Where can I find free images for my website?
Popular free image sources
Several websites offer high-quality photos that you can use for free, even on commercial projects. Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay are among the most well-known. They have searchable libraries and clear license pages.
Other options include Burst (by Shopify), StockSnap, and Reshot. Some sites, like Wikimedia Commons, offer images under various Creative Commons licenses—check each image's specific terms.
- Unsplash: free high-resolution photos, no attribution required (but appreciated)
- Pexels: free stock photos and videos, attribution not required
- Pixabay: free images, illustrations, and vectors, no attribution required
- Burst: free photos for websites and commercial use
- StockSnap: free stock photos under CC0
- Wikimedia Commons: free media, but licenses vary per image
Check the license
Even on free sites, licenses can differ. Some require you to credit the photographer, some don't allow certain uses (like selling the image as-is), and some have restrictions on identifiable people or trademarks. Always read the license before using an image.
If you need a model release for a person's face or a property release for a recognizable building, free sites usually don't provide them. For commercial use, you may need to look at paid stock or consult a lawyer.
Common mistakes
- Grabbing images from Google Images without checking permissions—most are copyrighted and using them can lead to legal issues.
- Assuming all 'free' images are free for any use; some are only for personal or non-commercial projects.
- Forgetting to keep proof of the license or attribution requirements in case of a dispute.
