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9 Sources for Free Marketing Images You'd Actually Want to Use

Stock photos don’t have to be cringeworthy.

Sourcing a decent stock photo for marketing used to be a chore. You’d flip through countless pages of bland options that were mediocre at best. It was full of cheesy poses, unrealistic backdrops, and nothing that conveyed the right message for your business.

It’s a different story now. Stock photography doesn’t have to look like stock photography anymore. It can be relevant, professional, high-quality, and non-cheesy. And there are a bunch of stock image sites offering just that.

Here are nine of the best free stock photo websites for commercial usage:

Unsplash

iMac computer sitting on brown wooden desk next to a plant. Whimsical paper decor and other art is hanging on the wall behind.

Unplash offers a vast library of over 2 million free high-resolution stock images sourced from the site’s community of generous photographers. The photos are high-quality and can be used for both commercial and non-commercial use. No attribution needed. Read the license.

Burst

Interior of coffee shop, partly showing coffee bar and tables. One person sitting at far table.

Burst is a free stock image repository powered by Shopify. The platform has thousands of high-resolution, royalty-free photos taken by their community of photographers. The photos are curated with Shopify stores in mind, but are available for anyone to use. It’s free for commercial or non-commercial use with no attribution required. Read the license.

Pixabay

Mid-century modern style wooden table with 6 white chairs. A container with 3 pencils is sitting on top.

Pixabay’s abundant library consists of copyright-free photos, vector graphics, illustrations, videos, and music. All can be used for commercial or non-commercial purposes with no attribution needed. Read the license.

KaboomPics

Person working on a gray laptop and holding a pencil over a pad of paper. The person is sitting next to someone who is gesturing with their hands.

Kaboompics contains tens of thousands of free photos. They can be used commercially and non-commercially without attribution. The collection was created specifically for lifestyle, interior design, and specialized bloggers, but can be used by anyone. Read the license.

Pexels

Five people at work. Two people are talking together, two people are pinning paper on a bulletin board, and one person is looking at their phone.

Pexels collects a variety of royalty-free images and videos from a network of creators. All items can be used for commercial or non-commercial purposes. No attribution is required. The library consists of hundreds of thousands of hand-picked photos, with new ones added daily. Read the license.

Flickr

Laptop sitting on a blue desk surrounded by papers, a plant, cashbook, and a piece of paper with a bar graph drawn on it.

Flickr is an image hosting and management platform. Some Flickr users have opted to offer their work under a Creative Commons license, meaning their photos are available for reuse. Use the search functionality to filter images that can be used for commercial purposes. Read the licenses.

Barn Images

Three column bookshelf full of many books. A white lamp is sitting in front of the bookcase.

Barn Images publishes fresh stock images that are free for commercial and non-commercial use. No attribution required. New photos are added each week and each image is high-resolution and unique. Read the license.

Gratisography

Upclose of a laptop keyboard with a purple overlay and four colored keys: yellow, pink, blue, and green.

Gratisography is “the world’s quirkiest collection” of high-resolution photos that are available for free for commercial and non-commercial use. The images are whimsical and unique — nothing boring. Their collection is smaller, but each photo is hand-curated to select only the most interesting options. Read the license.

Reshot

One hand on the keyboard of a laptop. Next to it lay a pair of scissors, a full coffee mug, and tape.

Reshot provides free photos shot by emerging photographers. Its mission is to unify creators through a free exchange of visual content, but the images are available for anyone to use for commercial or non-commercial purposes. No attribution needed. Read the license.

Bonus: Your Photos

Using your own images (or images someone else has taken for you) is always a great way to add a touch of originality to your content. They’re easier to customize and make sure the visuals fit your brand, plus you can create something you know people haven’t seen before.

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