for creatives seeking high-resolution images that don’t come with restrictive licensing terms or watermarks.
Unsplash stands out because of its curated feel and artistic aesthetic. Its contributors range from professional photographers and studios to hobbyists who simply love sharing their work. The result is a photo library that feels cohesive, clean, and surprisingly commercial in quality. You can find crisp architectural images, dramatic landscapes, textured backgrounds, fashion portraits, and editorial-style still life photos.
The user interface remains simple and clean. The homepage features trending searches, collections, and user-submitted galleries that highlight real-world applications of Unsplash images. The search engine has become more intelligent, using AI to suggest related keywords and deliver better matches even with vague queries.
One of the reasons people continue to choose Unsplash in 2025 is its flexible license. All photos are free to download and use for both personal and commercial purposes. Attribution is not required, though giving credit to photographers is always appreciated as a professional courtesy. The platform encourages creative freedom, allowing users to remix, edit, and adapt images however they see fit.
For those working in design tools like Figma, Notion, or Squarespace, Unsplash offers integrations that allow you to drop in images directly without downloading and re-uploading files. Its vast community and the quality of its content make it a cornerstone in the ecosystem of free visual resources.
Pexels
Another titan in the world of free stock photography, Pexels continues to offer one of the best user experiences and the widest collections available online. In 2025, its library includes millions of images and videos contributed by a global community of creatives.
Pexels excels in providing clean, modern imagery that feels professional but accessible. The site is especially popular among bloggers, startup founders, app developers, and content marketers who need visuals that look great on social media and web platforms. The search function includes filtering by orientation, size, and color, which helps users quickly find what they need.
Unlike some stock photo websites that feature only photography, Pexels also includes free video clips, making it a favorite among multimedia producers and video editors. The addition of vertical video formats, optimized for platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok, reflects how well Pexels keeps up with evolving content trends.
In terms of licensing, all Pexels content is free to use for commercial and noncommercial purposes. No attribution is required, though it’s encouraged as a way to support contributing artists. Users can modify the images freely, whether that means cropping, adding text overlays, or combining them with other visuals.
One unique feature introduced in 2025 is Pexels Challenges. These are monthly themed competitions that invite photographers to upload new content around specific ideas, from sustainability to futuristic tech. Winners are promoted on the site and often see their work go viral across design and tech communities.
With seamless integration into tools like Canva, Adobe Express, and Trello, Pexels offers more than just great photos. It provides an entire workflow solution for visual storytelling at no cost.
Pixabay
Pixabay has remained one of the most comprehensive free stock content platforms well into 2025. While it started as a repository for stock photos, the site has expanded significantly over the years and now offers a wide array of media, including vector graphics, illustrations, videos, music tracks, and even AI-generated images.
The photo collection is incredibly diverse, encompassing everything from product shots and abstract textures to editorial-style portraits and 3D renders. Pixabay’s AI tools make it easier than ever to discover related images, auto-categorize uploads, and generate recommended media based on user behavior.
Pixabay's appeal lies in its accessibility and variety. Whether you're designing a website banner, creating an instructional video, or building an e-learning module, there’s likely a relevant image or asset available. The interface is easy to navigate, and the search function supports keyword clustering, allowing for deeper and more targeted exploration of themes.
Licensing is also straightforward. Content is free to use for commercial and personal projects, with no need for attribution or licensing fees. Some content sourced from third-party creators or partners may have slight variations, but everything is clearly labeled and easy to understand.
Pixabay also offers an API that developers can use to pull free content directly into their platforms or apps. This makes it especially attractive for SaaS businesses, media startups, and online course creators looking for scalable ways to incorporate free visuals.
Reshot
Reshot positions itself as a home for authentic imagery. Unlike larger platforms that aggregate content from various sources, Reshot focuses on original photography that stands apart from typical stock fare. In 2025, it continues to build on its mission to provide images that feel genuine, raw, and unstaged.
This makes Reshot particularly popular with creative professionals who value individuality. Freelance designers, startup founders, and branding experts appreciate the natural aesthetic of its images. The site is known for featuring portraits with emotion, street scenes with grit, and workspaces that look lived-in rather than overly polished.
Reshot’s library is smaller than some of its competitors, but it’s heavily curated to maintain a high standard. Every image on the platform is hand-selected, ensuring that only the best and most original content makes it online. There are also thematic packs available, allowing users to download collections of related images for cohesive branding or campaign use.
Licensing is simple and very user-friendly. All images are free to use, even for commercial projects, and there are no requirements for attribution or complicated legal language. The site is designed to be plug-and-play for creatives who don’t have time to sift through complicated terms or restrictions.
New features added in 2025 include mood-based browsing, where users can find photos categorized by emotional tone, such as calm, dynamic, hopeful, or moody. This helps designers create visuals that resonate with their intended message or audience.
Kaboompics
For those working in lifestyle, fashion, and interior design, Kaboompics remains an outstanding resource. Founded by a photographer and graphic designer, the site has always had a strong visual identity and attention to detail. In 2025, Kaboompics continues to attract users who are looking for aesthetically cohesive and visually balanced photo sets.
Each photo uploaded to Kaboompics is part of a broader shoot. That means when you find a kitchen photo that fits your website, you can likely find six or seven other shots taken in the same setting, under the same lighting, with slight variations in composition. This is perfect for creating consistent visuals across marketing materials, websites, and social feeds.
Kaboompics also provides helpful information with each download, including the dominant color palette of the image, camera details, and even complementary color schemes. This is invaluable for designers aiming to build color-consistent designs or mood boards.
While the library is more niche than some larger platforms, its focus on high-quality, styled content gives it a unique place among stock photo websites. New search features introduced in 2025 allow users to filter images by color temperature and lighting style, offering unprecedented control for visual planning.
Kaboompics' license allows free use for commercial and noncommercial projects, with no attribution required. However, redistribution of the images as standalone files or in competing services is not allowed.
Top 20 Free Stock Photo Websites to Explore in 2025 – Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, we explored five of the most popular and reliable websites for free stock photography in 2025. These platforms—Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Reshot, and Kaboompics—have set the standard for what users expect in terms of quality, ease of access, and licensing. In Part 2, we turn our focus toward five more outstanding platforms that offer unique features, specialized content, or a specific aesthetic that sets them apart in the crowded world of free stock photography.
Whether you are a small business owner, a UX designer, a nonprofit volunteer, or a student working on a visual project, these resources will help you find images that are beautiful, relevant, and royalty-free.
Picjumbo
Picjumbo is a free stock photo website founded by Czech photographer Viktor Hanacek. Launched in 2013, the site has grown steadily over the years and continues to provide free, high-resolution images for personal and commercial use.
What makes Picjumbo special in 2025 is its distinct visual style. The photos often feature clean compositions, strong lighting, and themes that cater to business, lifestyle, and product branding. Categories like technology, fitness, workspace, and food are particularly strong and frequently updated.
Each image on Picjumbo is available in full resolution, and there is no requirement to sign up to access downloads. The site also features themed collections, such as holiday sets or background textures, which are useful for marketers working on seasonal campaigns.
Users who want even more variety can opt into Picjumbo’s premium membership, but the free content remains generous. The download experience is smooth and ad-light, making it one of the most user-friendly platforms in its niche.
What sets Picjumbo apart from other free stock photo websites is its personal touch. Since the content is largely created by the founder, there’s a consistency in quality and artistic direction that appeals to designers looking for cohesive image sets.
Life of Pix
Life of Pix is a curated platform created by the Montreal-based advertising agency LEEROY. It was originally launched to give back to the creative community by sharing the agency’s unused photography work. Over time, it has grown into a community-driven site offering high-resolution photography without copyright restrictions.
In 2025, Life of Pix stands out for its carefully curated collection of artistic, often moody or atmospheric imagery. Rather than focusing on standard stock categories like business meetings or laptops, the site leans toward natural light photography, portraits with depth, and creative compositions. These are the kinds of photos that work well in editorial designs, web backgrounds, and portfolio sites.
Each week, a “Photographer of the Week” is featured, showcasing a collection of images from a specific contributor. This keeps the content feeling fresh and gives exposure to emerging photographers around the world.
The platform is completely free, and all images are available for both personal and commercial use without the need for attribution. In 2025, Life of Pix also supports video content through its sister site, Life of Vids, which provides a similar aesthetic and licensing structure for short video clips.
Life of Pix doesn’t bombard users with popups or premium offers. Its minimal interface is ideal for creatives who want to browse and download images quickly and without distractions.
ISO Republic
ISO Republic is another trusted name in the free stock photo community. Since its inception, the site has provided high-quality imagery for creatives across industries, from graphic design and video production to blog writing and social content creation.
The strength of ISO Republic lies in the diversity and usability of its image categories. The library includes business, nature, travel, fitness, and more. In 2025, the platform also includes a growing selection of video assets, which are free to download and use without attribution.
The site was recently redesigned to improve user experience, with faster loading times and more intelligent search filters. Users can browse by popularity, color tone, orientation, or specific themes, making the search process intuitive even for those new to design work.
What sets ISO Republic apart is its attention to quality control. Every image submitted to the site is reviewed for resolution, framing, and general utility. As a result, users won’t find filler content or low-resolution uploads.
All content on ISO Republic is free for both commercial and personal use, and no attribution is required. However, for those who want even more content or access to exclusive media, the platform offers a premium tier via third-party services, although the majority of users find the free offerings more than sufficient for everyday projects.
Burst by Shopify
Burst is a free stock photo platform created and maintained by Shopify. Originally developed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs find quality images for their e-commerce stores, Burst has expanded to serve a wide range of content creators.
In 2025, Burst continues to emphasize utility. Many of its image collections are tailored specifically for business use, with categories such as retail, fashion, wellness, tech, and handmade crafts. Each image is optimized for web performance and includes space for text overlays, which makes them ideal for social media graphics and promotional banners.
The standout feature of Burst is its business-focused image packs. These are curated collections that align with specific industries or marketing strategies, such as launching an online clothing store or promoting a wellness brand. This saves time for users who don’t want to dig through hundreds of unrelated images.
Burst is integrated with Shopify’s platform, but you do not need to be a Shopify customer to use the site. All images are free to use, even for commercial purposes, and there is no requirement for attribution.
The interface is polished and minimal, with a strong focus on discoverability. Search suggestions and trending topics are regularly updated to reflect seasonal events and market trends. Burst also features contributor stories and tips on how to use stock images effectively in digital marketing.
Foodiesfeed
Foodiesfeed is a specialized free stock photo site dedicated entirely to food photography. For anyone managing a food blog, restaurant website, nutrition brand, or culinary app, this platform is a must-bookmark resource.
What makes Foodiesfeed stand out in 2025 is the visual richness and authenticity of its imagery. The photos are taken by photographers with a deep appreciation for food presentation, texture, and lighting. This results in images that not only look delicious but also work perfectly for professional design projects.
Foodiesfeed offers high-resolution photos across categories like fruits and vegetables, street food, desserts, drinks, and table settings. There are also themed collections for holidays, specific cuisines, and food trends like plant-based meals or keto recipes.
The platform is completely free to use, and the licensing allows for commercial applications with no attribution required. Users are encouraged to support photographers by following their profiles or crediting them when possible, but it is not mandatory.
In 2025, Foodiesfeed added a new feature that allows users to download full sets from individual shoots. This is particularly useful for designers who want consistent lighting and composition across multiple assets, such as when creating a restaurant menu or an Instagram grid.
Foodiesfeed’s focus on a single niche allows it to maintain high visual standards and remain an essential tool for culinary professionals and lifestyle brands.
As we continue this four-part series, we’ve already explored ten of the top free stock photography websites that provide high-quality, royalty-free images for a wide range of use cases. In Part 3, we move beyond the major players to spotlight platforms that either serve more specialized niches or take a more unique approach to sharing visual content.
Whether you are a digital marketer looking for on-brand photos, a creative developer who needs assets for apps or landing pages, or an educator designing compelling presentations, these five platforms offer impressive libraries of free stock images tailored to different creative needs.
StockSnap.io
StockSnap.io has consistently maintained its reputation as one of the most user-friendly and diverse stock photography platforms available for free. Launched with a focus on usability and quality, it continues to be a top destination for content creators in 2025.
The platform offers a wide range of image categories, from business and wellness to travel, family, and abstract art. One of StockSnap.io’s key strengths is its search and filtering system. Users can browse by trending tags, date added, views, downloads, or favorites, making it easier to surface popular or timely content.
New images are added weekly by a growing global community of contributors. These photos are typically bright, modern, and designed for digital use. Whether you’re building a presentation, crafting a blog post, or managing social media, the platform offers images that work seamlessly across various formats.
All photos on StockSnap.io are free to use under the CC0 license. This means you can use them for personal and commercial projects without asking for permission or giving credit, though attribution is appreciated when possible.
Developers and designers appreciate the site’s performance and simple layout. The platform is ad-light, fast to load, and completely free to use without requiring an account or email signup. Its combination of flexibility, aesthetics, and ease of use keeps it in the top tier of free stock photo websites.
Gratisography
Gratisography is not your average stock photo site. Founded by photographer Ryan McGuire, this platform has carved out a niche for itself by offering quirky, creative, and often humorous imagery that stands apart from traditional stock libraries.
In 2025, Gratisography remains a favorite among artists, bloggers, and marketers who want visuals that catch the eye and provoke a reaction. The library is curated and intentionally limited, which means each image is hand-selected for originality and quality.
The themes are fun and often whimsical. You might find a man in a banana costume, a surreal urban scene, or an unusually lit portrait with an emotional twist. This is not the place to find generic office photos. Instead, it’s a valuable resource for projects that require personality, surprise, or abstract storytelling.
All images on Gratisography are free to use for commercial or non-commercial purposes. You don’t need to sign up, and there are no usage restrictions beyond common-sense guidelines like avoiding misleading or harmful use of the photos.
In 2025, the site added better navigation and category filters, which make it easier to explore different moods or subject types. While the collection isn’t huge, its uniqueness makes it worth checking for creatives looking to differentiate their work with memorable visuals.
SplitShire
SplitShire is a personal project by Italian photographer Daniel Nanescu, and it continues to offer a curated collection of stunning photos available for free commercial use. What sets SplitShire apart is the consistent aesthetic and professional-grade quality of the visuals.
The platform includes lifestyle, nature, architecture, technology, and abstract photography. The photos have a distinctly cinematic feel, with strong compositions, moody lighting, and careful color grading. These are not random uploads but rather carefully crafted images that reflect a photographer’s trained eye.
In 2025, SplitShire remains especially popular among designers creating websites, presentations, and ad campaigns. Many of the images feel like they belong in luxury branding or high-end editorial layouts. You’ll also find video assets, drone shots, and fashion photography, all free to use under a flexible license.
There’s no registration required to download, and the site avoids clutter, making browsing and downloading quick and smooth. While the volume of content is smaller compared to multi-contributor platforms, the quality is consistently high, which makes it a trusted source for premium-looking visuals at no cost.
SplitShire has also been recognized by media professionals and has been featured in global publications, a testament to the value of its curated, artistic approach to free stock content.
New Old Stock
For creatives working on historical, educational, or heritage-themed projects, New Old Stock is a hidden gem. Unlike most modern stock photography websites, this platform focuses entirely on vintage photography sourced from public archives.
In 2025, New Old Stock continues to offer beautiful, high-resolution vintage images that are free of copyright restrictions. The photos come from institutions like the Library of Congress, the U.S. National Archives, and various international museums. Each image has been carefully selected for its storytelling potential, composition, and historical value.
The photos include candid moments, street scenes, industrial settings, and portraits from past eras. These are perfect for documentary work, academic publications, vintage-themed designs, or nostalgic marketing campaigns.
Because the platform pulls from public domain archives, most images can be used freely for commercial or personal use. However, users are encouraged to review the source when available for any additional context or limitations that might apply to certain institutional collections.
The site is minimal and visually clean. There are no download limits, signups, or paywalls. While the navigation is relatively basic, that simplicity is part of its charm and allows the historical images to speak for themselves.
In 2025, New Old Stock remains a unique and invaluable resource for those seeking imagery from the past that still resonates in contemporary visual storytelling.
Freerange
Freerange Stock has grown in reputation as a professional-grade alternative to traditional stock websites. Offering tens of thousands of free photos and illustrations, Freerange caters to a wide audience, including bloggers, designers, small businesses, and educators.
One of the things that makes Freerange unique is the way it sources content. It combines in-house photography and user-contributed images, which are then reviewed and edited to ensure quality and usability. In 2025, its focus remains on sharp, well-composed images that are practical for digital and print applications.
The library spans categories such as urban, landscape, office, abstract, seasonal, and more. There is also a strong emphasis on illustrations and vector graphics, giving it broader utility than most photo-only platforms.
Registration is required to download images, but the process is quick and does not involve payment. Once logged in, users gain access to the entire library, which is continually updated. The licensing allows for commercial use, including modification and distribution as part of design projects.
Freerange also offers a helpful feature called the “Image Feed,” which showcases new and trending photos regularly. This keeps the platform fresh and allows creatives to discover visuals that align with evolving design trends or seasonal events.
Because of its editorial quality and variety, Freerange remains a preferred tool for agencies and freelance creatives working on tight deadlines who want reliable, free visual content that doesn’t compromise on clarity or composition.
In the first three parts of this series, we covered fifteen outstanding websites offering free stock photography across a wide range of styles, formats, and subject matter. These platforms have proven to be essential tools for bloggers, marketers, developers, educators, and anyone who works with visual content.
In this final installment, we’ll look at five more platforms that complete the list of the best free stock photo websites available in 2025. These sites bring niche assets, AI-enhanced visuals, mobile-optimized images, and even music and video content alongside photography. Together, they represent the full diversity of what’s possible when access to free, high-quality media is opened to everyone.
ShotStash
ShotStash is an under-the-radar platform that continues to gain traction in 2025 for offering well-curated, commercial-quality images that feel both professional and fresh. While not as large in scope as some of the more established stock photo sites, ShotStash shines in terms of quality over quantity.
The platform is designed for creatives who need images with clean compositions and a modern, minimalist look. Categories include business, fashion, food, lifestyle, and nature. There are also useful abstract and background collections ideal for web or app design. Each image comes in high resolution, and downloads are fast with no registration required.
One of the most notable features of ShotStash is its quiet interface. The site is free from clutter, ads, or aggressive calls to upgrade. This makes it especially appealing for users who value a simple, focused browsing experience.
All photos are free to use for personal and commercial projects, and no attribution is required. However, each image includes suggested photographer credits for those who want to give recognition.
ShotStash may not have the massive content libraries of some of the giants in this space, but its focus on visual clarity and style makes it a top-tier resource for design professionals who need premium visuals without cost.
Pikwizard
Pikwizard is a comprehensive stock media platform offering both free and premium content, but its free tier alone is enough to earn it a place in this top 20 list. The platform is known for its user-friendly design, large media library, and particularly strong performance in business and lifestyle categories.
In 2025, Pikwizard features tens of thousands of free stock photos and videos, many of which have a polished, corporate-ready aesthetic. This makes it especially useful for presentation decks, ad campaigns, and blog visuals. Topics such as startup culture, remote work, health and wellness, and social interaction are well covered.
The platform stands out for its integration with Design Wizard, a built-in design tool that allows users to edit images directly within the browser. This saves time for marketers and content creators who want to add text, logos, or filters before downloading their chosen visual.
While some content is marked as premium, the free library is both broad and deep. All free images are available for commercial use without attribution, unless stated otherwise.
Pikwizard continues to be a highly functional tool for businesses and freelancers who want free, adaptable stock imagery with the added convenience of in-browser editing.
Rawpixel (Free Collection)
Rawpixel is widely known in creative circles for offering some of the most artistically refined stock photography and illustrations available. While it operates on a freemium model, its free collection in 2025 is still one of the most visually diverse and interesting libraries available for non-commercial and some commercial uses.
The platform includes a wide range of media, including photography, mockups, vectors, PSD templates, and even hand-drawn illustrations. It’s one of the few platforms where users can find cohesive visual packs that combine photos with graphic design assets, making it ideal for brand builders, agencies, and e-commerce creatives.
Rawpixel is especially strong in lifestyle, education, diversity, and wellness themes. It places a heavy emphasis on inclusion and accessibility, and it is one of the few stock photo platforms that regularly updates its collections to reflect real-world representation and social awareness.
Users must create a free account to access and download free images. These are available under the Rawpixel Free License, which covers most personal and some limited commercial uses. For unrestricted access or enterprise applications, the platform offers a subscription.
Despite the freemium model, Rawpixel's free tier offers enough content to support high-impact visual storytelling for individuals and small teams. Its sophisticated design focus makes it a top pick for content creators who want imagery that goes beyond the ordinary.
Moose by Icons8
Moose is a part of the larger Icons8 ecosystem and offers a growing library of stylized, free stock photos that focus on consistency and modular design. The site is designed with user interface and user experience designers in mind, making it a popular choice for product developers, app creators, and tech marketers in 2025.
What sets Moose apart is its unique system of scenes and elements. Users can choose photos that match in lighting, angle, and style across a variety of categories, enabling seamless design integration. This is especially useful for building dashboards, onboarding flows, or product demos where visual consistency is critical.
In addition to lifestyle and business categories, Moose excels in tech-related imagery, including screens, mobile devices, and digital interfaces. These assets work well in UI mockups or presentation slides for product-focused content.
Photos on Moose are available under the Icons8 license, which allows for personal and commercial use with attribution. A paid plan removes the attribution requirement and unlocks access to higher-resolution files and more customization options.
The site is also integrated with design tools such as Lunacy and Figma, allowing users to place Moose images directly into their design files without leaving their workflow.
In 2025, Moose continues to be an essential resource for modern interface design, offering high-quality photos that feel custom-made for digital products and app-based businesses.
Mixkit
Mixkit takes a different approach from most stock photo sites by offering a curated collection of free assets that includes not just photos, but also video clips, music tracks, sound effects, and templates for video editing. It is operated by Envato and offers a tightly curated set of resources for creative professionals working across different media types.
While its video and audio content are its most well-known features, Mixkit also maintains a high-quality photo collection that is updated regularly. The images are styled with filmmakers and video editors in mind, meaning they often feature strong narratives, cinematic lighting, and visual depth.
In 2025, Mixkit continues to provide all of its photo content under a royalty-free license, with no attribution required for either personal or commercial use. There are no download limits, and no account is needed.
Categories include lifestyle, business, food, nature, and more. Because it’s part of the Envato network, users looking for even more content can easily upgrade or transition into other tools like Envato Elements, but Mixkit’s free tier remains highly competitive on its own.
For creatives who work in mixed media or want a one-stop resource for visual and audio content, Mixkit remains one of the most versatile and generous platforms available today.
Final Thoughts
The need for high-quality visual content has never been greater. From websites and blogs to social media campaigns, online courses, and presentations, compelling imagery is an essential part of communication. Fortunately, creators no longer have to rely solely on expensive stock photo subscriptions or questionable sources. The 20 platforms featured in this series represent a new generation of accessible, free stock photography resources that serve a wide range of creative needs.
Throughout this guide, we explored platforms that focus on broad appeal and others that serve niche audiences. Some offer vast, community-driven libraries, while others provide handpicked, curated collections. Whether you're a freelance designer seeking minimalist backdrops, a marketer in need of lifestyle images, a teacher looking for educational visuals, or a developer crafting user-friendly interfaces, these tools help bridge the gap between quality and cost.
In 2025, what sets the best free stock photo websites apart is not just the images they offer but the experience they provide. Clean navigation, flexible licensing, commercial usability, and integration with design tools make these platforms more than repositories—they’re part of a modern creative workflow.
The free content movement continues to grow, supported by global contributors who believe in open creativity and shared resources. These platforms reflect that spirit by making it easier for anyone, regardless of skill level or budget, to create beautiful, effective visual work.
Whether you choose one or use several, these websites give you a strong foundation for any visual project. Keep them bookmarked, revisit them often, and stay curious—new content is being added all the time, and inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.