Are you using stock photos yet? If not, you need to, now! Stock photography is crucial for anyone running a business. Stock photos elevate your marketing and make it super professional. They can be used for a variety of purposes such as social media graphics, blog post graphics, website graphics, Instagram content, Facebook ads and more. That’s why it’s really important to always have a library of beautiful photos readily available for you to use.

Taking your own photos can be really hard. Plus, investing in a high-quality camera or photographer can be expensive. Even worse, what happens if you end up taking photos you hate? That’s why stock libraries have become all the rage for business owners. They simplify the process associated with gathering breathtaking photos for your business.

Stock photo libraries are a thing. Even better, free stock photo libraries are a thing too. We all know that running a business is pretty expensive. If paying to use a stock library is not an option for you at this time, I’ve got you covered. I’ve taken it upon myself to gather a list of the best resources for gathering beautiful and unique stock photography.

A Note About Copyrights

One thing to keep in mind when using stock photo sites is the licensing and attribution requirements. In this post I will be including each library’s license so you know off the bat what the photos from that site can be used for. Some stock photo sites allow you to use their photos for personal and commercial use free of charge. Others charge for commercial use. Others require attributions. Others have limits on modifications. Regardless, it’s important to stay on top of copywriting laws. Trust me, you do not want to end up in a legal disaster for simply misusing a stock photo.

Don’t be too worried though. I’ve got your back! Get excited as we dive in to my list of the top free stock photo sites for all your business needs.

The Best Free Stock Photo Sites

Unsplash

This is hands down my favorite website to gather free photos. The photos are breathtaking and are always really high quality. I use it all the time to find stock sources for my custom collages! Unsplash allows photographers to submit their photos to the site, ensuring that there is a diverse and unique mix of photos for people to choose from. The only thing to note with Unsplash is that it’s one of the more popular free stock photo sites, so you may find a lot of other businesses using the same photos as you.

License: Unsplash license “grants you an irrevocable, nonexclusive copyright license to download, copy, modify, distribute, perform, and use photos from Unsplash for free, including for commercial purposes, without permission from or attributing the photographer or Unsplash.”

Pexels

Pexels is my go-to if I can’t find a particular stock photo I’m looking for on Unsplash. Pexels has the same quality of photos as Unsplash, but their libraries vary a bit. If you are in a very specific niche and have a hard time finding photos that suite your business, try searching on Pexels. I’ve consistently been impressed with the size of their photo library and the quality of images available on the site.

License: Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. This type of license allows you to use the photos for free for personal or commercial use. The photos can be modified, copied and distributed as well. Plus, no attribution is needed.

StockSnap.io

StockSnap.io is a website similar to Pexels. If for some reason you still can’t find what you’re looking for on Unsplash or Pexels, I’d check here as well. StockSnap.io has some unique photos that aren’t featured on other sites. Keep in mind though that many photographers submit their photos to a variety of stock libraries, so you may see repeats on here that are also on Pexels or Unsplash.